It has many different names… healing crisis, detox symptoms, herxheimer reaction.
It’s what sometimes happens when you start making a lot of big health changes all at once, and for a while, things get worse. That means that all the symptoms you decided to get healthier in order to heal, are actually getting worse. Or you’re getting new symptoms you’ve never had before. Or you just plain feel like garbage.
Or, maybe you’re getting more acne and more breakouts!!! (yes, this happened to me at the beginning of my journey to clear skin)
What gives? Why would getting healthy make me feel worse and cause me to break out?
How is this fair?
Well, this is actually normal, and it’s actually a good sign that the changes you are making are having a positive impact on your body. Your body is releasing a lot of toxins all at once, and it’s making you feel bad.
However, it’s terribly alarming. Especially if it involves more acne. So it’s not really a wonder that some of the most common emails I get are from people wondering if the breakouts and other symptoms they are experiencing are just detox reactions or if they’re something to be concerned about.
Well, everyone will experience these things differently and for different lengths of time, so there is no way for me to give you definitive answers about your particular situation. I can only guess. However, the following is a little guideline that I believe can help you to figure it out:
A Real Detox Reaction Does Not Go on Forever
If it’s a real detox reaction, it should start anywhere from a day or two to a week after making significant positive health changes. It’s more likely to happen if you make a lot of big changes all at once, or you’re doing a strict cleanse.
And it really shouldn’t last for more than two to three weeks at the most. In some rare cases, it could last a little longer (and by this, I mean a heightened experience of the symptoms… it may take longer for the symptoms you had before the changes to completely go away).
So to clarify, if before you started getting healthier your acne was at a certain level, and then after you started it got worse… it should only be a a few days to a week or three before it goes back to it’s former level. And from there it should continue to get better and better.
Detox reactions will never get steadily worse and worse over time. And they always go in waves.
In other words, on the onset of the detox reaction, that should be the height of its intensity. After that, you should find that the intensity and occurrence of the symptoms will come and go (from day to day, or even hour to hour), with each wave getting less intense until it’s gone.
If it keeps getting steadily worse and worse over the course of a few weeks or months, without any break in symptoms, then something may be amiss. I never really quite believe it if you try a new diet or something, and you feel bad for months and continue to be told that “It’s just detox. Push through it”. Listen to your own intuition.
Detox Breakouts Are Often “Different” Than Usual Acne
In many cases, detox breakouts look and seem exactly like your usual breakouts, except just more of them.
But for plenty of people out there, it seems as though detox breakouts tend to be “different” than their usual acne. For example, maybe your breakouts are smaller but in greater numbers than usual (like a lot of small whiteheads, that you don’t usually get). Or people will find that they are breaking out in parts of their face that they don’t usually. For example, maybe you only ever get acne on your chin, but now you’re seeing it on your temples.
If the heightened acne you’re experiencing seems a little strange and doesn’t follow its usual characteristics, these are tell tale signs that you’re experiencing a herxheimer breakout.
Detox Breakouts from External Skin Care
Some people also seem to experience breakouts when they start a new skin care routine, or add in a new skin care product. This is different than a breakout which occurs from switching your lifestyle or diet, which happens from the inside out.
Your skin tends to get used to what is being used on it, and so when you switch to something new, it’s quite normal that you may get a breakout. Your skin is freaking out a little as it tries to find its equilibrium. This is sometimes referred to as an “initial breakout”. All you can do is wait it out and let it pass.
Something else that might be happening is that your skin may be “purging”. Your skin has seven layers, and clogs and infections happen deep in the pore and then work their way out to the surface of your skin where you might experience a pimple. Supposedly, when you get a pimple, it’s actually been brewing for several weeks deep in your skin (I don’t know if this is actually true? But that’s what they say).
So, if a new skin care product is purging your skin, it means that it’s bringing all these deep breakouts to the surface, and when they pass, your skin should be a lot clearer.
Unfortunately, it’s really difficult to tell if what you’re experiencing is an initial breakout, a purge, or just a plain ol’ breakout. Again, if the breakouts are “different” than usual, then that’s a good sign it’s going to pass.
For example, many people go through a bit of a purging period when they start using jojoba oil. Usually this seems to come in the form of a lot of small whiteheads and clogged pores, that goes away after a few weeks.
But since everyone is different, it’s also impossible to tell how long it may last.
However, if I can make a guess, I’d say that any extra, heightened breakouts due to a new skin care product really shouldn’t last more than a month at the very most. Because it takes approximately a month for all your skin cells to completely turn over.
However, it could take up to three months for your skin to start getting super cozy with your new product, and start really wowing you.
I know. That’s a long time, and when it comes to something as disturbingly, alarmingly, panick-strikingly sucky as acne, it’s SO hard to be patient, especially when you just don’t know if something is working or not. In this situation, you desperately feel like you need to do something, and the easiest thing to do is usually chuck aside your new routine and go back to what you were doing before, or try something new.
However, as I said, since it’s normal to get a bit of a breakout as your skin gets used to something new, if you keep switching and switching and switching, it’s only going to shock your skin and turn out worse. Don’t make the mistake of trying too many things in a short amount of time. Choose something (preferably something gentle and natural) and really give it a chance.
Watch Me Talk About Detox Acne in Video
PLEASE SHARE! You guys are way smarter than me. Let us all know your experiences and opinions on detox breakouts, inital breakouts, or skin purges.
