Long gone are the days when I was (naively!) trying out product after product, hoping for some magic to happen and clear up my skin.

Now I understand that there are many forces at play when it comes to how our skin looks, feels and functions.

There is no magic pill that can clear up the skin on its own if there are many other acne triggers present. No, even Accutane isn't a magic pill and acne often comes back, not to mention the very serious side effects.

So, whether we like it or not, people usually need what I call a “skin clearing momentum”. This involves applying as many of the positive forces at the same time to start clearing up the skin for good.

When I look back now, I realize I've formed quite many healthy habits (that now feel like second nature) along the way, and they really helped me clear up my skin and keep it clear, too!

I hope some of these habits can help you see what you may be missing in your journey to clear skin.

I am not suggesting that you should attempt to do all of these at once. Oh, no! Take it one small step at a time, and let the good “forces” accumulate.

DIET

1. I cook from scratch

I'm Croatian, so I was kind of raised to do so. Still, I lost this habit during my college years (when my skin was pretty bad, coincidentally!), and came back to it afterwards, bit by bit.

If you are someone who is used to ordering takeouts, eating out and relying on processed, ready-made food in general, this has more of an impact on your skin that you might think.

So, I started simple and turned to meals that I knew how to make (nothing fancy!), and had, therefore, full control of what was going into my body.

I was getting the nutrients I needed again while avoiding all the processed carbs (carbage?) and rancid vegetable oils.

Which brings me to my next point.

2. I cook with stable, naturally occurring fats

True story: I came back from a trip a while ago, came back home, opened the fridge…and found margarine inside!

I gasped because I know that is the LAST thing anyone in our household would buy. My partner assured me it was his friend who bought it, so I let it pass, lol.

Now, why do I have a problem with margarine and vegetable oils in general?

Besides them being highly processed products – deodorized, bleached, toxic to our body (in the case of margarine and its trans fats), stripped of nutrition and antioxidants…

The main reason is that they bring oxidative damage to the body – fueling your acne. Oxidative damage is inflammatory, and people with acne tend to have higher levels of inflammation (source).

Inflammation in the body also makes it easier for acne bacteria to populate a clogged pore, turning it into a painful acne spot (source). Common vegetable oils, like sunflower or canola oil, are shown to increase inflammation (oxidative stress) in the body (source, source, source).

For some of them, those fats were perfectly healthy for humans while protected within its origin, like sunflower seeds. However, the usual extraction process (and cooking) requires high temperatures, which damages those delicate oils – they oxidize.

They are highly unstable and NOT fit for cooking under high heat (and I don't care what their smoke point is)!

When the oils oxidize, they become free radicals, after which they begin a terrible chain reaction. They damage the next molecule, then that one becomes a free radical, and so on, amplifying the damage.

When free radicals enter your body, they are like small pieces of shattered glass – making small injuries to the tissue around them.

And this is very inflammatory!

Furthermore, insulin is particularly sensitive to oxidative damage. When oxidized, it becomes useless for transporting glucose, which makes the pancreas pump out more insulin to compensate (source).

This is bad because it can lead to insulin resistance, and because more insulin spikes mean more testosterone and DHT (and acne!)

Now, let's go back to margarine.

Fats that are oils at room temperature are mostly unsaturated. This means that the carbon atoms don't have their bonds saturated (occupied) with hydrogen atoms, but rather share double bonds between themselves.

Producers realized this too and wanted vegetable oils to be more stable, something like butter.

Enter hydrogenation of vegetable oils, which artificially saturates the carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms.

But there is a catch.

These are not your normal saturated fats anymore, they are trans fats, which human body doesn't even know how to process, making them toxic to us!

Note that the traditional oils such as olive oil are extracted by pressing olives with stones, thus preserving the delicate oils.

Still, olive oil isn't very stable at high temperatures, so reserve it for drizzling over meals and salads. Also, beware that cheap olive oils on the market are often adulterated.

Today, I cook my food with stable (saturated) natural fats only. I use organic coconut oil and grass-fed ghee and butter. Those saturated fats don’t oxidize under heat (precisely because they are saturated) and don’t cause inflammation in the body, but rather support hormonal balance and metabolic function.

