The Gut-Skin Connection: Is Your Digestion Causing Acne?

Gut check! Could your skin issues be starting in your stomach? If you’ve been doing all the right things with your skincare routine—eliminating pore-clogging ingredients, exfoliating, and protecting your barrier—but you’re still breaking out, it might be time to look inward. Literally.

Meet the gut-skin axis, your digestive system’s direct hotline to your complexion. More and more research is showing that what happens in your gut can directly affect your skin, especially when it comes to inflammation and acne. So if you’re struggling with breakouts, specifically the stubborn, cystic, hormonal kind, it’s worth exploring what’s happening below the surface.

In this post, we’re breaking down the science behind the gut-skin connection, how poor gut health can trigger breakouts, and how to support both systems through diet and supplements. Let’s dive in.

Gut-Skin Axis: The Science Behind Your Acne Breakouts        

The gut-skin axis refers to the complex communication network between your gut microbiome (aka the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive tract) and your skin. These two systems talk to each other constantly, mostly through the immune system, hormones, and the inflammatory pathways in your body.

When your gut is healthy and balanced, it helps keep inflammation in check. But when something throws off that balance—stress, antibiotics, sugar overload, or food intolerances—it can lead to systemic inflammation, which can show up on your skin as acne, rosacea, eczema, or increased sensitivity.

The Acne-Gut Health Connection: What You Need to Know

So, how exactly does a gut imbalance lead to a breakout?

Here are a few ways it can happen:

• Leaky gut = inflamed skin: When the lining of your intestines becomes compromised (known as “leaky gut”), toxins and undigested food particles can leak into your bloodstream. This triggers your immune system to fight back, creating inflammation that can flare up on your skin.
  

• Imbalanced microbiome = hormonal chaos: A disrupted gut microbiome can affect the way your body metabolizes hormones like estrogen and testosterone, two major players in hormonal acne.
  

• Poor digestion = nutrient deficiencies: If your digestion is off, you may not be absorbing key nutrients that your skin needs to stay clear, like Zinc (preferably from food sources), Vitamin A, or Omega Fatty Acids.
  

• Toxin buildup = more congestion: When your gut and liver aren’t detoxing efficiently, your body looks for other ways to release toxins—often through the skin.

If this sounds like what you're dealing with, your acne might not be a surface issue—it could be a signal that your gut needs attention.

Diet and the Gut-Skin Connection: What to Eat (and Avoid)

Let’s be real—skincare helps manage acne, but if your breakouts are being fueled from the inside out, no serum or spot treatment will fully fix it.

Here’s what we recommend when it comes to gut-friendly eating for clear skin:

Avoid:

• Refined sugar + dairy: These are two major inflammatory culprits. Sugar feeds bad gut bacteria and spikes insulin, which in turn triggers oil production and breakouts. Many people with acne are also sensitive to dairy, especially whey protein and milk.
  

• Processed oils: Seed oils (like soybean, corn, or canola) are highly inflammatory and  promote acne when not balanced by other types of omega acids.
  

• Eggs: Eggs contain a protein called albumin, which can be hard to digest, leading to lymphatic acne. The progesterone in eggs, while not terribly high, can accumulate if eaten multiple times per week and can be disruptive especially to those on a high progestin birth control.
  

• Gluten (for most): Not everyone is gluten-sensitive, but for most of us who are, it can cause gut irritation + systemic inflammation that aggravates skin issues like acne + eczema. 

You can learn more about internal acne triggers in our Root Causes of Acne Masterclass, available to watch here. 

Focus on:

• Whole, fiber-rich foods: Think leafy greens, berries, cruciferous veggies, and seeds. Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut and helps clear out excess hormones.
  

• Healthy fats: Avocados, wild salmon, flaxseed, and chia are rich in omega-3s that reduce inflammation.
  

