Understand the factors influencing your breakouts with personalised naturopathic support for acne, hormones, digestion and overall skin health.
At Sanatio Naturopathy, we take the time to explore your skin history, menstrual cycle, digestion, nutrition, stress, sleep and lifestyle. Your individual care plan may incorporate dietary guidance, lifestyle support, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and functional testing where appropriate.
Persistent acne can affect much more than your appearance. Breakouts may influence confidence, social interactions and how comfortable you feel in your skin, particularly when you have already tried multiple products or treatments without achieving the improvement you hoped for.
Acne can occur during adolescence or continue into adulthood. It may also fluctuate during menstrual cycles, periods of stress, pregnancy, perimenopause or after changing hormonal contraception.
Your acne is not a sign that you are unhygienic or that you have failed to find the right cleanser. It is a common medical skin condition, and appropriate support may involve several forms of care rather than one isolated solution.
Acne is a complex condition, with the blame often going to the condition of our skin and the skincare products we use. While bacteria and oil can be risk factors for acne, often they are not the drivers. Brands will promise you clear skin if you just use their products, but acne is often a sign that things are out of balance internally. As a specialised Acne Naturopath, my focus is to understand WHY your skin is breaking out.
To clear your skin, to get long-lasting change you need to dig deeper to see what is driving your outbreaks.
Acne can look and feel different for every person. Your symptoms may also change at different stages of your life.
Small open comedones that appear dark because material inside the follicle has been exposed to air.
Closed, clogged pores that may look like small white or skin-coloured bumps.
Red, tender or swollen lesions that may feel uncomfortable when touched.
Inflamed pimples that contain visible fluid or pus near the surface.
Firm, painful lesions that develop deeper beneath the skin and may take longer to settle.
Increased oil production and blocked pores, sometimes accompanied by uneven skin texture.
Acne that appears or becomes more noticeable around particular stages of the menstrual cycle.
Discolouration, redness, pigmentation or textural changes that remain after an active breakout has resolved.
Acne commonly affects the face, chest, shoulders and back. Deeper nodules and cysts have a greater likelihood of leaving lasting scars, so early medical assessment is important when breakouts are severe or painful.
The health of one’s skin gives me huge insight into our overall health. Naturopath philosophy has us focus on the whole person. It is more than just the skin. If we improve someone’s overall health, we ultimately improve the skin (and acne).
Acne is far from simple! Skin can be tricky for a few reasons: skin is inherently multifactorial, no two clients experience the same acne and the same triggers, and there is no ‘one size fits all.
While it may be one thing driving the outbreaks often, I see a combination of causes that lead to acne breakouts.
The common things I see that can contribute to acne outbreaks are sub-optimal thyroid health, hormonal hyperprolactinemia, PCOS/PMOS, hyperandrogenism, post-pill acne, GIT disturbances– SIBO, candida, food intolerances, dysbiosis, low stomach acid, stress-induced, liver function, genetics, inflammatory, insulin resistance, nutritional deficiencies, and a damaged skin barrier/irritation.
Acne can be influenced by several internal and external factors, including:
Overusing acids, peels and scrubs may damage the skin barrier and disrupt the skin microbiome. A personalised approach considers both your skin and the wider factors that may be contributing to breakouts.
Hormonal imbalances, including Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS/PMOS), may contribute to acne. PCOS/PMOS is often associated with higher androgen activity and inflammation.
Androgens can increase skin cell build-up and sebum production, which may lead to blocked pores and breakouts.
Testing and background information about your acne, diet and skin will help ensure any Naturopath treatment works to clear your acne.
During our initial acne consultation, we dive into all elements of your health; we look at your stress, your sleep, your diet, and all other elements of your lifestyle. We also utilise comprehensive microbiome digestive testing, dried urine hormone testing, histamine intolerance and detoxification tests to understand what is driving your acne.
Once we have all the background information about your skin and testing details, I create a highly individualised acne treatment plan. This plan takes each and every aspect of your health into account. Our acne treatment plan focuses on avoiding trigger foods, supporting detoxification, gut health and microbiome, balancing hormones, reducing inflammation and assisting the skin’s ability to heal.
Your acne treatment plan will include also include any prescriptions for nutritional, herbal and therapeutic supplements.
After your initial acne treatment program has been provided, we then catchup frequently to discuss results, changes, questions and your skin goals. We review any additional tests or functional pathology tests that might be required and update your treatment plan if necessary.
