Skin Health

The skin is not only the largest visible organ but also one of the 3 major elimination organs. As such it will quickly respond to toxic overload in the body. Due to current lifestyles, more and more people are suffering from inflammatory and irritating skin problems.

Finding the true causes and addressing it in a natural way ensures long term relief and possible cures.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the status of one’s skin is a good reflection of the body’s internal status. When it comes to eczema; symptoms can range from basic skin sensitivities such as rashes and inflammation to resistant dark, rough or leathery patches of skin that may crust, ooze, bleed, or swell. Most sufferers will exhibit symptoms in the first five years of life, usually in the form of red patches or rashes on the face or body, while others may go years until the onset of their first symptoms.

Eczema is a mix of both genetics, an immune system response and the environment that trigger and exacerbate the inflammatory response of skin in eczema suffers. While not contagious, it can interfere with a person’s daily life, confidence and self-image. It can be frustrating to treat when even minor irritants may trigger a reaction that may be slow or impervious to even prescriptive remedies.

Our environment, what we put on our skin, and what we eat can all play a role in the state of our skin.

Unusual Causes or Triggers of Eczema

Asthma and Hay Fever

Atopic dermatitis, or AD, is the most common form of eczema and often appears as a red, or itchy rash, usually on the cheeks, arms or legs. Typically, this is the form of eczema that is diagnosed in the younger years of life. More so, most sufferers of AD may also experience other allergic conditions such as asthma and hay fever it usually has a genetic component.

Food Allergies

Doing proper food allergy testing may help find food triggers that can cause eczema. Common allergenic foods that are known to cause or increase severity of eczema are dairy, shellfish, nuts, seeds, gluten and processed foods that contain chemical additives and preservatives. A mother’s diet while breastfeeding and the age when an infant is weaned and with what types of food may also play a role in developing symptoms of eczema.

Stress

Stress creates a host of systematic issues in the body including disrupting one’s hormones and immunity. Therefore, reducing stressful triggers and creating a peaceful environment would be an important part in treating the inflammatory response associated with eczema.

Environmental and Chemical Irritants

Pollutants and environmental toxins are difficult to manage, but one can look at the chemical load in everyday household items, personal skin care, clothing, jewellery, microscopic pests like dust mites or pet dander, and even plain water as even a seemingly minor irritant can set off an immune response in an eczema sufferer. Even the skins and juices of fresh fruits and vegetables have potential to create a rash or irritation. Reducing your toxic load with an air purifier, natural skin products, soaps, and buying organic foods may help ease some of these reactions. Additionally, sourcing all cotton clothing, removing all tags, and wearing loose fitting clothing may help as well.

Hormones

Some eczema sufferers may experience hormonal imbalances and thyroid function problems. Hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid may be linked with weakened circulation causing the skin to get much less of the expected normal blood supply, or the body inefficiently removing waste products. Treating the underlying issues related to these hormone imbalances may also help to improve these skin reactions.

How to Relieve Eczema Naturally

Temperature

Extreme temperatures play an important part in severity of symptoms and avoiding it as well as direct cold or heat, or over exerting oneself in exercise may ease symptoms or avoid the onset of symptoms.

Boosting your Bath

Adding calming nutritive or tannic ingredients to a warm bath such as apple cider vinegar, salts, oatmeal, tea bags, and baking soda can help to calm inflamed skin. Massage and Acupressure Relieving stress triggers in the form of massage, acupressure, acupuncture, or meditation can help to reduce these eczema flare ups.

Anti-inflammatory Diet

An overactive immune system combined with a weak gut and hard to digest, potentially allergenic foods can lead to inflammation in the body regardless if you have diagnosed eczema or not. Reducing or eliminating common allergenic foods such as dairy, soy, nuts, seeds, gluten, and processed or fried foods and supplementing with nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, ingredients like healthy fats, probiotic-rich, chlorophyll rich and fresh produce can help to alleviate potential inflammatory or immune reactions.

Fats

Coconut oil not only soothes irritated skin, its antibacterial properties reduce staph bacteria on susceptible wounds. Vegetable glycerin and jojoba oil as well as sesame, castor oil, and argan oils are soothing for the skin externally. Internally, focus on nutritive fats like coconut, virgin olive oil to supply core skin-supporting nutrients like A, D, E and K.

