Today we have an interview with David Benjamin, who’s got his own blog and business dedicated to helping folks clear their skin naturally and live happier, healthier lives. You might have heard of him already. He’s kinda famous on Youtube :-p
Anyway, in the interview he talks about his experience with acne, how he cleared his skin, and gives you his top three pointers for clearing up yours! Enjoy!
So David, how did you first get interested in health and skincare?
It’s been a combination of a few things, my brother was born with a birth defect because of the acne drug accutane. My mom took it when she was a teenager and my brother paid the ultimate consequence from it. She later in life was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and overcame it naturally without any chemo or radiation.
I had acne in my teens and tried everything to get rid of it, it started with facial washes and then become proactiv and other chemical based junk. Finally my mom started recommending more natural solutions like a clay mask, apple cider vinegar and supplementing with some herbs. Thankfully this worked better and I started to see results. It didn’t clear up all my skin but I saw a drastic improvement which made me realize that the natural approach worked better overall.
Later in high school I read the book ‘Natural cures they don’t want you to know about’ and realized how backwards the so called ‘health industry’ was. I realized that they only treated symptoms with temporary drugs and treatment and never actually treated the root cause of a problem to fully eliminate it. This lead me to learn, research and ultimately improve my skin and clear it up fully.
How did you go about clearing your acne?
I focused on a few things to clear up my acne. I focused first and foremost on using all natural skincare products instead of skincare products that are full of chemicals, preservatives and parabens. Looking back I would have focused more on my diet along with switching to all natural skincare products, but this was something that I also focused on as well I just didn’t take it as seriously as I could of have I had known too!
I also focused on cleansing and detoxing, I took different cleansing herbs and supplements to cleanse the intestines, colon, liver and digestive system overall so that my body could better process the food I was eating and not circulate the toxins through my body.
What specific changes did you make?
I drank more water, I started drinking 50% of my body weight in ounces of water each day. So I took my weight, divided it by two and drank that many ounces of water each day. This way I stayed hydrated and my body had the water it needed to purify the blood, keep the digestive system working properly and to cleanse the skin.
Another change I made was to include cultured (otherwise known as fermented) vegetables in my diet. I would eat saurkraut, kimchi and other fermented vegetables. Thankfully if you don’t like saurkraut or kimchi you can ferment any vegetables for the most part such as carrots or you can even ferment apples which are delicious. These fermented/cultured vegetables contain good bacteria known as probiotics which help balance the good-bad ratio of bacteria in your digestive tract and body. Bad bacteria feeds the growth of acne so getting these foods in your diet helps to balance that and keep the skin clear.
Another important change I made was just to eat more organic, vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. Going to the store and getting organic carrots, celery, kale, cucumber, leafy greens, cilantro, parsley, tomatoes, apples, blueberries etc. Eating plenty of organic vegetables and fruits daily. I started snacking on berries instead of potato chips! (good move) and I started eating salads instead of processed foods. I started making homemade miso soups as well as all other sorts of organic meals with organic vegetables and fruits. I also did smoothies and vegetable juices with a juicer, both great for plenty of nutrition!
Another change was just to be more positive and to literally ignore the mirror, when I would look into the mirror I would get sad and disappointed that my skin was the way it was so I would ignore the mirror and pretend my skin was healing, I would drift off to sleep thinking about how my skin was healing and just focusing on that while I went to sleep. The ability to stay positive can be tough but if you stay positive and visualize the outcome you want it can really help you out and help you reach your goals quicker, it did for me.
I also took herbal cleansing supplements for the digestive system in order to really cleanse and detoxify it. I started using apple cider vinegar on my face, i’d simply spray it on my face and let it tone my skin. I now also recommend adding a little bit of ACV (short for apple cider vinegar) to the water you drink and drinking it! it’s very detoxifying and great for your gut and internal health and balance for clear skin.
What were some of the most difficult changes?
The most difficult change was eating sauerkraut at first because I did not like it! as time went on though I grew to like it and my taste buds changed to enjoy it more. Also, some of the herbal supplements I took were pretty bitter and did not taste anything close to ‘great’ at all but the more bitter something taste’s generally it means it’s a better liver detoxifier so that’s a good thing!
