Top 3 Morning Hacks for Acne
Time your coffee WISELY
I have personally been wrong about this one for YEARS!
The ideal time to drink your coffee is AFTER eating….and there are a few reasons as to why.
Coffee can contribute to your acne breakouts because it can impact your gut health. Coffee is very irritating and inflammatory to the gut and intestinal lining and Acne is an inflammatory skin condition. We also know that inflammation in the gut is often the culprit. Coffee is also a rich source of tannins, a kind of polyphenol that interferes with the absorption of many vitamins and minerals including iron, zinc, and vitamin A.
These nutrients are essential for reducing breakouts and clearing acne because they play an important role in collagen synthesis, immune function, and skin cell turnover. So don’t consume your caffeine too close to meals!
The second reason is cortisol (Yes we are looking at you - the person that is super wired and living off caffeine and wondering why you’re breaking out, you need to read this). When we wake up, our cortisol (our major stress hormone released by the adrenal glands) naturally peaks to get us up and moving in the morning, it then gently dips throughout the course of the day until it gets low enough in the evening (as melatonin rises) to put us back to sleep. Coffee on an empty stomach exaggerates this cortisol spike and amplifies our stress response, which in turn can actually stimulate sebum production within the sebaceous gland, resulting in breakouts.
Reason number three is blood sugar. Blood sugar and insulin resistance (where our blood glucose levels are chronically high) is a MAJOR cause of acne; in particular, PCOS-related acne because elevated blood sugar levels wreak all sorts of havoc on our hormones. Coffee on an empty stomach has been found in research trials to increase a person’s blood sugar response to their breakfast by around 50%.
TIP TO REDUCE CAFFEINE-DRIVEN ACNE: Eat breakfast or a small snack before caffeine, aim to consume your caffeine 60-90 minutes after waking (unless you’re exercising sooner), and trial switching to decaf if your acne breakouts are due to stress.
Eat an amazing SAVOURY BREAKFAST
It can be hard to unlearn the practice of eating next to nothing for breakfast every morning, but let me tell you: waking up to a carbohydrate-laden and nutrient-void breakfast is a recipe for blood sugar dysregulation and breakouts! The goal is to eat WITHIN the first 60 minutes of waking.
Breakfasts to avoid include a plain bowl of oats or porridge, a fruit smoothie with no protein, a bowl of cereal, or a plain bowl of muesli/granola.
Eating breakfast rich in protein, good fats & fiber rich sets your blood sugar up just right, so that your energy levels burn evenly throughout the day with no mid-morning or late-afternoon energy crash.
As long as your pair your carbs with healthy fat, fiber, protein, and green you are setting yourself up for success!
I personally have next to no time to think about what to make in the morning so I always go a smoothie route: 2 cups plain almond milk, 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, 1tbsp flaxseed meal, 1tbsp organic Peanut butter, and a scoop of protein powder.— Fun fact— my kids LOVE this smoothie.
Tip: cinnamon plays a role in supporting insulin sensitivity and reducing post-prandial glucose spikes so add a teaspoon to well basically anything!
Wake up and GET YOUR BUTT MOVING
I love morning workouts—-kids have altered that a smidge for me but when I can do it I LOVE It. I highly recommend to any client to become a morning exerciser when possible!
Rising with the sun and having morning sunlight exposure on your skin within 30-60 minutes of waking is an enjoyable and effective way to help balance your circadian rhythm. The HPA axis (which refers to the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, our body’s stress response) and circadian rhythm influence each other. Achieving a harmonious circadian pattern will support a balanced stress response, and vice versa. Stress, as aforementioned, can directly stimulate sebum production in the sebaceous gland, so perhaps instead of trawling social media within minutes of waking, head out for a morning walk.
Not only will this support your stress response, but morning exercise could also help to get your bowels into a regular pattern (movement stimulates bowel motions!).
Some consider you constipated if you are not passing at least 1 complete, easy-to-pass bowel motion each day. Any less than this and there is a chance that a process called ‘autointoxication’ is happening, which could be affecting your skin. If waste products as well as estrogen that were due for excretion remain in the gut too long, they could re-enter systemic circulation, resulting in overburdened elimination channels and hormonal imbalances. Our skin often picks up the burden when our detoxification organs such as the gut and liver aren’t as efficient as required, resulting in breakouts.
As I have said before—-SO MUCH IS GUT CONNECTED WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SKIN!
If you think the above are you- try the tips! If you want further assistance book a consult with me!