I Gave Up Dairy and Alcohol for 40 Days & Here’s What It Did for My Skin

Whoever said acne was only for the pubescent teenager was seriously mistaken. I don’t know about you, but it seems like adult acne is more prevalent than ever these days. Maybe it’s because we’re lucky enough to be a part of a generation that is normalizing imperfect skin, or maybe it’s because of all the over-processed foods and unknown ingredients we impulsively put into our bodies. Either way: Acne. Is. Not. Fun.

As someone who had OK skin growing up, I thought the worst of my skin problems would be the unexpected breakouts I got before a big party or school dance. However, in my early 20s, I quickly learned that adult acne is a very real thing. After college, I started to struggle with my skin, which came with the non-stop thoughts about others noticing my skin, how often I was touching my face, how much makeup to wear, what face products were best to use, the stress I was under (which always caused more stress), and the list goes on. Needless to say, it was exhausting.

After almost entirely giving up on my skin, I decided to look at my diet in relation to my acne — which is not something I take lightly, well, because food is life (IYKYK). After talking with friends and doing some research, my two biggest takeaways were 1. Avoiding dairy can almost magically clear up your complexion and 2. Avoiding alcohol can reduce random breakouts. Now the thought of removing two major food groups for the young 20 something seems like a hard pill to swallow, especially when you are someone like me who basically eats cheese for every meal and wine nights with friends are a weekly ritual. However, I love a good challenge.

When Lent came around, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to start my skin experiment. By giving up dairy and alcohol, I was eliminating two major contributors of acne that I semi-regularly indulged in, while having an end date after 40 days, so I knew I wasn’t restricting myself forever. What motivated me to stick to this without fail was knowing I could be acne-free in just over a month, which seemed like a dream come true, and that even if it didn’t work that just meant I could have cheese and wine again. And hey, I would probably become a lot healthier in the process — sounded like a win-win to me.

Now to the stuff you really want to hear about… Fast forward 40 days and my skin was glowing — and I mean GLOWING. Not only did my acne and breakouts significantly reduce, but I saw firsthand how cutting out dairy improves skin texture and tone to help fight those stubborn bumps and scars, and how cutting out alcohol reduces spikes in blood sugar and hormones helping prevent hormonal breakouts. Combining these two together, I was finally able to be confident in my skin again and go makeup-free for the first time in years! I’ll also add that I became the healthiest I have ever been and lost a few pounds in the process while gaining an extra boost of energy.

So, what happened after the 40 days were over? Around day 42, I obviously drank a bottle of wine and had all the cheesy foods you could imagine –in moderation, of course– even though I swore I wouldn’t do that. But, the most amazing news of it all is that even once I incorporated dairy and alcohol back into my diet, I didn’t have a major breakout or ruin all of the work I had just done. This is because I finally gave my skin the detox it needed by flushing out the toxins from my body, giving it a fresh start. And I now have a more balanced diet and try to avoid dairy and alcohol during the week, without living full of restrictions.

Want to try it for yourself? We’ve got you covered. Here are our best tips for venturing out on your own detox journey.

TIPS FOR GOING DAIRY-FREE

Check nutrition labels. This may sound like a no-brainer, but looking at the ingredients list for products labeled Contains: Milk or related dairy products, makes grocery shopping a lot easier.
Look up recipes for dairy-free versions of your favorite meals and you may be surprised at how similar they taste.
If you have a sweet tooth, blend frozen bananas with dairy-free dark chocolate chips for a healthy ice cream alternative!

TIPS FOR GOING ALCOHOL-FREE

If you’re out with friends, order sparkling water with lemon/lime to curb your vodka craving, or ask the bartender if they have mocktails.
If you love the aesthetic of drinking out of a wine or martini glass, opt for putting your favorite non-alcoholic drink into your glass of choice.
When you have FOMO during wine night, drinking sparkling apple cider or grape juice can do the trick.