Believing that my skin would clear up, and staying positive, persistent and determined that it would get better was a big step for me too because I had so many other things in my life that I could get negative or stressed from. Just do your best to stay positive, persistent and expect the best while continuing to move forward and learn.
If you had to recommend just 3 things for people to change in their life to attain clearer skin and a healthier life what 3 things would you recommend changing?
The first thing I would recommend is to drink more water, drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water each day and do your best to just drink water each day. No fruit juice, coffee, energy drinks or anything like that! Just drink pure spring or purified water. This will help to cleanse your body, hydrate it and give your cells more fluidity in order to detox and move better. Also, if you are drinking spring water that is mineral rich your body will become more conductive and be able to communicate with other cells better so when you start to make other positive changes they will happen faster and you will see results quicker.
The second thing that I would recommend doing is to eat more organic (preferably mostly raw) vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. Go to the store and get a shopping cart and just buy vegetables and fruits and nothing else. You can use the vegetables for salads and soups, as well as fermenting them to eat fermented vegetables and you can use the fruits to snack on or cut up and make a fruit bowl. The more vegetables and fruits you add into your diet the better because they will replace other foods in your diet which aren’t as healthy and won’t serve you in clearing up your skin like veggies & fruits will! Vegetables and fruits should be the very core base of a healthy diet and for healthy clear skin.
The third change I recommend that you make is more difficult and will take time because you can drink water and eat more healthy foods starting today if you wanted too. Your mind is something that take’s time to change, it take’s time to change your beliefs, emotions, thoughts which in turn control your actions.
I recommend doing your best to keep your thoughts, feelings and beliefs positive, it’s easy to get negative and see the bad side of acne and how much it sucks! Don’t let this get you down, see acne as a blessing and a learning lesson. You get to learn from a skin condition (that is not that serious) that you need to improve your health. Some people never have acne or any signs that they aren’t as healthy as they could be and then later down the road they get cancer or some other life threatening disease!
Acne is just a sign that you have some internal toxicity, nutritional deficiencies or issues going on internally that you can fix! It is empowering if you really think about it, it’s an opportunity to educate and improve your health and get an immediate reward for it, to look better and have clear skin.
Stay persistent, positive and always continue learning. As you continue to learn and try new things it will get easier and you will find what helps you most.
To learn more you can read my blog at http://acneerasingsecrets.com/Blog/ or join the facebook community at http://Facebook.com/
David Benjamin says
January 28, 2013 at 2:32 pmThank you for this Tracy, I really admire what you are doing and look forward to seeing “The Love Vitamin” grow and kick ass!
Keep it up 🙂
David
Katusha says
January 28, 2013 at 7:29 pmGreat interview. The thing about his brother having a birth defect from his mom going on Accutane really scared me though. How did they know that was what caused it, was it conclusive?
Tracy says
January 29, 2013 at 1:22 pmIt is well known that Accutane causes birth defects, that is one thing the doctors warn you about when you take it. Some even make women sign a contract saying that they will have an abortion if they become pregnant while on it. I’m not sure if his mother was warned or what the situation was… David?
David Benjamin says
January 30, 2013 at 7:19 pmShe had to sign papers and everything, and she waited several years to have her first child (my older brother) yet he was still born with a birth defect. The doctor said that it was because of accutane most likely, it’s the only culprit.
Birth defects are common with accutane.
If you have already taken it I would recommend a liver flush/detox and to really support the health of the liver to remove any excess from the body.
Foss says
January 28, 2013 at 11:02 pmI really love this. Thank you!
Kim says
January 29, 2013 at 6:17 amDo you consider kefir and kombucha good fermented drinks for acne? Also what do you think of taking liquid iron! Thanks for all your tips:)
David Benjamin says
January 29, 2013 at 1:10 pmI like both of them, I think kombucha is great… kefir is pasteurized and sugar is added to most so I recommend making your own non-dairy kefir at home… it taste’s great and is all natural and much cheaper too!
