Is Candida Causing Your Acne?

In the functional medicine space, we know that the body systems are all interconnected. And beyond that, a truth universally agreed upon is that disease begins in the digestive system, or gut. 

The gut is what takes in the food we eat and breaks it down for use. Food provides us with the energy that we need, and it goes way beyond our protein, fat and carb ratios. All of the essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function come from the food we eat, and then even beyond that, our body needs to be properly hydrated so that our cells can absorb the nutrients we eat. When things start going wrong in the body, it’s usually a result of something going wrong in the gut that affects our body’s ability to take in the nutrients we need to function well.

The gut also has a delicate and very diverse ecosystem of bacteria, yeast, viruses, and maybe even some parasites. When everything is in balance, these commensal species live in our digestive system and cause no harm, and in fact they are helpful in keeping us healthy. 

Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong and the gut can get out of balance which can cause certain opportunistic bacteria or yeast to overgrow, resulting in an “overgrowth” or “infection”. 

This is the case with candida. 

Candida is a normal yeast that lives in the gut and on the skin in small amounts. It’s an opportunistic pathogen that easily overgrows when the conditions are right.  Certain lifestyle factors can cause it to overgrow, such as:

• Stress (mental, emotional, lack of sleep, etc.)
• Antibiotics (especially multiple rounds)
• High Blood sugar
• A diet high in processed and refined sugars and flours
• Nicotine
• Regular alcohol intake
• Oral contraceptives
• Steroids (including steroid inhalers such as albuterol)

Candida infections can show up in different areas of the body. Infants can get thrush in the mouth, and subsequently breast-feeding mothers can get thrush on their nipples. Athletes can get athlete’s foot or jock itch, and women can get yeast infections. Some people may only have gut symptoms such as acid reflux. Even if there aren’t obvious bothersome symptoms, there are other signs that you could be struggling with a candida overgrowth, such as:

• Acne 
• White coating on the tongue
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Recurring vaginal yeast infections or urinary tract infections
• Anal itching
• Digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea
• Joint pain
• Skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis

As you can see, there’s a pretty large list of symptoms caused by candida. For the purpose of this article, I want to help you determine if it’s worth checking to see if candida is the cause of your acne.

Two types of Candida-related acne

There are two ways that candida can cause acne on the face.

The first is by an overgrowth of the candida that lives on the skin, causing superficial fungal acne. This usually looks like small red bumps that occur on the forehead, cheeks and even onto the neck, and sometimes it can be itchy. This can usually be treated with topical care and lifestyle changes. Topically, an AHA wash like Face Reality’s L-Mandelic Wash or using their Mandelic Serum can be beneficial for balancing the overgrowth, thus clearing the acne. Some dermatologists may also prescribe ketoconazole, a topical anti-fungal cream that can clear the infection. While you’re treating the skin topically, it’s important to eliminate yeast, gluten, dairy, and sugar from your diet and eat lots of veggies and stay hydrated to support the healing of your skin.

The second way candida can contribute to acne is by an overgrowth in the gut causing dysbiosis, or an imbalance of gut bacteria. Candida overgrowth can contribute to leaky gut, hormonal issues, inflammation and more. These things can all flare up acne. If your acne is related to a gut issue like candida, you’ll usually get more inflamed or cystic-type acne around the mouth, chin, and/or jawline. In order to heal this acne, you’ll need to first bring balance back to the gut by eradicating the candida overgrowth. A skin-healing topical regimen can help you get rapid relief in the meantime, and while it’s important to take care of the skin just know that your regimen will only work as long as you stick with it and it doesn’t solve the root issue. 

Balancing a candida overgrowth in the gut is usually done with either herbal anti-fungal supplements or pharmaceutical medications such as fluconazole, and possibly a biofilm disruptor as candida create biofilms in the gut that help it hide undetected from some medications. Healing can be a tricky process, but working with a doctor or practitioner will help you address the overgrowth properly. It’s important that you stick to a candida diet while you’re undergoing treatment. Candida feeds on sugar, so if you’re eating tons of sugar and refined flours your supplements and medications won’t be able to fully do their job. 

Healing from Candida can be a tricky process but it’s absolutely possible, and the first step is knowing that you have it. A doctor or functional medicine practitioner can determine if candida is causing your issues through labwork, then put you on a path for healing. If you suspect that candida might be a problem for you, I encourage you to hop on an advisory call to see if we can help. 

Have you struggled with candida overgrowth? Let us know in the comments!