6 Natural Ways To Get Glowing Skin & Fix Acne
NAT KRINGOUDIS
We are all searching for glowing skin! It can be tricky to achieve, but there are a few things you might be missing when you are trying to reach your goal!
1. Work It From The Inside Out
Your skin is your largest organ, but very often the most neglected. The relationship with your gut health and your skin is intertwined. You might be excited to learn (since it may all make sense now) that your skin is one of the only ways (besides orally or via the bowels) that your body can push out toxins or waste it can’t deal with. So when we see issues like acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, rashes and alike, naturally my first point of call is the gut health. Investing in a good probiotic alongside broths that contain quality collagen for lining repair will help to nourish and support good digestion. You can check out a post on probiotics here and broth here. If your acne is predominantly around your mouth and cheeks, it’s a little clue into your gut health being your issue.
2. Combat Inflammation
Many skin conditions are also a result of crazy inflammation as a result of poor diet. Inflammatory foods including gluten, sugar and dairy can wreak havoc with our insides and really wear away good gut flora. My suggestion – apply the 80/20 rule. You might like to pick one of these and remove it (say gluten) as a start and see where that takes you. Gluten is a disaster for most people, it’s super hard to digest and leads to a plethora of problems. Cut it out for a few weeks as a starting point and see.
3. Cleanse
If your acne or poor skin is a result of toxic build-up (as opposed to hormone imbalance, although even then a cleanse can really help) invest in a good cleanse. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to detoxify, but sadly pollutants are everywhere; found in our water, air, food and environment in general. Let it be noted, cleanses don’t need to be harsh and drastic. Cleansing yourself should be about eating really easily digested foods, cleaning out the gut and regulating the liver gently.
4. Rebalance Your Hormones
Hormonal acne is most often seen along the jawline and often on the neck and back. If this is where you're finding your trouble spots to be (and often they are way worse than spots – they are boulders big enough to seal a tomb – I should know, I’m totally prone myself) it’s your clue to getting onto rebalancing your hormones. Generally, I find that in these instances women are estrogen dominant. You can read more about how to fix that here.
5. Know Your Triggers And Avoid Or Manage
I know for me, lack of sleep, flying and that special little window before I’m expecting my period are all times that my skin can go a little haywire. So it’s in these times I need to step it up with good nutrition and quality filtered water. Our diet and lifestyle play a huge role in facilitating the nutrients our bodies need to nourish our skin. It’s in these times we might need to step it up, nurture ourselves a little better and be mindful of putting our bodies under extra stress that will only make the situation worse. My biggest fix is actually a nice cup of tea and a good night's sleep.
6. Find Your Topical Fix
It took me years to realize that my skincare regime was actually part of the problem. I was madly trying to strip away the oil, which only made the issue worse. The more I tried to scrub and lather, the more my skin was being stripped of essential oils, meaning it was constantly being tripped into overdrive. The solution for me was oil cleansers combined with a good old face washer! Oil, for me, was my saviour, but we are all different. My best recommendation is to invest in some time with a natural skin care provider and really get to understanding individually what your skin needs.
Of course there are many fixers when it comes to clearing up your skin. I’d love to hear your best ‘fixers’ and even your worst! It’s all about finding out what works for you (and of course WHY – I’m all about the why!)
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Nat Kringoudis is a bona fide women’s health revolutionist and fertility fixer with a big heart for natural healthcare. She is a Dr of Chinese Medicine, an author, speaker and the founder and owner of The Pagoda Tree. Nat has stepped up to champion fertility BEFORE it becomes an issue. With the belief of ‘Why wait until it’s broken?’ Nat is helping women in their twenties to lay a gangbuster ‘healthy hormone’ foundation, knowing that this is the way forward in the world of women’s health. Nat has penned three books Well & Good, Eat Fat, Be Thin and Eat Fat, Be Lean. And she tours Australia regularly, holding workshops and speaking at other events to help women get clued …