Beauty From the Inside Out: Skin Disorders, Stress and Aging

November 2014

Beauty From the Inside Out: Skin Disorders, Stress and Aging

Most of you can relate to the acne you had in your early teens, the premenstrual outbreaks, acne that appeared to flare up with stress or after all-nighters with pizza and junk food but what about now?

Are you between the ages of 25-40 with acne that wont quit?

Your skin is a reflection of your health from the inside out. Healthy, glowing, well-hydrated skin is a sign of good digestion, absorption, hydration, stress management and hormone balance. Your skin is the largest organ in the body and one of the five organs your body uses for elimination of toxins.  The skin, liver, kidneys, lungs and bowels all work together to rid the body of waste and become symptomatic when overloaded. You have seven layers of skin cells that store fat, water, glucose and salt; act as a channel for absorption and secretion; regulate body temperature; and acts a major producer of endocrine hormones. The skin directly links the brain to the nervous system through touch, pain, and temperature. Ayurvedic medicine refers to the skin as the body’s “second brain,” and that its appearance mirrors our internal physiology, mental emotional state and hormonal connection.[1]

If you struggle with chronic skin conditions you know that it rarely, if ever, has to do with “dirty” surfaces or lack of hygiene. So why in a world of incredible skin products, regimens and magical ointments, salves, antibiotics and medications are you still breaking out?

Distress:

Our stress responses are regulated by the autonomic nervous system made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches to regulate “fight or flight” and “rest and digest” responses. These two systems work together to stay in balance and keep us happy, energetic, rested and digesting properly. Distress signals cause a large imbalance in the systems and over time it gets harder and harder to get back to center and feel balanced. This happens due to the natural process of aging as well as chronic stress. The sympathetic nervous system is unable to shut off and overrides the ability of the parasympathetic to turn on so energy is affected, maldigestion and malabsorption begins and cortisol levels rise stealing the backbone of hormones needed to regulate sex and thyroid hormones. This is the same nervous system that takes signals from the skin cells to the brain and back again…see the connection! Cortisol secretions affect blood sugar levels and therefore keep sugars in the blood longer affecting the circulation and hydration to the capillaries in the skin. Changes in estrogen and progesterone ratios begin and lead to disturbances in the menstrual cycle, infertility, PMS, PCOS and andropause in men. As you can see stress causes imbalances in the body that eventually show up in the skin as acne, cysts, eczema, infections, and accelerated aging.

Diet:

Digestion is directly affected by stress in our lives and we unfortunately live in a society dominated by the sympathetic nervous system. Maldigestion and malabsorption of nutrients leads to symptoms of constipation, diarrhea, colitis, gas, IBS, and GERD which all further the imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. The food we eat and the choices we make fortify the skin cells with nutrients, fluids, healthy fats and collagen. Low gut integrity with poor stomach acid, enzymes, flora and poor food choices will increase inflammation to the skin and lead to outbreaks, eczema, cystic acne and redness/flares. An anti-inflammatory Mediterranean type diet high in vegetables and fruits, healthy fats or an additional Omega 3 oil with DHA, appropriate enzymes and probiotics will improve gut-skin health. Nutritional supplements such as Zinc, Vitamins A, C, E and D are also valuable in supporting the skin. Your body is 70-80% water and that water encompasses each and every cell in the body. Stay hydrated with an average of 6-8 glasses of water daily.

“There are significant data supporting the role of diet in acne. Our Western diet includes many dairy sources containing hormones.The natural function of milk being to stimulate growth, it contains anabolic steroids as well as true growth hormones and other growth factors. The presence of 5α-pregnanedione, 5α-androstanedione, and other precursors of 5α-dihydrotestosterone add to the potency of milk as a stimulant of acne. In addition, foods with significant sugar content and other carbohydrates yielding high glycemic loads affect serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, both of which promote increased production of available androgens and the subsequent development of acne.”[2]

Detox:

The 5 organs of elimination need to be working properly to remove toxins from the body. Toxins are mainly filtered from the blood by the liver, secreted in the sweat, expired out of the lungs during respiration, and excreted through bowel movements and urine. Toxic load will have a large impact on phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification pathways. If these pathways are not working well toxins will back up in the blood and be recirculated into the system to be excreted through the skin developing in acne and skin inflammation. Body odor and bad/sour breath is also a strong indicator of toxic overload. Irregular bowel movements and gastrointestinal upset as well as scant yellow urine, UTIs and dehydration are signs of poor detoxification. Healthy diet, exercise, hydration and regulated liver support are necessary to encourage elimination of toxins and lower the total body burden for radiant skin.

Acne Resolution:

1. 1.      Skin Hygiene: Use a simple cleanser and toner twice daily ending with skin hydration lotions or oils that may include hyaluronic acid or C-peptide serum. You don’t want to increase your toxic load with your skin care regimen, including make-up. Less is more for skin products. A good rule of thumb is if you can eat it you can put it on your skin. I use coconut and avocado oil for hydration, a simple toner with lavender or tea tree in a hydrosol and a pure cleanser we had compounded by Great Earth Pharmacy. 
2. Eat clean and lean. Avoid high glycemic foods, dairy products, refined carbohydrates and processed fats food. Stick to a Mediterranean style anti-inflammatory diet. Consider supplementing with omega fatty acids, zinc, Vitamin C, A, D and E. Stay hydrated. Drink half of your body weight in ounces daily.
3.  Make sure you are eliminating properly. Have at least one bowel movement daily, easy to pass. Have any gastrointestinal upset, IBS, constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating properly addressed by your doctor.
4. Enhance your detoxification pathways by supporting the two phases of liver detox with antioxidants, detox herbs and supplements.
5. Manage stress and hormone imbalances. Don’t underestimate the power of stress and its relationship to the skin. If the signals are getting clogged or crossed the result will hit you right in the face!

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[1] Raichur, Pratima, Absolute Beauty, Harper Perennial 1997.

[2]  Clinical Dermatology (2010) Nov-Dec; 28(6):598-604