Skin clues
What your skin is trying to tell you
When you see someone (in real life, not via filters!) with a glowing complexion, it springs from much deeper within them than some type of clever highlighter they’ve applied or the primer they put on that morning.
Skin that truly glows is cultivated from a vast array of physical and emotional processes inside you, including the nutrients you supply your body with as well as how lit up you feel about your life. Everything, even what you are focused on in this very moment, tends to be reflected on the outside and contributes (or not) to your sparkle.
Skin that is dull, dehydrated, prone to breakouts or blemishes, dry or ageing rapidly is often an indication that we need to address something internally. In fact, all of our beauty challenges can indicate imbalances in the body. This is because the health of your hair, skin and nails are an exterior demonstration of what is going on inside you.
“If we’re listening (and observing), the health and vitality of our skin, hair and nails can tell us a lot about what might be going on inside our bodies”
The ‘beauty bits’ as I like to call them, are often the first to show up concerns as they are considered by the body to be the least important in terms of nourishment. Your body will always prioritise keeping you alive – it has your survival at its heart. This means, however, that the production of stress hormones and other vital processes are considered to be far more essential than how radiant your skin is. So, if we’re listening (and observing), the health and vitality of our skin, hair and nails can tell us a lot about what might be going on inside our bodies.
The next time you look at your skin and think it’s looking a little tired, consider what it might be trying to tell you. Do you feel like stress is something you experience on a regular basis? Would you benefit from increasing your intake of green leafy vegetables and other colourful plant foods (and if stress is a common occurrence for you, your nutritional requirements will only be higher)? Antioxidant-rich foods slow down the degenerative processes of ageing. Have you been consuming more problematic substances? These too can escalate the production of substances that age us from the inside out. Treat any beauty challenges you face as a gift from your body designed to help you better understand what’s truly going on.
Here are a few common beauty challenges and what your body could be trying to communicate.
Acne
This is quite often perpetuated by a sex hormone imbalance arising from high levels of androgens or prolactin, or an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. Hormone imbalances are a common fallout from ongoing stress. The liver supports efficient sex hormone clearance from the body and zinc-rich foods or a supplement may help to repair the surface of the skin.
Pigmentation on the face
This can indicate a sex hormone imbalance, usually too much estrogen in the second part (luteal phase) of the menstrual cycle. It can also arise with use of the oral contraceptive pill. Additionally, new pigmentation can also be a stress response, the result of excessive sun exposure, too many vegetable oils from processed foods or inadequate antioxidant intake.
Dark circles under the eyes
Aside from a lack of sleep, this is most often the result of compromised digestive function or a liver that needs more care via food and drink choices as well as stress, which diminishes our digestive power. However, it can also be a sign that a particular food may not be serving you.
Hair loss
This is often linked to the endocrine system (for example, thyroid or sex hormone imbalances) or it can be stress related. Certain nutrient deficiencies have also been linked to hair loss, such as iron and zinc.
Dr Libby has just released her ‘Overcoming Rushing Woman’s Syndrome’ 30 day online course, designed to teach you how to truly reduce your stress—and the negative health consequences it can elicit—while living a full and thriving life. www.drlibby.com/courses