After three months on a diet that eliminated gluten, all dairy except for half a cup of L. Reuteri yogurt a day, and all sugar, I was still not seeing an improvement. I know a lot of people would give up and quit the diet at this point and I was very close to doing this. But after another useless dermatologist appointment where I was prescribed the exact same medications again, which I call band aid solutions, I knew I had no other choice but to continue.
Perhaps things would have improved with more time if I had remained patient. But with social events coming up and being in a zero therapy phase because everything was still inflaming my skin, I decided to move on to phase three for me of the elimination diet which was to cut out everything except for meat and eggs. This is called the carnivore diet. It felt drastic and I was honestly nervous about it. Not being much of a steak person, I knew it would be challenging for me to just eat meat day and night. But after reading several articles and watching a ton of videos of people who shared their experience on the carnivore diet, I knew it was worth trying. Below is a picture of me when I decided to start the carnivore diet.
How Does the Carnivore Diet Help Rosacea?
The carnivore diet is of course an elimination diet. But instead of trying to carefully track dozens of potential triggers, you cut out all plant foods and stick only to animal products. That means you can consume the following:
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Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, duck
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Fish and seafood
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Eggs
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Animal fats (like butter, tallow, lard)
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Sometimes low-lactose dairy (like hard cheese or heavy cream)
That’s it. No fruits, no vegetables, no grains, no beans, no nuts.
Why so restrictive? The idea is that by removing all plant foods, which can contain natural chemicals like lectins, oxalates, and histamines (often referred to as anti-nutrients), you also remove possible irritants that trigger inflammation. What you’re left with is simple, nutrient-dense fuel that doesn’t stir the pot.
Rosacea and Inflammation: A Quick Refresher
I’ve linked a full explanation of chronic inflammation here. Basically rosacea isn’t just a surface-level skin issue. It’s linked to deeper processes inside the body, including:
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Immune system overreaction: Your immune system sees harmless things like heat or certain foods as threats, and reacts with redness and swelling.
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Blood vessel sensitivity: Blood vessels in the face expand too easily, causing flushing and visible redness.
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Chronic inflammation: Low-grade, ongoing inflammation makes the skin more reactive and prone to flare-ups.
Food plays a big role here. Certain foods like sugar, alcohol, spicy meals, even healthy foods like tomatoes or citrus, are common triggers because they ramp up inflammation or dilate blood vessels.
Why Going Carnivore May Calm Rosacea
Here are some of the main reasons a carnivore diet could help reduce rosacea symptoms.
1. It Removes the Biggest Inflammatory Offenders
Typical foods that are said to further encourage inflammation are sugar, alcohol, refined carbs, processed oils, gluten and spicy foods. On carnivore, all of these are automatically gone. No hidden sugars, no seed oils, no processed junk. Just whole, animal-based food.
2. It Removes Carbs and Blood Sugar Spikes
High blood sugar and insulin spikes can drive inflammation in the body. Since the carnivore diet is virtually zero-carb, it keeps blood sugar stable. That means fewer inflammatory surges and less fuel for flare-ups.
3. It Acts as the Ultimate Elimination Diet
As discussed above, many plant foods contain compounds that can be irritating, like oxalates in spinach or nightshades in tomatoes and peppers. It’s hard to know which one is your personal trigger. By cutting them all out, you give your body a clean slate.
4. It Provides Nutrient-Dense Building Blocks for Skin
Animal foods are rich in nutrients that directly support skin health:
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Collagen and amino acids to repair skin tissue
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Vitamin B12 for healthy blood flow
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Zinc for immune balance and healing
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Omega-3 fats (from fish) to fight inflammation
These nutrients can be harder to absorb in the same amounts from plant-based foods.
5. It May Lower Histamine Reactions
Some rosacea sufferers are sensitive to histamines, which can cause redness and flushing. Since many high-histamine foods like fermented foods, aged cheeses, tomatoes and avocados (yes I was upset to hear this one!) are eliminated on carnivore, the overall histamine load drops.
What People Report on Carnivore and Rosacea
I’ve scrolled through carnivore forums and videos and found many people saying their skin improved dramatically after going all-meat. Common reports include:
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Redness fading within weeks
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Fewer flare-ups triggered by food
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Less burning or stinging sensation on the skin
Of course, not everyone has the same experience. Some people may see only mild improvements, while others notice a huge difference.
Potential Downsides and Things to Watch For
The carnivore diet isn’t without controversy. Critics argue that cutting out all plant foods may mean missing out on fiber and certain phytonutrients. Here are some things to keep in mind:
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Digestive changes: Without fiber, bowel habits can shift. You won’t have to poo as much as you did on a regular diet.
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Nutrient balance: While animal foods are nutrient-rich, you’ll want to eat a variety like beef, fish, organ meats etc. to benefit from the different nutrients, to not get bored, and to not have to spend a fortune just eating steaks!
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Social and practical challenges: Eating out or sharing meals with family can get tricky.
How to Try the Carnivore Diet for Rosacea
If you’ve decided to jump right into carnivore, then here’s basically how to prepare.
Step 1: Start with an Elimination Period
Commit to 30 days of carnivore eating at the very least. This gives your body enough time to calm inflammation and for you to notice changes in your skin. If you can commit to longer, you are more likely to see more improvement.
Step 2: Focus on Variety
You’re not tied to eating steak everyday. Try different meats, but if you can manage to get grass fed beef and ground beef without breaking the bank, this would be the best source of meat to eat more regularly. Other options to include are:
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Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) for omega-3s
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Organ meats like liver for vitamins and minerals. No, not everyone enjoys the taste of liver. But the benefits are worth choking down a few pieces!
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Eggs for choline and protein
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Different cuts of meat (ribeye, ground beef, lamb etc.)
Step 3: Pay Attention to Your Skin
Keep a journal of flare-ups, redness, and overall skin comfort. Compare week 1 to week 4. Hopefully the difference is obvious.
Step 4: Reintroduce Foods Slowly
After the elimination phase, you can experiment with reintroducing certain foods one at a time to see if they trigger flares. For example: try blueberries for a few days, then another fruit, then a vegetable. If your skin reacts, you’ve identified a trigger.
My Experience With Carnivore Diet
My transition to the carnivore diet was a little less challenging since I was already gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar free. But there is still a lot more food that gets sacrificed like grains, nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Two weeks prior to only eating meat, I stopped eating fruit and grains. Then I stopped eating nuts and vegetables. When I went full carnivore I only ate meat and one egg a day.
Eventually, I dropped eggs by the second week as I read that they could also contribute to inflammation. This was painful for me as I loved having one egg a day at lunch to change things up. But I was serious and all in so I made the change.
On day 16 of the carnivore diet I saw a change for the first time. The redness had reduced in intensity. I was still battling extreme dryness and flaky skin.
I ended eating only meat after 30 days. In retrospect, I should have went on longer. But I was pretty excited to bring back a cucumber and apple to my diet! I still kept a very clean diet, slowly introducing some fruits and vegetables. This is a picture of me right after completing the carnivore diet.
Still not even close to perfect but I was very happy with the progress. Even though I introduced some fruits and vegetables, I was careful to eat low histamine and low sugar foods. I was still trying different moisturizers as the dryness and flakiness was extremely irritating. Some redness and some pimples appeared after failing to find a non reactive moisturizer. Otherwise, this diet was the best thing I did for myself and I wish I hadn’t waited 15 years to try it.