I have read once that a spot takes 2 weeks to form before coming to the surface.. I’ve often wondered if that was true because sometimes it seems like it is and then other times not. Before I heard that, I would think, “oh this blemish must be from that cinnamon roll yesterday…” but then if it would take two weeks to form then that means it would be like impossible to track what it came from lol! But also for me when I switch to something new, skincare-wise, it seems to work really well for the first week or so then I start breaking out.. so I figure that’s all I can take of that nd switch to something else! Good post, this can be real intimidating if you don’t understand it beforehand.
I know, I’m not really sure if it’s true that acne takes that long to form, but I do know that we are usually wrong when we try to figure out what exactly caused a certain pimple! It’s easy to drive yourself crazy worrying about “that cinnamon roll yesterday”. I’ve definitely been guilty of that.
Hi Tracy,
This post came just in time for me. All for a little over a month I’ve been on an organic, dairy-free (besides butter and what little is in kefir), sugar-free, gluten-free diet; using Wedderspoon’s manuka honey and Fran’s jojoba oil; getting good sleep; and exercising (a mix of strength-training and yoga) for 20 minutes/day. Overall, my skin has just looked much more inflamed and the active acne more infected-looking. It’s been demoralizing not to begin to have some relief or see improvement.
I have eaten organic, whole foods for ages and I’ve always stayed quite fit–granted I also used benzol for ten years or so and ate a ton of white starch, cheese, and some other baddies–but I didn’t expect my skin to worsen quite like this
Nevertheless, this makes me a little more staid in my expectations.
Thank you so much for all that you write on here–it has been such a source of comfort (and in fact love!) to help deal with something I have been so ashamed of and “fought” against rather than tried to lovingly heal for so much of my life.
Hi Jordanna, sounds like a classic detox reaction. How soon did it start getting worse after you started all the changes?
I think things began to seem worse in some ways fairly immediately(whiteheads all over my face) and things have progressed to where my temples, chin, forehead–from third eye updward–and lower jawline are all much worse. Considering some of the comments on here, maybe keeping a log will help (of my diet, what the acne looks like, whether I lost my cool and messed with it, etc.) Also, I see on here that soy could make it worse and I have been eating miso soup and boiled edamame. And I have had to be generally much more abrasive with my skin just using honey and jojoba to get my mineral powder off which I imagine may be inflaming my skin? Not sure quite what to do about that. Is it better to leave some residual powder on there than really to try to work it off?
Finally, I eat ezekial bread and I also add quite a crazy amount of salt to my food. Could these things be worsening anything?
Thank you so much for your feedback.
I really think soy is screwing with me. But also, I just saw that the seaweed wrap around sushi rolls is one of the highest concentrations of iodide… NOT GOOD. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Somehow I just fantasized that seaweed would be presented with sea salt! Last time I broke out I had just eaten something with regular salt, and I swore I’d avoid salt thereafter. Soy and salt are my new focal foods to track. Definitely switch to sea salt and avoid soy and I guess we’ll all be doing a little experiment…
Thanks Annie! The logging idea I think is really helpful. Just started yesterday, so hopefully things will start to improve and I can get a better handle on the trigger foods!
Awesome! P.S. Make sure you’re logging very closely because I just caught an error I’m shocked by…: I’m quite obsessed with the ingredients in my food (have always been, as a recovered anorexic! I really should be better at this!) and yet I just went to purchase my go-to emergency lunch item from this organic grocery store near campus (grad student) … I looked EXTRA closely at the ingredients today because I guess I suspected that I’ve been consuming secret soy… Sure enough, even though I’ve read the ingredients twenty times, I JUST realized it has SOYBEAN OIL. Did not even register before. (Other ingredients are ideal: quinoa, turmeric, sea salt, EVOO, walnuts.) I’ve been eating this thing once a week probably for a good three months: STUPID. I wouldn’t have bought soybean oil and cooked with it, but I let it slide when I’m out and about. Anyway, that’s an example of how we consume a lot of stuff we don’t even quite realize… Good luck to you!
Just saw this. Thanks so much–you’ve been so helpful! And much love and congratulations for recovering from anorexia. I can only imagine how hard that must still be. It’s so very difficult today not to bully our poor bodies and faces into being something else.
Sometimes it’s hard not to get discouraged with the dietary restrictions, but there are some tasty meals I’ve come up with along the way that meet all the demands, but also make me feel like I’m treating myself rather than punishing myself! For good starch alternatives organic corn tortillas are awesome (fried in a little grass-fed butter with beans, salsa, etc., or just egg, green onion, and hot sauce), tinkyada rice pasta (consistency is awesome after a quick cold-water rinse), gluten-free granola (with kefir, dried blueberries, seeds, etc.), baked sweet potatoes, and brown rice (fried just with a little butter, frozen peas, onion, and egg is especially tasty). Also easy for pastas, etc.: pestos (espec. pine nut, sun dried tomato, basil, and garlic), wine and mushroom reduction, baked onion and eggplant, etc.
There seems to be a lot of healthy potential in Mexican and Indian cuisine, too (especially with all the lovely spices) so I’m hoping to get more into that.
Mexican’s my fave
Word. Hey, so I wanted to update because something interesting just happened to me re: detox. I stopped taking DIM (like Estroblock) because I suspected I had a soy intolerance. I decided to go 80% raw in order to fully detox. Well I was right, and I did. I stopped getting the cysts I had developed on DIM, and then my skin cleared for two days and then completely erupted in all of my problem areas, not very irritated but quickly coming to heads and wanting to get out of my skin. Now, just a day before it’s been 2 weeks since I’ve had soy or grains other than quinoa and I’m suddenly clear.
