HAVING BEAUTIFUL SKIN MEANS PUTTING GUT HEALTH FIRST

October 30, 2017 by Renee Tavoularis

By Melissa Patruno

I get told all the time that I have beautiful skin. But it was not always this way. I struggled, like many do, with skin issues starting in my young-adult life, not realizing that my gut health was a factor. And it was not just the skin on my face. I would get dry, rough skin on my fingers. I would breakout into hives on my legs. I would get eczema in my elbow creases. 

At the time I had no idea that my skin was trying to tell me something. Rather, I did as many do, I slathered on every cream, lotion, and potion in sight to try and just make it stop.

Now that I have learned how all the systems of our body interact I have much more appreciation for what those skin irritations were trying to tell me. They were just messages from my body. I now know that when my body has something happening with it that there is always a bigger issue at hand. Something deeper going on, more at the core level.

The only problem is that when it is your skin being the messenger, it can be frustrating because it is something that is very outwardly present. And with our skin being our largest organ there are many places for these messages to pop up. 

In my practice, I always start with teaching my clients about their gut health. This is where true health stems from. You must have a healthy gut to have all the other systems in place working properly.

GOOD GUT HEALTH EQUALS HEALTHY SKIN

So when it comes to the health of our skin, it is vital to look at the health of our gut. The gut-skin axis connection is a product of the permeability of the gut, also known as leaky gut. When our gut lining becomes permeable any poor dietary choices, toxins, stress, antibiotics and other medications are then able to enter freely into our bloodstream. When this happens, it creates an inflammatory response that can trigger skin issues such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.

When our microbiome is comprised so is the health of our skin. So it is important to look at all the different contributing factors. Have you taken any medications or antibiotics recently or for prolonged periods of time in your life? What does your diet look like? How much water are you drinking? What are your stress levels? Are you getting an adequate amount of sleep? 

Another main source of distress to our gut microbiome is toxins. Are you using toxic products? On average women use 12 personal care products daily. Do you know what are in those products you are using on a daily basis?

This is when the gut-skin axis gets tricky. When there is an imbalance in our gut flora, this imbalance, or dysbiosis, can then create skin irritations. We then want to mask or “fix” these skin irritations with topical products. We put on creams in hopes of reducing inflammation. We use makeup to mask the evidence. But when these products that we are using are filled with toxic chemicals we are just adding to the problem. 

DO YOU SEE HOW THIS VICIOUS CYCLE GETS CREATED?

That is why I love Well Within's non-toxic, natural, organic beauty products. Their skincare line is carefully formulated with the belief that true wellness and beauty is created from the inside-out and the outside-in. With plant-based ingredients, which are rich in phytonutrients, you are guaranteed a product line that has your health at heart. The best part, they are also products that work. You can have both: products that promote health and well-being and that will leave you looking and feeling rejuvenated.