Forget what you have been told about how your eating habits don't affect acne. Are you suffering from bad acne breakouts? Take a look at your diet. What you put in your body and on your skin matters.

For a long time, I believed this lie from the medical community. My mama told me a long time ago it was how I ate, and I wished I had listened to her instead of going with this myth that has been pushed for years.

Still, don't believe it? Consider hunter-gather societies that are not exposed to our processed diet.

People who are still living in hunter-gatherer societies today have extremely low rates of acne in comparison to the Western world. According to the report Acne Vulgaris: A Disease of Western Civilization

In westernized societies, acne vulgaris is a nearly universal skin disease afflicting 79% to 95% of the adolescent population. In men and women older than 25 years, 40% to 54% have some degree of facial acne, and clinical facial acne persists into middle age in 12% of women and 3% of men.

In this report, two populations were observed: the Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea and the Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay. In both of these populations, no cases of acne were observed.

It's true that some people, like me, are simply just more prone to breakouts. Meanwhile, other people can seemingly eat how they want and still have glowing skin. But the same thing goes for weight, right? Some people just happen to have faster metabolisms that do a better job of processing the food that we eat.

However, we can't worry about other people's bodies as we have to do what is best for our own.

By no means do I eat perfectly, but I certainly eat much better than I once did, and it has had a direct impact on my acne, as breakouts have become a rare and more random occurrence for me. However, with absolute predictability, every time I over consume sugar my breakouts return with a vengeance.

To avoid acne, do your best to eliminate sugar in all foods that you eat. It's no easy feat given that sugar is in nearly everything, but do your due diligence to reduce it and you will see a difference in your skin. You may also try switching to almond milk, as cow's milk has hormones in it that may worsen your breakouts.

Don't give up too easily, and be consistent and patient in your efforts. If you have a really severe case of acne, that means there are lesions under your skin that have been in the works for some time.

Also, try using natural remedies on your skin. I have mild cystic acne and saw the most improvement on my skin by using an at-home recipe that I created. It was better than any prescription or over the counter medication that I have ever tried. It's also great for recovering from acne scars and hyperpigmentation.

Here's the recipe:

1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice (ginger is good for treating dark spots)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (also good for dark spots)
1 tablespoon organic honey (antibacterial and moisturizing)
3 drops tea tree oil (antibacterial properties)
4 tablespoons Epsom Salt (to provide grit for exfoliation)

I call this my Ginger Scrub.

Ariane Williams is the founder of Black Naps, the go-to marketplace for shopping Black hair care products made by all Black woman-owned hair care brands. We know your struggle first-hand because we have been there, CurlFriend. Signup for your free eBook, The Beginner's Guide to Natural Hair, so you can take the steps to start reviving your hair today!

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