Acne From the Inside Out

Most people experience acne at some point in their life. Because it shows up on the skin, the first instinct is usually to reach for a topical product to treat the breakouts. While these products can help calm and heal the skin, they usually end up being more of a temporary fix than a long-term solution, and in many cases, they can even create new issues. That’s because acne, though visible on the surface, often stems from much deeper imbalances in the body. In fact, there are usually multiple root causes at play, from hormones and stress to gut health and diet. If your acne isn’t improving with topicals alone, it may be time to look beneath the surface and explore what’s really going on inside...

Limitations of Topical Products

Topical acne products are designed to work on the surface of the skin. Ingredients found in most acne products, benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, work by killing acne-causing bacteria, calming inflammation, and exfoliating away dead skin cells and oil that clogs pores. While this can help reduce the severity of breakouts, the results are often temporary because they don’t address the deeper imbalances that triggered the acne in the first place. Over time, relying solely on these products backfires. These ingredients can strip the skin of its natural oils, disrupt the protective barrier, and cause dehydrated or irritation, leaving the skin inflamed and reactive. This can actually trigger more breakouts because dehydrated skin, regardless of whether it’s oil or water dehydration, will start producing more oil, which in turn makes breakouts worse.

A lot of doctors will prescribe topical antibiotic ointments to tackle breakouts but they aren’t a long-term solution either because they only temporarily reduce bacteria. Over time, they disrupt the skin’s natural microbiome and lead to bacterial resistance, leaving the skin barrier weaker and more prone to future breakouts. They also don’t address the deeper root causes driving breakouts.

Root Causes of Acne

Hormonal Imbalances
Hormones play a major role in acne flare-ups. Fluctuations during puberty, PMS, perimenopause, or conditions like PCOS increase oil production, leading to clogged pores and inflammation. Our environment can also cause hormonal changes. A lot of products we use everyday contain endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals that have an effect on our bodies: personal care products, cleaning products, plastics, non-stick coatings, pesticides, artificial ingredients, fragrances, etc. Classic hormonal acne is seen on the lower half of the face, like on the chin, jawline and neck. Stress hormones like cortisol can also trigger breakouts. These breakouts can be hard to treat but with a little patience, it can be improved with diet and lifestyle changes.

Gut Health & Digestion
Your skin is a direct reflection on what is happening inside your gut. An imbalance of good and bad bacteria, poor digestion, or food sensitivities can all contribute to inflammation and it can show up as acne or other skin sensitivities. Supporting gut health with probiotics, prebiotic fibers, and anti-inflammatory foods can make a noticeable difference in skin clarity over time.

Diet & Lifestyle
What you eat matters. Diets high in sugar, dairy, and processed foods can spike insulin and inflammation, both of which worsen acne. On the other hand, whole foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy fats provide the skin with the nutrients it needs to heal and stay clear. It’s important to note that even healthy foods, like eggs and seafood, can trigger breakouts for some people; the only way to know if they’re a factor in your breakouts is to eliminate them from your diet for a period of time to see if that helps heal your acne breakouts.

Stress & Mental Health
Stress doesn’t just affect your mind; it affects your skin too. Elevated cortisol levels increase oil production and inflammation, which can trigger or worsen breakouts. Consistently managing stress through sleep, exercise, or mindfulness practices are important for your skin as well as overall body wellness.

Environmental Factors
The world around you also impacts your skin. Personal care products as previously mentioned also fall into this category along with pollution, dirty makeup brushes, phones, and pillowcases. Choosing clean-formulated, non-comedogenic products and practicing regular double cleansing can help reduce this type of congestion as well as cleaning your makeup brushes, phones and pillowcases at least weekly.

A Holistic Approach to Healing Acne

The most effective way to clear acne long-term is by treating it from the inside out. Topical products and treatments are valuable for soothing inflammation, keeping pores clear, and supporting the skin’s healing process, but they work best when combined with internal care. Addressing both means you’re tackling acne at the root, rather than just putting out surface fires.

Part of this deeper approach includes caring for your skin microbiome. Your skin isn’t just a protective layer; it’s home to a diverse community of bacteria, fungi, and microbes that act like your skin’s built-in defense system. When balanced, this ecosystem keeps harmful bacteria in check, strengthens the barrier, and supports healthy immune responses.

However, the microbiome is delicate and can easily be disrupted by harsh cleansers, overuse of antibiotics, or even environmental factors like chlorine, especially true of swimmers. Once thrown off balance, your skin becomes more vulnerable, leading to irritation, inflammation, and more frequent breakouts.

To protect this vital ecosystem, choose gentle, hydrating cleansers, avoid unnecessary antibiotics, and look for skincare products that support barrier health rather than strip it away. Consider adding a water filter to your sink or shower; it helps remove hard water minerals and impurities, making your daily skincare routine more effective. When combined with lifestyle habits that reduce internal inflammation, maintaining a healthy microbiome allows your skin to become clearer, stronger, and more resilient.

