How I Got Rid of My Acne | A Model Recommends

[@prettyhelpful7369]

I remember watching this video last June, and it's changed my skin's life. I cut out dairy for a week or so, just to try, and not only did my skin start to clear up but I felt better. Turns out that I'm a bit lactose intolerant, so a lot of the cheeses and ice cream I loved was also wreaking havoc on my insides too! But the 'no-more-adult-acne' thing has really made it worth it for me to give up my beloved Ben & Jerry's. So thank you for having made this video Ruth. It was a literal life-changer!

[@georgiamay8551]

Oh my gosh I cannot thank you enough! I am (was) a milk fanatic and I stopped drinking it all together after watching your video... my acne is gone!! I've had it for 3 years and it's finally disappeared! Thankyou for pointing this out I would've never guessed :DD

[@rebeccamuniz7593]

I bet you were drinking pasteurized milk

[@kleinerbot9567]

how long did it take to see the differences?

[@asmilindog1]

Milk is the trigger food for my acne, nothing else. My incorrect thinking for years made me think milk was "skin healthy". That was wrong thinking for me which I did not realize for over 30 years. Once I watched this video and having visited over 5 dermatologists, and having 8 different prescriptions, I watched my diet per your advice. When it got to the milk removal, which I tried early on, my acne went away. I felt like like I had won the lottery. Thank you for posting this because this is educational. This will not be the cure for everyone but it was for me. I can now test it by drinking 1 cup of milk and will within 8 hours see a breakout. I then later found there was "lactose free' milk by a friend telling me. I tried it and NO zits. And I love drinking milk. So thanks to the person that discovered lactose and to the dairy industry for making lactose free milk. No more daily suffering of dealing with adult acne. This video truly helped me and I thank you.

[@RuthCrilly]

Good to know, thank you for commenting! x

[@RuthCrilly]

Yes, that seems to be quite common too. x

[@RuthCrilly]

Vitamin E (alpha-h) has worked well and also currently trying Miracle Worker from Philosophy. It's good. You need to give it a good four or five months though, and wear SPF! xx

[@eloiselogue]

ruth! you're lovely. i'm 28 and sort of just came to the same conclusion after having fairly clear skin all throughout my teens and into my early 20s. i'm not 100% sure that it's the dairy, but i certainly think it isn't helping! glad to hear your skin is clearing up and that you're feeling better about it xo

[@Whitephantom111387]

Thank you. I watched this video when it first came out in May, and having suffered with acne since my teens, decided to give it a try. I used to drink several glasses every day, so it was difficult, but I finally eliminated dairy from my diet. My skin calmed down completely, and I have been so happy with the progress. I almost never have blemishes anymore. I had never heard of this before, so thank you for sharing. It may take some doing to convince my family that the link exists, but at least I can go outside without makeup and not feel like a complete freak of nature. Thanks again!

[@RuthCrilly]

It's a Jouer Cosmetics cream eyeshadow stick! x

[@Sandraishful]

Hi Ruth, I know it's an old video and it's very late to reply to this, but in case new watchers are reading my comments: I've been suffering from a very similar kind of acne in the last 6 months and I worked out exactly the same as you: lactose! There is this common cliché that people who are "lactose intolerant" get a lot of problems with digestion and their bowls - to me that never happened (thank goodness), it just breaks me out in deep, hard pustules. Leaving out the lactose felt like the right thing to do... and it seems to work pretty well, so I really recommend giving this a try to anyone who suffers from mature acne! :) Thanks for these awesome videos! Sandra :)

[@RuthCrilly]

Yes, I think I was really overdoing it with the milk intake! xx

[@RuthCrilly]

I bet they are, too! I read that somewhere.... Thank you xx

[@ViPa1111]

It took me years to work it out but I finally discovered, through the process of elimination, that milk indeed caused my severe acne. It took a few months to clear up but I now have a perfect complexion. I know for certain it's milk too... I binge on cereal and ice-cream every now and again (I can't help it, I love it). Within a day and a half I am always punished by pimples. I'm glad you're spreading the message, I'm going to write a post and share this video on my Facebook tomo!

