Am I suffering with ‘leaky skin?’

How to tell if your gut is driving your chronic skin issues.

Have you been experiencing flaking or sensitised skin?


Do you find your skin is easily irritated, dry and sensitive?

Perhaps you have heard your skin health has a large connection with your gut health, but have don’t have any obvious ‘gut symptoms?’

Well if this is you, or if you feel your skin conditions may be from an issue beyond skin deep, here is some support for you!

Often chronic and inflamed skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis have been labelled ‘leaky skin’, as they have been shown to have a strong connection to the health of the gut.
In particular, the health and quality of your gut lining has been shown to have a strong connection to the integrity of your skin microbiome.

Particularly a condition commonly known as ‘leaky gut’, or intestinal permeability. 

This refers to the quality of your gut lining.

If there are any ‘gaps’ or ‘leaks’ within the tight junctions of the gut, this can lead to food being leached out into the bloodstream, which leads to inflammation in the body.


This inflammation has been shown to have a strong connection to these inflammatory skin conditions, hence where the term ‘leaky skin’ comes from.

So, how can ‘leaky gut’ lead to flaking and sensitised skin?

Your gut is composed of your microbiome. The health of your gut microbiome has a large role in your skins health, as your skin too has its own microbiome. This connection between your gut health influences the skin and changes on the skin, including; the health and quality of your microbiome, as well as the quality and integrity of your gut lining.


Now interestingly; there has been an increase in research over the last few years about the connection and relationship between inflammatory skin conditions and gut permeability, hence where the term ‘leaky skin’ comes from.

Intestinal permeability is when there are gaps or ‘leaks’ in the gut lining, which leads to food particles being leached out into the blood stream. As food particles are not able to be broken down properly, this causes undigested foods to leach into the blood stream, further driving inflammation in the body.

As our gut health is so important for our skin health and integrity, if there is this inflammation internally, this is going to show up and exacserbate this inflammation showing up externally.
Particularly in chronic skin issues and conditions like intestinal permeability. This leads to food particles, which have not been able to break down properly, literally ‘leaching’ into the bloodstream, which can trigger many symptoms, and particularly skin issues.

So, how does ‘leaky gut’ impact my skin?

Inflammatory skin conditions are often due to the overproduction of the inflammation occurring internally, which shows up externally. This includes T cells, cytokines and interleukins, and a gene called flaggerin gene, which plays a vital role in skin hydration.

Now, these are normal cells that are produced when the body perceives it it is being invaded by a foreign pathogen, virus or bacteria. 
The issue is when there is an overproduction of these, or in the case of auto-immune conditions, this leads to ongoing inflammation in the body, which can drive these excessive skin issues like eczema, and dermatitis.

So, how can intestinal permeability can impact your skin:

Mutations in the flaggrin Gene (FLR).

Fillagrrin is part of the structural component of the skin, and is an essential part of maintaining the skins barrier function and hydration. 
However, if there is a mutation or deficiency in this gene; this can lead to an overproduction of inflammation and loss of hydration on the skin.
 This has also been shown to have a strong correlation with inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis.

This increases trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) 

This causes an overproduction of T cells, interleukins and inflammatory cytokines. These are what our body sends out to signal when a foreign pathogen or invader is entering the body (like a virus, bacteria, or pathogen), which helps to fight off against this bacteria from entering the body.

However, the problem is when there is an overproduction of this gene, the body begins to perceive some of its own cells and tissues of the body as ‘foreign’, and sends out these cells, which creates an overproduction, or excess inflammation in the body, commonly driving these skin conditions .


Excess inflammation increases Cortisol

High cortisol also causes an increase in TEWL which reduces moisture in the skin.
 This excess inflammation in the body essentially increases stress in the body, and shifts the body into ‘flight or fight’ mode. This increases the bodies cortisol production. 
High cortisol can lead to sensitised skin conditions, as the skin begins to loose its moisture content, and looses it water in the skin, further contributing to this dry and inflamed skin.

Dysbiosis or low hydrochloric acid (HCL)
If we do not have a healthy gut microbiome, or if our gut is in a highly dysbiotic state (higher in inflammatory bacteria), this also impacts our skin microbiome.
Low HCL has also been shown to have an impact on our skins health, as this affects how well your food is able to be digested or absorbed.
If this process is not happening properly, this can also lead to nutritional deficiencies and contribute to chronic skin issues.

What are some tips to support these conditions?:



• Include key nutrients like Glutamine, Vitamin C and Zinc

  These are essential for supporting and repairing the cellular lining and lining of the gut.
  Vitamin C and Zinc also provide anti-oxidant properties, and work hand in hand to support cellular renewal and reduce this oxidative stress. 