Hi Annie – ahhhh okay… very interesting. So the type of soy in Estroblock can be a big problem if you are sensitive to it. I am going to be sure to emphasize that when I do my full on review of it. Thanks for sharing that Annie. I’m stoked you’ve figured it that out for yourself though and are clear! That’s awesome!
Hey guys, Like Jordanna said, this is just in time. I read about the caveman routine that Tracy did and I have been doing it for 24 days now. I also have started eating more fruits and vegetable and drinking lots of water and take the fermented cod liver oil now, all started about the same time as starting the caveman. I got more white heads than I ever had before, but they seem to be going away quickly, but more keep coming. Also I have gotten alot more cysts on my chin (this is my major problem area). Everything just seems to hurt alot lately, it’s all very swollen and kind of feels a sunburn… this is different from what I’ve had before so perhaps it is a purging breakout, it makes me feel alot better to read this post though because I was getting worried. Still sticking with it
Good luck Aubrey!
Wow, what a mess of things happen when we try to get better… The comments are already difficult and mine is no better!
The awesome thing is that I made a connection by logging my food intake: I found something more interesting than food, however… Unless something about my period makes me eat snacky things I wouldn’t usually and that causes it (like roasted, salted almonds and lots of dates)…?
I went to write in a “food/skin” log that I had begun a month prior. Stupidly, I remembered it as having been more than a month since I’d had any spots, but apparently it was *exactly* one month to the day prior that I began the log for the first time. What had I logged a month ago to the day? Same spot–painful, large, and full of gunk–same place–right cheek. (Then there was another, smaller one within the next day, both the October and November breakouts.) I’d logged my food intake and sleep religiously for about a week afterward.. until I realized I was clear again, and then I forgot all about it…
I’d also written that day: “3rd of this exact type since August.” So this would be the fourth and fifth… And they come right smack between periods, mid-month… So it’s hormonal to the nth degree. All clear throughout the month and then this insane breakout surrounding ovulation. AGH! I think I need estroblock. I know I had major stress the last few months, which has probably caused this skyrocket of menstruation-related cyclical acne…
Question: Why the right cheek?? Every one of these big, painful spots has been on my right cheek… It’s eery!
P.S. There are other things associated with the period being two weeks beforehand: constipation/poor nutrient absorption or increased needs for certain nutrients/ hormonal fluctuations, etc, then cause the breakout *two weeks later* ?
I wonder… That makes sense. Because I also had something major stress me out during this menstrual period, so it would make sense that the hormones were all haywire because of the distress, if they weren’t already. Then the hormonal swing was more of an overload when it “came out.” (Wheee…)
Hi Annie,
Someone else emailed me recently about having acne only on one cheek. I wasn’t sure why that was, but I know that in Chinese face mapping, the different cheeks are connected to different things, so I directed her to the following article that explains the difference. It seemed to make a lot of sense to her, maybe something in it will help you too. Do you happen to have had a root canal or mercury filling on that side of your mouth?
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/drmao/what-your-face-reveals-about-your-health/
Ah, no filling, but, haha… Right cheek: lungs. I happen to be coughing up a lung at the moment. I’m recovering from a viral infection that sprung up the same day I broke out. The weird thing is I happened to have also had a viral infection about a month ago (I’m a grad student–both illness and acne happen more with stress and sleep irregularity, I guess), so who knows… I mean, the truth is, if I have one single obvious health downfall, it’s that I certainly don’t take very good care of my lungs, if you know what I mean… I exercise, but… (Let’s just say I live in northern California and leave it at that.) Maybe it’s time to experiment with that one. Problem is the stress-balancing act…
I changed my diet and went gradually from a benzoyl peroxide lotion and salisylic acid wash to a just salisylic acid acne wash and added honey into my skin care regime. My face had never had bad acne, maybe just one or two a month, then when I started this I got acne bumps on my forehead. Then as I went on, I kept changing my face washes and my face continued to breakout. This continued for months. Now, just recently, I have changed to using soap and water and jojoba oil and sometimes tea tree oil for any big pimples/blind pimples. I already see a bigger difference, although im still getting acne. This article (and your blog) really helped, it helped me understand that changing my face wash too much and using harsh chemicals really isnt helpful.
*started in August and am just now getting better
Great! Stick with it and hopefully things will get better once you stop switching around
Glad to have helped!
Personally, this hasn’t happened to me. I’ve broken out from changing skincare a few times in my life, but that’s always turned out to be because of an ingredient in the product to which I end up being allergic (I have to watch out for cornstarch). Now I use almost nothing for skincare – an occasional makeup wipe or splash of water – and my skin is far happier since I’m doing less to it.
I have a leaky gut and my skin looks beautiful when I avoid my trigger foods, but if I slip up or cross-contaminate something, I break out painfully overnight. Usually when I start breaking out, for me it’s an allergic reaction – nothing good like a detox
Oh well.
I just realized how little this comment has to do with the article. Sorry. I do hope someone finds it interesting or helpful though.
Hi Kit – I think it’s relevant, because I think that in most cases (well, I don’t know that, but it is one explanation), if someone is breaking out more after switching to a healthier diet, and it’s not a detox reaction, it may be that they are having an allergic reaction to something that they are suddenly eating more of now – since unfortunately, you can be sensitive to anything, even healthy stuff. For example, many people give up dairy and replace it with soy, thinking it’s healthier, but soy is a big allergen and that is actually what is causing their acne. Well, I don’t think soy is healthy anyway, so that’s a bad example, but a very common one
Soy is the one that does the most damage for me – deep, painful cysts almost immediately after exposure. I don’t think it’s healthy either, even if someone isn’t allergic. But yeah, I actually figured it out because I tried a meatless, dairy-free diet and my skin FREAKED as a result of fake veggie burgers and whatnot (I’d never touch that stuff now. Yuck.) I didn’t confuse it with a detox, but I could see how someone could.