3. I found easy ways to include more veggies

I think we can all agree that veggies are a part of a healthy diet. While some may not work for you (due to gut issues, not being to tolerate so much fiber, etc), there are those that can be incredibly helpful in your skin journey.

A few easy ways I included more veggies:

• I use root vegetables (my fave) when baking, from potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, etc.
• I eat a salad with raw & unfiltered apple cider vinegar with my lunch and/or dinner (not always, but try to include it at least in the second part of my cycle, as I feel it helps the digestion)
• I snack on raw carrots daily (due to their amazing ability to detox waste estrogens!)
• I have my fave green smoothie (as breakfast or snack) – just blend a handful or spinach (or kale, romaine lettuce or a mix), 1 apple, 1 small banana and about 1 big tablespoon of lemon or lime juice (this neutralizes the taste of veggies and makes it all taste super fresh!). Optionally, I like to add some mint leaves or grated ginger (a little goes a long way)
• I have steamed veggies (like broccoli, frozen green peas or green beans) with lunch or dinner – super easy and quick!

I also take my whole foods based supplement that provides dozen of different organic fruits, veggies and berries to keep the nutrient flow even on the days I don't eat so well. You can learn more about them HERE.

4. I drink skin-clearing herbal tea daily

There is so much more to a simple herbal tea than meets the eye.

Certain herbal teas are true health tonics and bring amazing benefits to your health and skin.

Related: 10 Teas For Clearer And More Radiant Skin

I make about 1 L of herbal tea (sometimes an infusion if I let it sit for several hours) daily. My go-to mix is oatstraw, stinging nettle,  and spearmint leaves (dried and fresh) – all organic.

I usually add some lemon juice and honey (whether tea is hot or cold). Yum!

Not only do I get valuable micronutrients, but it also makes it much easier and more fun staying hydrated in between meals. Also, this particular combination of herbs supports liver detox and reduces androgens that clog up the skin!

5. I swapped coffee for Dandy Blend and turmeric latte

Back in the day when I cleaned up my diet and found skincare that worked, I would still get some painful cystic acne on my chin.

It's just hormonal, I used to think, nothing much I can do about it…

As it turns out, coffee had such a negative influence on my already elevated stress levels and it wasn't until I stopped drinking coffee that my skin truly calmed down for good.

Not gonna lie, I LOVE the taste of coffee and I'd tried to quit several times. I simply refused to believe that it had any impact on my skin (I mean, so many people drink it without problems!), but it did.

I accepted that I needed to choose between good skin and coffee.

No need to tell you what I chose, right?

Thankfully, the Dandy blend and my teas were there to satisfy that craving for a warm drink. Again, it doesn't mean it poses a problem for you, but if you already have elevated stress levels and gut issues, it is likely adding to the problem.

Today, I can have it occasionally without an issue, but certainly not several times per week.

6. I pick whole foods when grocery shopping

It's so easy to fall prey to good marketing and the question: “What is really healthy?” is difficult for a lot of people. Understandably so.

To minimize the confusion (and avoid looking at so many ingredient lists), opt for real, whole foods.

When I go grocery shopping, I have a few criteria:

1. Is this food real food (occurring in this form in nature?) If yes, where does it come from? I prefer to buy local foods in the season as they are fresh and likely of the highest nutritional value.

2. If not, is the processing minimal (and sometimes necessary, to help with digestion, such as white rice), with very minimal ingredients? For example, organic butter, nut butters with only nuts and salt, tomato sauce and coconut milk are minimally processed foods I buy regularly)

3. If the food is fish, meat or eggs, I ask, how were the animals raised? Were they fed their natural diet and spent their days outside?

If the answer to them is pretty much YES, I buy the food. As simple as that. Of course, I am not perfect, but the great majority of foods I buy on a regular basis fall into the above criteria.

7. I gradually swapped processed carbs with protein, healthy fats and HEALTHY carbs

I'll admit, it was not easy to say goodbye to pasta, bread, cereal, etc at the time…But my skin thanked me big time!

If you have taken my Clear Skin Diet free email course, you know there is a bunch of processed carb food items that I recommend avoiding for clear skin (and explain why).

You might be surprised at all the foods that fall into this category, so if you haven't already, sign up below to start receiving the lessons.

Plus, I give some insanely helpful tips on how to actually stick to quitting processed sugar this time!

