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In an era where keto and low-carb diets are extremely popular, I realize that the title of this post alone may appear to be somewhat of a wet blanket.
I originally started the keto diet about a year ago. After a routine check-up at the doctor and getting some yearly blood work done, I was shocked (as was my doctor) to hear that my blood sugar was on the higher end of the scale, a first for me.
As my doctor told me I was in the “pre-diabetic range” for blood sugar levels, I felt the panic setting in. I had never had any real, long-term health complications before, so what did this mean? Should I be worried?
I had always eaten healthily, worked out regularly, and I’ve never struggled with my weight. But, it seemed that some of my bad habits were finally catching up to me. And while I appeared great and healthy on the outside, internally, my body was struggling.
If you know me well, you’ll know that I love sweets. Late nights of munching on chocolate, mornings filled with sugary, coffee drinks, and afternoons of sweetened snacks had become my new normal since my masters program, where I had used sugar as my fuel, day in and day out.
But once I got those blood test results, I knew I had to make some changes. So, I turned to the place everyone turns to when they’re lost. Google.
After a few minutes of searching for ways to reduce my blood sugar levels fast, I found my answer: the ketogenic diet.
As I read about the keto diet and learned more about its plethora of health benefits, I thought it was too good to be true. All the foods I loved—red meat, eggs, cheese, dairy—were all listed as part of the diet. It didn’t seem like a diet at all to me, and I knew I could easily embrace low carbohydrate foods as a way of life.
And I did. In fact, I wholeheartedly, enthusiastically stuck to the keto diet for well over six months. I loved the energy it gave me, the sense of indulgence I felt when I ate all those rich, natural fats, and of course, the improved blood test results I got three months after starting the keto diet. It’s true that the keto diet certainly worked in regards to reducing my blood sugar and I was THRILLED.
I was so thrilled, in fact, that I was more than happy to overlook some of the skin issues I was starting to develop. The first month was fine, and even the second, but by the third and fourth months of being on the keto diet, my skin went from bad to worse.
By the time I hit the six-month mark of eating primarily ketogenic foods, my acne had hit an all-time high. It wasn’t just a few whiteheads here and there, but deep, cystic acne, particularly around my chin and mouth.
I was devastated to say the least. By all health measures, I was doing great. My blood sugar was consistently low, and other blood tests were all in the normal range. But my acne was off the charts, and my self-esteem plummeted, as a result.
With my health otherwise normal, the last thing I thought that would be causing my acne was my diet. After all, isn’t the keto diet supposed to give you beautiful, glowy skin?
Unfortunately, my skin was anything but healthy and glowy. I was washing my face up to three times a day just to remove the excess oil, and I would wake up to new spots and cysts every morning. I attributed this new phase of acne to everything but my diet: stress, moving to a new city, the birth control pill I was taking, hormones, etc.
When I finally decided to go off the pill (after 14 years of taking it on the daily), I was nervous for a multitude of reasons. Would going off the pill worsen the acne I was already dealing with? But, determined to stop taking the pill once and for all, I did it anyways, and decided to reduce my dairy intake in hopes that it would lessen my acne.
Cutting down on dairy for several months certainly helped reduce the oil in my skin, but I was still getting acne. This was when I really started to focus more on my diet. I began keeping a food diary to track any correlations between new acne I was getting, and the foods I was eating.
After two weeks of faithfully tracking EVERYTHING I was eating, I had my answer.
On days where I consumed fewer saturated fats (the staple of the ketogenic diet), the next day my skin would magically be less oily, and (gasp!) no new acne.
On days where I consumed foods characteristic of the keto diet (e.g., eggs for breafast, avocado on my salads with full fat dressing, breve lattes, etc.), my oil production would soar and I would have new acne the very next day.
It was a bittersweet moment when I realized that the keto diet was causing my skin woes. Part of me was ecstatic to finally understand where my onslaught of acne was coming from, while another part of me was bummed as I realized that the keto diet just wasn’t for me.
With mixed emotions, I began making some changes in the kitchen. I swapped out my olive oil, full fat butter, and coconut oil that I used for skillet cooking with Pam cooking spray. I gave up my almond butter that I would spread on toast as a snack. I stopped buying (and eating) so many avocados. I started eating oatmeal for breakfast rather than my usual two fried eggs. And I started to eat way more fruits and vegetables.
Did I remove all healthy fats from my diet?
No.
But did significantly reducing my fat intake help my skin?
Yes!
It helped my skin so much, in fact, that many of my skin issues started to clear up.
For starters, I haven’t had a single new cyst since reducing my fat intake. Moreover, my skin has improved so much to where I don’t wear foundation anymore. Also, I don’t get unexplainable rashes on my stomach anymore. And lastly, my rosacea and facial redness symptoms have improved tremendously since quitting the keto diet.
Is my skin smooth and perfect now?
No, but it’s the closest my skin has ever been to clear and acne-free.
With these kinds of results in regards to my skin, I am beyond thankful that I was able to connect my acne to the keto diet, and I finally feel in control of my acne.
All this being said, I know my experience is one of many when it comes to the keto diet.
Many friends of mine that have tried eating fewer carbs and more fats report nothing but fantastic results. While I can relate to many of them and wholeheartedly endorse the keto diet for addressing particular health issues (e.g., high blood sugar), unfortunately, eating too many fats wreaks havoc on my skin and just simply isn’t worth it for me.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are some days where I desperately miss my breve lattes and crave avocado toast, or a slice of brie cheese. But for the sake of my skin and self-esteem, I think I’ll pass on the keto diet.