Soy, huh? Wow! This has been super helpful for me, thanks! I’ve obviously heard of soy as a hormonal whack-job, but I didn’t think of it as causing instant zits. The first time my acne went to the level of pain was when I went vegetarian again and began eating a ton of tofu… I don’t eat soy much anymore because I’m definitely not sure it’s safe, but once a month or so I let it slide, usually when someone else is cooking or I eat out–usually in the form of soy sauce and edamame on the same night. I’m putting the proverbial foot down. No-mo, soy.
Yeah, I have an IgE allergy to soy – immediate allergic reaction where I need an adrenaline shot – and a lot of IgG allergies as well. The painful breakouts follow about a day after the immediate allergic response. Your experience may not be the same, but I have read a lot of stories like this where someone goes veg, eats some soy products and breaks out like whoa. So it’s a possibility! Soy is a a hard thing to avoid, though, especially if you stay away from soy oil and lecithin, so maybe try getting an allergy test from a naturopath before you put yourself through hell staying away from it
Plus that way if you have other allergies, you can take out all triggers at once.
Yikes! I just realized today I’ve been eating soybean oil on occasion and I hadn’t realized it was an ingredient in one of my favorite “healthy” lunches—bummer! The soy is hard to partial out of anything that comes processed or premade. Thinking I want to go raw just so that I’ll stop eating food other people prepare… It must be so difficult for you to avoid it completely.
Yeah, it’s actually the reason I took up cooking…soybean oil is in almost EVERYTHING processed. Blech. I got used to it, but it was a rough transition.
This is such an interesting post. I always wonder how far into a dietary change would I see improvement or worsening. Some claim 2-3 weeks for any blemish, but that seems too long. Inflammatory processes can be extremely fast? …Why is acne different? When I lowered carbohydrate intake and increased fat (mostly dairy), I seemed to get worse, but I stopped after just a week. It is a minor problem, but still very annoying.
I know, I’m not really sure whether it’s true that it takes a couple weeks for a pimple to show up :/
Every time I detox, about one week in, I get terrible red, itchy-burning bumps on my cheek. I once did a pretty hardcore detox that lasted for a month and weeks 2 and 3 of the detox my skin looked alarming as I usually have clear skin. It eventually calmed down but I can only imagine how many toxins I was getting out of my body based on that reaction alone.
Luckily my naturopath calmed me down and told me my detox reaction was normal and i was on the right track. By the middle of week 3 it cleared up.
Yep, sounds like classic detox symptoms!
Good for you for pushing through it, must have been pretty scary
Great post! I know this happens to so many people, but I never had issues when doing any detox. There were other issues of course, like hunger or headaches (depending on the detox in question), but never skin problems, so I think I’m very lucky in that regard.
I know our Bikram yoga teacher said starting Bikram also makes many people have skin problems before their skin clears up. I’m assuming it’s because of the profuse sweating that happens! I’ve run a marathon and been in mixed marial arts for years, and NEVER sweat as much as I did there. Do you think all the sweating I’ve done over the years has helped me avoid the detox breakouts?
Hi Andy,
That’s great you don’t get skin detoxes. I don’t know if the bikram had anything to do with you not getting detox breakouts – different people just get different symptoms! Obviously you were still detoxing if you got headaches and other symptoms. Anyway – lucky
Well, looks like I jinxed myself. Took a detox bath for the first time, and got some pretty bad acne that disappeared just a few days later. Weird!
I experienced surefire 100% DETOX after taking S. Boulardii. Literally half an hour after taking it in the morning, right after waking up, I felt uncontrollable sleepiness and had to climb back into bed. It was a very noticeable detox and I could recreate it any time I took S. Boulardii.
The first time I EVER took an Epsom Salt bath, I broke out in hives from neck to toe. Prior to that, I never get hives in my life.
So did you find as you continued these two things, that the reaction went away?
I’ve noticed that when I get detox acne it is different from my normal hormonal acne. The inflammation seems to occur closer to the surface and so form a pimple that is quick to fully surface, heal and flake away. For example, if I colon cleanse and then take a probiotic I will usually get a few very small inflammations on my chin or above my mouth, which are usually relatively clear areas for me (whereas the hormonal acne I get follows the typical pattern of this type). I attribute these detox spots to either symptoms of so many toxins dumping into my clean colon (so many stored toxins can now pass through after the cleanse that not all can be eliminated through the colon and so some follow a detoxification pathway through the skin) or to die-off of bad gut bacteria due to the probiotics out-competing the bad guys in the space I cleared with the cleanse. I don’t like it, but I figure it’s a good thing. I usually cleanse when I am getting breakouts unrelated to hormonal acne.
I’m about to run out of my manuka honey and am not able to get more right for about a week. I’ll be using raw organic honey temporarily…I hope I don’t get a breakout from the product switch!
Hi Mary – thanks for sharing your detox acne experiences. As for the manuka honey/raw honey, I doubt with a minor switch like that anything would happen, and not everyone gets breakouts when switching products anyway. Don’t manifest it by thinking too much about it!
