What is Acne, Really?

Author: Jessica Gremley

If you ever got the right answers to your question “What is acne, really?”, you wouldn’t be here.

Because you’d have clear skin.

Despite being smart. Despite trying virtually every product, prescription, diet and supplement out there. Despite your research. Despite the “professional” advice. Despite all the money, time and energy you’ve thrown at the problem.

You STILL have acne.

Doesn’t seem fair, does it?

Now let’s paint a different picture.

In my world, people who struggle with acne find peace from the endless seeking and frustration. As soon as they step in, they feel protected. Safe. Deeply appreciated and understood.

And excited!

Besides jumping into a straightforward system that gets them clear—a system with a 95% proven success rate...

They finally get the WHOLE TRUTH about what acne really is. The cause and the triggers.

Which equips them to take care of their skin for life.

Here’s my gift to you—the right answer to “What is acne, really?” so you can start healing for good.

In a moment, we’re going to review the acne myths that keep you stuck. Then I’m going to share the truth about what’s REALLY causing your acne, along with the triggers that aggravate and perpetuate your breakouts.

I really want you to have this info! Because it’s so hard being in the dark. Hard and lonely and upsetting.

Head’s up though…

You can dig and dig and you might not find scientific data to back up what I say. In fact, what I share might be completely, utterly opposite to what you’ve always heard and thought you knew about acne.

But, so what?

Remember, if what “they” said worked, you wouldn’t be here.

Whereas I’ve helped THOUSANDS of people get clear—women and men of all ages, all around the world.

It’s up to you who you choose to listen to 😉

Now, it’s time to bust through myths about acne that keep you stuck in breakout land.

6 Myths about acne you can ditch right away.

Again, no matter what you’ve ever heard, please know:

• Acne is NOT caused by chocolate. Multiple research studies indicate that chocolate has no significant impact on the skin. If you want chocolate, it’s okay. Enjoy! However, stick to darker blends and avoid milk chocolate because of the iodine in the milk.
• Acne is NOT caused by sugar. Here’s what dermatologists, bloggers and scientists would have you believe. That ingesting sugar and foods high on the glycemic index (like white bread, candy, fried foods and soda) cause spikes in your body's insulin levels that lead to a burst of inflammation in your body. And, in turn, that elevated inflammation increases the production of skin oils and contributes to the clogging of follicles, which can worsen your complexion.
  
  NOT TRUE. Inflammation is not the cause of acne. The REAL cause of your acne is the genetic predisposition called retention hyperkeratosis, as you learned above.
  
  For the OVERALL health of your body, it’s always a smart choice to moderately consume sweet treats and processed foods high in sugar. Hey, my clients didn’t have to give up sweets. And guess what? Neither do you.

• Acne is NOT caused by dirty hair or not washing your face enough. You know the correct answer! Acne is NOT caused by these choices; again, it’s caused by retention hyperkeratosis.
  
  Instead, what you should know is this. That a consistent, daily skin care regimen using safe, powerful cleansers and acne fighting products (that are free of pore-clogging ingredients) AND switching up your regimen every two weeks to regularly challenge your skin and promote healing acne ARE imperative if you want clear skin.

• Acne is NOT something you can just cover up with makeup and ignore. As you learned above, retention hyperkeratosis causes your pores to clog. Almost all makeup out there contains at least one, but usually several pore-clogging ingredients known to irritate and aggravate your acne. So, you’re essentially perpetuating your acne by wearing the wrong makeup!
  
  However, CLEAN makeup does exist, and our happy clients use it all the time—when they feel like it. Because their skin is now so beautiful, they relish going out without makeup.

• Acne is NOT just a hormonal condition. That’s why the idea of “all I have to do is balance my hormones and I’ll get rid of my acne” is so dangerous. It’s a false premise. And though fluctuating hormones can trigger acne, and a healthy hormone balance can help improve your skin, acne is genetic. And as you learned here, a single-focus treatment―like balancing your hormones―can’t clear your acne, because you have MULTIPLE acne triggers impacting your skin.
• Acne is NOT a simple condition that has an easy fix. Hey! You can see this now for yourself! Everything you learned in this article has helped you understand that, to heal your acne and keep it at bay, you need to address your unique blend of acne triggers.
  
  Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. And don’t you dare feel that you should’ve somehow known better. NO ONE is teaching this. There’s no way you could’ve known. That’s why you’re here, so you can finally get the truth, okay?

And here’s the final big myth to dismiss…

“There’s no acne treatment that works.”

I get it. With all the disappointments you’ve endured, you may feel you’re living proof that nothing works.

However, until now, you’ve been given the wrong answers to your question “What is acne, really?” For years and years, you’ve been led astray—with false promises and faulty logic.

The fact is, by embracing a natural, whole-body approach to conquering your acne triggers and addressing the root cause of your acne, you CAN get clear.

So, ready for the RIGHT answers about your acne?

Let’s go!

Acne 101 - Let’s get on the same page.

When it comes to the root cause of your acne, here’s what you should know.

Acne is a genetic skin condition called retention hyperkeratosis.

Let me explain.

Every day a layer of dead skin cells is shed inside the pore. Ordinarily, these dead skin cells are pushed from behind by newer cells rising to the skin’s surface, then flake off in a normal, healthy pore.

However, this continuous shedding process goes haywire in people with acne. Acne-prone skin produces up to 5x more dead cells than normal, and the excess dead cells stay stuck on the skin’s surface and clog your pores. The resulting plug—known as a microcomedone—when mixed with oil, forms a blackhead. When infected with bacteria, forms a blemish.

