food sensitivity – Healthy and Hopeful

Anyone else have acne-prone skin? Even as a 30-something? It is something I have dealt with since puberty. As a teenager, my dermatologist put me on antibiotics for EIGHT years to clear my skin. It worked, but at great harm to the rest of my body- read about my story here. Since then, I’ve been trying to battle breakouts constantly. While I am somewhat still trying to figure it out, my skin is now clearer than it has ever been, so I’d love to share what I have learned.

First- your skin is usually a reflection of what’s going on inside your body. We can try all the skincare products with little or no results. Stop trying to put a bandaid on the symptoms and find the reason behind your issues.

The majority of people suffer from breakouts due to hormonal imbalances. Whether you are suffering from acne or a multitude of other hormonal issues (inability to lose weight, fatigue, hair loss, blood sugar imbalances, mood swings), I highly recommend visiting a functional medicine doctor who can test your hormone levels. Our environment, food and lifestyle (hello stress!) are all filled with things that impact our hormones. Most of us suffer from imbalances. It’s super important to understand your levels and find out how to adjust them- there are plenty of natural ways to feel so much better.

Another reason for breakouts can actually be from food sensitivities. Now that I’ve identified what mine are and started removing them from my diet, I realized how much of a symptom it was for me. Beyond food sensitivities, sugar definitely affects our skin (and immune system), so keeping it at a minimum is best.

Of course, there’s also the obvious reasons we break out- a build up of dead skin, dirt that clogs pores and bacteria that irritates pores and causes blemishes. This is why products to clean, moisturize and protect are still important. We all have different skin types that require different routines and ingredients.

I have been deliberate to remove toxic chemicals from my home to reduce exposure to those harmful ingredients (many are hormone-blocking), both in our food and household products. As I ran out of my skincare products, I started looking for a safer replacement. Through my research, BeautyCounter stands out above the rest- they have a lot of products, they actually work, and clean ingredients are of utmost importance to them.I worked with my friend Kaity to figure out what products I should try based on my skin type (oily, acne-prone) and to prioritize within my budget. She was an awesome resource, so I definitely recommend her as a consultant. Here is the routine & products that have worked for me:

Morning & Night Hormone Balancing: Progesterone Cream – for natural hormone balancing, I use a dab (rubs in like lotion). I established the need for this schedule with my functional medicine doctor. I definitely notice my skin breaks out if I miss just one application.

Morning Cleanser: Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil – a gentle cleanser that leaves the skin feeling super moisturized.

Morning & Night Treatment: As I mentioned, most people break out due to built up dead skin cells & bacteria. Salicylic acid gently takes off the surface layer of skin so it is the best treatment for the dead skin cells and dirt. Benzoyl peroxide is the leading treatment to kill the bad bacteria on your skin BUT it is super harsh, so cannot be used at the same time as salicylic acid. I remember trying to alternate as a teenager and not seeing results. I really needed them both morning and night.

BeautyCounter uses an ingredient called bakuchiol in their Countertime products that is an extremely effective anti-bacterial without being harsh and drying, so you can use at the same time as salicylic acid. I apply these in this order immediately after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum – has salicylic acid
Countercontrol All Over Acne Treatment – has anti-bacterial bakuchiol

Morning Moisturizer: Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer – This has the perfect amount of coverage to even out the skin and has SPF for daytime protection.

Makeup Removal: I am obsessed with this microfiber Makeup Remover Cloth!

Evening Cleanser: Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser – I like this for daily gentle exfoliation and it makes my skin feel very clean and refreshed.

Treatment again, then Evening Moisturizer: Nourishing Night Cream

1-2 times/week, I do Deep Exfoliation and Cleansing with a couple different masks:

As Needed Spot Treatment – I love these natural Avarelle Acne Patches for when I have a breakout. The blemish disappears or is greatly diminished overnight.

Let me know if you try these products and see results! Good luck!

