Adult Acne Isn’t a Surface Problem. It’s a Systemic Signal.

If you’re in your late 20s, 30s, or 40s and still dealing with breakouts, you’ve probably had the same thought more than once: I’m too old for this.

You’ve tried the products. You’ve switched cleansers. You’ve invested in facials, chemical peels, prescription creams, maybe even antibiotics or birth control. Things improve for a bit and then the acne comes back.

That cycle is exhausting.

In this episode of Glow Social Hour, Jasmine unpacks a truth that often gets overlooked in conventional conversations about skin: acne is rarely just a surface issue. It’s a reflection of what’s happening internally.

Instead of asking, “What product should I use?” the better question becomes, “What is my body trying to tell me?”

The First Root Cause: The Gut–Skin Connection

One of the most consistent patterns Jasmine sees in her clinical work is dysfunction in what she calls digestion, drainage and detoxification.

Let’s start with digestion.

If you regularly experience bloating after meals, acid reflux, heartburn, or rely on antacids, that can point to low stomach acid. When stomach acid is low, you don’t break down food properly. You don’t absorb nutrients efficiently. Zinc, for example, plays a key role in skin health, but without proper digestion, even a nutrient-dense diet can leave you deficient.

Low stomach acid also weakens your first line of defense against pathogens and toxins. That increases inflammation, and acne is fundamentally an inflammatory condition.

Then there’s drainage.

Your body is designed to eliminate waste daily. If you’re not having consistent bowel movements, ideally one to two per day, excess hormones and toxins can recirculate instead of leaving the body. When elimination pathways are sluggish, your skin often becomes the backup detox organ. Breakouts, eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions can follow.

Finally, detoxification.

Your liver plays a central role in metabolizing hormones and clearing toxins. When it’s overwhelmed, whether from environmental exposures, stress, infections, or poor digestion, symptoms show up. And very often, they show up on your face.

The gut and skin are in constant communication. If the gut lining becomes compromised and inflammatory compounds enter systemic circulation, your immune system responds. That immune response can drive persistent acne.

Until this layer is addressed, no skincare routine will fully resolve the issue.

The Second Root Cause: Hormonal Disruption Driven by Stress

Hormones often get blamed for acne, but as Jasmine explains, they’re messengers. They respond to the environment you create internally.

If that internal environment is inflamed, stressed, nutrient depleted, or overloaded with toxins, your hormones adapt accordingly.

Chronic stress is one of the biggest drivers here.

Cortisol is not the enemy. You need it to wake up, focus, and respond to daily demands. But when stress becomes constant, long workdays, emotional strain, overcommitment, lack of rest, cortisol can remain elevated for extended periods. Over time, this disrupts other hormones, including androgens.

Elevated androgens are commonly associated with cystic acne, particularly along the jawline and chin. Many women with high performing careers or caregiving responsibilities live in a state of chronic stress without realizing how deeply it’s affecting their hormonal landscape.

The breakouts are not random. They are a downstream effect.

The Third Root Cause: Blood Sugar and Insulin Resistance

This is the piece that often surprises people.

You do not have to be overweight to experience blood sugar dysregulation. In fact, many women who appear healthy externally are riding a daily blood sugar rollercoaster.

Skipping meals, running on caffeine, relying on refined carbohydrates, excessive cardio or high intensity workouts, chronic stress and even hidden infections can all disrupt blood sugar balance.

When blood sugar spikes sharply, insulin follows. Repeated spikes increase inflammation and can stimulate androgen activity, which feeds directly into acne development.

Over time, this creates a loop. Stress elevates cortisol. Cortisol impacts blood sugar. Blood sugar fluctuations increase inflammation. Inflammation worsens acne.

If you’ve cleaned up your diet and still feel stuck, it may not be about eating healthier. It may be about stabilizing blood sugar in a more strategic way.

Why Guessing Keeps You Stuck

One of the strongest themes in this episode is clarity.

Removing gluten. Cutting dairy. Trying trending supplements. Cycling through detoxes. These strategies might offer temporary relief, but without testing, you’re still guessing.

Acne that persists into adulthood usually has layers. Gut health. Hormone metabolism. Stress patterns. Blood sugar regulation. Nutrient status. Hidden infections. Environmental exposures.

When you identify your specific imbalances, you can build a plan that actually addresses them.

Jasmine shares her own journey of struggling with acne despite eating clean and trying everything she could think of. It wasn’t until she identified her root causes and followed a structured plan that her skin began to shift. Within six months, she saw transformation that years of surface level interventions had not delivered.

That experience is what led her into the work she does today.

Acne Is Feedback, Not a Failure

Adult acne can be mentally draining. It affects confidence. It changes how you show up socially. It can make you avoid photos, skip events, or feel like you’re constantly covering up.

But it is not a character flaw. It is not a lack of discipline. And it is not something you just have to live with.

It is information.

When you stop silencing the symptom and start investigating the system, the conversation changes. You move from frustration to strategy. From reacting to leading.

If you’re ready to understand what your skin is communicating and how to support it from the inside out, this episode offers a grounded, practical starting point.