[@RuthCrilly]

My friend found that cutting down on sugar helped her pcos massively. Don't know whether that's a known thing or what, but she swore by it! x

[@RuthCrilly]

I have 70% dark and it seems to be ok as a little treat. x

[@RuthCrilly]

Seems to be the same for lots of women late twenties/thirties! x

[@ZannavanDijk]

This is so true! I started drinking lactose free milk as my boyfriend was lactose intolerant and my skin improved loads but I assumed it was my general good diet at the time... when we broke up I went back to normal milk and my skin freaked out. I kept drinking it and assumed it was skincare or hormones, I spent months changing things like my pill etc. Eventually I gave up dairy again and my skin has been completely clear since!

[@RuthCrilly]

I don't think it would be the same for everyone, not by any means. However I have also noticed a few stomach probs have lessened since I stopped milk, too. x

[@RuthCrilly]

I do try to imagine - it must be horrible. I hope you manage to find a way to get rid of it.. xxx

[@RuthCrilly]

Yes, soy is fine. Or almond, coconut, hazlenut... x

[@RuthCrilly]

Lacto-free ice cream seems ok, I have that. Mozzarella, no. I think it is high in lactose, at least all the ones I've seen.. x

[@RuthCrilly]

I'd be VERY careful. They do a milder version, prep and something? Could be worth it... x

[@RuthCrilly]

Thank you, I will take a look. x

[@pinkchocolate14]

I went to a nutritionist that specialises in clearing acne. I cut out dairy and sugar and now my skin is clear. Please do not worry about people contacting you saying that diet and acne are not related or it was just a coincidence, since I started cutting out these products people are always making comments that it is all in my head or it was just stress etc I have heard them all! I love how you have made this video and got the message out there! Thank you, Claire x

[@RuthCrilly]

I have a cousin called Anna but she's not an actress! x

[@RuthCrilly]

Oh thanks! x

[@beetle-pz9lv]

I had my own experience with milk causing acne last summer, just a couple of weeks after watching this video for the first time. - I usually only put milk into my coffee (which I do however drink a lot of) Last summer, just when temperatures were rising above 30 C, my fridge broke. I decided to do a complete kitchen makeover, with a new fitted kitchen. So I was facing 8 weeks without a fridge. My breakfast is usually coffee and toast with butter and jam or honey on it, but you can not have butter when it is about 27 C inside and you have no fridge. So I started to have cereals with UHT milk, which more than doubled my milk consumption. Within a few days I had the worst skin ever! I practically do have one or two spots all the time around the chin area, but this kind of brought me back to my teenage years. It was getting better as soon as I could return to my usual breakfast routine.

[@RuthCrilly]

Go for dark! Less sugar in it too. x

[@Kikiscloset1]

Ruth, I cant thank you enough, when I read your first blog post about this I decided to cut out the (large amounts) of milk in my diet, after having really bad acne on my cheeks and jawline despite taking really good care of my skin- it worked straight away! I still have some pretty bad scarring but I am just sooooo happy to have my skin clear :) I really dont miss my lattes, and almond milk is so easy to make.

[@MsJdub99]

Milk for me too, which i've known and omitted for years. But lately it is animal products in general. No/low meat, cheese, etc intake (still eat fish) is clearing it all up. Thrilled. Best advice is to gradually omit 1+ categories (cheese for eg) and gradually try introducing again a single category back in and see what happens.

[@RuthCrilly]

I'm SO PLEASED. xxx

[@jocannon8190]

Such an interesting video, Ruth. I'm not a dermatologist, but I am a doctor and I can completely reinforce what you said. There is definitely a link between milk products and adult acne, and it's not a rare thing. So glad you solved the riddle (and your skin looks fabulous!) xx

[@DaceyCash]

Dairy also makes me get pimples!

