Love the Skin You're In!

Everyone knows that beauty is more than skin-deep but our social emphasis on physical appearance can make even the most flawless-skinned beauty self-conscious. Supermodels sporting perfect, made-up, and airbrushed skin and not much else adorn the pages of fashion magazines and television ads reminding onlookers to strive for the impossible.

Not surprisingly, anyone suffering from skin problems may find it difficult to look beyond their skin's surface to the beauty within. With some help from foods, water, herbs, and of course, a healthy dose of self-appreciation, it is possible to not only love the skin you are in, but improve its health and appearance as well.

Skin 101
Skin is the body's largest organ. It shields our bodies from the elements around us (sometimes taking a beating in the process), assists with detoxification, and protects our tissues and organs from damage. It is also a mirror into the condition of our bodies at a deeper level. Skin reflects our inner health. It may show up toxic overload, stress, hormonal imbalances, and nutritional deficiencies. By working on the internal causes of skin concerns, the results are more effective than just applying a cream or ointment and hoping for the best.

Living in a Toxic World
There are literally thousands of toxins and harmful synthetic chemicals found in our food, air, water, homes, and workplaces. They take the shape of pesticides; herbicides; cigarette smoke; synthetic chemicals found in beauty and hygiene products; food additives, colours, and fillers; medications; or stress hormones. Our bodies must attempt to filter this toxic onslaught to prevent toxic overload. That occurs when our bodies take in more toxins than they can eliminate. Numerous organs play a role in cleansing the body, namely the kidneys, liver, intestines, and of course, the skin. Problems with the skin can suggest that the other elimination organs are overloaded, thereby forcing the skin to deal with greater amounts of toxins than it is capable of. Rashes, hives, acne, psoriasis or eczema are the possible results.
Stress and hormonal imbalances have a similar effect to toxins in the body. High levels of stress hormones must be filtered out of the body by its detoxification organs in the same way as toxins. Since the liver is the primary organ for cleansing excessive hormones, if it becomes overloaded, it passes the burden to the skin.

Water, Water Everywhere
One of the most critical components of healthy skin is water. The body is made up of approximately seventy percent water and needs its stores replenished. Every cell in the body is dependent on water for good health, including skin cells. Many skin problems improve when people make a concerted effort to increase their intake of pure water. This helps keep the skin properly hydrated. While the standard recommendation for water is eight cups per day, that amount may be inadequate for people with skin conditions. To improve skin health, increase that amount to ten to twelve cups of pure water daily. If you drink caffeinated or alcoholic beverages, add two additional cups of water for every cup of coffee, tea, or alcohol you drink.

Lessen Toxic Exposure
A body burdened by chemicals, sugars, rancid oils, and other toxins cannot function properly. If you use chemical-laden skin- and hair-care products, your body cannot rely on its largest detoxification organ (the skin) to eliminate toxins. Instead, your skin is working in reverse, absorbing more poisons into your cells. Switch to natural body- and skincare products that are free of fragrances, colours, or other synthetic chemicals that have a tendency to irritate skin as well as increase your body's toxic load. Lessen your intake of the following foods:
-Processed, packaged, or fast foods;
-Hydrogenated fats (margarine, shortening, lard or products made with them such as cookies, pies, packaged foods, buns, pizza, etc.);
-Fried foods (French fries, onion rings, potato chips, nachos, hamburgers, etc.) or foods containing oils that have been excessively heated. Most grocery store oils have been heated excessively even before they reach the shelves. Extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent choice for cooking; cold-pressed oils found in most health food stores are also a healthy choice;
-Sugar and foods that contain sugar.
-Synthetic sweeteners (Nutrasweet, saccharin, aspartame, etc.);
-Salt (use Celtic sea salt instead);
-Food additives: colours, flavour enhancers, stabilizers, preservatives, etc.
-Non-organic meat and poultry contains hormones, sugar, and antibiotics, all of which increase your body's toxic load. In addition, many people are sensitive to the hormones and other chemicals in meat. Skin problems can be an indication of a sensitivity or allergy. Switch to organic meat and poultry.

Inner Cleansing for Outer Beauty
In addition to hydrating the skin, water helps flush toxins out of the body. By eliminating the above foods and increasing your consumption of water, fruits and vegetables, particularly those in a raw state, your body will begin to cleanse. Some people may find that their skin temporarily worsens as they start a cleansing program. If that is the case, it usually lasts for a day or two and then begins to improve. Drinking freshly-made juices can also be helpful. Avoid too many fruit juices because the concentrated sugar can irritate skin problems. Juices like carrot, cucumber, celery, or other vegetable juices can be helpful at cleansing the skin from the inside, while also providing plenty of nutrients to help build healthy skin cells.

