The ultimate hack for healthy skin
I don’t know about you, but it feels like skincare regimens have gotten out of control lately. Day creams, night creams, eye creams, serums, masks, ice rollers, gua sha … You might be thinking, “do I really need all this?”
Don’t get me wrong, I love investing in good, clean skin care - it’s fun, it’s relaxing, and it makes me feel good. Enough said!
However, if you’re one of those girls that’s invested a lot of time & money on skin care products and you still struggle with skin problems, it might be time to look a little deeper.
Your outer layer is a reflection of what’s happening on the inside. So, if your body is inflamed from excess sugar, processed foods, alcohol, or foods you don’t tolerate well - your skin is going to follow suit. This is why you might immediately breakout after a night of drinking, or after eating more sugar than usual. Many people don’t realize that nutrition plays a huge role in the way your skin feels and looks. The truth is, all the serums in the world can’t make up for poor nutrition.
So, before you invest in another skin care regimen, I want you to ask yourself the following questions:
How is my gut health?
Am I digesting food easily?
Am I pooping regularly?
Are my poops healthy?
If, along with your skin problems, you have any sort of digestive discomfort, a new skin care regimen is not the answer. Instead, it’s time to learn about and improve the health of your gut.
Let’s break it down.
The Gut-Skin Connection
You may have heard of something called, “The Gut-Brain Connection,” which refers to the idea that gut issues can cause mental health issues, and vice versa. The “Gut-Skin Axis” works in a similar way. Your gut (aka your GI tract) is intertwined with your skin barrier, and this symbiotic relationship means that a healthy gut = healthy, glowy skin. This is why it might feel like no skin product in the world can help you - the problem isn’t so much what you’re putting on your skin, but rather what’s happening underneath it.
Here’s a quick summary of how gut health can throw off your skin:
Your gut is filled with trillions of bacteria, some bad and some good. When the ratio of bad bacteria to good bacteria is off, this results in something known as Dysbiosis. Dysbiosis can eventually lead to “leaky gut” which means that the bad bacteria can “slip through the cracks” of your intestinal wall and enter the body. The result - inflammation, digestive pain, IBS, constipation, bloating, gas, fatigue, muscle aches & pains, and, of course, skin problems.
For many people, skin problems are actually the first sign that something is off with your gut health. So even if you don’t have any digestive issues yet, your breakouts might be a warning that they’re coming.
If you have any of the below skin symptoms, it’s a sign your gut health might need some attention:
Acne/Breakouts
Hypersensitivity
Dryness
Redness
Rashes
Eczema
Rosacea
Psoriasis
Don’t buy more skin products, do this instead:
If you feel like you’ve tried every product under the sun, it’s time to look inward. Follow this gut health protocol for at least 90 days and just watch how your skin begins to transform.
Take a daily probiotic: this will help restore the good bacteria in your gut and fight off bad bacteria. Make sure you opt for a high quality option with a diverse range of bacteria.
Eat More Fiber: this is perhaps the easiest and most basic way to support your gut and therefore, your skin. Most Americans are fiber deficient, so it’s really no wonder so many people experience digestive stress. Aim for 25-30g of fiber per day. If you’re nowhere near that, increase gradually. My favorite sources of fiber are…
Avocados (5-7g for half)
Raspberries (8g for 1 cup)
Apple with the skin (5g)
Blueberries (4g for 1 cup)
Potatoes with skin (3g for 1 small)
Lentils (8g per half cup cooked)
Edamame (4g for half cup cooked)
Limit or eliminate highly processed foods like chips, candy, pre-packaged meals, etc. Look at the ingredient list and aim for simple, minimal and recognizable. Go slow with this process, as eliminating everything all at once will make you feel deprived. Find healthier, more natural alternatives for your favorite snacks.
Limit or eliminate added sugar. Natural sugars (like those found in fruit) are just fine - it’s added that you want to watch out for. Added sugar is hidden in the most deceptive of places, like that “healthy” Clif bar or that “natural” yogurt and granola. Work towards sweetening things yourself with a bit of honey or maple syrup.
Experiment with eliminating dairy & gluten, as these are two hard-to-digest foods for many people and are often the hidden culprit behind of gut inflammation and skin issues.
Look for foods that contain Protein, Healthy Fats/Omega 3’s, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Zinc. These include:
Fatty fish like salmon and tuna
Dark leafy greens
Avocados
Eggs
Flaxseeds
Legumes
Hydrate! I know you’ve heard this one before, but it’s still worth mentioning. A good way to measure whether or not you’re hydrated is to look at your pee! If it’s clear or straw colored, you’re good. If it’s yellow, time to drink up. I recommend investing in a good water bottle and having it on you at all times. You can also flavor your water with lemon or drink herbal tea if you don’t like the blandness of plain water.
Protecting your skin microbiome
Your outer layer of skin is your largest organ, and it’s the first line of defense against environmental toxins that try to enter the body. Your skin is an excellent protector against infection, inflammation, and harmful pathogens. So, while it’s most important to look at the food we eat, it’s also important to look at what we’re putting on our skin. Of course, we can’t always control our environment, and the point is not to live in fear of conventional cleaning products. Go slow, and replace household products & skin care 1 at a time so as not to overwhelm yourself. Here are some things I like to do to support my skin microbiome.
Use organic cleaning & home products wherever possible. You can use this rating system from EWG to determine whether or not a product has clean ingredients.
Use clean beauty & skin care products that support your skin microbiome. You can use this cosmetics database from EWG to determine whether or not a beauty/skin care product has clean ingredients.
Avoid harsh soaps and over sanitizing: sanitizers & harsh cleansers do kill bad bacteria, but they also kill good bacteria. I know we are in the midst of a global pandemic, but when you can, opt for a clean, gentle cleansing soap instead of harsh soaps and hand sanitizers.
Always wear SPF!
With any new health regimen, it’s important that you take it slow. It might be tempting to do a complete overhaul on your nutrition, beauty and home products in the name of gut health, but this will only lead to burnout and waste. Go one step at a time, trust the process, and focus on small daily changes. Over time, you will start to see just how much a healthy gut will transform your skin.
