When someone comes to me for help with skin breakouts or problems, I always start with the diet. While replacing your personal care products is SUPER important, our skin is a manifestation of what we put in it. Most skin issues (if not all) can be cleared up by eliminating dairy (and often gluten).
If you have teens or family members who don't choose to go dairy free, I have found burdock root and red clover to be an incredible tool in clearing up the skin. Both are blood purifiers/cleansers. Basically, they help take out the trash (toxins) that accumulate inside the body from the toxic foods/liquids we consume. Our bodies can't dump toxins quick enough if our digestive channel is stressed, so it often shows up on our skin. By taking these herbs, it helps the body eliminate them easier, while also clearing up the skin (win win!).
I personally take Dr. Christopher's Blood Stream Formula because it contains both those herbs, but it also has many others that help purify the blood stream and clean up the body. They don't use any fillers or binders in their capsules, just straight organic clean herbs in a veggie capsule. If you can't find them at your local health food store or online, I'd recommend doing burdock root and red clover tea. They are bitter (great for the liver and blood), so if doing the tea, I like raw honey or stevia.
You can walk into any drugstore, superstore, or grocery store and find an isle (if not more) dedicated to what goes on skin or hair. Yet most beauty products (hair, skin, nails, soaps, lotions, potions, etc) are made up of chemicals (and estrogen disruptors...umm hello cancer promoters) and were never meant for our bodies. Our bodies are delicately complex, yet beautifully simple. They like simple ingredients, ones that they know exactly what to do with. (Not having to store fat around the ingredients because it's toxic to our organs-yikes!).
When we have acne, eczema, dry skin, oily skin, etc, we look for things outside our body to "fix" a problem that started on the inside. Our skin is the biggest organ, and it's a great way to eliminate toxins, especially if the other elimination pathways are clogged up.
When I was breaking out daily in horrible itchy and angry hives, I looked for whatever would calm it down. Nothing seemed to work, and if anything, all the things that I put on my skin often made my symptoms a lot worse (leading me to be on meds they used for AIDS patients and steroids to suppress my immune system). Little did I realize that I was clogging up the very way my body was trying to dump the toxic mess I had put inside.
It was a magical and eye opening experience when I was fed up with it all that I literally tossed every beauty product I owned (toothpaste, hair supplies, makeup, etc), including cleaning supplies, and I started from scratch. I also cleaned up my diet (bye bye dairy and gluten!) and my skin started clearing up for the first time ever!
I found local biz owners who made things from ingredients that I could pronounce, and that my body loved. I also started learning how to make my own products and I loved getting back in touch with the earth and with my body. It was a big drastic change for me that empowered my soul and gave me great hope that I could get better. I did a makeover on my medicine cabinet and haven't looked back!
I learned to listen carefully to what felt good to my body personally. Some things worked for others, and didn't for me. I had to honor my body's natural chemistry and wishes.
So if you're wondering what you can do to start eliminating the toxic load and begin supporting and nourishing your body with what it really needs, start with your personal care supplies. If you can't pronounce it or know what it is, you're better off without it. Thankfully, there are SO many healthier options you can purchase now, or DIY for a reasonable price. Your skin, hair, and health deserve to breathe and deserve to have things that really nourish them rather than all the chemicals that are not so nourishing to you.
Much love to your skin and well-being!
Naturally, Kathy
