How gut health affects our skin
How gut health affects our skin
Do you struggle with acne, eczema, psoriasis or frequent rashes? Chances are that even if you don’t struggle with these chronic skin issues, you know someone who does. Did you know that when you are dealing with an outward skin issue, the first place to be addressed should be your gut? Does that sound crazy? If so, bear with me so I can explain some of the interesting things I have learned over the years about how closely digestive health and our skin are linked.
When my son was between 4 or 6 months he began to develop terrible eczema. At first we thought maybe it was due to his drooling (he drooled SO much). We assumed this was causing the rash around his mouth and neck. That makes sense, right? Well, time went on and his arms and legs would soon also be covered in a rash that would just not go away. We tried medicated creams, natural remedies, we put socks on his hands so he wouldn’t scratch. You name it. This went on for what felt like forever until we finally started getting some answers. I asked his doctor if it could be dietary, like an allergic reaction. DJ wasn’t eating solids yet but I was breastfeeding so what I ate affected him too. I eliminated gluten, dairy and nuts, some of the most common allergens. This helped a little, but there was more work to be done. I felt like I had to figure this out on my own. It was so frustrating because his doctor never even referred to this issue as eczema, only dry skin. Seriously?! As a new mom, I felt like I was going crazy. People would constantly give me well meaning advice, but nothing helped. We started taking DJ to an allergist and it was confirmed that he did have all the most common allergies (peanuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn). I started to research heavily, and looked to holistic mommy bloggers as a source of information. I found an ebook called "The Eczema Cure" and this was a huge wake up call for me. He was having these issues; chronic eczema and allergies, because he had poor gut health. How does a baby get poor gut health to begin with? I can do a whole new post on that alone, so let’s save that for another day.
DJ at around 6 months when his eczema flares started.
We needed to heal his gut if we ever wanted to see lasting results. I started working with a nutritionist and she recommended the GAPS diet which is a diet solely dedicated to healing and sealing the gut lining, ultimately resulting in a gut that is no longer permeable. This diet is also recommended for many developmental disorders in children, and mental health disorders in adults as the gut and brain are very closely linked. You can learn more about the GAPS diet here if you are interested.
Intestinal permeability is when food and toxins are leaking into your bloodstream, instead of being digested and eliminated by your stomach acid. When we have toxins and undigested foods swimming around in our blood, it causes an inflammatory response in our body, which can manifest on the skin in the form of eczema, rashes, psoriasis, etc. There are of course environmental factors that can play a part too, but a great place to start is food and food intolerances to see if it helps.
If you are struggling with this, know that you are not alone, and there is HOPE! While he’s still a very picky eater, DJ is so much better now and only struggles with seasonal allergies, a few food allergies but has absolutely NO eczema. It took a long time; we didn't start seeing results until he was about 2, but it was worth every penny, headache, Dr. visit, supplement, article read, and so on. This is what awakened my passion in nutrition, holistic living, and functional wellness, and I am so grateful for that! Check out this podcast HERE to learn more about what steps to take if you or your child has eczema or skin issues.
Get glowing skin by fixing your gut
So what steps can we take to get the skin and gut health we desire? I’d like to share some tips! Please note, everyone is different, not all these approaches will work for everyone. The best advice I can give is do your own research and find something that works for you and your lifestyle. Sometimes it will take a bit of trial and error to figure that out.
Eat more probiotic rich foods
This will help to repopulate your microbiome with helpful bacteria, improving your digestion and hopefully any skin issues you may have. Enjoy fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir or beverages like kombucha.
Consider a quality probiotic
If none of the above foods sound appealing to you, or you have issues with histamines, talk to your doctor or practitioner about recommending a probiotic. There are tons of probiotics on the market and so many different strains so take some time to educate yourself on which work best for you.
Use gentle skin care products
Using products with minimal ingredients can help to avoid further irritating your skin. Many skin and personal care products are labeled as “all-natural”, “vegan”, or “plant based” causing the consumer to believe they are more natural or “clean”. Unfortunately these are often just marketing claims to sell a product. Sure a product can be plant based and vegan, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t also have preservatives or chemicals not great for our skin health, and ultimately our internal health. While the FDA may deem these products safe, many times these additives can be endocrine disruptors, causing inflammation over long term use. Our skin is our biggest organ so whatever we put on it goes directly into our bodies. Use resources like EWG’s Skin Deep App, or the think dirty app which both rate products based on the safety of their ingredients.
Get in tune with your digestion
Choose to eliminate foods that may be causing inflammation. This is probably the hardest one because no one wants to give up foods they love. But if you notice a connection between eating a certain food and your skin flare ups, consider cutting that item out for about 2 weeks to see if symptoms improve. It can also help to keep a journal to associate symptoms with foods you are eating to better pinpoint a possible trigger. The common allergens I mentioned above are a great place to start. If you still want to dig deeper, consider blood work to see if it shows any specific triggers you are eating.
Check out this 5 minute video below for a more in depth resource on this topic!
We’ll talk soon!
Aria