Kim says
January 29, 2013 at 3:13 pmOk thanks David,
I am actually making milk kefir, water kefir and kombucha at home now.. I am a little afraid of the milk kefir breaking me out though, because since ive been drinking some, i noticed i broke out on my chin.. According to what i read, most of the lactose is fermented out, thus making it ok for acne, but im not so sure? Ive avoided dairy for about 3 months, so im not sure if i was reacting to it, or if it is a detox thing(hopefully!!)
What are your thoughts on that?
David Benjamin says
January 30, 2013 at 7:21 pmI prefer non-organic just because the body overall in my opinion has a harder time digesting dairy and because of this it can cause issues… so i’d go with the non-dairy kefir personally.
Annie says
January 29, 2013 at 10:48 amThis was great! Thank you so much 🙂 What do you think of cold or hot unsweetened tea? I make my own (mainly either a raspberry leaf concoction or chamomile), and I definitely prefer to drink it hot in winter than ice-cold water! Is that okay, or do I need to switch to plain water?
Thanks again!
David Benjamin says
January 29, 2013 at 1:11 pmI think tea is great, quality is obviously important though so just make sure to be aware of that and which quality is the best (organic, free of additives etc)
Warm water and warm tea are great, warm water expands so in the body it helps to open it up a bit which is nice.
Hope this helps,
Annie says
January 29, 2013 at 6:40 pmThanks so much! 🙂
Kate says
January 29, 2013 at 7:06 pmHi David! Can you give any kind of estimate of how long it would take to start seeing noticable differences after improving diet and lifestyle? I’ve made a lot of changes with my diet as well as a few other things bout a month ago, and im not seeing any differences whatsoever. I’m not sure if I’m not doing the right things,or not enough, or if I just haven’t given it enough time. Thank you!
David Benjamin says
January 30, 2013 at 7:23 pmHey Kate,
Every person is different and there are multiple causes of acne but from what i’ve learned there are main causes of acne… toxicity, hormonal imbalances and candida seem to be the biggest three causes.
What I would do is stay consistent with the healthy changes, there is a gestation period and if you stay consistent and persistent you will see progress. Also, during that time I would make sure to learn about detoxing, how to balance hormones and how to get over candida because that will speed up the clearing of the skin.
Hope this helps,
Kate says
January 31, 2013 at 12:35 pmThank you:)
Rachel says
January 30, 2013 at 6:15 pmI have suffered from acne for awhile now and I have gotten mostly clear in the past few months but not completely. I decided that the easiest thing to change first would be drinking more water. The first day I did it I felt great but now, only the second day, I feel awful. I’ve had a headache all day, I woke up with stomach cramps, and I feel nauseous. What’s up with that?
David Benjamin says
January 30, 2013 at 7:26 pmHey Rachel,
I’d work your way up to drinking enough water. A good rule of thumb to follow is to drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water each day… So just take your weight (pounds) then divide it by 2 and drink that in ounces of water.
Make sure to spread it throughout the day, drink consistently throughout the day.
Your body is getting re-hydrated so it’s getting acclimated to being hydrated again so those are just detoxing symptoms.
Continue to drink enough water, and also make sure that it’s spring or filtered water that removes fluoride & chlorine! You don’t want to drink more poison tap water.
Hope that this helps,
David
Radu says
February 1, 2013 at 5:20 amThese 3 changes i also made in December thanks to Tracy and my skin has definitely improved.
Q:Is tap water okay?Or should i buy the water?
Jane says
February 1, 2013 at 3:45 pmHi David
I’m interested to know what cleansing herbs and supplements you took?
Thank you!
David Benjamin says
February 12, 2013 at 7:09 pmHey Jane,
I take myself and recommend a few herbal blends, one of which being fiberzon which cleanses the Colon & Intestines and another being envirozon which detoxifies the liver and purifies the blood… They work really well together and I have more info on them on youtube and the blog.
Hope that helps,
David
P.S. Any herbs that cleanse the colon, liver, intestines are great.
Lorena says
February 3, 2013 at 9:45 amHello I was looking through your site and found your scar erasing program. Have you had a lot of success stories? Does it work for all types of scarring? I just hate getting my hopes up.