[@daniellebrooks1440]

ive had acne for almost 10 years. ive tried everything under the sun! finally cutting dairy out was the only thing that worked. complete miracle. i know others who say it massively changed their complexion as well. there is loads of research that backs this. more and more people are finding this to be a big help. so happy you found the same thing as myself.

[@niamhbartlett7793]

Ooohh my goodness when you were describing your skin it was like you were describing mine finally something that I now understand I have been trying everything to demolish my acne and I now understand as I do drink alot of milk!!! Thank you so much for this video and from now on I think I'll stick to water ;) you are a life saver Ruth! Xx

[@RuthCrilly]

I don't think that it helps, or MAC foundations - they seem to do something weird to me - but I don't think it's the cause. Though I haven't tried it since stopping the milk, so who knows?! x

[@emilyfoster551]

I’m a 13 year old starting out in modelling quite successfully. I have a lot of t zone spots and I’ve always put it down to hormones because I’m still quite a young girl but I watched this and thought about my diet. I eat a vegetarian diet by choice but I drink tea with cows milk over once every single day. I’m hoping this is the cause to my spots as all I’ve ever wanted is good skin and I need it so succeed in my modelling career. Thanks for putting this video on the internet, it really made me think about my skin in a more dietary way. Emily xx

[@RuthCrilly]

Glad to hear it! x

[@RuthCrilly]

No way?! Where?!!!!

[@RuthCrilly]

Regular use of BHAs - have a look at Paula's Choice, there's a good selection. x

[@RuthCrilly]

Maybe! x

[@RuthCrilly]

Thanks Samuel! x

[@RuthCrilly]

Thank you - still need to try that! x

[@MissPinkPinup]

I am currently cutting down on cows milk, because I have acne. I'm down to almost none at all, and my skin looks better every day. I've suffered from acne for about 12-14 years, so this is amazing. It is definitely helping me, and I'm glad to see, it's not just me this works for. It gives me reason to continue, even though I am such a milk fanatic!

[@ivayanev]

Ruth! I read your blog post a while ago and because of it I did a 6 weeks elimination diet with my nutritionist. I found out I had the same reaction to dairy as you did and also gluten was contributing to blackheads on my face. My nutritionist suggested I went 3 months without these and took aloe vera, l-glutamin and probiotics and apparently after that you can slowly introduce dairy again without the negative reactions. Thanks for sharing this, my skin is SO much better!! :) xo

[@nest1711]

Thank you for posting this video! I stop taking dairy products for the past 2 weeks and i dont have breakouts since then. I'm glad i found your channel!

[@RuthCrilly]

Good to know! x

[@RuthCrilly]

Almond milk maybe? xx

[@RuthCrilly]

I must go for that test - would be interested to know if I am! x

[@Lolibeth]

Cow's milk has a ph of 6.4 to 6.8, making it barely acidic, not "highly" and about on the same level as your spit and just barely below distilled water at neutral 7. The fruits and vegetables you eat are more acidic than that, ranging from 4 to 6 without even counting citrus at 2-3.

[@RuthCrilly]

Thanks Beth x

[@MsSamchester]

Thanks for posting. There's a doc called 'Forks over Knives' that talks about the 'health advice' we're given, particularly in relation to dairy. Some people think it's conspiracy, some gospel - I'm pretty sure you'll see the balanced line! I watched when living in S. Korea and basically went 90%+ plant based diet - felt and looked so much better on it - came back to the UK and slowly got back into bad ways...and you can tell! You've given me the incentive! P.S. you looked fab at the BAFTAs!

[@issey-roquet]

Same experience for me. Although check the ingredients list on nut milks. It may contain the ingredient carrageenan, which is a not so safe preservative. Or just make your own almond milk :)

[@adriennegregory1066]

having been lactose intolerant for years.. buffalo mozzarella, made from buffalo milk is actually really low in lactose so you can still find a way to have that in your diet as long as you check that its buffalo and not cow

[@RuthCrilly]

Lacto free are fine x

[@Puppyizzy]

Daiya cheese is really great when melted! I sometimes make a quesadilla with Daiya cheese (i mix the mozzarella and cheddar flavors) and mushrooms and spinach and tomato, its so good! You can find it at most Whole Foods.