• Include supportive foods like bone broth, slippery elm or psyllium husk

  These help support and maintain the quality and health of your gut lining, and provide beneficial support for the healing and repair of gut imbalances.
 Bone broth also naturally contains collagen which is vital to help rebuild and repair skin tissue and integrity.



• Avoid inflammatory foods
  
This include foods like packeted, processed foods, refined sugar, and refined flours, and for some diary and gluten products. 
Refined grains and flours like crisps, processed breads, and white breads are also inflammatory foods.
  These foods can further lead to inflammation in the body, which can worsen chronic skin issues. 
These also contain emulsifiers, additives and preservatives, all of which can further impede the gut lining and integrity. As these foods are already foreign to the body, and harder for the body to break down. Therefore, in a time of healing and supporting your gut integrity, it’s best to avoid these.

• Include antioxidants
  Focus on consuming foods that is going to be easier for the body to absorb and digest. Ideally you want to focus on broths, soups and slow cooked stews. 

Include drinks like miso, green tea, herbal teas, matcha lattes and turmeric latte.
  These provide antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory which will help support and repair the gut lining!

  

If you feel your gut may be driving your chronic skin issues, or if you are ready to get to the root cause of your skin issues, but are not sure where to begin, then I am here to help you!

  Simply head to skinnutriotionco.com.au for more information, or to book an appointment. Also, if you know a friend or family member who needs to here this, then please share this with them.
 My only hope is to help empower as many people as I can experiencing chronic skin issues, with the right knowledge and guidance to help them support thier skin, from the inside out, for good.

Thank you again, until next time.


Dominique

Skin Nutrition Co.
contact@skinnutritionco.com.au
www.skinnutritionco.com.au

Have you been convinced or sold into the idea that a detox will help support your skin?

Or perhaps you are wanting to detox your liver to help support your skin, but are unsure of the best way to do so.  If this is the case, then this post is for you!
In the previous blog I wrote about why our liver health is so important and how to properly support it. If you missed the first blog then you can check it out here https://skinnutritionco.com.au/blog.

The liver is such a crucial organ for skin health, and it’s a widely known fact that it is involved in detoxification. With the skin being the most external organ of the body as well as the largest excretory organ of the body, it’s no doubt that the two go hand in hand when it comes to addressing your skin health.

In fact, often chronic and inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, breakouts and eczema are known to be connected to the health of liver. Therefore, focusing on supporting the liver is essential for improving these conditions. However, often products or ‘diets’ that claim to  help ‘detox’, often promote ideas that are not so healthy, and may actually hinder, and even worsen your skin condition if not supported properly.

Here I wanted to break down and debunk the common myths about detoxs for your skin, so you can truly support and nourish your skin, from the inside out!

1. Under eating and Restrictive Dieting


The liver is involved in the metabolism and transportation of essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, fats and proteins. 
Therefore, it is important to ensure you are eating full and balanced meals to support the livers health and promote optimal healing.
Contrary to the common myths that many detoxes promote, often advising restrictive programs, or very low calories, this can actually impair the livers ability to properly detoxify if is not receiving enough essential nutrients, and can even worsen skin conditions. 
We need to ensure our liver is receiving enough vital nutrients to allow the process of detoxification , for the breakdown of nutrients and toxins to work efficiently. 

If we are undereating, or cutting out certain food groups, this reduces the livers ability to properly repair and support its proper functions. 
If your body is trying to rebuild and recover, whether this is for an injury or rebuilding skin tissues, under eating or skipping out on essential nutrients will impair the bodies ability to do this, and can even worsen or impair your skins wound healing ability.



2. Low Protein


Cutting out foods groups, especially protein can actually worsen or exacserbate skin issues, as protein is needed to rebuild skin tissues. 
Healthy lean protein is needed to support a healthy liver!
Proteins containing essential amino acids including cysteine, glycine and glutamine are required for phase 2 liver detoxification, which enables toxic substances to be broken down into less toxic matter, and excreted from the body. 
Not having enough protein can worsen or lead to scarring, as protein is required to rebuild and repair tissues. 
If we do not have enough, or are cutting out protein, this can lead to further weakening or breakdown of skin tissues and impaired skin healing, as protein is required to rebuild and regenerate new skin tissue.

Therefore under eating, or cutting out essential food groups like protein can worsen your skin issues and impair it’s healing!


