The 4 Foods You Need To Heal Your Acne Naturally

As anyone who has struggled with acne is aware, there is a profound connection between the foods we eat and how they affect our skin. For this reason, trying to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich produce, healthy fats, drink enough water, and avoiding common allergens like wheat, dairy, and soy are a good game plan. But what if you are doing everything "right" and are still suffering with a combo of random cystic breakouts and fine lines, no matter how vigilantly you avoid the most common acne-triggers?

Also known as clarified butter, this multi-use fat has surprising properties important for skin health. Although traditionally made from cow's milk, the dairy proteins that contribute to acne are strained off during the ghee-making process—leaving behind a delicious nutritional powerhouse of fat-soluble vitamins A,D, E, and K2. Vitamin K2 is a particularly important nutrient that most people are deficient in, due to the fact that it is found only in a few ancestral foods like ghee. It also improves elastin production in the skin, which is essential to healing acne scars as well as smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.

As the richest food source of zinc, oysters are an important addition to any skin healing protocol. Zinc is vital in healing because it lowers chronic levels of inflammation and increases the efficiency of the immune system—preventing bacteria on the skin from becoming inflamed. Zinc also reduces keratin production, which helps prevent pores from becoming clogged, kills bacteria on the skin, and even reduces testosterone—the main hormone that causes acne when in excess.

This little fish packs a powerful acne-fighting punch with a dense source of omega-3 fats, calcium, selenium, and protein. Omega-3 fats found in sardines (and other oily fish like salmon) help reduce inflammation that can trigger clogged pores and acne. Small fish like sardines are also the lowest mercury-containing fish and have been proven to drastically improve acne1, the appearance scarring, as well as decrease fine lines and wrinkles.

Try it: Mix sardines on top of avocado toast.

Although this list may seem daunting at first, there are plenty of ways to incorporate these ancestral foods in a way that is simple and delicious. Plus, only a few ounces per week of each food is enough to hit your recommended allowance of acne-healing nutrients like vitamin K2, vitamin A, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.