I’ve been wondering about this, too. I use manuka, but I bought some regular raw honey for when I’m at my bf’s. Problem is, some weeks I’ll spend 6-7 nights there, so I worry that manuka will be a harsh switch… Is it bad to go back and forth or is it just a long-term change, like the first few uses? Wondering if I should just stick with one or the other…
I have actually found a routine with honey that works really well for me… you can try it if you’d like..I use a raw honey mask about 3-4 times a week either day or night for 30 minutes-2hours if i have nowhere pressing I must go. Then the other days I spot treat my zits with Manuka and leave it on anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight–just what I feel based on the condition of my skin that day….this saves me $ bc Manuka is expensive. I use YS Organic Raw honey and the Wedderpoon (sp?) Manuka Honey Tracy always talks about.
Hi Tracy!
I have a question! I want to start with the cavemen regimen. But what should I do after I’ve exercised. Should I wash my face with some water? I’m afraid that the sweat will clogg my pores if I dont’t…
I love your website by the way! It’s been really helpfull!
Hi Astrid
Just pat your face dry with a towel! I know, everyone seems to be worried about sweat clogging your pores. Personally I don’t worry about it… but if you can’t not worry about it, then the caveman might not be for you! It seems this regimen is all about letting go and doing the opposite of what you’d think you’re supposed to do when it comes to skin care
Hi Tracy,
Not sure whether I should have posted this in your article on face mapping or here. While I’m not experiencing the same horrendous breakouts I was getting eight month ago, I’m still getting acne regularly. I’ve made some significant changes to my diet/lifestyle, but there’s still so much I need to work on…so I’m not sure if I’m experiencing a combination of detox and regular breakouts (due to the changes I still need to make in my lifestyle); can a person experience both at the same time? Does this make sense? Currently I’m breaking out on my temples, but a curious thing I’ve noticed is that I keep getting a line of about 5-7 pimples on the right side of my face and they always form a pattern that resembles a moon crescent; it extends from my temple down to my chin. It happens all the time..it’s so odd, I don’t know what it could mean. Any thought on this? Thanks!
Do you pop these pimples? If you do the bacteria is just getting deeper into your skin and causing them to reappear. That could explain why they keep coming back. If not it could be your skin care regime; If you keep switching products or if your using harsh products. It can also be based on your new diet, maybe you are having a bad reaction to something new (even something that is healthy) you added into your diet.
It could be a lymphatic system thing… I remember when I read about acne caused by fluoride, which moves through the lymphatic system and can come out as acne where the lymphatic system runs close to the surface… anyway, that is a place where it does run close to the surface – along the jaw and under the ears. It’s just a guess. Also, yes, if they come back in the exact same spots, make sure you aren’t popping them, as Drea says… popping and squeezing pimples can definitely make them come back over and over again in the same spots
http://www.thelovevitamin.com/2744/could-fluoride-be-causing-your-acne/
Hmm, I think that may be possible. I was looking at your fluoride article as well as the one on the lymphatic system, and I do seem to exhibit several of the symptoms. I get acne on my temples, chin, cheeks, jaw, and ears! They take forever to go away and leave marks that seem to never fade. I’m also prone to colds (I’m just getting over one). Until very recently, I always drank tap water. I don’t pop/squeeze the pimples (I quit that ages ago). I no longer use commercial products; I currently use manuka honey, jojoba oil, and aloe vera gel from my plant, and it’s working very well for me. Thank you, I’ll look into this more closely.
Do you live in a fluoridated area?
Hi Tracy!
This article is perfect timing for me as I’ve been debating whether or not to keep up with my coconut oil regimen or not (I also read your post dealing specifically with coconut oil, which is actually how I stumbled across your site!). I’ve been using VCO on my body for the last 2 months now because someone recommended it as a way to get rid of my body acne (back, shoulders, and chest. not fun!). After a week, all my acne disappeared. Then the next week I broke out again, this time worse than normal. I knew it was a healing crisis so I didn’t stress about it, but now it’s been 2 months and my skin has barely improved. Based on this post and your coconut oil one, I’m thinking it’s probably time I ditch the VCO and try something else. I know you haven’t tried VCO, but am I right in assuming that it’s not worth me to keep going with it? Two months is such a long time for a healing crisis!
Yes, it sounds like it’s too long… I don’t know what to think about coconut oil! Lots of people just LOVE it for external use, but for many others it just doesn’t work out and clogs pores… yeah I’d say move on.
Yes, I found a drinking water analysis online for my city and it showed that our average fluoride level is 0.72 ppm (I don’t know that means). Ok, I’m not sure where to go from here. I have a little Brita filter but I doubt that will do anything. Do I start buying my drinking water? I’m so tired of trying to figure out whats causing my breakouts; it’s hard to keep up with all the new things I try and keep track of everything I do…and if it works or not. It’s exhausting and I’m getting discouraged (my wallet is really starting to feel the pinch too)
I know, I hear ya. Well, Melissa from The Cellulite Investigation http://www.celluliteinvestigation.com/ has a free ebook all about acne and fluoride and avoiding fluoride. Go download it and if you suspect it really is a fluoride thing, speaking with her is probably a good idea as she knows more about the little details than me
Thanks so much Tracy for posting this! I just came off of a full body cleanse, and a week before that I cut out wheat, dairy, and sugar. I had a bad inital breakout to the cleanse and then my face started clearing, but now I have tons of whiteheads around my chin and my face is severly red. Was very dissapointed and thought it wasn’t working, but now I will wait it out and see how it progressess. I figured it was detox reaction, but wasn’t sure. I also got sick a week into the cleanse with fever, so I thought something was wrong. Not sure what to do, but wait and let my body heal. Didn’t know cleanses were so hard on the body! Thanks again for being so encouraging! Love your site!