3. Colonics and herbal teas


Herbal teas, drinks or ’cleanses’ that are marketed to detox or ‘boost your liver’ or ‘clear your skin’ that do not provide adequate nutritional guidance are just fads! 
These are not promoted by health professionals, and are unfortunately only seeking to provide a bandaid or quick fix solution, which can often lead to further complications and health issues further along.

Whilst herbal teas do provide some benefits as they naturally contain polyphenols, which are high in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, and often support skin complexion, relying on teas alone will not help ‘detox’ or ‘heal’ your skin.
 Please avoid taking supplements or restrictive programs, particularly ones promoted to ‘heal’ or ‘detoxify’, as they are not promoted by qualified health practitioners, and can later lead to rebound symptoms. 


If you are really concerned with wanting to improve your liver health, it is advisable that you consult a qualified practitioner that can help guide you in the right direction.




For more information on what to eat to heal your skin, head to the website for all things skin health and healing, from the inside out!

Be sure to grab your clear skin guide as well so you can begin to implement the steps to help heal your skin from the inside out!

If you’re ready to get to the root cause of your chronic skin issue, or if you feel you may need further support for your liver health, hormones, or gut health then I am here to help you! Simply get in touch via the contact in the blog below!




Dominique,

Skin Nutirition Co. X

contact@skinnutritionco.com.au
www.skinnutritionco.com.au

Why Zinc is so beneficial for skin health

!

If you have been struggling with skin issues, whether it may be breakouts, redness, rashes, itchiness, dry or sensitised skin, or perhaps you have cleared your skin and are wanting to focus on strengthening and reducing scarring of your skin- you may want to consider zinc!


Zinc is one of most vital (if not the most vital) nutrients for skin health and healing!



Zinc is a mineral which is actually found naturally in skin tissue and is needed to make keratin, which is the building block for our skin cells (called karotincyets).



It is involved in over 300 enzymatic processes within the body, making it a key essential nutrient to support the optimal functioning and processing of many vital organs, including our immune system, hormones, brain function and in particular, our skin!



Its multiple benefits for the skin extend from:

• Supporting and reducing hormonal acne

• Reducing scarring

• Protecting against wound healing

• Increasing cell turnover

• Improving wound repair and our skin texture.


This is due to its natural antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which is essential for combating and supporting chronic and inflammatory skin issues including dermatitis, acne, and hormonal acne.


This means it helps protect our cell membrane by reducing oxidative stress to the cell and supporting the integrity of the cell. This makes it particularly beneficial if you have been experiencing hormonal breakouts, or ‘rebound’ acne after coming off the pill. 
This is also key for supporting inflamed breakouts, particularly due to hormonal imbalances, as zinc helps to regulate hormones, and actually reduces androgens (male hormones), which is often a large driver for breakouts in women.

 This is particularly beneficial to help support healing alongside topical therapies, as it helps to encourage a new cell turnover.

Zinc assists with strengthening the skin cell integrity, and encourages the shedding of dead skin cells.

 This helps promote new skin cells coming to the surface, as well as prevent the inflammation driven from hormonal breakouts. 

It is important to ensure you are consuming enough zinc, particularly alongside your topical treatments for your skin, as it will help with the cell renewal, and reduce the bacterial build up in the skin!

Whilst I don’t advocate just supplementing for the sake of it, and don’t believe in taking supplements as a band aid approach (as nutrients are best absorbed coming from whole food), and each and every body has different nutritional requirements. However there are times when our body requires higher amounts of certain nutrients. These are in times of healing or recovery, or if there has been a deficiency, or depletion due to being run down or after periods of high stress.



Tip: If you have been struggling with a skin issues, whether it has been short term or ongoing, you may want to assess your diet and see if zinc deficiency or insufficiency may be a contributing factor!

 Foods highest in zinc include beef, oysters, shellfish, chickpeas, nuts, seeds and eggs. 


Please note; if you are vegetarian or vegan your nutritional requirements for zinc will be higher, as zinc is higher and absorbed faster from animal proteins, and plant based sources are absorbed at a slower rate, therefore supplementation may be necessary and intake may be higher.

If you are ready to get to the root cause of your skin issues, and are unsure where to begin your journey, then I would love to help guide you in the right direction! At Skin Nutrition Co. I also provide nutrient testing in order to assess your levels, prior to deciding to supplement.


Simply send an email to contact@skinnutritionco.com.au or book online for a consultation.


Also, if you have a family member or friend that you know would benefit from this, then please share this with them!



I look forward to helping you on your health journey, and helping you balance your skin and health, from the inside out!




Dominique



Skin Nutrition Co. X