Your acne care plan is designed to give you practical guidance, ongoing support and a clearer understanding of your skin.
A structured approach focused on reducing the frequency and severity of breakouts over time.
Better insight into the hormonal, dietary, lifestyle or skincare factors influencing your acne.
Personalised strategies for breakouts linked to your menstrual cycle, androgen activity or PCOS/PMOS.
Guidance to minimise irritation and support a healthier, more resilient complexion.
Realistic nutrition, lifestyle and skincare recommendations you can maintain day to day.
A clear plan that helps you understand what to prioritise and how to care for your skin moving forward.
I’m Lindsay Braid, a naturopath with a special interest in women’s skin, hormones and digestive health. I understand how frustrating persistent acne can feel, especially when breakouts continue despite changing products, diets or treatments.
My approach looks beyond the surface of the skin to explore the factors that may be influencing your acne. This may include hormonal patterns, PCOS/PMOS, digestion, nutrition, stress, sleep and your current skincare routine.
Together, we create a practical and personalised plan designed to support clearer skin and improve your understanding of your body.
I have been working with Lindsay for over 6 months and she is fantastic!! I’ve learned so much about my skin, my cycle and my overall health. She has helped me immensely in clearing my skin and regulating my cycle. I’ve had a few different health issues arise while working with Lindsay and she’s always been so compassionate and willing to help. I’m so glad I’ve found a Naturopath who I really trust and one who I know will do her best to help. If you’re thinking of working with her I thoroughly recommend that you do!
I’ve been seeing Lindsay for a few months, and she has really helped me clear my skin—I’m amazed! She is kind, understanding, and incredibly knowledgeable. Just as I started my treatment, I moved overseas, and she even adjusted her schedule to accommodate both time zones. I’m so grateful I found her and feel very supported in the process of clearing my skin and improving my overall health. Thank you, Lindsay!!
I've been seeing Lindsay for 9 months to work on my gut & skin health. She is not only very knowledgeable but kind & empathetic, which has been much appreciated after countless visits to GPs who were often dismissive of my concerns. Under Lindsay's expert guidance I have been able to clear my skin & I would happily recommend her to anyone feeling stuck or frustrated & needing support in improving their health.
I have been seeing Lindsay for a couple of months now and highly recommend her services. She is very knowledgeable, dedicated and caring and offers great advice. With her help I am now on the right track to improving my health and I couldn't be more grateful. Her follow-up care is excellent and it is clear that Lindsay is passionate about what she does.
I have been working with Lindsay for over a year now and can definitely recommend if you’re struggling with your hormone health. She is non-judgemental, genuinely caring, and always helpful. Lindsay takes the time to listen and provides thoughtful guidance that makes you feel supported and understood.
Lindsay has been a dream to work with! She's kind, knowledgeable and down to earth. She's helped me balance my hormones post pill and now I understand so much more about my body and what it needs/can pull back from! There are so many habits that Lindsay taught me that I'll stick with for life.
Lindsay was amazing in helping me heal my eczema - I would recommend her services to anyone. She makes you feel heard and provides excellent guidance and support in lots of different areas as well as skin. After years of misery suffering with chronic eczema, I am now almost 100% clear which is life-changing!
Persistent breakouts can feel frustrating, but your treatment does not have to rely on guesswork. We look at the wider factors influencing your skin and create a personalised plan to support clearer, healthier skin over time.
Yes, an acne Naturopath can help clear your skin. Working with an acne Naturopath is about finding the ‘whys’. Why do you have acne? Why are your hormones out of balance? Finding out the whys means we get to the bottom of acne and bring about lasting change. Lots of clients have tried traditional medications only to have their acne return, which can be immensely upsetting. This is how working with an acne naturopath differs it’s not a bandaid treatment but with testing, diet, lifestyle changes and herbal medicine we get to the root cause to bring about clear skin.
Acne, eczema, dermatitis, fungal skin conditions and psoriasis can all be improved with the help of a Naturopath. Lindsay is a Sydney Naturopath who works predominantly with clients experiencing acne. Naturopaths work to improve your overall health, digestion, sleep, hormones, and energy which all, in turn, improve your skin. Skin complaints come from within, while topical treatment can be helpful it can be limited in resolving the issue which is often a result of an internal imbalance.
Hormonal acne or acne from digestive issues, post-pill or nutritional deficiencies can all be supported and cleared by seeing an acne Naturopath. Hormonal acne is common, often test0sterone is the culprit, and other hormones can be implicated in acne. Acne Naturopath Lindsay confirms exactly which hormones are causing your acne. Through diet and lifestyle modifications, indicated herbs and nutrients, Lindsay can help balance hormones, thin and reduce sebum, reduce inflammation and heal your skin.