Nutrient gaps

Minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins like D, A, E, and K are essential not only for good healthy skin, they are essential for many necessary bodily functions. Supplementing with these nutrients or ensuring your diet is balanced and that you are additionally absorbing these nutrients can be a helpful step in reversing skin-related issues.

Herbs

Skin soothing herbs such as geranium, white mallow, calendula, and lavender can be helpful externally to expedite healing, while liver supporting and cleansing herbs like milk thistle can help to remove toxins that may be contributing to skin reactions.

Bad Skin Habits

Quit smoking

Smoking negatively affects your skin directly and indirectly and contributes to premature aging besides having other adverse effects on the body.

Refined sugar

Looking older shouldn’t be the only reason you avoid eating sugar, but it is one effect that this addictive substance seems to have. Constantly spiking our blood sugar levels and then later crashing down is an unhealthy cycle that many of us subject our bodies to, and our skin shows it. Opt for natural sugars and sweeteners like dates, honey, fruit and in limited quantities.

Not hydrating

One of the functions of water is transporting nutrients and flushing out toxins. Choose distilled or filtered water and aim for 1,5-2 litres per day.

Using toxic laundry detergent

Given that your clothes are on your body all day and you sleep on your pillows all night, it is a good idea to choose natural detergents and pillow cases / clothing. Some people are more sensitive to chemical irritation than others.

Using Skin Care Products That Contain Alcohol

Alcohol are used to help ingredients mix together to form a finished product, act as preservatives, and temporarily shrink your pores. However, some alcohols used in skin care are drying, irritating, and damaging to your skin, and many contain petroleum-derived additives that should be avoided on your skin. Replace with healing aloe juice and natural plant based skin care products.

Skin Addictions

A common ingredient that skin gets addicted to is benzoyl peroxide. Usually prescribed for acne, it clears up the skin by killing bacteria and reducing oil production. In the long term, it is extremely drying for most skin types, essentially working like a bleach. Alkaline benzoyl peroxide disturbs your skin’s acid mantle, which should be at a pH of between 4.5-5.5. Once you stop using it, your skin starts to re-balance itself to its natural pH. During what is essentially a detox process, many people find that they break out. However, these skin detox-induced breakouts should subside after a few weeks. Choose natural remedies for acne and other skin conditions.

Using Unnatural Makeup

Many makeup brands, use ingredients that can cause you harm. Unnatural makeup products can clog your pores, irritate your skin, and create a barrier that keeps your skin from breathing. So, your skin gets worse over time as you use them. Rather opt for natural mineral makeups without added preservatives and fragrances. Leaving Your Makeup on Overnight Naked skin is happy skin. Especially if you’re wearing chemical makeup brands, you want to give your skin a break overnight and also before doing a work out. When you sweat and your pores open up, dirt, oil and makeup will get in there.

Eating processed foods

Eating mostly whole unprocessed foods will feed your body and skin. Processed foods are bad for your gut microbiome and causes and imbalance of good and bad bacteria. Try having a salad or smoothie every day to increase your intake of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Different coloured produce provides different benefits. Repopulate your good flora by eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. which recharge your gut with helpful bacteria. Take a high-quality probiotic supplement daily. And eat lots of veggies, which feed your existing bacteria the nutrients they need.

Not Exfoliating.

As you get older, your rate of cell turnover decreases and your need for regular exfoliation increases. Giving your skin a good scrub sloughs off dead skin cells and encourages new ones to generate. Plus, when you’re using potent anti-aging products, you want to make sure they are being well absorbed. As you age you might increase to 3-4 times per week. If you have whiteheads or otherwise sensitive skin, be careful not to exfoliate too vigorously.

Ref: www.foodmatters.com (ek sal al die verskillende links uithaal want het baie geshorten maar gee hulle overall die credit? http://www.foodmatters.com/article/get-radiant-skin-by-nourishing-your-gut http://www.foodmatters.com/article/5-unusual-causes-of-eczema-and-how-to-get-relief-naturally http://www.foodmatters.com/article/9-bad-skin-habits-you-should-quit-now-for-amazing-skin http://www.foodmatters.com/article/tips-for-naturally-healthy-skin