Hello SOTGC community!
QUESTION:
Do you absolutely love the way your skin looks and feels today?
QUESTION:
Would you love it more if it were soft, supple, firm, clear and glowing?
If you answered no to the first and yes to the second then you’re in the right place today doll! (If you don’t have time for the nitty gritty details, skip to the end of this post to see the three keys summarized.)
FACT:
Oil production in skin is impacted by hormones. As hormones spike, so does oil production. And that’s why so many teens going through adolescence suffer from acne. But women also experience hormonal fluctuations throughout their life and into menopause, making acne a returning problem for adult women even into their 40s and up. Yahoo for keeping hormones balanced and my insides (gut) happy!
Okay, let’s have a little refresher course on just how this all works so we can talk easy treatment and enjoy healthy, clear, and glowing skin for the majority of our lives, shall we?
How Acne Forms
- As surface skin cells die, they can clump together in the pore.
- Oil produced inside the pore mixes with these clumps and forms a plug.
- The plug traps oil that continues to be produced, enlarging the pore.
- acnes bacteria flourish when there is a lack of oxygen and can trigger a reaction that can lead to tender, swollen, red lesions.
While its critical to deep cleanse skin to penetrate and clear pores and help maintain a clear complexion, adding a couple of safe and simple blemish busting ingredients to your nightly or twice daily routine can make a huge impact. Enter the dynamic duo of Acne Fighters – salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide (BPO). Salicylic acid acts like an exfoliant to promote the easy removal of dead skin cells while BPO is an oxygen-releasing ingredient that kills bacteria.
According to Dr. Beth Lange, Chief Scientific Officer at Mary Kay Cosmetics, “The best acne treatments include products that use ingredients recognized most by U.S. dermatologists for successfully treating acne — salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Together, these two ingredients attack multiple factors that can contribute to acne breakouts, including the buildup of dead skin cells in pores, P. acnes bacteria buildup, excess oil and triggers that can lead to red, tender lesions.”
Over-the-counter strength acne treatments with up to 5% benzoyl peroxide and 2% salicylic acid are quite effective for most people with mild to moderate acne. These strengths, when applied directly to pimples, will clear up blemishes without irritating skin. I mean, is it really better to replace acne with red, flaky, irritated skin? That’s not a trade-off I want to make and I’m glad I don’t have to.
QUESTION:
In addition to how acne forms with increased oil production, what other factors contribute to dull skin and breakouts?
FACT:
It’s important to keep in mind that our skin is the largest organ on our body and what goes in must come out … If not through our intestines, then through our skin. (Too graphic? Forgive my offense but it’s just the way things work!) Diet, food sensitivities, toxins, waste buildup, lack of sleep and too little exercise or daily movement can all contribute to unlovely skin by causing inflammation in the body. But take heart! It’s all correctable and you can love your skin again.
I think we can intelligently touch on each of these issues:
- Diet and Food Sensitivities:
- Changes in the diets of North Americans or what is often now referred to as SAD, the Standard American Diet, and a lack of nutritional diversity (eating the same foods all the time) can create food sensitivities as well as increase the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in the skin. One great resource is The Clear Skin Diet by Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar, which you can get from Amazon books.
Credit: FashionBomb Daily
- Waste Buildup:
- Don’t sneeze at a healthy quarterly cleanse. It can be a wonderful experience and doesn’t have to be a pure juice/liquid cleanse. There are many healthy options but please partner with a reputable and highly recommended holistic practitioner to help you pinpoint the foods that are creating the greatest problem for you and help you determine the best cleanse options. Remember, we’re not all gluten sensitive so be cautious about “popular” thought and seek experienced professional evaluation first.
- Increase the amount of clean water you intake daily and be sure to consume plenty of fiber rich foods and leafy greens. If needed, you can add a fiber supplement with probiotics but one that does not dissolve in water. It needs to stay “gritty” in order to gently help scrape clean the intestinal walls and flush out waste. It feels so good to be lighter and eliminate bloating!
- Not Enough Sleep:
- Be selfish with your sleep so your organs can renew while you get some Z’s. When your skin is deprived of critical healing time, the natural
![4 RestorativeSleep]()
process of cellular rejuvenation is cut short, which creates a lackluster skin surface that struggles to eliminate dead skin cells, making us appear aged. Not to mention the addition of tired eyes complete with bags and dark circles. So I encourage you to be intentional about getting deep, restorative sleep.
- Be selfish with your sleep so your organs can renew while you get some Z’s. When your skin is deprived of critical healing time, the natural
process of cellular rejuvenation is cut short, which creates a lackluster skin surface that struggles to eliminate dead skin cells, making us appear aged. Not to mention the addition of tired eyes complete with bags and dark circles. So I encourage you to be intentional about getting deep, restorative sleep.- Get Moving:
- This is not new information to any of us but knowing just how harmful it is to our bodies and, thus, our skin by not moving enough throughout the day is pretty important. If you sit a great deal during your work day, just be sure and move around every 30 minutes if possible. This will increase blood flow and oxygen intake to help with brain function and give your skin a flirty flush.
3 Keys Summarized:
- Use skin care formulated for your skin type morning and night that includes a deep cleansing wash and hydrating moisturize.
- Add in the Dynamic Duo of 5% Benzoyl Peroxide and 2% Salicylic Acid nightly for occasional breakouts and oily skin or both morning and night for moderate acne and extra oily skin.
- Reduce inflammation and keep your gut clean by properly adjusting diet and water intake, getting plenty of fiber, real restorative sleep, and top it off with intervals of movement throughout the day and some good old fashion perspiration in your daily workouts.
Well, lovelies, I realize none of this is ground breaking news but rather a reminder that there isn’t a secret pill to clear skin. The healthiest skin is the result of good skin care with the right products and an all-around healthy lifestyle. It is simple to obtain, and I want for all of you to know just how beautiful you are and for your skin to reflect that, flawlessly.
Need your own skin care consultant? Want a complimentary consultation by phone, Skype or in person to determine your specific needs and the right combo to help perfect your complexion? Just click here to message me!
Clearly Yours,
Cobi