Not gonna lie, when I first attempted to quit processed carbs, it would leave me either hungry or just without ideas as to what I would eat instead.

Here are some of the food items that I would eat instead:

• Organic, grass-fed meat
• Sweet potatoes
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Beans
• Lentils
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Avocado
• Canned tuna

I recommend finding 3-4 recipes that you like and that are easy for you to make (that include real, whole foods). Then you can have them on repeat in some variation until you become comfortable with new recipes.

Some of these foods you don't need to quit forever (I mean, life without pasta and pizza here and there?!), but only during the time you are clearing up your skin, then re-introduce them slowly later.

8. I keep my pantry stocked with healthy items

If there are processed, unhealthy foods in the house (chips, ice cream, cakes…) I am often not strong enough to say no and avoid them.

I'm really not, it's quite pathetic.

I've mentioned how I grocery shop, but I really wanted to emphasize the importance of having healthy pantry items that can keep for a while so that I have good options when needed.

Here are some (non-perishable) items I stock:

• Beans and lentils (dry and in carton)
• Tomato sauce (in glass jars)
• Organic corn kernels (for making popcorn)
• Oats
• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Buckwheat flour and spelt flour
• White Yasmin rice
• Quinoa
• Coconut flakes (that I turn into flour with a coffee grinder if needed)
• Coconut milk (in a carton, I use this in soups a lot)
• Tuna cans (in water)
• Nut butters
• Dark chocolate (70%, and I don't really stock this one, just buy here and there, for obvious reasons, lol)

9. I soak and sprout my grains (just soak beans + lentils)

Soaking and sprouting largely get rid of the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which are disruptive of the gut lining and digestion.

We are often just concerned with how many and which nutrients a food contains, but how about how much we can actually absorb?

Soaking grains, like quinoa and brown rice (but also beans and lentils) overnight in lots of fresh water plus 1 tbsp of vinegar makes them much more easily digestible.

To take it one step further, I sometimes sprout them too (usually just with quinoa) to release more nutrients.

Rinse in lots of water in the morning, then just leave them covered in a colander (if you do the sprouting part, if not, then you can just cook them after rinsing).

For sprouting, rinse with water every 6-8 hours (this is not so strict) and leave in a colander covered. It usually takes 1-2 days for little sprouts to appear (maybe 1-2mm in size). Then cook the grains as usual. They can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days for a quick meal assembly.

You don't have to do any of this with white rice, just rinse it well.

10. I make a healthy sweet snack/dessert instead of processed sugar

This is a huge one and so difficult for many to do (myself included)!

First, I made sure my main meals are satiating enough (containing enough healthy fats and protein) and that I drink enough water or herbal teas in between meals.

Secondly, I told myself I wouldn't limit HEALTHY carbs at all. So, I would just pick real foods again for dessert and eat as much as I wanted to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Not just did this create a positive relationship with food for me, but it also gave my body many opportunities to get accustomed to naturally occurring sugars.

This is super important!

Today, I can honestly say that when I eat well and give my body the nutrients it needs, both macronutrients (including carbs!) and micronutrients, I don't struggle with a sweet tooth at all.

Here are my favorites:

• Turmeric latte (there are many recipe variations, just find one that is easy for you to make
• Dark chocolate with almonds or pumpkin and sunflower seeds
• Dark chocolate with nut butter (I like sprouted varieties, which are easier on digestion)
• Chocolate chia pudding (I use coconut milk and water to thicken chia seeds up, then add raw cacao powder, cinnamon and honey)
• Sweet fruit like bananas, plums, etc.

11. I make a healthy salty snack instead of chips and tortillas

On the other hand, what to do when that salty craving kicks in?

I am a HUGE fan of tortilla chips, I could eat them all day every day. No, seriously.

However, I haven't had them in months. No, this is not self-control, I just like my alternative salty snack just as much!

I now make air-popped popcorn (I used this handy tool HERE), drizzle over olive oil and season with sea salt and nutritional yeast and voila!

I promise you'll love it!

12. I drink enough water and herbal teas in between meals (not so much during meals)

Drinking enough water is so important for optimal health and healthy skin.

However, when we drink water is also important. I try not to gulp down large amounts of water during my main meals as this dilutes digestive juices and makes the digestion sluggish.