You can tell if acne is hormonal or bacteria by its severity. If flare-ups occur during certain times of your menstrual cycle or you have other signs of a hormonal imbalance – hair growth, absent periods or heavy and painful periods. Bacterial acne can see more benefit from topical treatments than hormonal. Bacterial acne is more surface level, with blackheads and pus-like white heads. Hormonal acne is often seen with more severe acne, cystic acne and inflamed acne however can also be whiteheads and blackheads. Acne Naturopath Lindsay can support bacterial and hormonal acne outbreaks.
There are a few things you can do to regulate your hormones. Acne Naturopath Lindsay helps clients understand what hormones are out of balance, high or low and the impact that has on the skin. All our hormones are connected and all have a relationship. Rather than focusing on one hormone, we need to look at and support them like a team. Simple things like getting enough sleep, eating enough protein, and limiting caffeine and sugar will all have a positive impact on hormones and therefore your acne.
I find every client with acne is on or has tried zinc at some point. Sometimes they feel it works, sometimes they don’t. Zinc is amazing for skin and one of my go-to’s. But the key to zinc ‘working’ is to understand does a client need zinc in the first place? Are they deficient? If so taking the right form of zinc at the right time and the dose is crucial to get results. Acne Naturopath Lindsay discusses nutrients and supplements during the consultation. Any deficiencies or excesses, and if so how to incorporate zinc to bring about positive change. Remember, zinc is great! There is more than one thing contributing to acne.
Yes, an acne Naturopath can help clear your skin. Working with an acne Naturopath is about finding the ‘whys’. Why do you have acne? Why are your hormones out of balance? Finding out the whys means we get to the bottom of acne and bring about lasting change. Lots of clients have tried traditional medications only to have their acne return, which can be immensely upsetting. This is how working with an acne naturopath differs it’s not a bandaid treatment but with testing, diet, lifestyle changes and herbal medicine we get to the root cause to bring about clear skin.
Acne, eczema, dermatitis, fungal skin conditions and psoriasis can all be improved with the help of a Naturopath. Lindsay is a Sydney Naturopath who works predominantly with clients experiencing acne. Naturopaths work to improve your overall health, digestion, sleep, hormones, and energy which all, in turn, improve your skin. Skin complaints come from within, while topical treatment can be helpful it can be limited in resolving the issue which is often a result of an internal imbalance.
Hormonal acne or acne from digestive issues, post-pill or nutritional deficiencies can all be supported and cleared by seeing an acne Naturopath. Hormonal acne is common, often test0sterone is the culprit, and other hormones can be implicated in acne. Acne Naturopath Lindsay confirms exactly which hormones are causing your acne. Through diet and lifestyle modifications, indicated herbs and nutrients, Lindsay can help balance hormones, thin and reduce sebum, reduce inflammation and heal your skin.
You can tell if acne is hormonal or bacteria by its severity. If flare-ups occur during certain times of your menstrual cycle or you have other signs of a hormonal imbalance – hair growth, absent periods or heavy and painful periods. Bacterial acne can see more benefit from topical treatments than hormonal. Bacterial acne is more surface level, with blackheads and pus-like white heads. Hormonal acne is often seen with more severe acne, cystic acne and inflamed acne however can also be whiteheads and blackheads. Acne Naturopath Lindsay can support bacterial and hormonal acne outbreaks.
There are a few things you can do to regulate your hormones. Acne Naturopath Lindsay helps clients understand what hormones are out of balance, high or low and the impact that has on the skin. All our hormones are connected and all have a relationship. Rather than focusing on one hormone, we need to look at and support them like a team. Simple things like getting enough sleep, eating enough protein, and limiting caffeine and sugar will all have a positive impact on hormones and therefore your acne.
I find every client with acne is on or has tried zinc at some point. Sometimes they feel it works, sometimes they don’t. Zinc is amazing for skin and one of my go-to’s. But the key to zinc ‘working’ is to understand does a client need zinc in the first place? Are they deficient? If so taking the right form of zinc at the right time and the dose is crucial to get results. Acne Naturopath Lindsay discusses nutrients and supplements during the consultation. Any deficiencies or excesses, and if so how to incorporate zinc to bring about positive change. Remember, zinc is great! There is more than one thing contributing to acne.