Hi Heather – totally sounds like a detox reaction to me! Keep going, it will pass soon. And yeah – it’s different for everyone, but sometimes detox can be pretty dang harsh!
Hi Ms. Tracy. To God be he Glory! I wish I could have a copy of all your books. you’re an amazing &inspirational person. I’m from Philippines and I’m a new comer in your blog. God bless– in Christ.
You’re my idol. I’m 18 and I had suffered from very severe severe acne. I wish I could send the pictures. If you wish to Ms. Tracy. It’s very hard to get your knowledgable books. it’s very impossible.
Hey, Tracy! I love your website, I only discovered it a couple months ago when I decided to completely turn things around and get rid of all the awful chemicals I was using on my face and drastically change my diet. I’ve been doing the candida cleanse for 4 days now, by the way, and I feel really good.
At the start of all this for me, two months ago, I had a hard time really finding what was right for my skin. I was oil cleansing, using honey with baking soda, honey with lemon juice, bentonite clay masks, jojoba oil mixed with various antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, not to mention taking a bunch of supplements like omega 3s, zinc, hormone-regulating herbs, etc. So my skin was looking a bit crazy and it was really hard to figure out if it was a reaction, purging, or what. My skin has calmed down quite a bit, but it’s still pretty rough and I get new spots every day. I went to see a holistic esthetician today which I had been very excited about, but it was actually really disappointing. She basically told me I was doing all the right things with diet and supplements, but that if I really wanted to get clear the best thing for me would be some clinical-strength benzoyl peroxide skincare line with all these serums and treatments, all about $134. I don’t want to go back to that. I was wondering at what point your skin really started to balance itself out and those last little annoying things, like roughness or random new spots, started to go away. How long did it take, what were you doing?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsey,
Well, this was my experience… when I was trying to get rid of my severe acne, I made huge progress and then after a couple months, it seems like I couldn’t make the leap to being totally clear. So I went to a naturopath and got tested for food sensitivities and got prescribed some natural supplements for my body. And then I got clear very fast. But since then, I’ve still struggled with mild cyclical hormonal acne that comes and goes, but it has still never been as bad as it was when I went to the naturopath with that last stretch of the severe acne. It’s only been recently in the last few months that I feel like I’ve really gotten rid of that mild acne and may have solved it for good…. knock on wood (been using Estroblock, gotten reiki for emotional issues, relaxed a little about food so lowered stress).
That was my experience, and I know you guys hate hearing this buuuut everyone’s different, so don’t take this as what is going to happen with you. But if you are getting frustrated after a few months because you’ve really stalled, I would recommend seeing a naturopath or natural therapist of some kind.
Thanks, Tracy! I’m gonna look into naturopaths in the area to help me out! Love you and your website!
Check out this post for help: http://www.thelovevitamin.com/1971/naturopath-acne/
Hey Tracy,
This is a bit off the topic of Acne breakouts, but I thought somewhat relevant in detoxing. I recently started a cleanse called “arise and shine” 14 day cleanse (http://www.ariseandshine.com/) which I was originally was turned on to from Fran Kerr’s Blog in March of 2011. I first did the 28 day cleanse which is the most rigirous cleanse that lasts for one month. I loved it because it turned me onto being a raw vegan for a month and my sense of well being was returned to me. However, the cleanse entails consuming shakes made of a mixture of bentonite clay and psyillium husk, 3 times a day, plus large does of herbs. You can also eat, thus expelling something called “mucoid plaque.” Even when I did the 28 day cleanse I was wary of the idea that such a plaque of mucus really exists, or if it is just a ridiculous theory that these holistic practitioners advocate, and successfully advertise and its really just the mixture of clay and fiber in your digestive track. Either way, I feel I have benefited from the cleanse, and that it helps my anxiety by allowing me to take a break and focus on my body entirely for a few weeks. But I was curious to see from someone like yourself, if you have ever heard of the cleanse, Dr. Richard Anderson, ever researched the cleanse , and your initial thoughts about it.
Thanks,
Marissa
Hi M, thanks for sharing your experience with your detox! Was the ariseandshine the one that Fran did that she said was too intense for her? Or was that a different one?
Hi Tracy,
I have found your website incredibly helpful in learning about the so very many things that can be linked to acne. I’ve signed up for a bikram yoga class, been drinking Kombucha tea like crazy, have changed my face cleansing regime to manuka honey and jojoba oil and have overhauled my diet.
While I’m feeling proud and excited about the changes I’ve made, I’m currently incredibly frustrated with the detox breakout I’ve got going on. It’s near my ears, chin and along my jaw – which I know is close to where the lymphatic system lies close to the skin. I also know the type of acne I’ve been getting is different than what I normally deal with – so all roads point to a detox. I’ve been doing most of these changes for a month, but the manuka honey and jojoba oil for just two weeks. How much longer should I stick with all this before I allow myself to get too frustrated and to throw in the towel?
Hi Anne, when did the detox breakout start? Has it been going on for a month? did it start after the manuka and jojoba oil?
Thanks for getting back to me, Tracy. My breakout started at the end of November, at first I think because I started drinking the Kombucha tea. I began using the manuka honey and the jojoba oil on December 21, and ever since then I’ve been continually broken out. I’ve never had whiteheads before, but they’re popping up. I also get little postures that hurt quite a bit. The break out seems to have moved around in the last couple of weeks, first starting on my left check and now it’s currently plaguing my right cheek and right part of my chin. Everything points to a detox breakout, but since my skin wasn’t this bad before (I would get large postules and many blackheads though) I’m struggling to stick this out. My hope is that if I do, my skin will be even better and will stay better on the other side of these breakouts. My guess is I should give it at least another month. What do you think?
