Eating dairy three times a day, I grew up hooked on dairy in Ukraine in Eastern Europe. Who can blame me? Its SO tasty! We had milk, butter to cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream and more - yes more! Every dish had it in it. Dairy was my comfort food!

When I started doing research about dairy consumption while getting my graduate degree in nutrition, I was surprised to find out that dairy products are often problematic for people suffering from acne. What’s up with dairy? I grew up eating healthy, organic, pasture-raised dairy products!

There are a lot of conflicting information regarding dairy online. I want to clarify some of the confusion for you, so you can make the best decision to help clear your skin from the inside out!

The Truth Finally Comes Out!

Milk contains precursors to dihodrytestosterone (DHT) which stimulates an increase in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). (What this means in English is that scientific studies show that the more milk was consumed, sebum production was elevated and acne was increased. So, more milk means more acne.) The highest concentration of this IGF-1 elevation was found in women with acne. One of the biggest systematic reviews (reviewed over 78,529 children and adults) found that any intake of dairy, milk, full-fat dairy, low-fat, skim milk, cheese and yogurt are associated with a higher rate of acne – any of it. There are a lot more research studies that came to the same conclusion.

For me personally, I noticed a great improvement in my skin when I eliminated all dairy foods from my diet. It wasn’t easy at first because I LOVE dairy and grew up eating it every day with every meal. But it was worth it  because I noticed some amazing results.

It’s important to find the root issue of acne and not just chase the symptoms, but heal your skin from inside out.

Dairy Sensitivities (Immune System-Mediated Response)

Food sensitivities are delayed reactions to foods that we develop overtime. These sensitivities cause inflammation in the body, like acne. If you like certain foods and eat them very often, your body can develop a sensitivity to that food. Therefore, if you eat a lot of dairy, chances are this dairy is triggering your breakouts. It’s can be challenging to determine which food sensitivity you have as these reactions tend to be delayed – from hours to 7 days after you eat a certain food.  But dairy is a good place to start! 

This Dairy is Not the Same Dairy That Used to Be Dairy

Dairy is not the same as it was when I was a kid. My grandmother had a cow and our happy cow went grazing the grass ALL day long producing delicious, creamy, naturally organic happy milk. Fast forward to today where dairy often contains added hormones and antibiotics. If you do eat dairy, it’s best to opt for organic, grass-fed when feasible. I always encourage my clients who aren’t lactose intolerant to purchase their dairy foods from local farmers because it's healthier for them and it supports local businesses.

Lactose Intolerance

You can also have an intolerance to dairy. As we age, our bodies don’t produce enough enzymes called lactase to break down lactose found in dairy products. This is often why you can experience bloating, gas, digestive discomfort, nausea and diarrhea when you eat dairy foods.

What should I do?

If you love dairy and think it might be causing your acne breakouts, here’s what you can do:

·       Listen to your body and nourish your skin from inside out

Nobody knows you better than you. Every person is unique and you should listen to how you feel after you eat dairy. If notice digestive discomfort every time you eat or more breakouts on your skin, it might be a sign that your body is communicating to you that you need to make some changes and avoid what you are eating. Dairy might not completely eliminate your acne, but it's great place to start. The goal is not to develop a food fear that dairy is bad. Again, listen to your body and decide for yourself.

·       Elimination Diet

If you are wondering if you are sensitivity to dairy, you can do a 21-day Elimination Diet. You strictly eliminate all dairy foods, see how you feel and pay close attention to your skin. Then, introduce dairy after 21 days and see how you feel. If your body gets a break from dairy for 21 days, you can usually tell if you are sensitive to it when you introduce it back into your diet.

·       Food Sensitivity Testing

You can do a food sensitivity test to determine if you are sensitive to dairy foods. If the test confirms that you are sensitive to dairy, you might need to remove it from your diet for 3-6 months and then reevaluate.

I don’t want to leave you hanging when you need a massive dairy fix, like me. So, here’s some quick health substitutions for dairy foods:

Butter – ghee

Regular milk – any plant-based milks, preferably unsweetened (coconut, cashew, almond, flax milk, oat milk, macadamia, walnut, hazelnut, etc.) I am not a big fan of soy milk.

Coffee creamers – lots of plant-based options are now available (choose organic, unsweetened or low added sugar when possible)

Cheese – nutritional yeast (great source of B12 and has nice flavor). Also, there are many plant-based cheese options now. My two favorite companies with clean ingredients are: Myoko’s creamer and Kitehill.

Cream cheese – Myoko’s and Kitehill have some amazing plant-based cream cheeses. Give them a try. You won’t be disappointed. They are AMAZINGLY YUMMY!

Salad dressings – lots of salad dressings now offer dairy-free options. My favorite salad dressings are from Primal Kitchen. They are so yummy and nutritious!

The next step is to give it a go! Now that you know that dairy could be your best friend(read: enemy), are you willing to do what it takes to get the clean skin you always wanted? Try some of those substitution products.  Acne free skin could be just around the corner.