THE BENEFITS OF USING HOLISTIC SKINCARE
HELLO BEAUTIFUL!
IT TAKES MORE THAN APPLYING SERUMS AND MOISTURISERS TO HAVE HEALTHY, RADIANT SKIN.
Ever wondered why you’re breaking out before a big meeting, after eating too much dairy, or during your period?
Your skin is a reflection of all that’s going on inside, including your diet, stress level and hormones. Drawing from my knowledge as a Beauty Therapist, we look at the bigger picture to understand the root cause of skin imbalances, not just the symptoms. This is the essence of Holistic Skin Care Noosa.
Factoring all of this into your skin care routine may seem overwhelming, so we’ve developed simple recommendations to address common concerns.
Supporting Skin Health with Nourishing Food
What you eat plays a pivotal role in supporting skin health. Imbalances in the gut or digestive system can lead to inflammation and sensitive skin. To support a healthy gut, it’s important to consume foods with phytonutrients and antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation in the body. The basic rule is to fill your plate with mostly organic fresh vegetables and legumes (beans and peas), then add a smaller amount of whole grains (brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, or barley, not refined white flour or rice). If you’re not vegetarian, include a small portion (3 to 4 ounces) of clean protein like organic beef, free-range poultry, pastured pork, wild game, or oily fish such as wild salmon.
How Stress Affects Your Skin
When we’re stressed, our bodies produce cortisol, which is a major contributor to many health problems in the body and the skin. Because cortisol interacts with the circulatory, nervous and immune systems, it can trigger skin-related problems like acne, eczema, hives, psoriasis and rosacea.
While stress may be an inevitable part of our busy lives, we can change how we adapt to it. Herbal remedies like herbal teas and tinctures help the body adapt to stress and relax the nervous system. Adjust your daily rituals to incorporate Adaptogen herbs like Ginseng and Schisandra Berry, which build immunity and energy reserves, and herbs like Chamomile and Passionflower, sedative herbs that help relax the body and mind.
Nurturing Your Skin Microbiome
If all of these factors affect skin health, why do we focus so much on skin care? Nurturing your skin microbiome helps to lay the foundation for healthy skin. This is where ingredients come into play. Avoiding known irritants and choosing nourishing ingredients helps to support and repair the skin barrier, preventing imbalances like acne, rosacea and premature aging.
Skin Care products such as Dr. Hauschka and Weleda combine proven botanicals with clean cosmeceuticals to nourish the skin while delivering results, building a strong foundation for radiant skin.
WHAT IS THE SKIN MICROBIOME?
You've likely heard about the gut microbiome, the seat of our immune system that's home to billions of both good and bad bacteria. Like the gut, the skin has its own microbiome, a complex ecosystem of bacteria that serves as the foundation for healthy skin. Although rarely talked about, a balanced skin microbiome is critical in protecting your skin from acne, irritation and premature aging.
Even if you have a solid skin care routine, you can still be prone to these skin issues because other factors like environmental damage, your skin's pH level, the amount of oil in your skin and hydration all impact the skin microbiome. Therefore, it is important to create a diverse ecosystem where good bacteria can thrive and protect your skin. Here, we'll break down the skin microbiome and the best ways to keep it healthy.
Breaking it down
The three elements of a healthy skin barrier are the skin microbiome, the acid mantle and the lipid barrier. These work in harmony to protect against irritants, environmental damage and infection. The skin microbiome, found at the surface of the skin, is your skin's first line of defense.
Every microbiome is different, so there's no perfect formula to keeping it balanced as it typically varies with location, age and gender. Like the gut, it is important to nourish the beneficial bacteria in your skin's microbiome with prebiotics and probiotics so that it can properly defend against irritants. Prebiotics are nutrients that help feed and strengthen good bacteria. Probiotics are live, good bacteria that help promote a healthy ecosystem.
FOR A HEALTHY SKIN MICROBIOME, FOLLOW THESE HOLISTIC BEAUTY STEPS
Cleanse, Don't Strip
The best thing you can do to protect the skin microbiome is not to over-wash your skin. Over-cleansing and the use of antimicrobial irritants, like sulfates and parabens, wipes out all bacteria, leaving your skin exposed to irritants and pathogens. Resist over-washing your face and consider a Cleansing Milk to enhance the skin barrier.
Support the Skin Barrier
Rose Day Cream contains protective, fortifying qualities in a lightweight formulation, perfect for sensitive skin or use in warmer weather. Rose Day Cream Light transfers to your skin the invigorating powers of the rose to nourish hydrate and protect dry, sensitive skin for a calm, even and balanced complexion. The ideal all-day companion for sensitive, as well as normal, dry and irritated skin.
Protect with SPF
Swap chemical sunscreen for a mineral-based SPF, which creates a physical barrier to shield the skin from UVA and UVB rays, while also helping to calm inflammation in acne-prone skin.