Teenagers, young adults and even peri-menopausal women can be troubled by regular monthly skin eruptions. Nutritional Therapist Susie Perry Debice shares her nutritional tips for clearer skin.
Problematic skin can leave you feeling embarrassed and upset especially during certain times of the year such as Summer when you want to have a beautiful natural glow or at Christmas when you want to look your best at parties and gatherings. Good nutrition and a sensible skin cleansing routine can help get skin outbreaks under control.
Hormone Imbalance
There are plenty of hormones, from stress hormones to sex hormones, that have an influence over your monthly cycle. If you suffer from monthly skin issues then it’s likely that your levels of testosterone and stress hormones may be having more impact on your monthly cycle than oestrogen and progesterone. The two troublesome hormones enable the skin to be oilier and more prone to inflammation at certain types of the month leading to regular skin eruptions and pustules. This type of hormone imbalance is not unusual. Finding ways to reduce stress, cut back on alcohol and sugar while also exploring ways to make sure you are eating your 5-10 veg-a-day all help to restore hormone balance and reduce the severity of skin eruptions.
Clever Krill Oil
At the centre of all types of acne is the process of inflammation. If your body has access to lots of saturated fats and omega-6 fats and have restricted access to the good omega-3’s then it’s very easy for your skin cells to tip into an inflammatory reaction. This means that any triggers associated with skin eruptions get to have an exaggerated effect causing skin cells to become swollen, red and sore. This is because saturated fats and omega-6 fats are naturally inflammatory but omega-3 fats help to suppress inflammation to the extent that they are actually known as anti-inflammatory.
Following a diet that reduces saturated fats found in red meat, butter, cheese, cream and other dairy products while also reducing the omega-6 from sunflower and vegetable oil is highly advisable. Topping up on omega-3’s by increasing oily fish, flax seeds, walnuts and chia seeds is also a smart move to help heal your skin. Supplementing with Krill Oil is a sure way to boost your omega-3 status and improve hormone balance at the same time! Since new skin cells take 12 weeks to arrive at the surface of the skin it’s important that you supplement with Krill Oil for at least 3 months to give your skin cells the best possible chance of achieving a new fresh, clear glow!
Sweet spot
Honey has been used for centuries as an effective way for drying out wounds and preventing infections spreading. Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice with so many forms of honey found in farm shops, supermarkets and health food shops from budget varieties to luxury raw organic honeys. But when it comes to healing facial blemishes it’s Manuka honey that will win your affection. Unlike other honeys, Manuka honey is made from bees that have been busy collecting pollen from the Tea Tree plant so this honey contains special antibacterial substances that really help to soothe and heal your skin outbreaks. Simply dab a little on each spot as an effective way to help reduce puss and redness and lower your chances of scaring.
Toxin Flush
Many naturopaths and nutritionists are aware that your skin is a reflection of your overall health so your skin eruptions could simply reflect a toxic lifestyle and sluggish digestion. Cut back on coffee and soft drinks and hydrate your body with water or coconut water to make sure you flush through any toxins. Making sure you have adequate fibre in your diet to aid digestion and keep your bowels regular is also an important part of keeping your body and therefore your skin nice and clean and healthy. Starting the day with porridge or a low sugar muesli topped with fresh fruit is a great way to achieve a fibre-rich breakfast!
However troublesome and embarrassing your monthly skin eruptions have become – get this clear skin tips in place and you within 12-14 weeks you should soon be noticing the benefits!
Written by Susie Perry Debice