[@RuthCrilly]

Let me know xx

[@RuthCrilly]

YES! Lactaid? I really must try it! x

[@Chevssugar]

I am at the moment, cutting milk out and subbing it with almond milk and cutting out or cutting down the ice cream and cheeses and my jawline has cleared up and if I do get a spot it's not as inflamed or big as they used to get, so I'm glad that you made a video on this.

[@Limepure3]

I entered a webinar with John Gabriel, he pointed out that milk that has been pasteurized is difficult for the body to digest,because the healthy bacteria has been destroyed. On te other hand unpasteurized milk may not cause skin problems.

[@evilsinaasappeltje]

I'm happy for you that you found out your trigger! Milk makes me break out too. I've cut it out of my diet years ago. Skin is happy

[@RuthCrilly]

How do you make the cheesecake? Or is it just OK anyway? x

[@matilda290]

Ruth,what would you recommend for treating post-acne marks and pigmentation? I trust her advice, so please thumbs up who else is interested so that she can see it

[@RuthCrilly]

Good to know, thanks so much x

[@jojoba11]

I had a bout of adult acne exactly at the same time you did, Ruth. What worked for me was actually a product, Avene's Ystheal. It's a retinoid so it cleared up my skin really quickly, it feels so soft and silky. Ideally, I don't want to keep using this indefinitely so I will stop and see if the breakouts return. But until then I can have all the milk and cream I want ;) But seriously, it's good to know that this worked for you!

[@RuthCrilly]

Yeah, it's fine. Worth a try. x

[@starlovestarlight]

Now this is incredibly interesting. Thanks for the information, once again, your channel is the best beauty channel out there for real information.

[@rhrhelen]

I've already noticed a huge difference, the bumps have pretty much disappeared and you are right, I really don't miss the things I have cut out.

[@alesquia]

Hi Ruth ! Glad that you've finally worked that problem out :) I've stopped drinking milk years ago and try to avoid it as much as I can when I cook. You should try rice or oat milk for breakfast, they're really good and tasty but not too sugary, and soy milk is excellent for cooking (it loses its sourness when cooked). If you really want to eat cheese or mozzarella try goat or ewe cheeses and buffalo mozzarella, they're lower in lactose. Good luck, I know it's hard ;) Xoxo

[@Sesheria1]

I think you got it spot on Ruth! I experienced the same thing as a teenager. After cutting out milk my acne improved. But I continued with the cakes, ice cream etc. I've only recently begun to cut the rest of animal products period and my skin is detoxing. But I can finally feel an end to the acne.

[@RuthCrilly]

I'm so pleased! x

[@claudiatenner8264]

the same thing happened to me. i used to have really bad breakouts and i completely cut dairy out of my diet and now my skin is so much clearer.

[@fionayuuup]

I'm so glad you've done this video, my skin makes me so depressed sometimes and really makes me self conscious so I'm going to take your advice and see if this helps at all, thank you! x

[@RuthCrilly]

Vit E on the marks - works a treat! x

[@terracottagirl]

Oh my gosh I am so glad you made this video. I've been having this problem forever and my mom wouldn't believe me! Hopefully your video helps

[@cocomoco39726]

This video has been very helpful for me! In the past month my face has broken out very badly and it never has before. In my teens my face was always so clear and now that I'm 24 it breaks out! It has occurred to me that it's something I'm eating........now I will really think about it and get to the bottom of it! Thanks!

[@Cali2Grl]

You are so right Ruth, I had a similar experience a few years back. Today I use almond milk and stay away from soy based products. Like you, I can still have the occassional meal with cheese but sadly couldn't stay clear while trying greek yogurt. My skin is clear today, so glad you posted this video! Thanks ;)

[@fendi98]

Rosehip oil helps but its going to take a while to whiten the discolouration. Also if you want to try green tea leaves with honey and lemon as a mask, twice a week is good too.

