Health for life

Ever since I was a teenager, Ive always struggled with that damn acne on my face.  Sometimes itll be really bad, other times itll clear up and Ill finally think Im growing out of it.  But it never fails to return.  Over the years, Ive experimented with just about everything under the sun to treat it (including the sun itself actually).  Just off the top of my head, and remember that this goes all the way back to the late 90s...

Stridex pads, Oxy pads, Swiss apricot scrub, probably 5 different types of Clearasil, all varieties of that white spot-treatment cream you put on at night...

More recently Ive tried the hippy route and experimented with different combinations of castor oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, the cod liver oil / butter oil blend...

Ive tried washing it once a day, twice a day, after each meal, every other day, two days a week, once a week on Mondays at 8:00 am sharp... 

Ive also tried for as long as I can remember to find a dietary connection to acne.  First I thought it was dairy, then gluten, then alcohol, then carbs, then vegetable oils.  There were several occasions when I would eat super healthy for weeks and struggle with acne, then go out and party one night, stay up late and drink alcohol, and wake up the next morning with a face clearer than Id seen in weeks.  What gives??

Never mind the hair... focus on the acne.  It wasnt excessive, but it was just enough to be a problem.  I can remember this night specifically... it definitely ruined my confidence.  No one wants to deal with that.

In the end, after all those years of experimentation and wasted money, I ended up right back where I began... frustrated, confused, and clueless...

...until recently.  Ive been experimenting with something for several months now, since early November, that has worked extremely well for me.  It hasnt cleared up my skin completely, but its made a big difference.  I rarely break out anymore, but even when I do get the rare pimple here and there, itll be gone in just a day or two.  Its pretty incredible.

And youre not going to believe what it is.  Its so simple, so obvious in hindsight, that I cant believe I didnt figure it out sooner.  It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but it will all make sense when Im through with you.  Are you ready??  Heres the secret...

Do nothing.

You heard me.  Dont do anything.



I call it the Kunu Protocol.  Ive completely given up cleaning my face.  I dont use face wash, soap, cream, oil... I even avoid putting water on my face!  And yes, that means I shower less.  Those of you who know me in real life, have you noticed?  Didnt think so. 

The most recent picture of me from New Years Eve, with far less acne.  Cherish this selfie, you may never see another.

If you think about this for a minute, it actually makes sense.  Look at it from a historical perspective, as I like to do.
First... look at modern hunter-gatherers or even small-scale agriculturalists... people isolated from modern society.  They dont suffer from acne. According to the research of Weston A. Price, acne happens concurrently with the introduction of modern, processed food.  Its a disease of civilization.
Hence... humans likely never suffered from acne in hunter-gatherer times, accounting for nearly all of our 2.5 million years on this earth.
Did our ancestors use Clearasil?  Did they wipe their faces with Stridex pads?  Apricot scrub?  No.
Did they rinse their faces with water twice a day to keep them clean?  Doubtful.
Did they think about cleaning their faces at all??  I dont think so!

Look, Im no expert on the skin and acne, but this is what worked for me.  It just makes sense:  Stop dousing your face with chemicals and water, and let your skin do its thing with its natural oils.  Our faces werent designed for this beating! 

I know the Kunu Protocol isnt sexy.  Its not glamorous, nor exciting.  Youve probably never heard of it before, because it doesnt make anybody any money.  But the bottom line is it works.  Why not try it, you have nothing to lose!


What about you guys?  What are your thoughts on this minimalist approach?  And what skin care strategies have worked for you?

A diet high in glycemic index foods and dairy products is now linked to acne, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The study also suggests using medical nutrition therapy (MNT) as a form of acne treatment. The findings support rising evidence of a link between diet and acne.

Over 17 million people in the United States have acne, which generally occurs during their teen and young adult years. Acne can affect quality of life and lead to:

* anxiety
* depression
* social withdraw

Because of these unfavorable consequences associated with the skin condition, treatment for acne is crucial.

Previous studies have always associated diet to this common skin condition. Since the 1800s, research pinpointed chocolate, sugar, and fat as diet factors contributing to acne. However, starting in the 1960s, studies began disassociating diet from acne.

Jennifer Burris, MS, RD, of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University said:

"This change occurred largely because of the results of two important research studies that are repeatedly cited in the literature and popular culture as evidence to ute the association between diet and acne. More recently, dermatologists and registered dietitians have revisited the diet-acne relationship and become increasingly interested in the role of medical nutritional therapy in acne treatment."



The researchers, led by Burris, conducted a literature review to examine evidence for the link between acne and diet during three time periods: early history, the rise of diet-acne myth, and recent studies.

The investigators took information from studies between 1960 and 2012 that examined acne and diet. The study factors that were analyzed were:

* design
* participants
* erence
* intervention method
* results and conclusions
* primary outcome
* covariate considerations
* limitations

The study showed that a high glycemic index/glycemic load diet and high dairy intake are the primary factors in establishing the association between acne and diet.