Not what we want!

I drink water up to 20min before the meal, take small sips if I need to during the meal, and then keep on hydrating 30min after the meal and onwards.

I also don't force myself to drink water when I am not thirsty in the slightest, because I am a huge believer in our body's signals telling us what to do and when.

13. I make leftovers (bake once, eat twice!)

We are all busy, I get that. This is why I've made it my goal to make meals that easily produce leftovers, lol.

It just makes it easier to put together a healthy meal even when you don't have time for cooking!

Here are a few meals and foods I try to always keep in my fridge (or at least rotate between them):

• Roasted meat and sweet potatoes (or other root veggies)
• Curries (I usually use lentils or chickpeas)
• Cooked quinoa or rice
• Soups and stews

14. I (loosely) follow the guidelines to eat for my cycle (and hormonal balance)

Did you know that a woman's body requires somewhat different nutrients (or at least their amounts) at different parts of our cycle for hormonal balance?

This practice has allowed me to tune even more into what my body needs to stay healthy, and this definitely reflects on the skin, too. To learn more, go to the blog post below.

Related: Cycle Sync Your Diet For Clearer Skin

15. I honor my cravings…with real food

Our bodies are incredibly smart. The signals we receive in the form of hunger, thirst, food cravings…They all mean something, of course, and we should not deny our bodies the nutrients it needs.

Remember that when you crave a certain food, there are probably nutrients that your body needs which are found in that food (and your body knows the nutrients are there).

But what if you are craving junk food?

This means something, too. I suggest researching why you may be craving certain foods and finding replacements among healthy foods.

Your body may not even know that there is a healthy food that contains the same nutrients if you never eat these foods!

It can only crave what it knows exists, so try to make healthy swaps as often as you can, and your body will naturally crave healthy foods more and more down the line.

16. I drink lemon water first thing in the morning

It's no secret we get dehydrated during the night, so I make sure to hydrate first thing when I wake up. It is so refreshing and really quenches my thirst way better than regular water.

Lemon helps to gently detoxify your system and gets the digestive juices flowing.

I can't live without my lemon water!

17. I eat breakfast within an hour of waking

What we do each morning can have a profound impact on our health and our skin.

Why?

You are in a fasting state after the entire night of not eating, which means the body fires up the gluconeogenesis process, because so many of our tissues and cells need sugar to run on!

Our liver, for one, needs sufficient glucose to perform optimal detox reactions.

Problem is, when you leave your body to make its own sugar via gluconeogenesis, this requires release of stress hormones, like cortisol, and so many of us are already under so much stress!

Especially for women, this can really be devastating for overall hormonal balance and result in more acne, especially on the chin and jaw area.

SKINCARE

18. No cleansing in the morning. I use toner instead of cleanser (or nothing at all!)

This has helped my irritated, dehydrated (but oily) skin so much in the past!

I like to say that this is also one of my most successful tips to date.

It may not work for you, but it has worked beautifully for hundreds of people so far that came in contact with the tip. I originally wrote about it in this blog post below (where I explain my reasons):

Related: 5 Reasons I Don't Wash My Face In The Morning

In short, cleansing is a trade-off thing. You remove unwanted stuff from your face (makeup, oil, grime, excess dead skin cells) but you ALSO somewhat strip the good lipids and disrupt the skin barrier (essential for clear skin).

Yes, even if you use a super gentle cleanser (even water can be too stripping for some people).

So, if you have cleansed well in the evening, you usually don't have anything to remove in the morning (your skin isn't dirty when you wake up!). This is especially true if your skin isn't oily when you wake up and you aren't using products chock full of silicones in the evenings (that are particularly difficult to wash off).

In those cases, there is simply NO NEED to cleanse in the morning, as you are probably just stripping and irritating your skin without much benefit.

Try this instead: Splash some water or use a gentle, hydrating toner on a cotton pad (I am not a fan of most toners as they contain unnecessary ingredients, so look for something simple as rose water, or even make chamomile or green tea as a toner).

19. I started the oil cleansing method

This is a very controversial topic because pure oils simply don't work for everyone.

HOWEVER, when they do work, they work beautifully and can do wonders for your skin. I write more about why they are healing for acne-prone skin in this blog post HERE.