[@evemcgovern319]

I am only 13 but still find your videos very helpful. I don't usually drink milk but I gave it a try in my cereal and with in days I found my skin broke out in spots and pimples. I have completely cut it out and my skin is so much better. Thank you :)

[@louisejubainville3490]

your makeup in this video is gorgeous. could you please do a video on this ruth x

[@RuthCrilly]

Thank you, so pleased it worked xx

[@RuthCrilly]

Good idea. x

[@RuthCrilly]

Great idea xx

[@jamiemichelle7956]

Becomin vegan has been the best decision in my life, my acne is alsmost entirely gone, just a few spots here and there. I'm so happy and I'm not that insecure anymore!

[@anumsadventures]

I've had horrible cystic acne this past year, and couldn't figure out what was wrong... It was horrible for my self confidence... BUT I've been dairy-free for the past two months, and my skin has transformed! Ii haven't had a single cystic acne breakout since then, and my skin began clearing up after the first week. I'd trade in dairy for clear skin any day ;) glad it worked for you!

[@floralzable]

the koko dairy free milk alternative is soooo good, tastes coconuty but not too overpowering, can get it in sainsburys. its soo good with shredded wheat and fruit!

[@cathrionax]

Thanks for this, I cut milk out and my skin completely cleared up. Then when I started taking it again (don't ask!) it went bonkers, again! Now I am off milk again and hoping for my skin to clear up soon. That paired with the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo works wonders - all thanks to you x

[@SamueLewis1991]

your new hair style is lush! x

[@KatyFrost]

Omg, this makes so much sense! I bought some milkshake powder about 3 weeks ago and ever since my skin has been awful! Thank you so much for this! Definitely going to have to try cutting out milk x

[@LeeThal1026]

When I was about 16, I went to the dermatologist about my acne. She specifically told me not to eat dairy if I could avoid it. I am now 35, so this advice was given to me over 20 years ago. I eat very little in general, but the other day I ate a ice cream treat. The next morning my face broke out in the same areas you were talking about very badly.

[@joanakoleva542]

I actually read somewhere that cow milk contains animal hormones which mess up with our own hormones and that causes breakouts. It`s definitely healthier to cut off drinking animal milk. But yoghurt is really good for the skin so everyone who still wants to eat porridge can use youghurt instead of milk with it.

[@alisonbell2507]

I had this exact problem...since I switched from lattes etc. to black coffee my skin, while still bad, has improved considerably. Thank you for the video. XO

[@wildelove]

I could cut out milk so easily, but I cannot give up cheese. I'll have to think it over.

[@RuthCrilly]

Thank you! x

[@Paromita127]

You should! I had that too and it not drinking milk alone improved my skin texture tremendously.

[@RuthCrilly]

See if it makes a difference - let me know! x

[@emmaloutoo]

I wonder if this will work for me as a teenager who has suffered with acne for 8+ years. Definitely going to give it a try! Great video as always :)

[@Phantasmagorie92]

I like you very much, I think you're perfect! but try to imagine for a second, how doea a person feel, who has never, even for a minute, control over his/her skin. I'm suffering from acne since I was nine years old, the resignation of the milk did not help, either hormones or izotretonin. I'm so proud of you. Congratulations dear!

[@penelopelamb8110]

Thanks for posting this video I truly learned a lot. I feel like I should bring awareness to my preferred skin solutions, and that is seeing a dermatologist. Dermatologists know your skin inside out, and they can give you treatments. One treatment I take is a pill and a cream I put on my face every night and wash off in the morning. This type of treatment is popular. The cream is taking off a layer of skin and cleaning it out, while moisturizer restores tissues. Something like that.

[@whatlauraloves]

I can totally see how this works but from the other side---- I, for the most part, have completely clear skin, I never really suffer from breakouts....... and I never drink milk, never have cereal with milk etc xxx