INTERNAL FACTORS AND YOUR SKIN

As many of you may know, or not, your skin is designed to protect you. It's designed to protect your insides and also communicate with you whats going on underneath the surface. 

The skin sends out warning signals when something isn't right, whether it be an allergic reaction, a break out or an itchy dry patch, every reaction is different and although similar, not everyones body is the same.

There's A LOT of factors that can contribute to different skin conditions and that's why it's important to listen to your body when it's trying to tell you something! Internal issues CANNOT be treated topically, which can be a bit frustrating if you have constant break outs in the same spot of an eczema patch that pops up at the same time every month (THANKS A LOT HORMONES) but there's a lot you can do internally to help have your best skin ever!

A good place to start is a naturopath or having blood testing done to see whats going on inside. It's not invasive and I know from experience it can be very helpful and insightful. It could be something as simple as an intolerance to a certain food you eat every day, or it could help you discover something much worse!

I myself was struggling with EXTREMELY bad acne around my mouth, as a skin therapist I knew I was doing everything right topically, so it had to be something internal. After visiting the best naturopath ever, and doing blood testing, we discovered I had a parasite in my gut, which is common in some one with leaky gut syndrome. I was really scared and upset and I was willing to do anything to get rid of the parasite. It took a month of a very strict diet provided by my naturopath to pass the parasite and start building my gut health again. 

I had done many rounds of antibiotics in the past to get rid of my acne because that's what a doctor told me to take. It's great for a short term fix, but the long term damage it has done to my gut health was in the end what caused me to have my worst skin ever. 

Things like antibiotics and accutane are great short term fixes, and each to their own, but it make me nervous that people think that it's a good solution. Like I said before your skin is there to protect you, if you are having insanly bad breakouts and nothing topical is fixing it, chances are your insides are screaming for help and it's important to get to the root of the issue and not just mask it with a short term fix. 

Here's a few (probably) self explanitory tips to improve the appearance of your skin in 1 week without visiting a naturopath:

-Increase your water intake- I know this one is over said but it really does make a difference, we humans are basically made of water we need to be drinking A LOT OF IT.

- Celery juice- it's awful I know but it detoxes the body better than anything babe!

- Eat more fruit and veggies! Another one that everyone is sick of hearing but get those vitamins into you, and start glowing from the inside, happy guts= happy mind= happy skin

-Exercise! Sweat out toxins and increase blood flow! Excersising nouishes your skin by carrying oxygen and nutrients and helps eliminate waste.

- And always wash your face before bed. I know sometimes its hard if you had a few too many wines with the gals, but your skin is actually nocternal and works it's hardest while you sleep, so put on your best products before bed and let your skin naturally do it's thing.