Personally, oil cleansing with grapeseed and hemp oil saved my skin! It balanced oil production and wiped out the stubborn breakouts that persisted even after many other changes I had made.

Related: Simple Oil Cleansing Method (Step-By-Step)

In my experience working with clients, if they oils work well for the skin, you will see it within days. Acne swelling goes down, comedones shrink, etc.

If that isn't the case, it is safer to go the oil-free route. If you need help picking out a gentle cleanser, check out my FREE online course HERE. It has many other useful acne-clearing tips, too!

20. I used oat flour for gentle exfoliation

When the skin is raw, inflamed and acne just won't go away, we are often tempted to reach for stronger treatments and exfoliating acids.

Sure, exfoliation is important (the natural exfoliation our skin does much more than the one we do!), but when the skin is in such a sensitive state, it is easy to overdo exfoliation and irritate your skin.

You see, our skin exfoliates itself when the pH of the upper layers of the skin is optimal (should be just a bit below 5). This activates certain enzymes that loosen the bonds between dead skin cells, which then shed off in a process called desquamation.

I still love this gentle exfoliation and this is how I prepare it: I grind about a tsp of oats in a coffee grinder, then mix with hot water to make a runny paste and leave it for 10 min. This activates the anti-inflammatory substances in the oats (this part is optional).

Then I apply it on cleansed skin in a gentle circular motion, leave it on as a mask for 1 min or so, then rinse with lukewarm water.

LIFESTYLE

21. I exercise nearly daily (even for 5min)

Sweaty exercise is SO good for the skin!

Sweat is anti-bacterial, and the heat and sweating soften up the top layer of your skin, loosening trapped sebum and dead skin cells (no wonder your skin glows after a good exercise session!).

I like to put in some movement each day, even if it's just a one-minute plank.

Not every day has to be a hard, sweaty workout (nor it should be), but keeping consistent workouts in any form has always had a wonderful impact on my skin and overall health (it also makes me sleep well, and there is no better skin healer than good sleep!).

On the other hand, if your workouts are very frequent and leave you drained, it is time to chill out!

22. I keep good sleep habits

I try to go to sleep around the same time every day, and I honestly get tired around the same time (10 pm, I'm a mom, alright?!).

The most important lessons I have learned to keep good sleep habits and to actually get a good night's sleep are:

• Don't fight the sleepiness. I mean, your body is sending you signals and then you ignore them, after which it needs to pump out more stress hormones to keep you awake. Not good! ALWAYS prioritize sleep over tasks and activities that may actually not be so important.
• Keep an evening ritual that helps you relax and ease into sleep mode. This doesn't have to be anything super complicated or fancy. I like to take a shower (water always helps me relax) and read for a while before my eyelids start to drop. Putting some lavender essential oil on your pillowcase (on the sides, that don't touch your face) is super calming, too!
• Keep your room dark and cool – To get a truly regenerative, deep sleep each night, it is imperative to not get overheated and sleep with excess lights on. Try it (if you aren't already doing this) and you'll see the difference!

Getting a good night's sleep regularly can speed up the healing of your skin SO much!

23. I stopped picking my skin

We have heard so many times how we shouldn't pick at our skin.

However, I feel that we may not actually understand how detrimental it is to the skin, ESPECIALLY if you are trying to heal acne.

It is very easy to spread the existing inflammation from the active acne around and inflame other clogged pores, creating new acne spots. And the more you pick at your skin, the more you are weakening the skin barrier, which triggers more acne.

Even touching your face is a no-no!

If you tried to count how many times you touch your face during the day, would you be shocked at the number?

I tried to do this, and I was so disappointed in myself that I firmly decided to only touch my face when cleansing or applying skincare products, so 2x per day.

Your skin will thank you big time, and you will most likely see inflammation going down in your skin in a matter of weeks.

24. I stopped looking at my skin more than a few times per day

This goes hand in hand with skin picking and is equally important in my opinion. If you SEE your skin all the time, you will be tempted to pick at it for sure.

Here's what to do: Don't look at your skin more than 2x per day, which is when you do your morning and evening skincare routine. Try it for at least 1 day (preferably more), and I PROMISE you, you will be shocked at how better your skin looks at the end of the day then what you thought it would!

