Holistic Tips for Blemish-Prone Skin

“Breakouts are not failures, they’re feedback.”

Blemishes can feel like an attack on our skin, especially if they seem persistent or unpredictable. But from a holistic-rooted lens, acne is not a surface-level issue. It’s your body asking for balance. Often, it’s related to digestion, hormones, liver function, stress, or blood sugar — not just what’s happening on your skin.

And here’s the good news: your body is not working against you. It’s communicating. When you slow down and listen, you can respond with grace, rhythm, and nourishment — not shame or harsh products.

Let’s explore 7 holistic strategies that support clear skin from the inside out.

1. Balance Blood Sugar to Support Hormones

Blood sugar spikes can increase insulin and androgen activity, which may lead to excess oil production and clogged pores. This is especially common with chin and jawline breakouts.

Helpful habits:

• Eat protein and healthy fats at every meal such as eggs, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised butter, or tallow

• Avoid eating carbohydrates alone. Pair fruit, bread, or honey with fat or protein

• Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast rather than just coffee or fruit

• A small amount of apple cider vinegar diluted in water before meals may help reduce blood sugar spikes

Research: PubMed has documented associations between insulin resistance and acne

2. Support Digestion and Gut Health

Skin and gut health are deeply connected. Poor digestion can limit nutrient absorption and contribute to inflammation that shows up through the skin.

Gentle digestive support:

• Drink bone broth to nourish the gut lining

• Eat fermented foods like raw sauerkraut, kefir, or yogurt from pasture-raised dairy

• Chew food thoroughly and eat without distractions

• Use digestive bitters or a small amount of apple cider vinegar before meals if tolerated

When digestion improves, skin often follows.

Further reading: Skin Starts in The Gut

3. Replace Seed Oils with Traditional Fats

Highly processed seed oils such as canola, soybean, sunflower, and safflower oils are inflammatory and can disrupt hormone balance. Inflammation plays a major role in acne.

Better fat choices include:

• Pasture-raised butter or ghee

• Grass-fed tallow

• Coconut oil

• Lard from pasture-raised pork

• Egg yolks from free-range hens

Traditional fats support the skin barrier and overall hormone health. Tallow, in particular, closely resembles our skin’s natural lipid profile.

Learn more: Weston A. Price More on Seed Oils

4. Support the Liver Gently

The liver processes excess hormones and toxins. When it becomes overburdened, the skin may act as an alternative elimination pathway.

Simple daily liver support:

• Eat small amounts of pastured liver weekly or use desiccated liver capsules

• Drink dandelion or nettle tea

• Add bitter greens like arugula or radicchio to meals

• Begin mornings with warm lemon water

These are not harsh detoxes, just supportive habits that honor how the body was designed.

Herbal support reference: Dandelion health benefits

5. Reduce Stress Without Shame

Chronic stress increases cortisol, which can raise oil production, slow healing, and make skin more reactive. Often it is not the stressor itself, but the constant rushing and self-criticism that keeps the body tense.

Gentle ways to reset:

• Begin and end the day without your phone

• Sit down to eat meals without multitasking

• Create a daily peace ritual such as prayer, journaling, or time outdoors

• Speak kindly to yourself. Your nervous system is always listening

Research: How Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk

6. Stop Over-Cleansing and Over-Treating

Many people with acne are taught to strip and dry their skin. This often backfires by damaging the barrier and increasing oil production.

More supportive skincare:

• Oil cleanse with a gentle cleanser to dissolve buildup without stripping

• Use raw, unfiltered honey masks for natural antibacterial support

• Exfoliate gently with oats or enzyme masks once or twice weekly

• Finish with a nourishing balm that protects the barrier

Skin heals more quickly when it feels safe.

7. Honor Your Cyclical Nature

Skin is not static, especially for women. Hormonal shifts throughout the month influence oil production, inflammation, and sensitivity.

Helpful reminders:

• Track your cycle and notice skin patterns

• Avoid panic when a breakout appears

• Adjust rest and nourishment during hormonal changes

• Extend kindness to yourself during these phases

Breakouts are not moral failures. They are part of a living, responsive body.

A Gentler Way to See Your Skin

Blemish-prone skin is not bad skin. It is communicative skin. When you support your body with real food, gentle rhythms, deep rest, and nourishing skincare, your skin often responds with balance over time.

When I first began working with skin, I believed the solution lived in the perfect cleanser or serum. Years later, after walking alongside so many clients, I know that true skin health is built through trust in the body’s design and patience with the healing process.

God created our bodies with the ability to renew. When we care for ourselves as whole beings, the outer signs often follow.

Clearer skin is not about control. It is about listening.