Acne breakouts or other skin eruptions after Christmas?
With the Christmas tree taken down, the last mince pie eaten, and New Years Eve just a slightly ‘blurry’ memory, January is often the time of year when people turn their attention to their health and wellbeing, and contemplate a post-xmas detox. Let’s face it, the typical ‘festive fayre’ can often be rather hard on our digestive systems, not to mention our liver and blood sugar levels, as we nibble our way through one moreish treat after another, and quaff perhaps just one teensy glass or two too many of celebratory ‘bubbly’.
With all of that in mind a January detox sounds like a brilliant idea, and who knows by the end of it our livers may even just be ‘speaking’ to us again, but something that concerns a lot of people when they embark on a cleanse is the likelihood of suffering some form of skin ‘breakout’ or another as a result of the detoxification process. So, firstly what causes these skin breakouts, how likely is it to occur and is there anything that can be done to minimise the risk?
What causes acne during a detox?
Our skin is one of our major organs of elimination, and because of this it is often one of the first things to suffer during any cleansing programme. Any toxins that are released and processed via the liver during the cleanse need to have a route out of the body, and the skin is one of these ‘exit routes’. Skin health can in some cases get noticeably worse, before it then hopefully improves during a cleanse.
Just how likely am I to experience such a skin ‘breakout’ during my detox?
Not everyone suffers with acne during a cleanse, but along with increased gas and bloating it is one of the most common adverse side-effects. One reason that some people are affected whilst others are not can be down to the individuals bowel transit time. If the bowels are sluggish, and faecal matter remains in the colon for longer than it should, then the toxins that the body is trying to rid itself of, can be reabsorbed through the intestinal wall. Once they are back in the blood stream and general circulation, they can cause inflammation and negatively affect skin health. Whilst this symptom does not usually last long, it can be an off-putting prospect for anyone considering a detox.
How to minimise the risk?
The first thing to consider here is the health of the main organs of elimination. In order for a detox to be successful the body’s eliminatory channels need to be functioning well. After all there is no point in mobilising toxins from the colon, liver or body fat stores if the bodies capacity to safely eliminate them is not up to scratch.
If a person is constipated, or not having at least 1-2 bowel movements every day, then it may be wise to delay the start of a cleanse or detox until they have tackled the constipation. One of the most natural ways to reduce constipation is to take a probiotic supplement that is specifically formulated to target this symptom.
Different probiotic strains have different actions in the body. Some strains may be effective for alleviating IBS for example, whereas other strains are better at alleviating constipation. One of the most clinically trialled strains of probiotic with regards to constipation is Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12®, which can be found in OptiBac Probiotics ‘Bifidobacteria & fibre’.
A 2004 trial by Nishida et al1, studied 29 women between the ages of 20-35. The women were split in to two groups, and each group was given 100g daily of either probiotic yoghurt containing the strain Bifidobcterium lactis BB-12®, or a placebo (non-probiotic) yoghurt. The yoghurts were administered for a period of 14 days, after which a rest period of 21 days was observed, and then the groups were swapped over and given the other yoghurt for a further 14 day period. The results of the trial showed a significant increase in stool frequency in the women that were identified as constipated, making this strain of bacteria my strain of choice for alleviating constipation .
For additional information regarding natural remedies for constipation, the following article may be of interest: http://www.constipationexperts.co.uk/remedies/natural-remedies.html
By shortening transit time, any toxins released by the detoxification process have a speedier exit out of the body, and are therefore less likely to be reabsorbed and re-circulated.
Even if constipation is not a particular issue, probiotics could still help reduce skin breakouts during a cleanse. In a review of clinical studies into probiotics and acne by Bowe and Logan2, published in 2011 various clinical trials were looked at and it was found that probiotics and prebiotics appear to reduce systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Additionally it was found that probiotics are able to regulate the release of inflammatory cytokines within the skin, and in particular reducing interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1-α), a protein linked to acne when found in abnormal amounts.
The specific strains of probiotic bacteria that are best at reducing these skin inflammatory markers are not yet fully known, so I would recommend taking a high strength, multi-strain probiotic containing bacteria from both the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria genuses, both in the run up to, and then throughout the detox process.
Outside of probiotics there are other natural approaches that can be utilised to minimise the likelihood of acne during a detox. The following strategies can be used to improve elimination both prior to, and during a cleanse.
The following recommendations may help to improve elimination:
- Increase water intake – to help with kidney function. A minimum of 2 litres of filtered or natural spring water should be drunk throughout the day.
- Increase dietary fibre or take a prebiotic supplement – to improve bowel ‘transit time’. Fibre adds bulk to faecal matter and makes the stool easier to pass. Research has shown that the body needs 30-50g of fibre a day to remain healthy, but most Western diets only contain approximately 12g.
- Consider specific supplements to help support the liver, such as milk thistle, MSM, N-acetyl cysteine or dandelion root
- Try different relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation – stress and tension are well known to affect the digestive system and can contribute to poor elimination
In summary:
By ensuring optimum liver, kidney and bowel health we can improve the efficacy of any detox or cleanse that we do. These organs need to be functioning well to be able to deal with any toxins that might be released from body tissues during the detox process. Supporting them in the above mentioned ways enables us to speed up the elimination of any ‘liberated’ toxins, and reduce the likelihood of us suffering any skin eruptions or other side effects from the cleanse. Employing these methods should enable us to gain the maximum results from our efforts, whilst minimising any discomfort or side-effects.
It is worth mentioning here though, that whilst most detox’s are generally very safe I would not recommend them for people with serious or chronic health concerns, or those taking prescription medications without first consulting their GP. Equally women should be extra cautious during pregnancy and when breastfeeding as many detox regimes do not provide enough calories or the correct balance of nutrients for these times, when a high demand is placed on the mother.
For anyone else, a detox can often be a great way to kick start a new healthy eating and healthy living regime, with all of the benefits that that can bring for our general wellbeing.
By Kathy Wheedon, BA hons and DipION
Nishida, S. et al. (2004) Effect of Yoghurt Containing Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12® on Improvement of Defecation and Fecal Microflora of Healthy Female Adults. Milk Science; 53(2): pp. 71-80
Bowe WP, Logan AC (2011) Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis – back to the future? 2011 Jan 31;3(1):1. doi: 10.1186/1757-4749-3-1