Also, in the comments section of one of your videos, you mention that it’s best if people don’t wash with honey everday because it can clog pores. I’ve been washing with manuka honey everyday for several months (I first heard of honey as a cleanser on this site); I like it, but I do have clogged pores and blackheads…but then I’ve had them since before I started washing with honey. Can you elaborate on what you meant?
David Benjamin says
February 12, 2013 at 7:12 pmHey Lorena,
The scar program can help with different types of scars but it depends on what you do and your level of commitment too. It come’s with diet advice as well as dermaroller recipes and advice (you can google dermaroller to learn more about how that helps scars)
As far as the honey goes, I think it’s great every once in a while but I think it’s too thick to use on a daily basis because it’s good to let your skin breathe and have access to oxygen.
Other things, like using baking soda, sea salt etc… Shouldn’t be used daily either imo!
Hope this helps,
Joanna says
February 12, 2013 at 5:45 pmHey Tracy
Ive taken antibiotics for 5 years and used prescriptions for 9 years (2 creams)….now my derm wants me to take accutane. I said no and Im taking a new antibiotic but I want to try more natural soaps…..was wondering if you could help since jojoba for 3 weeks was an epic disaster for my face (tons of bumps and tons of acne that took 7 weeks to clear up)
also wondering what natural shampoos and soap for body you use/could recommend. I was going to try Dr Woods brand for body wash and Nubian Heritage black tar soap for my face.
Christine Lee says
February 16, 2013 at 7:22 pmHey Tracy,
I was just wondering if you have tried fiberzon and envirozon that David takes to cleanse out his system? I just want to know if they are credible brands?
Tracy says
February 16, 2013 at 7:41 pmHi Christine,
I haven’t tried them but I do believe the Amazon Herb company that makes them is quite credible, as far as I know!
Sophia says
March 21, 2013 at 9:47 amHi Tracy,
Just a quick question; I have been eating a lot of greens lately to help with my acne (4 yrs of adult acne that came out of nowhere! grrr!)but sometimes I get tired of chomping on salads so I’ve been trying to make green smoothies to increase veggie intake. Problem is my $50 Oster leaves my smoothies so clumpy that I ended up chewing my smoothie instead lol. I was just wondering what blender do you use for your smoothies? I remember reading you have a $50 blender as well on one of your posts. Thanks!!!
Tracy says
March 22, 2013 at 8:33 amHi Sophia, I know what you mean.. there’s nothing more frustrating than a really bad blender!! I did use this blender for a long time: http://www.gehousewares.com/Browse_Product.aspx?category_id=10 , which was probably the best cheap blender I have ever used as far as it’s actual blending ability. Unfortunately it would seem to break on me every 6 months or so and I’d have to buy a new one, so it wasn’t really that cheap in the end, plus it was creating waste. Now I have a high speed blender, an Omniblender. It’s like a mid range blender between a cheapie one and a Vitamix… retails $250…. worth it since it’s powerful and should last me years and years
pamela says
June 19, 2014 at 8:10 amDear David, according to you, we should eat more fermented food as they are rich in probiotics. Is it fine if i only drink pu-er tea to get all the probiotics as i dont like fermented food. Don’t know if you have ever heard about pu-er tea before as it is a chinese fermented tea. The link below are information about pu-er tea. what do you think about it?
http://www.mycoalkonics.com/headlines/pu-erhtea.html
Vienna says
December 28, 2015 at 7:51 amVery informative and inspiring interview. Can you please give clear formulation of apple cider vinegar “toner”? How many times a day should you spray the ACV toner on your face? Do you wash it afterwards or leave it on? I have a son who’s suffering from acne.
Vienna says
December 28, 2015 at 5:32 pmHi. What’s the formulation for the apple cider vinegar “toner” that you spray on your face? Is it done am and before bed? Do you wash it afterwards? Thanks for the informations.
Rory says
February 2, 2016 at 1:05 pmMeat. If I get too little I don’t feel right…too much constipation, which is best for 24 year old male with acne ?