Beauty Tips

I Gave Up Dairy for Two Weeks in Search of Better Skin

It was one of the most trying times in my life

by Hannah Savin | COMMENT

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I want to start by saying that I am one of the biggest cheese and ice cream aficionados you will ever meet. I start my day every day with coffee that has half and half in it and I eat various other dairy-based foods throughout the day. Being someone who struggles with oily and acne-prone skin, I've always heard about the correlation between consuming dairy and acne. I recently attended an acne conference with the brand, La Roche Posay, hosted by Dr. Annie Chu, a cosmetic dermatologist that often works with patients who have acne. Chu talked about many factors that cause acne — food being one of them. She advises her patients to give up a food for at least two weeks to help determine if it is causing the breakouts.

While milk and other dairy foods do not actually cause acne, the hormones found in cow's milk are thought to cause inflammation as well as overstimulate the oil glands in humans. The increase in oil production leads to clogged pores (combined with bacteria in the follicles), which leads to more inflammation and pimples. I take very good care of my skin (I'm a beauty editor after all), but I do eat a lot of dairy, so I thought giving it up might be the missing link in my quest for clear skin.

I first had the idea to try (temporarily) going dairy-free when my mom became lactose intolerant about three years ago and seeing her suffer through the pain and agony after eating her favorite foods (and at the time, not knowing what she was allergic to). After various testing and elimination of different foods, dairy was found to be the culprit. So as an act of solidarity and concern about the possibility of one day becoming lactose intolerant myself, I thought I would give it a go for two weeks. I knew it would be hard to give up omelets, yogurt, cheese boards and so many other yummy foods. On the flipside, could this be the answer to clearer skin, better digestion and possibly the shedding of a few pounds? Instead of phasing out dairy, I gave it up cold turkey. I had no idea how challenging the two weeks were going to be.

Image via Unsplash @max_libertine

SEE NEXT PAGE: Starting my no-dairy challenge on the right foot

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