Skin Health: From the Inside Out

If you read my skin routine post, then you know I said I would do one that focuses in on the internal work for skin health.

What you apply topically can only go so far. Your skin is truly a reflection of what is going on within your body and soul. If your gut is out of whack or if you’re feeling unfulfilled in life that can truly impact what your skin looks like.

I can say from personal experience that both being on a diet that didn’t work for my gut significantly changed my skin, just as well as being very unhappy with where I was at in life lead to stress which again influenced my skin health.

I am very grateful to have genetically good skin, but in saying that I did experience what was severe acne to my normal when I was taking care of my insides. I would have loved to share images, but I don’t have any because it made me really depressed. I now how debilitating acne can be based on my experience. I remember not wanting to go out because I felt too ashamed. After all I was the girl who had “great skin”, who was eating all these healthy foods and doing all “right” things and yet I was breaking out in ways that I have never experienced before and in places that I never had acne before. I was used to the occasional pimple or two on my face or chest during my bleed, but what I was experiencing was a flare all over my back chest and face.

At the time I was living in a desert (literally) and would wear a turtleneck top just to cover the acne. I avoided pools and beaches because there was no way in hell that I was going to let anyone see what my skin looked like.

So, by now you’re probably wondering what caused this new flare up. It was changing my diet to one that I thought would be healthier for me and aligned with me ethically, a vegan diet. That’s not to shame veganism at all, it just didn’t work for MY body. I kept telling myself this was all just my body “detoxing”. But month after month, the acne got worse, and I reached a point where the “detox” process was well over its time. As much as I didn’t want to return to meat eating, I was also desperate to get my skin back to healthy. Within a week of reintroducing animal protein, my skin cleared up. Now to some you may think I was deficient in some minerals and vitamins, but I was aware of keeping up with my micronutrients in the diet change. This all just goes to say that your gut health heavily impacts your skin in more ways than you know. What you eat reflects your skin health, and that can look different to everyone. Also, there was no denying the fact that under severe times of stress my face and chest would start to flare up.  During exams, stressful events and emotional struggle, my skin would flare. There are so many factors that contribute to skin health so let me break it down to you and what worked for me.

1)     Gut Health

Everything comes down to your gut. Your health is a reflection on what’s going on in your gut. So, when your gut is inflamed or has any type of dysbiosis, you can expect to see that impacting your skin health. It’s important that if you do deal with any type of gut issues to check your gut health with a gut practitioner to understand exactly what is going on. However, if you can’t afford to see someone there are many ways to improve your gut health, but you should note that just because one thing works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Different ways you can nourish your gut is through diversity of food. By that I mean eating the rainbow because each food functions differently in your body. Eating fermented foods and vegetables, prebiotics such as sweet potatoes, psyllium husk and bananas to ensure a balance of both pro and pre biotics. Consuming enough healthy fats and omega 3s like salmon, avocado, olive oil and walnuts, help keep your skin hydrated and youthful. Protein gives your body supports your body with essential amino acids which work to repair and build damaged cells. The two things I will preach the most are getting in your greens and reducing sugar, if you’re reading this you know all the ways these two impact your health so I don’t feel the need to go into depth but all I can say is to be mindful about sugar and make sure to have some sort of green with every meal.

2)    Movement

Getting movement in is essential to overall health. When your heart rate increases, it improves blood circulation which in turn helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to our skin. This helps collagen production which makes you look younger and glow. It’s important to note that if you are over doing it, that can lead to stress which will lead to more breakouts. Make sure that you do movements that you enjoy and to also rest.

3)    Stress Management

Stress, stress, stress. I cannot STRESS enough how much stress management is vital to skin health. Have you noticed that every time you have an event somehow a pimple will pop up right center of your face. Yeah… I know it happens to me. When we are stressed, we release cortisol and adrenaline which increases oil production and hence blocks pores causing breakouts. The more stress the more inflammation. Find ways to manage your stress whether that be meditation, breath-work, meeting friends, watching a movie, taking a bath… Do what calms your soul and brings inner peace.

4)    Water

Hydration maintains skin elasticity and moisture, making your skin smoother. It helps flush out toxins that may be causing your acne as well as balancing your ph. Drinking water can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as it helps tighten your skin.

5)    Greens

I know I’ve already stated the importance of greens in gut health, but it truly deserves its own point. Getting a variety of greens from a variety of vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, kale, collards… and so on, gives your body a boost of antioxidants, vitamin a, e, folate and so much more. These essential nutrients make your entire body glow from the inside out. I am someone who craves greens, as weird as that sounds to some. Start by cooking your greens in a way that is delicious to you and remember to start small if you do not already eat enough greens as the fiber load may be hard on your body.

6)    Vitamin and Minerals

This goes along with gut health and greens, but I will list specific vitamins and minerals that are key to healthy skin. Make sure you check with your blood work where you are lacking and base it on what you feel that your current diet is deficient in. Vitamin A prevents sun damage and a deficiency can led to dry and itchy skin. Vitamin C helps lock in collagen and protects your skin from free radicals. Vitamin E is anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants and strengthens cell wall. Zinc helps heal wounds and scarring. It can also protect skin from UV damage. Lastly, selenium also protects skin from UV rays.

7)    Positive mindset

You may be rolling your eyes so hear me out. When you’re constantly downing yourself, criticizing your skin, life and all the other negative self-talk that causes internal stress. Your body feels that hate and will reflect that hate back at you, whether it be your skin or in some other way. I know it can be very hard when you are dealing with breakouts to look at yourself and say, “all is well”. My tip is to approach yourself with kindness. Look at yourself and acknowledge how you feel. If you don’t feel great that is okay. You don’t have to be mean to yourself about it. Instead, you can say “thank you for what you are teaching me, and I am ready to move forward”. This may sound funny, but the more you practice this, the easier and truer it will become to you. Kindness is essential for your soul to live a happy and healthy life.

8)    Support

You are not alone and do not have to be. If you are really struggling seek out support from a professional and advocate for yourself. If something is not working demand a different approach. Find someone you feel like you can connect with and is truly listening to you. Make sure you also have all the information so when you go into an appointment you can ask all the questions. And find support from a friend or someone you feel comfortable sharing your emotions with.