Why your acne won’t go away (and what you’re missing)

You eat healthy.
You take care of your skin.
You’ve probably already tried avoiding sugar, dairy, or gluten.

And yet… your acne keeps coming back.

If this sounds familiar, it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong. You are probably doing a lot of things that already support you.

But the reason your acne won’t go away is often not about doing more, it’s about missing key factors that your body specifically needs.

In this article, I’ll help you uncover what might be missing, why your acne keeps coming back, and what you can start doing differently to truly support your body from the inside out.

Why your acne keeps coming back

If you’ve been struggling with acne, one of the most frustrating things may be not just having it, but seeing breakouts come back again and again even though you’re really trying. This is what I hear from a lot of my clients and I also have felt this way, because I also struggled with hormonal acne for years.

What I see a lot with my clients, is that acne often persists when the deeper imbalance in the body is not addressed.

Your skin is trying to help you. It’s a way of your body communicating that something is out of balance.

The most common causes of adult and hormonal acne (that are often overlooked)

1. Your gut health is out of balance

Your gut plays a much bigger role in your skin than most people realise.

When your gut microbiome is out of balance, it can lead to:

• more inflammation in the body

• a weakened gut lining

• reduced absorption of nutrients

What you can start doing:

• Eat enough fibre (vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, kernels and whole grains)

• Activate your rest and digest state with deep breaths before every meal

• Have at least 2.5 hours between each meal, preferably 3 main meals and if you need it one snack

• After about 2 months include fermented foods a couple of times a week (raw yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha)

• Notice if you have symptoms like bloating, gas or irregular stools

• If you recognise these symptoms, it can be really valuable to look deeper into your gut health with a microbiome test.

2. Your blood sugar is not stable

Even when you eat healthy, your blood sugar can still spike and drop throughout the day. This directly affects your hormones and can increase acne.

What you can start doing:

• Build your meals with:
  → protein (eggs, fish, legumes)
  → healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil)
  → fibre (vegetables or fruit)

• Avoid eating carbohydrates on their own

• Limit snacking and focus on 3 full meals

• Stress can be a factor; there is more to read about stress later in this article

This helps stabilise insulin levels and supports your hormonal balance.

3. Your body is dealing with too much inflammation

Acne is an inflammatory condition. If your body is constantly ‘’busy’’ dealing with internal stress, your skin can become an outlet.

What you can start doing:

• Include omega-3 rich foods (fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseeds)

• Lower omega-6 rich foods (sunflower oil, corn oil and canola oil)

• Reduce ultra-processed foods

• Aim for enough restful sleep

• Support your body with enough nutrients instead of restricting

4. Your nervous system is constantly “on”

This is one of the most underestimated factors I see.

When your body is in a constant state of stress (fight or flight), it affects:

• your hormones

• your blood sugar levels

• your digestion

• your sleep

All of these can directly influence how prone your skin is to acne.

What you can start doing:

• Start your day slower (instead of rushing immediately)

• Take small moments during the day to pause and breathe

• End your day with calming activities (reading, shower, skincare, tea)

It doesn’t have to be perfect, consistency matters more than intensity.

5. Your sleep is not supporting your recovery

Sleep is where your body restores, balances hormones and lowers inflammation. If your sleep quality is low, your skin often reflects that.

What you can start doing:

• Eat balanced meals during the day to prevent night-time blood sugar drops

• Try not to eat large meals late in the evening

• Go outside during daylight daily (this supports melatonin production)

• Create a simple evening routine your body can recognise

6. You have stored emotions that can increase inflammation

Emotions don’t just live in your head, sometimes they get stored in your body. Unprocessed feelings like anger, sadness, or long-term stress can affect your hormones, digestion, and immune system. Over time, this internal tension can contribute to inflammation, one of the main drivers of acne.

How it works:

• Stored emotions can keep your nervous system in a subtle “fight or flight” state.

• This raises cortisol and other stress hormones.

• Hormone imbalance, digestive disruption, and inflammation can all show up as acne.

What you can start doing:

• Move your body: Physical activity like walking, yoga, dancing, or stretching can help release tension and lower stress hormones.

• Talk about it: Sharing your feelings with a friend, partner, or therapist helps your body process emotions instead of holding onto them.

• Write it down: Journaling or writing letters allows you to express and process your emotions.

• Creative expression: Drawing, painting, music, or other creative outlets can help you let go of emotions stored in your body.

By giving your body a chance to release stored emotions, you reduce inflammation and hormonal imbalance, supporting your skin’s healing process, just like balancing nutrition, gut health, and sleep.

What actually helps to heal acne

Healing acne is not about doing more. It’s about supporting your body in the right areas.

This means:

• nourishing over restricting

• stabilising blood sugar

• supporting your gut

• lowering inflammation

• calming your nervous system

• improving your sleep

• brining you’re emotions in motion

When your body feels safe and supported, your skin can start to reflect that balance

A different way to look at acne

Instead of seeing acne as something you need to fight, it can be more helpful if you can start seeing it as communication. A message that your body needs support.
This shift can improve everything, not just for your skin, but for your overall health.

When it might be time to get support

If you feel like:

• You’ve already tried everything

• Your acne keeps coming back

• You don’t understand what your body needs

• It might be time to look at it in a more personal way.

Because your acne is personal, your solution should be too.
This is exactly what I help my clients with. As a holistic dietitian, I look beyond the skin, working with you to build a strong foundation, restore balance in your body, and achieve harmony, from gut health to hormones and lifestyle. I offer online consultations in both Dutch and English. If you want to understand your acne on a deeper level and work towards real, lasting results, you’re very welcome to explore this further.