Naturally Vibrant Skin from the Inside- Out

The skin acts as a barrier between the body and the outside world, it is one of the body’s first lines of defense. The elements of nature can compromise this barrier. For example, when it is exposed to too much sun it can become burnt and dried out. The body’s internal environment can also affect skin health. Without healthy blood flow, the skin can lose its color and luster. Without enough hydration it can start to wrinkle and dry out. Without a regulated nervous system, the body may not have enough resources to keep the skin looking its healthiest. Without enough detox too much waste can build up in the body causing imbalances and disease that can present on the skin.  

Movement and Exercise 

Healthy blood flow brings life to the skin from deepest layers out to the surface. Exercise and simple movements encouraging blood to flow throughout the body is one part of the equation. The other is encouraging blood flow to the surface by stimulating the skin through skin brushing, gua sha, or simply using hands as a massage to the do the work. 

Healthy Hydration 

Water is an essential element to the body. When a plant is deprived of water it starts to wrinkle and wilt, the same can happen with the skin. Sometimes a person can feel very thirsty and feel like they cannot quench their thirst no matter how much they drink. This symptom suggests that they are hydrated but the water is not staying in the right place. In general, to help with this symptom they could add lemon and mint into the water along with some electrolytes such as a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. 

Sometimes a person has no thirst and doesn’t drink much water. This suggests that there is too much water building up in the wrong place of the body. In general, they could add some fresh ginger into their water along with electrolytes as mentioned in the previous example. It would be best to cook the ginger in the water to extract it’s properties and then cool the tea if they prefer it cold.  

When a person drinks water without minerals or electrolytes in it, the water is not in a balanced state. It can pull electrolytes and minerals from the body to reach equilibrium with the environment around it. As a person urinates, they could be losing more beneficial nutrients.  

Nervous System Regulation 

The nervous system is a main determining factor in where recourses are sent and when. When the body is feeling stressed it does a great job of redirecting energy away from non essential processes such as digestion, and sends resources to the periphery: the arms, legs and brain. There doesn’t need to be a big stressor for this process to switch from digestion which is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, to the periphery which is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. Low levels of stress throughout the day can cause this switch, without the person being able to down regulate back to the parasympathetic nervous system this can lead to a dysregulated state. 

Practicing healthy sleep patterns along with active rest such as moving or sitting meditation, will give the body time to recover and bring energy and blood flow back to digestion increasing nutrient absorption for healthy blood production which will then benefit skin health. 

Detox 

Natural detox happens in the body all of the time. As food is digested, cells die and new ones are created, and as a person gets sick and then heals the body creates waste. The blood stream, organs, interstitial fluids, and the lymph nodes are all some ways that the body moves this waste around. We are able to clear this waste through breath, urination, defecation, sweating and through a monthly menstrual cycle. For different reasons these natural detox processes can get blocked or not work properly leading to a buildup of waste in the body. This imbalance can start to cause disease that can translate to the skin in the form of eczema, psoriasis and acne to name a few.  

Decreasing exposure to extra toxins such as fragrances, harder to digest food such as fried foods, cheese and ice-cream, artificial sweeteners and dyes, foods that are high in sugar especially cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup, can help to lessen the toxic load to the body.  

Increasing the body’s natural detox through skin brushing, gentle movement and exercise like yoga, tai chi and qi gong, healthy hydration, and cooked vegetables, massaging the abdomen, adding in breathing exercises are all various ways to increase our natural detox processes.  

Sometimes a person can feel as though they are “doing all the right things” but they are not able to get ahead of their skin’s health, or they might feel they don’t have time to add in all these extra healthy habits. My advice would be to pick one thing on the list that calls to them the most and try it out for a few weeks. Then, add in another healthy habit when they have that first one integrated into their life.  

Acupuncture and Herbs

If more support is needed, acupuncture and clinical herbal medicine can help to rebalance the body and organ systems especially to the skin. It facilitates healthy blood flow, increases the energy for healthy digestion, downregulates the nervous system, increases the body’s natural detox and can leave a person feeling healthier with better energy. Acupuncture and clinical herbal medicine is an integrated medicine that is tailored to the individual person and their needs. As the body and mind change and start to feel better the treatment will also change to meet the person where they are so they can continue to not only achieve healthy and vibrant skin but also a healthier mind and body.