After being diagnosed as severely gluten intolerant, I was so relieved to have an answer for all of the digestive troubles, bloating and migraines–all troublesome and sometimes painful issues I had been secretly facing. But perhaps more obvious to the rest of the world was the change in my skin.

My formerly flawless skin began breaking out in my mid-twenties. I went to dermatologists, acupuncturists, no one seemed to have the right answer, much less a cure. But after my diagnosis, I didn’t just cut gluten from my diet, I also got rid of all beauty products that contained gluten–and finally, my skin cleared!

So while some doctors swear the gluten molecule is too big to penetrate the skin topically, I can honestly say that going topically gluten-free made a world of difference for me.

Dr. Vikki Petersen, author of The Gluten Effect, offers her expert opinion in the video above.