In addition to significant weight loss and better brain function, practicing calorie restriction has various health benefits. But does fasting help with acne?
Yes, practicing intermittent fasting can help manage and prevent acne breakouts by supporting hormonal balance, stimulating wound healing, and reducing inflammation.
Here’s how fasting supports clear and healthy skin and how to start a skin-focused fasting protocol to see results quickly.
What is fasting?
Fasting is an eating pattern alternating between fasting periods and eating windows, a practice that has been used for centuries to promote a healthy body.
Intermittent fasting involves a daily cycle of fasting and eating, typically with 16 to 18 hours of fasting followed by a 6 to 8-hour eating window during which all meals are consumed. In contrast, prolonged fasting extends calorie restriction for several days.
Fasting triggers profound metabolic and hormonal changes linked to various health advantages. Most notably, caloric restriction allows the digestive tract to rest and keeps blood sugar and insulin levels low.
By supporting blood sugar and insulin balance, fasting can help achieve significant weight loss, promote improved brain function, offer anti-aging effects, and may enhance skin cell function linked to a lower risk of acne development.
Watch the video below to discover how fasting can help reduce acne and support glowing skin.
Does fasting help with acne?
Yes, fasting can help reduce and even prevent acne breakouts.
Acne development is linked to hormonal shifts and increased sebum production. This can clog pores and trigger sebaceous gland infection, leading to pimples, zits, or pus-filled spots.
In addition, an overgrowth of certain bacteria, such as Cutibacterium acnes, on the skin’s surface can further worsen inflammation and acne severity.
Fasting can play a significant role in counteracting these contributing factors by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance, which helps regulate hormone levels, decrease excess oil production, and support healthier, clearer skin.
Insulin is a key metabolic hormone released in response to food, especially sugars and carbohydrates, that regulates blood sugar balance.
However, insulin can also contribute to hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and microbiome disruptions, all of which can impact skin health and acne development.
“Fasting reduces both meal frequency and overall carbohydrate intake,” explains Dr. Berg. “This helps balance hormones, which can minimize acne breakouts and promote healthier skin.”
In addition, a study published in Nutrients explored how fasting promotes skin health beyond hormonal changes, summarizing, “Caloric-restricted diets can also result in increasing the number of stem cells, which is a factor that plays a major role in tissue homeostasis and growth.”
Stem cells support skin cell integrity, which is linked to a lower risk of acne and other inflammatory skin diseases. They may also help delay skin aging and enhance the skin’s response to environmental stressors.
Benefits of fasting for skin health
In addition to helping reduce the risk or severity of acne, fasting has various other benefits for overall skin health.
Fasting, especially prolonged fasting routines, triggers autophagy. This cellular repair and recycling mechanism encourages the removal of damaged cells and stimulates the production of new, healthy skin cells.
Intermittent fasting also supports the natural production of human growth hormone (HGH), which plays an important role in tissue repair, skin elasticity, and slowing the appearance of aging skin.
By enhancing HGH levels, practicing intermittent fasting has anti-aging benefits and can help support skin that is firm, supple, and resilient.
Inflammation can cause various skin problems, including redness, swelling, and irritation. Fasting has powerful anti-inflammatory benefits that help soothe skin inflammation and support the body’s natural wound healing processes.
This has been confirmed by research published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, reporting that intermittent fasting reduced inflammatory markers such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), linked to a more balanced immune system and a lower risk of inflammatory skin disorders.
How to start intermittent fasting
If you are planning to incorporate intermittent fasting into your routine to support radiant skin, it’s recommended that you slowly transition into longer periods of caloric restriction.
Most people start by delaying or skipping breakfast, eating only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and gradually extend their fasting window to 16 or 18 hours as their bodies adapt.
Because intermittent fasting typically involves eating fewer meals, it’s crucial to consume minimally processed and nutrient-dense foods to ensure the body receives essential nutrients to function properly.
It’s equally important to adjust your levels of physical activity, especially during the early stages of adapting to a fasting routine.
Start with light to moderate exercise, such as walking, stretching, or gentle strength training, and avoid intense workouts until your energy levels stabilize.
Fasting can trigger profound metabolic changes that stimulate fluid and electrolyte loss and drinking plenty of water and replenishing electrolyte minerals through nutrient-dense foods is essential for sustainable fasting success.
Intermittent fasting is generally considered safe for most individuals. However, it’s vital to discuss fasting with a healthcare provider, especially if you have underlying health issues or are taking prescription medications.
