The other day, I was on the elliptical machine at the gym and an infomercial came on for acne medication. When I went to the company’s website, it noted that there was no cure for acne. If someone with problem skin read that, they may conclude that they’re doomed to years of breakouts and treating their skin with washes and creams and medications.
Well, have you ever heard the expression by Tony Robbins, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”? This holds true for skin breakouts!
Because in most cases, I believe there is a ‘cure’ for acne and it begins with a mindset shift–from thinking it needs to be treated on the outside to understanding how to prevent it from the inside–and then making the changes necessary to prevent it .
Years ago, I had bouts of cystic acne and no matter what I used on my skin it didn’t help. It wasn’t until I cleaned up my diet that the breakouts stopped. And now if they ever show up again, I know it’s because of what I’m putting inside my body.
If not triggered by allergies to outside sources, many skin conditions like acne and eczema are usually caused by food sensitivities that irritate the lining of your gut, causing it to leak. The rash or the breakout is simply your body’s way of detoxing and is a message that something is wrong inside. The offending foods may also be contributing to hormone imbalances that can also trigger a breakout.
In addition, like so many personal care products, many acne creams have ingredients like parabens, BHT, fragrances, and propylene glycol that themselves can cause allergic reactions or even act as xenoestrogens and increase your body’s toxic load. While there are some acne treatments that are relatively safe, the Environmental Working Group’s site Skin Deep, lists a number of products that scored as high as 9 out of 10 with 10 being the highest for concern.
To minimize the occurrence of breakouts once and for all, there are four steps that need to be taken:
1. Remove the offending foods from the diet
2. Heal the gut
3. Replace offending foods with gut-friendly foods that also balance hormone levels
4. Replenish the bacterial flora and feed them to keep the gut strong and healthy
It sounds like a simple process; however, it can sometimes be a challenge to identify the foods and/or eliminate them, especially if they’ve become part of your everyday life. Whether you’re struggling with a skin condition like acne or eczema, or know someone who is, I bet you or they would be thrilled to take control of the condition. It begins with a conversation to determine where you’re at and where we need to go from there. To learn more, contact me and we can talk about whether my support will give you the relief you need, once and for all. You have nothing to lose and clear, beautiful skin to gain.
Image courtesy of Africa