Essentially, your acne-prone skin is perpetually clogging itself. And your unique blend of acne triggers (more on those later) aggravates and worsens this already faulty situation.

What’s more, acne is often thought of like a rash, something we “pick-up” from a food we eat or a cream we applied. However, as you just read, this is not the case. Acne starts inside the body just like diabetes. Also like a diabetic, one who has the acne gene, can control their acne but never cure it.

And here’s the critical fact skincare companies, Big Pharma and dermatologists almost always ignore…

They’re not telling you either because they’re not aware or because it doesn’t fit their profit model is this:

Every day you potentially face MULTIPLE acne triggers that aggravate your acne.

Acne triggers are imbalances or sensitivities in the body or lifestyle that aggravate and irritate your underlying genetic predisposition for acne, making it worse and/or occur more frequently.

There are four primary acne triggers you may be vulnerable to—hormonal imbalance, gut imbalance, stress and diet.

It’s critical you figure out which acne triggers are affecting you (though, keep in mind, most of our clients are susceptible to most if not all these triggers). Otherwise, you’ll be in a constant state of breakout and uncertainty as to what’s perpetuating your acne.

The good news is, once you identify and conquer your primary acne triggers, then you can keep acne at bay and begin healing your skin in earnest.

Here’s a quick overview of the 4 Primary Acne Triggers:

HORMONES

• As a female, you’ll most likely experience hormonal acne around the mouth, chin and along the jawline.
• And the week prior to your period is when the most hormonal acne flares up. Finding your body’s healthy balance of estrogen, progesterone and androgen is one of the critical keys to eliminating acne. I prefer using a tailored regimen of herbs as opposed to birth control pills. Using herbal supplements allows your body to naturally rebalance itself without harmful side effects.

GUT IMBALANCE

• Breakouts related to gut imbalance occur on the cheeks and side of face by the ears.
• Food sensitivity and Leaky Gut are considered part of the Gut Imbalance trigger. Other symptoms include bloating, gassiness, skipping bowel movements, stomach aches and cramping. The most common gut issue is constipation. You should be having 2 bowel movements a day. Yes, two! If not, you can naturally rebalance your gut microbiome with therapeutic-grade Probiotics (such as our Clove Hill Clear Skin Probiotic-10), Oil of Oregano and Fish Oil.

STRESS

• Stress is the trickiest of all the acne triggers as it can show up, at least a little bit, in just about everyone.
• Stress-induced breakouts usually occur within 48 hours of a stressful event. If you suspect you have this trigger, pay close attention to timing. You can naturally relieve stress with proven self-care methods like exercise, mindful breathing techniques, meditation and laughter. In addition, the right supplement for acne-prone skin (such as our Clove Hill Adrenal Stress Formula) can provide the missing nutrients you need to strengthen, support and rebuild your adrenal glands.

DIET

• Diet-related breakouts are most often related to foods high in iodine and androgens.
• In fact, many common “good-for-you” foods trigger your breakouts because they contain iodine or androgens. You’ll know because breakouts occur 24 to 48 hours after eating acne-triggering food including cow’s milk, peanut butter, sea plants and shrimp. Once you identify and stop eating foods triggering your acne, your skin can begin to recover from this trigger. Try substituting in new favorites like almond milk, cashew butter and freshwater fish to continue enjoying satisfying meals.

Did you know, acne triggers can set off a chain reaction throughout your body?

Because all the systems in our body are interrelated, your susceptibility to one or two acne triggers leaves you even more vulnerable to breakouts.

For example, say you’re super stressed because of an upcoming exam. You start seeing telltale pimples on your chin. To soothe your stress, you turn to your favorite foods—crispy seafood snacks and organic fruity Greek yogurt smoothies.

Hey! At least you’re eating healthy right?

Nope! Not when it comes to acne...

The iodine in the sea plants is hugely acne triggering. The iodine in the cow’s dairy is triggering. Did you forget, you’re a bit lactose intolerant? That upsets your gut. Now you’re all bloaty, gassy and crampy. And that inflammation in your gut is eeking into your bloodstream and triggering your acne.

Speaking of cramps, your period has kicked in. Stress elevates even MORE because, heck, you’ve got a BIG date tomorrow night. Thank god you’re protected, but did you know, that low-dose birth control pill you’re on is acne triggering?

Do you see how acne triggers add up, inflicting breakout after breakout?

If you want clear skin, it’s imperative you get your acne triggers under control.

This barrage of multiple acne triggers also helps explain why the treatments you’ve tried haven’t worked.

Including…

• The dermatologist that provided a few "let's wait it out" kind words, a pat on the back and an antibiotic cream.
• Or the fancy new pimple patches, tea tree serums, drying lotions, breakout fighters.
• Don’t forget the supplements—super B-complex, vitamin A, evening primrose.

Yes, some of these treatments and others like them might have provided a little relief, for a little while.

But none address the root cause of your acne. None provide a comprehensive, long-term solution that addresses all your acne triggers; they’re simply not designed that way. And some can actually sabotage your skin.

By the way, was just wondering, did anyone ever tell you any of this?

You need and deserve this straight scoop about what acne really is, and triggers that aggravate and perpetuate your acne, so you can finally make the right choices for your skin.

My clients used this same information to crack the code of their never-ending acne.

And now, so can you!