More natural tips for dealing with acne
Several diet and lifestyle factors can help reduce skin inflammation, support a balanced skin microbiome, and promote hormonal balance, all of which can minimize acne breakouts.
Here are five natural tips for dealing with acne.
1. Avoid harsh skin care routines
Maintaining healthy skin requires a good skincare routine to remove dead skin cells, clean clogged pores, and keep skin hydrated while avoiding irritating already sensitive skin.
Overly harsh scrubs, strong cleansers, or frequent exfoliation can strip away natural oils, disrupt the skin barrier, and worsen acne.
It’s recommended to use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser, exfoliate no more than once a week, and opt for a non-comedogenic moisturizer to maintain skin hydration without clogged pores.
In addition, wear sunscreen and avoid picking or aggressively scrubbing acne lesions to prevent scarring.
It’s best to consult a dermatologist for personalized product recommendations tailored to your skin type, acne severity, and daily skincare routine.
2. Follow Healthy Keto®
Following a low-carb keto diet by restricting carbohydrate intake to no more than 50 grams daily can maximize the benefits of intermittent fasting for healing acne.
Limiting carbohydrate intake is an excellent strategy for avoiding high blood sugar and insulin levels, both of which are linked to poor skin health and acne development.
In addition, evidence published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that the ketogenic diet significantly improved sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that helps regulate the body’s free hormone concentrations.
Maintaining hormonal balance is critical for acne management, especially for individuals who experience breakouts related to fluctuations in testosterone or estrogen.
In addition to limiting carbohydrates, it’s important to focus on nutritious whole foods, which offer plenty of essential nutrients needed to support overall skin health.
Healthy Keto® is an ideal ketogenic meal plan for those with acne as it limits carbohydrates and processed foods while emphasizing organic produce, high-quality protein sources, and healthy fats.
3. Prioritize probiotic-rich foods
Supporting gut health plays an important role in managing acne. A balanced digestive system helps reduce inflammation, regulate immune responses, and maintain healthier skin.
Probiotics promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which can improve nutrient absorption and support hormonal balance, linked to a lower risk of acne-related skin issues.
Some of the best probiotic-rich foods to include:
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Miso
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Aged cheeses
- Kombucha
4. Incorporate foods rich in vitamin E
A study published in PLOS One found that a lack of vitamin E increases the risk of various skin disorders, including acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis.
Vitamin E is a vital nutrient that helps reduce inflammation, protect skin cells from oxidative damage, and support overall skin repair.
Some of the best dietary vitamin E sources include wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, oily fish, avocados, grass-fed butter, and egg yolks.
5. Eliminate milk and dairy products
Milk and dairy products can contribute to hormonal imbalances and worsen skin problems such as acne.
Cow’s milk contains hormones and growth factors structurally similar to those in the human body that can stimulate excessive oil production and exacerbate inflammation linked to skin breakouts.
For individuals affected by persistent acne, an elimination diet that removes milk, cheese, and other dairy products may help reduce acne symptoms and support better skin health.
Key takeaways
Fasting has a wide range of metabolic and hormonal benefits, but does fasting help with acne?
Yes, fasting can help manage acne by regulating insulin levels, which supports the body’s hormonal balance, helps reduce excess oil production, and promotes clearer skin.
Combining fasting with a Healthy Keto diet, foods rich in vitamin E, and dietary sources of probiotic microbes can enhance the hormone-balancing benefits of caloric restriction and promote overall skin health.
FAQ
1. Does fasting help with acne?
Yes, intermittent fasting can help with acne by stabilizing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, improving gut health, and supporting hormonal balance, all of which play key roles in skin health.
2. How long should I fast to get rid of acne?
An 18:6 intermittent fasting routine, characterized by fasting for 18 hours and consuming all meals within a 6-hour window, can help improve hormonal balance and support skin health.
Most people begin to notice improvements in skin clarity and reduced breakouts after a few weeks of consistently practicing intermittent fasting.
3. What is skin fasting?
Skin fasting refers to the practice of allowing the skin to reset and naturally restore itself by drastically reducing or avoiding all skincare products. However, there’s little scientific evidence to support the potential benefits of skin fasting.
4. What’s the best diet to get rid of acne?
A nutrient-focused low-carb diet, such as Healthy Keto®, combined with probiotic-rich foods, supports metabolic health and digestive functions while reducing inflammation. This dietary approach supports hormonal balance and may help manage inflammatory skin conditions, including acne.