Hey Tracy, I’m 25, and over the last six months I’ve begun to develop acne after having years of clear skin. About three weeks ago I gave up dairy which I thought was a big culprit in my acne. A week after I gave up dairy, my skin got really bad and I think that was the detox reaction you were writing about. My acne got a little bit better a few days ago and now is bad again. is that part of the “going in waves” process you mentioned? Other than that my diet and exercise habits could not be any better. How long did it take for your acne to clear up after making diet changes? Thanks
Hi Luke – it definitely sounds like a detox. Although did you replace dairy with anything? Sometimes people replace it with soy milk but they’re sensitive to soy and it makes them break out even more.
I actually replaced dairy milk with almond milk. I also heard that soy can mess with peoples hormones and worsen acne. I used to eat a lot of yogurt and cheese, but I just stopped eating those altogether, and I never ate ice cream to begin with, so my only real change was going from eating my cereal with cows milk to eating it with almond milk. So does the clearing up process go in waves, and how long did it take for you to get clear skin?
Also I am having big breakouts on my forehead, Where I usually don’t get them, is this also a sign of the detox reaction?
Yep, it sounds like it – if you are getting pimples where you don’t usually get them, it’s usually a sign. And yes, going in waves is also a sign
I have acne that comes in waves and I have been kind of detoxing but I still enjoy my cooked meals, just less of it. My symptoms have been going on for over a month now and still haven’t stopped. Is this normal?
Could a good probiotic supplement trigger a detox breakout? I was doing so well, and a week ago my ND had me start a strong probiotic for my leaky gut. Now I have small rashes of pimples across my forehead and a couple on my cheek, which is unusual for me. So it sounds like a detox, according to the article…Do you happen to know anything about an “adjustment period” for probiotics? I tried Googling it but get so much mixed information.
Yes, I think it definitely could. It could trigger bad bacteria, candida, or other organisms dying in the digestive tract and releasing toxins as they die, which can come out through the skin. A rash of pimples on your forehead definitely sounds like detox
Thanks Tracy!
I’m so happy that I’ve found this website! I have been searching for info about acne worsening after finishing the Master Cleanse. I have always had some acne but nothing ever like this!! I commited to the cleanse for 32 days, and it was around day 28 that I began noticing an increase in breakouts on my chin, jawline, and temples.
It has now been 11 days since I stopped the cleanse, and my acne is so bad it looks like a rash. My entire jawline and left temple are covered in tiny whiteheads, and of course, there are also some big pimples scattered about. I also have some small pimples on my forehead, which I have rarely, if ever, get a pimple in that area. I have been putting peroxide, Witch Hazel, and Clearasil on the pimples and NOTHING is drying them up. I have started to think that this is perhaps a fungus on my face, because it just won’t go away. I’m extremely close to making an appointment with a derm, but I am leary of going on Accutane. But if I have to…
Since going off the cleanse, I have eliminated dairy, wheat, meat, and soy. Prior to the cleanse I consumed a lot of dairy products and poultry. I also rarely ate fruit, but now I’m eating at least 4 fruits a day, mostly citrus.
I guess my question is: Have you ever heard of someone’s acne getting progressively worse after finishing a cleanse, and if you have, how long did the acne take to clear up? Are these pimples a sign that something went wrong during my cleanse? Perhaps 32 days completely stressed out my body?
Thank you very much for any advice/insight you can give me.
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Mmm yeah, I don’t know how I feel about intense detoxes like that. I used to think they were a good idea, but I’ve ready so many things lately about the metabolism, and how stressful not eating is to the body. I can definitely see how after 28 days of a Master Cleanse that things didn’t turn out as well as you thought. I had the same experience after doing a ten day juice fast way back when… I did it to try to get rid of the last bit of my acne, but it made no difference and I was so frustrated.
My advice is to just eat a lot of nutritious food, get a lot of sleep, and hopefully things will get back to normal and the breakouts will stop!
Hi Tracy,
Thank you for your quick response. I also think that my fast was too long. I just remember feeling so energetic, light, and clean, that I just wanted to keep going. Now I’m left wondering if this acne is a release of toxins or a skin reaction from lack of vitamins/minerals during the cleanse.
I have been eating very healthy foods(lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, quinoa, brown rice, rice protein powder, almond milk), and I also started a probiotic about 9 days ago. As this is a major change from what I was eating prior to the cleanse, I wonder if my body is still detoxing. I will give the acne one more week to clear up (3 weeks total), before making a derm appt.
Thanks again, Tracy. I really appreciate it.
Lynn
I am so grateful for this article. About 2 weeks ago I had ditched all my acne creams and cleansers and began the oil cleansing method with castor and jojoba oil. The first week was magical. The first morning after I immediately noticed the redness and swelling went down and every morning after I was excited to wake up and see the changes, it got better everyday. Then a few days ago I was hit with the worst breakout of my life. I was devastated and wondering if it was a purge or that the routine was no good for me. My gut instinct was that it was a purge because it was not deep cystic acne, just a TON of whiteheads, and they weren’t in my usual breakout areas. Reading the article has given me hope to see this through a little longer, it may be just a detox. Thanks again!
Hello Tracy! I love your blog and have followed all your advice so far. I even eat a strict Paleo diet, sadly simply changing a few things had not helped.