Balance Hormones Naturally
For many people, hormonal shifts are one of the biggest acne triggers. Supporting hormone balance through daily lifestyle choices can make a huge difference in how your skin looks and feels. One key step is nourishing your body with the right foods. Healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish, are essential because your body actually uses fats and cholesterol to produce and regulate hormones. Without enough, your system struggles to stay balanced. Omega-3’s in particular are powerful: they not only support hormone production but also strengthen the skin barrier, reduce inflammation, and lock in hydration, all of which make skin more resilient against breakouts. Foods like salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are excellent sources. Plus, you can add a high-quality omega-3 supplement, like Arbonne’s Daily Omega, which is vegan because it’s made with algae and Ahiflower oil, the direct sources fish get their omega-3’s from!

Protein is equally important, not just for muscle repair but for keeping blood sugar steady. Starting your day with a high-protein breakfast, such as eggs and veggies or a protein smoothie using a vegan protein powder like Arbonne’s Essential Meal Protein, sets your hormones up for stability all day long. When you have carbohydrates, aim for complex carbs and fiber, like sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa or oats, to avoid the spikes and crashes caused by sugary processed snacks, cereals, yogurts, etc. When blood sugar is balanced, hormones stay more stable, and skin tends to calm down.

If you feel overwhelmed about where to start, guided programs can take the guesswork out of building healthy habits. The Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living Program is one option I recommend for people who want structured nutrition support; It is a nutritional reset that focuses on eating whole foods, balancing your plate, and improving gut health. This plan helps balance blood sugar, decreases bloating, and gives your body the nourishment it needs to support clear, healthy skin. Bonus: it also helps increase energy levels. Who doesn’t want that?

If you’re struggling with your menstrual cycle, try Arbonne’s Her Core Cycle Support supplement. This supplement helps support your cycle all month long and relieves and improves common premenstrual symptoms, such as breast discomfort, nausea, fatigue, cramping, mood management, and stress support.

Support Gut Health
Your gut and skin are deeply connected! It’s well-known that food allergies can cause hives but people often don’t realize that an unhappy gut often leads to other skin issues such as acne, eczema and even psoriasis. To nurture gut health, focus on a fiber-rich diet with plenty of vegetables, prebiotic foods like garlic and onions, and probiotic foods such as sauerkraut or kefir. Taking daily probiotics are also great for gut health, but not all probiotics are created equally and most on the market are not clinically-proven to work. Look for probiotics in the spore form because these are activated by stomach acid and survive to the small intestine where they can be utilized by your body. I personally use Arbonne probiotics because all their options come in a spore form and the specific strains used are clinically-tested for effectiveness. The GreenSynergy Elixir is my favorite because it has probiotics plus 13 digestive enzymes for less bloat, a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for nutrition support, and a vegan collagen builder for skin health.

Also, for many people, identifying food sensitivities like dairy or gluten can also greatly reduce acne flare-ups. If you haven’t tried going dairy free, I highly recommend it because this is a trigger for so many people! I know, it’s hard to give up cheese, milk and ice cream but there are so many good alternatives on the market now that you can have that are dairy free. And you don’t necessarily have to give up dairy forever either; it’s about finding out how much and what specific foods your body can tolerate well, which can mean decreasing the frequency or only avoiding certain forms of dairy.

Manage Stress Effectively
Stress creates hormonal shifts that can increase oil production and inflammation. While avoiding stress is impossible, daily stress management practices such as meditation, journaling, breathwork, or even a simple walk outdoors can help lower cortisol levels and prevent stress-related breakouts. Find something you love so that it will be easy to make it a daily habit.

Professional Facial Treatments and Home Care That Support Healing
Pairing internal work with professional treatments accelerates results. At Skin Sanctuary, treatments like customized facials, gentle chemical peels, Glo2Facials, and LED light therapy target acne-causing bacteria, reduce inflammation, and promote healing. These treatments not only improve skin clarity but also support your skin barrier, so it becomes more resilient against future breakouts.

Clear skin continues at home with a consistent, gentle routine. Choosing clean, well-formulated products that have been clinically-proven for effectiveness and are free from sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrance, is key to reducing irritation and protecting the skin barrier. A routine doesn’t have to be complicated to be work: focus on daily hydration, barrier support, and targeted spot treatments for active breakouts. Exfoliating 1–2 times per week helps remove dead skin cells, dirt, oil, and debris that can clog pores, while keeping skin smooth and radiant. With the right home care, your skin stays balanced and better able to respond to professional treatments and lifestyle changes.

The Bottom Line

Acne is rarely just a surface issue; it’s a reflection of what’s happening inside the body and on the skin’s barrier. While topical products can help calm breakouts, true healing comes from a holistic approach that addresses deeper root causes like hormones, gut health, stress, and lifestyle. By combining internal support with clean home care and targeted professional treatments, clearer, healthier skin is not only possible, it’s sustainable.

At Skin Sanctuary, my goal is to help you heal your skin from the inside out. Whether it’s through customized facials, acne-focused treatments, or guidance on nutrition and holistic skincare, I create plans tailored to your unique needs. If you’re ready to move beyond quick fixes and finally support your skin at the root, I’d love to help.

✨ Book a consultation or facial today and start your journey toward clear, glowing skin, naturally.