Gut health and skin health go hand in hand. Our gut microbiome heavily influences our immune system and affects the wellbeing of our other organs such as the skin.
The skin on the outside can be an accurate reflection of what’s going on inside and if your gut-skin axis isn’t working well, no amount of lotions, potions, creams or serums are going to significantly change what’s happening on the surface.
Essentially, inflammation in the gut can manifest as skin issues. Chronic acne, eczema, dry or sensitive skin, and rashes are common skin conditions that are often an indicator of an internal imbalance.
If you’re being plagued by skin troubles, ask yourself:
⁃ Are you consuming too much refined sugar/processed carbs and not enough fibre + nutrient-dense food?
⁃ Have you recently had a round of antibiotics?
⁃ Are you adequately able to manage psychological stress?
⁃ Are you getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep?
⁃ Are you drinking enough water throughout the day?
⁃ Are you moving your body regularly (like REALLY moving aka exercising)?
Addressing these factors help balance out the gut microbiome and consequently has a positive downstream effect on your overall health including having healthy, glowing skin.
Things you can do to boost skin health:
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (water kefir totally counts towards your daily water intake FYI!)
- Boost your circulation - get moving: go for a walk, for a run, for a swim, lift some weights, do some downward dogs, have a dance party with your kids/friends/nano/dada
- Be more mindful of your gut. Anything that directly harms gut health - sugar, processed food, very little fibre - is not good for your skin health either.
While your skin care routine including creams, serums and face washes, may help in your quest for healthy skin - they usually are attempting to treat the symptom and not the cause. (Also, the fact that the large majority of popular skin care products contain toxic chemicals that are categorised as endocrine disruptors is a topic for a whole other post/series).
Tending to your gut garden and healing from the inside out is what will keep your skin glowing, vibrant and healthy in the long run.