When I read about supplements for acne I was very hopeful. I started taking Vitex, DIM, milk thistle and burdock root 2 1/2 months ago. After one month my skin was almost clear! It also helped my PMS.
But shortly after my skin and PMS worsened again. My skin is no worse than ever, with a lot of big pimples. I can not even cover it anymore.
I think this is too severe for a detox and it is weird that at first things were going well. Do you have any idea why this happened? I am trying to figure out how to fix this. I did not have acne until after the return of my period postpartum 8 months ago by the way.
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
Wow, I’m sorry to hear that! I wish I could say exactly why it is that happened, but I’m not sure. My gut instinct would be to get off the Vitex and see if it improves
Hi Tracy,
I just wanted to stop by to tell you that I have finally found an answer to my acne problem. After having bloodwork drawn, it turns out that my thyroid was overactive. I have been taking Synthroid for four years without any problems. Apparently, my 23 lb weight loss caused my current dosage of 75 mcg to become too high. My doctor immediately decreased me down to 25 mcg.
After researching the symptoms of Hyperthyroid, I discovered that a hormonal imbalance will occur resulting in chin, jawline, neck, and back acne. I have only been taking the lower dose of Synthroid for five days, but my acne is just about gone!!!!
Besides the acne, I have also had restlessness, insomnia, hair loss, anxiety, and low libido. All of which are symptoms of an overactive thyroid.
Oh very interesting… thank you so much for sharing that Lynn, I always am very interested in hearing about the things that end up clearing people’s acne. Can underactive thyroid cause acne as well? It seems like everything can!
I’ve read that any time there is a hormonal imbalance acne can flare up. So yes, either hypo or hyper will cause acne.
Omg. I’m just coming off of what I’m pretty sure was the most hellish detox reaction I’ve ever experienced. Last week I started some herbs for liver support. My skin didn’t really get bad (knock on wood), but after a few days I ran a high fever, had a multi-day migraine, was severely dizzy, no appetite, got all stuffed up, ached all over, threw up a bunch, and slept about eighteen hours a day. So… that presumably means these herbs are good for me? I sure hope so. Because this was the most horrible, frightening week I’ve had in a long time. It made me think of this article even though it’s more about skin. I was just wondering…has anyone ever heard of a detox like this instead of a breakout? It didn’t feel like any illness I’ve ever had before.
Hi Kit,
Detox symptoms can come in all shapes and forms, so this doesn’t sound unrealistic, albeit a bit extreme. It’s gone now though? If it’s gone and not continuing then it could have definitely been a detox. Or you just had the flu??
Yeah it’s pretty much gone now – today my fever broke and I was actually able to get up, get work done, eat food, etc. Pretty fast recovery for someone who almost passed out in the bathroom at 3:00 this morning. It was about three and a half days of hell outta nowhere, a few days after starting milk thistle and a cruciferous complex for detox and hormonal balance. I already had the flu this winter and it was nothing like this…I guess I won’t know unless I rapidly start to improve now. Fingers crossed.
Hi Tracy,
I recently just started a new regimen (kind of a mix n’ mash of a bunch of things I’ve heard) and I’m really unsure if I’m having a detox reaction. First I started by cutting ALL dairy and started taking an omega 3-6-9 vitamin along with a calcium vitamin. Doing this seemed to clear my cheek acne oddly enough. Then a four days ago I kicked it up a notch and added liquid chlorophyll, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), and a ski gel made from aloe, witch hazel, tea tree etc… Now at this point I’m getting so many clogged pores on my nose along with white heads and cystic breakouts in that area between the nose and cheeks and within these cysts are quite a few white heads. This is totally not the type of acne I’m used to.
So I guess my question is, is it a detox reaction or does it sound like my mix n’ mash has gone wrong …
thanks!
Hi David! If it’s not the type of acne you’re used to, I’m tempted to say it’s detox. But I can’t know for sure, sorry!
[...] cheeks! Little little bumps on my face that made me kind of paranoid about it. After reading this article, I finally understood why all these are happening. These detox breakouts are not the same as the [...]
I was used to eating anything and everything but i changed my diet 5 days ago and pushing 6 to 7 bottles of water a day plus fruits and vegetables which i never have ate before. I have lost 11 pounds since and now im getting pimples. Im not so freaked out now.
It definitely sounds like detox. Also, how many litres of water is that? You don’t want to go too overboard with water… you can screw up your electrolyte balances with that
I think 6 liters. I also drink diet green tea. I was drinking 5 mcdonalds sweet teas a day which is crazy. Ive noticed i have alot more energy. I also plan to start juicing in a week or so.
* 3 liters sorry my phone is crazy.
hahah okay… I was like SIX LITRES? dear lord. Yeah keep it to 2 litres of liquid at the very most.
Whenever I re-start my healthy habits, of course it begins with drinking a lot of water. The problem is that just a day or two later, I get numerous red bumps along my jawline that itch intensely. Topical creams helps or Benedryl at night, but they leave dark patches which I guess is from me scratching before I am aware that I am doing it. Is there anything natural available to help with the dark spots? They never get whiteheads.. they almost look like mosquito bites, but it happens any time of year and only on my face.
I just had a baby in January and had the worst breakout of my life a month postpartum. It still has not cleared. I have been eating very healthy for the past two and a half months. I do get the flareups and then it starts to clear then flares up again. I believe it has gotten better, but I’ve noticed the same cystic acne flaring up in the same spots over and over. It’s a cycle of about three days inflammation and then starting to clear over and over again. Does this sound normal?
It sounds like a detox sort of wave!