November/December 2002 Alternative Health
Holistic Skinergy: Skincare, Inside & Out

by Christine Faith, esthetician & aromatherapist

What would you do if you spilled anti-freeze (propylene glycol) on your skin? Rinse immediately with plenty of cool water, right? And yet, if you use commercial moisturizers, face creams, toners, body lotions, etc., chances are that you are unwittingly applying toxic ingredients like this one and many others when using these products!

"You are what you eat!" applies to your skin, too. Dermal patches (hormones, nicotine, etc.) attest to the efficacy of trans-dermal absorption. It serves us well to insist on purity of ingredients we apply to our skin, since they end up in our bloodstream!

There is no question that healthy skin begins with diet. There isn’t a magic potion on the planet that will help acneic or toxic overloaded skin that’s indulged with sugary cereals in the morning, pizza for lunch and more fat and starch for dinner, followed by ice cream for dessert! You may be able to get away with some of the former for a time, but it will catch up with you, you can bet your skin on it!

In addition to obvious aggravators, there may be food allergies involved as well. More than totally eliminating the offenders, it is important to establish a balance; so begin by incorporating fresh, organic juices, raw vegetables (grated salads are wonderful….contact me for recipes!) and plenty of greens. Remember that chlorophyll is the ultimate blood cleanser! Very important vitamins to maintain a glowing complexion include: vitamin C complex with anti-inflammatory bioflavonoids and rutin. Vitamin C is the most important antioxidant, rebuilding skin’s immune system and collagen. It’s vital for lack of tone or signs of aging, as well as for skin damaged by repeated sunburn or scarring. It’s fantastic for capillary fragility, for healing bruises quickly and to help treat rosacea. Vitamins A & B feed stressed, tired complexions. Note that a B6 deficiency has been positively linked to acne. Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) is an antioxidant that enhances healing and tissue repair. Zinc is very important for restoring sebum balance and to prevent scarring. Take the picolinate form if you have a sensitive stomach.

Other free radical destroying antioxidants which are great for the skin include super oxide dismutase (SOD), Coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid, as well as herbal sources including burdock, ginkgo biloba, garlic, bilberry, milk thistle (silymarin) and green tea.

Essential fatty acids (gamma linolenic & linoleic) are needed to keep the skin smooth and soft, repair tissues and to dissolve pore clogging sebum deposits. Excellent sources are found in flaxseed oil and especially in evening primrose and borage oils.

More important than any correction provided by supplements is the elimination of your skin’s worst enemy: dehydration! Did you know that you must drink approximately 10 cups of water to replace the dehydrating effects of one cup of coffee? Who has time to deal with the results of THAT? As a matter of course, you should already be drinking at least 10 large glasses of pure water a day. To correct the effects of dehydration, start with weaning yourself off of caffeine, if you haven’t done so already. You will gain some benefit from the antioxidants in green tea, so you can substitute with less guilt! Other herbs which your skin will love include (in addition to antioxidant herbs mentioned above) dandelion, alfalfa, chaste tree berry (for hormonally reactive skin), yellow dock and red clover.

Once a new dietary pattern is adopted, you may find that your former cravings for fats and sugars dissipate. When suspected allergens are recognized, we may find that taking a break from those foods for a few months will make a difference. We may even begin to slowly reincorporate the suspected "offenders" without the former results, once our bodies reclaim balance.

Since stress also takes a huge toll on our body’s largest organ, make sure that you take regular "time out", de-stressing in a way which is compatible with your lifestyle. A holistic facial, along with accompanying reflexology feet and hand treatment is wonderful for relaxation, as well as for "dermaintenance." Include plenty of exercise in your program, which is vital for healthy skin! Pumping up oxygen levels in the blood will bring nutrients into, as well carry wastes away from your skin, bringing life to a dull, sluggish complexion.

The result of patient application of holistic principles to your whole body, nourishing from within as well as maintaining the highest standards of what you apply without, will give you glowing results!

Christine Faith is an Oregon licensed esthetician and aromatherapist, and owner of Holistic Skinergy. She studied medical aspects of aromatherapy with Drs. Daniel Penoel, Kurt Schnaubelt and others. Her independent studies in holistic healing and herbology span 3 decades. Ms. Faith can be reached for facial appointments and consultations at (503) 913 1541 and skincredible@aol.com.