Homemade ghee for acne prone skin

This step by step recipe and infographic shows you how to make clarified butter at home, I also take a look at why ghee is beneficial for acne prone skin!

Ghee is a staple ingredient in Indian cooking and an important ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s revered so highly in Indian culture it’s known as “liquid gold”. Ghee is simply made by boiling and simmering the butter until the acne causing proteins and solids, such as whey, casein and lactose are separated and then removed. What remains is known as ghee or clarified butter.

Ghee is full of a tonne of nutrients which boast some pretty impressive skin healing benefits and also contains vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin D which can be difficult for us to get enough of on a regular basis. These 3 nutrients are vital for balanced hormones and healthy skin.

Read the 6 reasons ghee is good for acne here

Vitamin A for acne

Popular to contrary belief, carrots and sweet potatoes don’t provide a lot of absorbable vitamin A. This is because there are two types of vitamin A – retinol (found in liver, eggs and ghee) and carotenoids such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin (found in vegetables). Retinol can be used directly by the body without the need to be converted whereas carotenoids must be converted by the body into vitamin A. As vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, there must be fat present for the body to be able to convert this vital nutrient. One study showed that only 3% of beta and alpha-carotene found in raw, uncooked carrots could be converted into vitamin A – but if you cook those carrots in some fat, that stat jumps right up to 39%!

Suffer with ‘chicken skin’ on your arms?

‘Chicken skin’, officially known as keratosis pillaris, is another sign of a vitamin A deficiency. You may think you’re getting enough vitamin A by eating tonnes of orange foods but if your body can’t convert and utilise it properly (which is highly likely), then it’s not going to reverse your vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A can only work effectively in an environment where vitamin K2 is also available. Say goodbye to chicken skin by including vitamin K2 into your diet along with vitamin A rich foods and healthy fats from grass-fed animals and your arms will be baby soft in no time! What contains vitamin A, K2 and healthy fats? Grass-fed ghee of course!

Find out the best way to fight acne with diet based vitamin A here

Vitamin K2 for acne

Studies have shown that even ‘healthy’ people may be not be getting the optimal amount of this vital nutrient. Vitamin K2, another fat soluble nutrient, is found in grass-fed liver, meat, eggs, butter/ghee and fermented foods and is widely recognised as being a super anti-ageing vitamin! A deficiency in vitamin K2 can have a negative affect on elastin, a protein that helps our skin spring back, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin K2 is also important if you suffer from, or are at risk of suffering from acne scars as it helps to smooth out the skin and minimise the appearance of pores to help keep your skin firm and youthful.

As I mentioned earlier, vitamin K2 and vitamin A are perfect partners when it comes to fighting ‘chicken skin’ and the same goes for acne! Vitamin K2 is an important nutrient as without vitamin K2, vitamin A cannot be properly utilised by the body. Vitamin A isn’t just good for making your skin less oily, it also plays a vital role in hormone balance, liver health and fertility so vitamin K2 is a really important vitamin when it comes to clearing acne as it helps other key spot fighters work harder!

Vitamin D for acne

Vitamin D plays a key role in healing and preventing acne by cooling inflammation, soothing the skin, improving mood, boosting your immune system and helping to control insulin response. Like vitamins K2 and A, vitamin D is also fat soluble and is found in small amounts in fish, liver, egg yolks and of course, ghee! While these foods do contain some vitamin D, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to eat enough to get your RDA of the sunshine vitamin. The best way you can get your vitamin D is to get out in the sun for 10-15 minutes a day and during the winter months, I like to supplement with Better You Vitamin D oral spray (it’s combined with coconut oil to make it more bioavailable!)