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Can Drinking Kombucha Get Rid of Acne?

We put the theory to the test
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My Probiotic of Choice
Through my research, I found that there are many different forms of probiotics that you can take from pills to liquids to powders to tongue strips. I knew that if I chose to take a pill, I would likely skip a day or two and then completely forget to take them. I needed something that would keep me motivated to stay on track with my probiotics, and that's where kombucha came into play.

Across Instagram, I'd seen so many chic girls photograph their kombucha in a flat lay photo next to their favorite Dior lipstick and perfectly organized day planner. And what can I say, I'm a sucker for photogenic fad. Also, what did I have to lose? I decided to start drinking one 16 fl oz. kombucha every day to see what the hype was all about.

Image via Pinterest

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Getting Down With Kombucha
As it turns out, what I had to lose was a boatload of money. When I first walked into the grocery store and saw that a bottle of kombucha sold for $3.50 a pop, I basically turned into Kristin Wiig in Bridesmaids ("Help me, I'm poor!!"). Then I told myself that if I was paying $200+ for my monthly skin care routine, I could dig up the cash for this "magical cure" ... if it was actually going to work.

I purchased a bottle of Kevita and took my first sip. The taste? Let's just call it interesting. A friend told me that it tasted just like ginger ale. I have no idea what kind of ginger ale she's been drinking because it beared no resemblance to me.

Instead, it's like drinking alcohol without the benefits (you know, getting drunk). The fermented beverage has a fruity, boozy flavor, kind of like an old-school wine cooler, but with a decidedly vinegar-y punch.

Nonetheless, I promised myself that I would drink one full bottle every day for two weeks. Here's what it got me.

Image courtesy Kristen Bousquet

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My Skin Before
As you can see, I'm no stranger to acne. My complexion is full of acne scars from past pimples that wanted to leave their mark (literally). You can also see that I have a couple cystic pimples on my forehead. What you can't see is that there are also a few cystic pimples along the jawline and by my hairline.

Image courtesy Kristen Bousquet

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My Kombucha Journey
Throughout my two weeks I alternated between flavors just to keep things interesting and make sure I didn't get bored of the taste and give up. Luckily, Kevita has various flavors to choose from but I mostly stuck to the Peach Pineapple and Raspberry Lemon as those were my favorite.

I found that with kombucha it's not like drinking a water where you can chug the whole bottle with lunch. For me, it took the entire day to finish a bottle as the taste is very strong. Another key that I discovered was to keep it cool as it tastes best when it's icy.

After about a week, I already could tell that I wasn't getting any new breakouts and I didn't know whether to blame it on the kombucha or to attribute it to me trying not to eat like a toddler during this experiment. When it came to the end of my two weeks of kombucha drinking, I knew what the verdict was.

Image via Instagram @kbousq

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My Skin After
It's been a little over two weeks and I honestly couldn't be happier. After sippin' on this fine probiotic goodness, I haven't gotten one. new. pimple. AND to make things even better, the little devil on my forehead had completely disappeared.

Still, I figured it best to check my online research and science experiment of one with an actual skin expert. That's when I tracked down Los Angeles based, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban, founder of SKINxFIVE to find out if there was in fact any medical proof that kombucha could cure my acne.

According to Shamban, it's not proven but it is plausible. While there is "no direct data supporting the influence that kombucha can have on acne, data does exist that supports the positive effect that probiotics can have on acne." Since kombucha is loaded with probiotics, "it is conceivable that the product can improve acne," Dr. Shamban noted.

Good enough for me!

It's safe to say that I will likely start loading probiotics into my daily routine whether it be through drinking my daily kombucha or taking a daily probiotic supplement. The effect that the friendly bacteria has had on my skin is like no other, and I can't thank my esthetician enough for introducing it into my world.

Image Courtesy Kristen Bousquet

BY KRISTEN BOUSQUET | OCT 10, 2017 | SHARES
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