For some strange reason, the more we look at our imperfections, the more clearly we see them, hence focusing on them more. Not to mention we stress ourselves out more, which also negatively affects skin healing.

Keep yourself as far away from the mirror as possible when you go to the bathroom, and make a conscious effort to NOT even look at your skin.

This may sound super weird, but your mind will gradually let go of the images you have of your skin and acne and they will not constantly bombard you.

In my experience, this practice also allows you to focus your thoughts on other things that interest you, which will shift your entire energy away from your skin. Ironically enough, this creates the perfect conditions for faster acne healing, too!

25. I dedicate more time to my hobbies and interests

If someone says, don't think about your skin, what do you do?

Think about your skin, of course!

I knew this wasn't helping, so I tried to channel my energy on other things that interested me. It is so healing for the mind if you find something you are good at, something that makes you generally excited or at least peaks your interest.

Focusing your entire life and energy on your skin results in much sower healing of the skin, too, so this tip is a super important one!

MINDSET SHIFTS

26. I listen to my body and my skin (over “experts”)

We are all unique. What works for my friend, sibling, neighbor…doesn't need to work for me.

We are all unique, and that should be respected.

Tuning into my skin has prompted me to question old skincare dogmas, as some were clearly in contradiction to the signals my own skin was giving me. For example:

You MUST cleanse, tone, and moisturize every morning and evening!

Regular exfoliation is the KEY to clear skin!

These statements can be true in many cases but are terribly wrong in others. I simply gave myself permission to listen to my skin, tuning out all the other noise.

Working with hundreds of clients so far has confirmed this lesson too, and I have long ago learned that I need to question pretty much everything we “know” is true.

27. I allowed myself to say NO to the things that didn't serve me

This has had a tremendous impact on my life, and of course, life reflects itself on the skin more times than not.

Whether it was some big things (job, the place I lived, etc) or small things (who I follow on social media), I sincerely asked myself:

Does this serve me at all? Do I actually want this (and why)?

If it didn't, I eventually mustered the courage to just say no and move on.

28. I accepted that healing isn't linear

I make mistakes, cannot always follow my own rules, and take ONE step at a time.

Don't attempt to overhaul everything overnight and expect it to stick. Don't try to do everything at once – lose weight, track calories, meal portions all the while trying to eat healthy for clear skin.

It causes too much stress!

Be kind to yourself, and take it one little step at a time. Every day is a new beginning if needs be.

29. I take a moment of gratitude daily

Sometimes it is astounding to realize how far I have come (with my life, my skin…) from the girl I once knew, and I get this overwhelming feeling of gratitude over everything and everyone I have in my life.

It really helps to keep things in perspective when I fail or when something doesn't turn out the way I want to.

I really feel that taking a moment of gratitude daily puts the skin problems into perspective and nurtures a more loving relationship with yourself and your skin.

30. I don't try to make my skin look perfect

I left this one for last because I hope everybody reads it. So, if you have been scrolling down up to this point, no hard feelings!

If you take just this lesson to heart, my mission is done.

My skin caused me lots of heartbreak over the years. A LOT. Why couldn't I feel confident and beautiful as so many of my friends?

My skin was literally my enemy, and I had tried SO hard to make it look perfect. Ironically enough, this is what made it so full of acne, inflamed and sensitive.

I forgot that skin is an organ, and it performs so many important functions every day that keep me alive.

It isn't there to be Instagram-ready. It has pores, hair, clogged pores, and yes…occasional acne, but that's fine.

Ever since the moment I decided to be friends with my skin, give it what it needs, stopped demanding perfection, my skin started to look better and better.

I have learned to love my skin despite how it looks that day. I know this isn't easy at all, but remember that your skin is literally keeping you alive and be thankful for it, even when it shows signs that something isn't right (as acne or other inflammatory skin conditions).

This is actually a blessing in disguise!

Much love and skin healing,

Sara

Did you know you can now find all my best healthy recipes PLUS dietary guidelines in a short online course? Check out my Simple Skin Healing Recipes NOW!

About Sara

Hi there! My name is Sara. I am a molecular biologist who has spent 15 years figuring out the perfect skin care for sensitive, acne-prone skin and now I want to teach you all about it!