I was 19 or 20, and I went to a massage therapy session specifically for acne sufferers. It was relaxing and I had nice products put on my face, but my skin did not heal miraculously. One thing the massage therapist said stuck with me: “You can heal naturally, but it will take time.”
My inside reaction: “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Over time, I eventually came to the realization that there was no shortcut for me. I had to embrace how to heal internally and be willing to wait through the trial and error stages. But when you do this, you need to look at two things - hormone disruptors in your environment and address your digestion.
Your acne might be hormonal or be exacerbated by hormone-disrupting chemicals you are exposed by in the environment or what you use to clean and freshen your home. Often, cosmetics and personal care products contain toxins such as fragrance, parabens, and chemicals banned in other countries that harm our skin’s PH balance, our hormones, and our skin’s ability to heal itself - which all leads to more acne.
However, sometimes, when we’ve already cleaned up these things… We still see problems in our skin. Why? We need to take a look at our lifestyle.
Are we rushing around? Are we not taking time to sit down, eat, and enjoy? Are we stressed? Are we getting adequate sleep? Are we making sure there are no toxins in what we EAT?
Your digestive system may need some attention.
If you are FILLING your body with toxins that disrupt the digestive system, those toxins end up in your bloodstream, which shows up in - you guessed it - your skin. No matter what clean personal care products and makeup you put on your face, if you are eating inflammatory foods, it’s like ripping a scab off an injury.
What we eat often shows up in our skin because not only is your digestion system not filtering well, but the gut micro biome is out of balance with bad and good bacteria. “Your skin is the ‘canary in a coal mine’ for overall health. Although it’s rare to have a doctor discuss bacteria balance in your digestive system if you have skin issues, they really should consider it” (Essential Gut and Hormone Wellness, Ringham).
What are inflammatory foods to stay away from?
Sugar
Dairy
Gluten
Artificial Flavors and Colorings
Natural Flavorings
BPA
Meats
Additives and Preservatives
Grains that are highly processed or bleached.
But what can I eat?! So glad you asked.
Anti-inflammatory foods include:
Fruits
Veggies
Beans
Grains (organic, ancient, unprocessed varieties.)
Grassfed, humane meats and animal products in low quantities.
Simple? Yes. Delicious and filling? Absolutely.
When we work on healing our digestive system with life-giving foods, our bodies and skin will love us back. It is programmed and created to heal itself when we steward it well. But please give it time… the body will be responding and adjusting and so will your hormones.
It is worth the wait. I promise.
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