Hormonal Imbalances
If your skin problems flare up at the same time every month coinciding with menstrual periods, hormonal imbalances may be at fault. Alternatively, if you started experiencing skin problems such as dry skin along with other menopausal problems, hormonal imbalances may also play a role.
Cleansing your body of harmful toxins may help with hormonal problems over time. The liver filters both toxins and excessive hormones. If it is bogged down with too many of either substance, conditions in the body worsen. This is similar to a dam. If there is a flood, the dam can only hold back so much water otherwise water will still flow through. Similarly, if the liver is overburdened trying to filter toxins out of the blood, hormones are left in the blood where they can wreak havoc. As the blood is filtered, the body can eliminate excess hormones too.
Lessening your intake of the above foods can have dramatic results on hormonal imbalances over time, if adhered to. In addition, there are numerous herbs that are effective for hormone balancing. Dong quai or Vitex are excellent choices for pre-menopausal women suffering from hormone imbalances. Bruce Burnett, CH, Chartered Herbalist and author of the book HerbWise recommends the following herbs for menopausal problems: black cohosh, vitex (chasteberry), wild yam, sage, St. John's wort, primrose oil, sage, and dong quai. He suggests: "some companies make various combinations of these and other herbs for menopausal symptoms such as dry skin, night sweats, hot flashes etc. My experience indicates that often any particular herb can be effective for a while and then a woman's biochemistry appears to adapt and the symptoms return. It therefore is beneficial for a woman to rotate the herbs. And, of course, every woman is different. What works for one, doesn't for another. A woman has to experiment." He also recommends regular exercise and avoidance of caffeine and alcohol to balance menopausal hormones that may be linked to dry skin.

Additional Nutritional Support for Skin Conditions
Acne
Hormonal imbalances can be linked with adult acne as can the use of oral contraceptives high in progesterone. Herbs such as those mentioned above can be helpful for balancing female hormones. Eating foods that are too acid-forming also worsens acne. Some of the main acidic foods are: alcohol, coffee, eggs, fish, meat, milk, wheat, sugar, tea, and vinegar. Tobacco and most medications are also acid-forming. Most fruits and vegetables, soy products, sprouts, almonds, and millet are alkalising foods that help restore the body's pH.
The main nutritional deficiencies that cause or worsen acne include: chromium, potassium, zinc, essential fatty acids, and Vitamins A, B-Complex, C, D3 and E. Supplement with 20 to 50 mcg of chromium, 99 mg of potassium and 30 to 80 mg of zinc daily. Add one to two tablespoons daily of cold-pressed flax oil to salads or smoothies to increase essential fatty acids in the diet. In addition, supplement with 10,000 IU of Vitamin A, 400 IU of Vitamin D3, and 400 IU of Vitamin E daily. Take 100 mg of each major B-Vitamin and 1,000 to 1,500 mg of Vitamin C, three times daily. Supplementing with bowel flora such as lactobacillus acidophilus is also helpful.

Dry Skin
A Vitamin A deficiency can be a primary cause of dry skin. Supplement with 10,000 IU of Vitamin A daily. Insufficient essential fatty acids can also be a causative factor for dry skin, particularly an Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency. Cold-pressed flax oil found in the refrigerator section of most health food stores is an excellent choice. Add one to two tablespoons to your salads or in smoothies. Never heat this oil. If your dry skin started with menopause, try the herbs listed above to help balance hormones that may be contributing to the problem.

Psoriasis or Eczema
While psoriasis and eczema can have many causes, these conditions are almost always helped by improved nutrition and lessening the body's toxic load. Many people suffering from these disorders are deficient in essential fatty acids, especially Omega-3 fatty acids. To supply essential fatty acids, add one to two tablespoons of cold-pressed flax or hemp oil to your diet. Never heat these oils as they become rancid quickly. Add the oil to salads or in shakes.
People with psoriasis or eczema are also typically deficient in Vitamins A, D, E, and B-Complex Vitamins. Supplement your diet with 10,000 IU of Vitamin A, 50-75 mg of Vitamin D3, and 400 IU of Vitamin E. To supply the B-Complex Vitamins, take a supplement containing at least 50 mg of each of the major vitamins, three times per day.
The most common mineral deficiencies leading to these skin conditions include zinc and selenium. Consume 50-100 mg of zinc gluconate daily in a lozenge form and 200 mcg of selenium daily in a capsule.
Allergies or sensitivities can play a role in psoriasis and eczema. The most common ones are citrus foods, dairy products, sugar, wheat and white flour products.

Caring for your body by avoiding of harmful foods, eating healthily, and using herbs will yield greater results than simply trying to deal with the symptoms as they appear on your skin. Adds Burnett, "Psoriasis, eczema, acne, and other skin problems are usually not a disease, but a symptom of a different disease--identifying that disease is the challenge. Frequently it is diet related, often an allergy or nutritional deficiency or an accumulation of toxins." Addressing the root of the problem may take patience and diligence to see an improvement in the appearance of the skin, but the improvements will last.