The Root Causes of Acne: Were they what I had been led to believe?
I remember when my skin first broke out with severe acne after stopping the birth control pill. A well-meaning friend told me that I just needed to wash and clean my face better. Basically, if I “got rid” of the bacteria, I’d have clear skin!
My friend recommended a cleanser by Neutrogena (a product which was filled with hormone-disrupting xenoestrogens and toxic, irritant petrochemicals, by the way–just like most conventional skincare products). I scrubbed away for weeks, only to watch my acne get worse. The worse it got, the more I scrubbed and picked and messed with my poor skin.
Like many women who stop the pill only to face months of acne afterwards, I tried every bacteria-fighting acne skincare product out there. But the root cause of my acne wasn’t the bacteria; it was the body-wide hormonal dysregulation from years spent on the birth control pill.
I could try and nip those bacteria in the bud, but they were going to keep coming right back until my body healed and the root cause was addressed. The bacteria were just taking advantage of an imbalanced terrain, full of extra sebum and all the right conditions for them to thrive. They were just along for the ride, and I can tell you that these bacteria were LOVING the environment!
What causes acne?
There are many different possible root causes of acne, but let me make one thing abundantly clear: acne is NOT caused by bacterial growth due to NOT WASHING YOUR FACE WELL ENOUGH. That, my friends, is not and will never be the root cause.
In fact, overwashing your face is incredibly harmful for your skin! Too much cleansing and tonifying messes up the integrity of your skin barrier. How so? Overwashing will:
- Disrupt your skin’s microbiome (all the microbes that naturally exist on the surface of your skin). A diverse skin microbiome is important for the health of your skin, as it maintains a healthy pH and outer environment, protecting your skin from pathogenic bacteria.
- Alter your skin’s acid mantle, which is a thin layer of your natural oils and secretions that create a slightly acidic barrier between your skin cells and the external environment. This acid mantle serves to keep your skin moist and protect it from bacteria and other microbes. Meaning that the sebum and oils found naturally on your skin are actually vital for its health!
I’ve seen many of my clients with acne (my past self included!) overwash their faces when trying to address their acne. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to not wash your skin too frequently or too harshly! (In fact, I even went an entire 6 months without washing my face at all–a technique lovingly termed the “caveman regimen”–but more on that in a future post.)
The Real Root Causes of Acne
So if bacteria are not the real root cause of acne, then what are the root causes?
Here are just a few:
- Hormonal imbalances, like estrogen dominance and androgen excess
- Post-birth control hormonal dysregulation, leading to sebum overproduction and hormone imbalances
- Insulin resistance
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction
- Nervous system imbalances leading to food sensitivities
- Poor elimination of metabolic wastes & toxins
There are a variety of other causes, depending on which organ system is primarily affected. But this should help you see that the bacteria associated with acne are not the cause, but are rather opportunistic little buggers: they thrive on unhealthy terrain, and the root causes like the ones I described above are the conditions that help promote an unhealthy internal environment.
Moral of the Story
I thought I was addressing the cause of my acne for months when I was washing my face with harsh cleansers, when I was actually making it so much worse. This practice of overwashing–and my well-intentioned friend’s comments–also ingrained in me the false belief that my skin was dirty.
The subtle (or not-so-subtle) message of “your skin is dirty” is a message that people with acne–myself included–typically get ALL the time. Which can make you feel dirty or shameful. And when you feel dirty, it’s hard to feel loved or worthy. It’s a frustrating and awful cycle to be in, but one that I can empathize with wholeheartedly.
I’m here to tell you that your skin is doing the healing work it needs to do. Your body is wise and your skin is absolutely beautiful. Your amazing, incredible body is creating an external environmental conducive to acne because there is a deeper imbalance going on, and it doesn’t want to drive it any deeper. Instead, it’s getting it out. Your body is trying its best to heal itself, and the acne is a sign of that healing potential.
When the acne goes away (which I assure you, it most definitely will), it will be a sign that those deeper physical and emotional imbalances (and even, perhaps, prior wounds) you carry have healed.
Please never feel like your skin is anything other than perfect.
Much love. <3
Do you have acne? Would you like to learn some actionable steps you can take now to help heal your skin? Download my free ebook “7 Steps to Healing Acne Naturally” here!
Would you like one-on-one support along your acne healing journey? I offer virtual holistic health consultations, focusing on uncovering root causes and using natural and holistic approaches. I’d love to work with you!