• Fermented foods: for most people these are super helpful! Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and coconut yogurt help repopulate the gut with good bacteria. (Start slow if you’re new to them or if you think you have gut disbiosys)
  

• Hydration: Water with minerals is essential for digestion, detoxification, and skin plumpness. Bonus points for adding lemon, cucumber, mint, rosemary, chlorophyll, or sea salt. Make it fun!

Supplements That Support Gut Health (and Clearer Skin)

If you’re already eating clean but still feeling off, targeted supplements can help fill in the gaps and restore balance. Here are some of our faves:

• Glutathione + Its Precursors: AKA the “master antioxidant” that can help protect the gut lining and is crucial for preventing leaky gut.
  

• Omega 7: This underrated omega is lacking from many diets and helps protect the gut barrier. It can also reduce inflammation + increase cellular hydration.  
  

• Digestive Enzymes: If you feel bloated after meals or have slow digestion, enzymes can help break down food and reduce inflammation. Most estheticians recommend enzymes to aid gut heath.
  

• Digestive Bitters: Bitters help kickstart your digestion, leading to better nutrient absorption. They can also help your body detox more effectively! We absolutely love Apple Cider Vinegar.
  

• Magnesium: Helps reduce stress, ease digestion, and balance hormones. Food doesn’t digest well when you’re stressed! 

Building a Gut-Friendly, Acne-Safe Routine

Here’s a sample daily routine that supports both your gut and your glow, which incorporates our new Acne Supplement Routine! You’ll find all of the key ingredients noted above in this routine.  

Breakfast 

• Take your daily GOOD SEEDS® softgels, which feature three powerful gut-nourishing oils—including Omega 7 as Sea Buckthorn— in one easy supplement.
  

• Take MINDBODYSKIN® to address the interconnected systems that impact your skin health: gut, digestion, hormones, oil production, and more. 
  

• Drink a glass of warm lemon water to kickstart digestion.
  

• Enjoy a fiber-rich smoothie with berries, spinach, flax, non-dairy protein, and almond milk.
  

Lunch + Dinner 

• Drop a serving A.C.V. CLEAR on your tongue before you eat to kickstart your digestion with this supercharged blend of digestive bitters. The effects kick in instantly and also help to keep your blood sugar stable.
  

• Take GLOWTIME Digestive Enzymes with your meal to aid the digestive process and avoid bloating. Not only will your gut thank you; and your complexion will thank you too!
  

• Prioritize fiber + avoid acne triggers like dairy and eggs in your meals! 

Bonus: Before Bed 

• Drink a glass of PILLOWTIME-MAG an hour before bedtime to help you wind down for incredible sleep. Ingredients like Inositol and Magnesium are also beneficial for your gut and blood sugar
  

• Treat yourself to a luxurious PM skincare routine to wind down! 

CLEARSTEM’S Complete Acne Supplement Routine 

The four supplements in our Acne Supplement Routine work on their own for clearer, healthy skin—but they’re designed to work even better together. Every formula builds on the next to help fortify your gut, because the gut-skin axis is real! 

1. MINDBODYSKIN®: Helps your body detoxify and strengthens the gut barrier with Glutathione.
   

2. GOOD SEEDS® with three anti-inflammatory oils, including Omega 7 for your gut lining.
   

3. A.C.V. CLEAR: Stimulates digestion and detoxification with Digestive Bitters
   

4. GLOWTIME: Helps you break down food and absorb nutrition. 

Combining this internal supplement routine with an acne-friendly skincare routine can help you get the best skin of your life! 

Clear Skin Starts in the Gut

Healthy skin starts with a healthy gut. If you’ve tried everything for your acne and still feel stuck, your digestive health might be the missing link. The good news? Once you start nourishing your gut with the right foods, supplements, and habits, your skin will reflect that healing on the outside!

And while gut health isn’t an overnight fix, small changes (like cutting back on dairy or adding Digestive Enzymes) can make a big difference over time.

With CLEARSTEM’s acne-safe formulas and a gut-friendly approach, you can finally tackle breakouts from the inside and out.