Over the past couple years, I have been having gastrointestinal discomfort, pain and bloating that have gotten progressively worse over time. In an effort to avoid a dramatic elimination diet that takes awhile and is hard to stick to, I tried keeping a food & symptom journal to track my reactions and figure out a culprit with no luck. It seemed that I would feel bad just about every day. When I saw that EverlyWell was doing a 30% off Black Friday sale on their tests, I decided to give the Food Sensitivities test a try.

A note on the difference between Food Sensitivities vs. Food Allergies… An allergy is a histamine response that the immune system produces (IgE antibodies) and occur immediately after consumption. Sensitivity is still an immune response (IgG antibodies), but typically not as severe and a different reaction – GI issues, acne, fatigue, brain fog, etc can all by symptoms- and can occur / last for days after consuming. This can make them quite difficult to identify (definitely my experience). The EverlyWell test is for Food Sensitivities (IgG).

The Process

After ordering, I received my kit in the mail just 3 days later. It came with simple instructions to do a finger prick for blood samples (something I was used to after having gestational diabetes). I was a little unsure about my sample, so I emailed their customer service a picture and got a quick response that it looked perfect.

I dropped it in the mail that afternoon and received confirmation that the sample had arrived at the lab about a week later. Two days after that, I had my results. So, it was just under 2 weeks from ordering that I had my results. Throughout the process, I was super impressed with EverlyWell’s communication– consistent emails updating the progress, great customer service when I had a question, and incredibly clear and easy to find information on their website.

Accuracy

The key thing to be aware of when you take the test is to ensure that you have had all the foods within the past 4 weeks so that it can measure your reactivity. Taking it during the holidays was perfect for me because I had a larger variety of food than I may have in a typical month. Take a look at the list of foods it tests for and make sure you have consumed them before you take the test.

You might have heard about EverlyWell on Shark Tank- they have disrupted the health testing industry, offering at-home tests to the public, often for a much lower cost than you can get through your doctor (I would have paid 3-4 times the price with my doctor PLUS they are usually covered by HSA/FSA). These tests are sent to CLIA-certified labs that are industry leaders and results are reviewed by a physician.

In general, elimination diets are the most accurate to finding food sensitivities, but EverlyWell tests are 95-99% accurate. They recommend a combination for the most accurate identification of problematic foods to you- take the test to find out what foods you should consider eliminating, eliminate, and then 6 months down the road, re-introduce one at a time and allow several days to see if a reaction occurs.

The Results

The results provide a rating for the 96 foods, rated on a scale from High to Normal Reactivity. In my case, I rated High for Egg Whites and Moderate for Egg Yolks.

There were 14 other foods in the Mild category, which means a smaller immune response, but ones that can definitely still cause symptoms. Those included: Brewer’s Yeast, Eggplant, Garlic (sooo sad about this!!), Ginger, Gluten and Wheat (also quite sad about this, but kind of expected), Orange, Rye, Tarragon, Mushroom, Mustard Seed, Yogurt, Bell Pepper, Winter Squash (hope you all enjoy your pumpkin and delicata squash next fall!).

Takeaways

Since I have known my results, I have started to avoid those foods, but didn’t completely eliminate with holiday and birthday season the past couple of months. Now, my plan is to follow an elimination diet of all those 15 foods for the next 6 months. After 6 months, I’ll start trying to re-introduce to see if my reactivity has gone away or not. I can tell you that even with avoiding these foods lately (especially eggs), my skin has been so much more clear. I’m hopeful the other symptoms start to fade soon.

Ultimately, I am really glad I took this test. I was considering going on the AIP diet and still would not have removed garlic (which I have definitely noticed reactions to). I could have gone a long time still suffering symptoms before figuring out the cause. I would highly recommend testing first, then elimination to get accurate results.

Symptoms are not normal. If you are having digestive issues or fatigue or any other issues that make your life uncomfortable, I would encourage you to figure out what is wrong. If you would like to try this test or any of their other at-home tests (vitamin deficiencies, hormones, etc), you can use this link to get 25% off!