The Skin-Gut-Mind Connection
Often times clients come in to the studio, with skin issues, and it’s only after deep diving into their physical and mental health history, that the light bulb turns on for them, and they realise that their skin, gut and mind are so intricately connected.
If you suffer from ongoing skin issues, such as acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis, often times you will also likely struggle with gut health. Add to that, that skin issues often have a negative effect on your self esteem and emotions, PLUS that your neurotransmitters (ie happy hormones such as serotonin) are made in your gut, and you have a recipe for anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.
There is a biological/physiological link between the skin, gut and mind, which connects these 3 major health systems of our bodies. When the foetus is in it’s early development stages in the womb, the same ‘master cell’ split off to create the epidermal, gastrointestinal and neural cells - isn’t that just amazing!! One type of cell, turned into 3 different types of cells, which lead on to develop entire systems within our bodies.
Now doesn’t it make sense that these 3 systems are so intricately linked, and when one is off the other 2 usually are too?
So how do we remedy this? And what can you start incorporating into your daily routine straight away?
We take a holistic approach, and look at what you’re eating, how you’re thinking, how you’re living, and finally what you’re putting on your skin.
What you can be doing at home, depends on your level of skin health or dis-ease. Obviously, if you’re battling depression and/or anxiety, we suggest you seek professional medical assistance, at least for the short term to help stabilise your neural pathways and remedy the chemical imbalance in your brain. Same goes if you’re suffering from on-going gut health issues. Rule out things such as auto-immune disorders through testing, which you need to have a referral from your GP to get.
Acne is one of the most common skin disorders we see though, which has a tremendous knock-on effect on one’s emotional health and self-esteem, and is often triggered by the diet.
Increase your intake of dietary fibre
This comes in the form of fruit and vegetables, and we recommend you eat a minimum of 7 (ideally 10) serves of vegetables each day. One serve is the size of your palm, so do things such as add a cup of spinach to your smoothie, make a salad of both raw and cooked vegetables for lunch, snack on carrot and cucumber sticks, and then make sure the majority of your plate is veggies at dinner time too. Fibre helps move things through your digestive system, so if you’re experiencing a bit of a ‘back log’ then you'r body is likely eliminating toxins via other pathways, for example your skin. You’re also not creating a healthy environment for beneficial gut bacteria to thrive, which help with vitamin and mineral production, neurotransmitter production, immunity and an array of other health benefits. You must be using your bowels at least once per day, (in an ideal world you would go 3 times) and ideally without the need for a coffee beforehand!
Think about prebiotics
We’ve all heard about probiotics, right? The supplements or foods that contain high numbers of beneficial bacteria, which will repopulate your gut. Well, we also need to think about prebiotics, which is the food source for those little beneficial bacteria. Onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus and bananas are all great sources of prebiotics which are easy to include in your day. Another really easy way to ensure you’re getting your daily dose of both pre- and probiotics is by including a teaspoon (working your way up to a tablespoon) of the Bestow Beauty Gut Love+ powder, which we sell by the bucket-load in the studio (and online, here)
Invest in Rest
One of the reasons that we focus so highly on your relaxation in each and every treatment (apart from the fact that it feels SO DAMN GOOD to relax!) is because in order for your body to get into a healing state, you need to switch out of the Sympathetic Nervous System (spurred on by caffeine, stress, emails, workload, work-life balance, sugar) and into the Parasympathetic Nervous System. We have special tools we utilise to help induce this deep state of relaxation in you, and the change in one’s skin, mental and emotional health and overall vitality is profound - if this time and space is allowed on a regular basis. Asides from a monthly Attune or Flow facial, we recommend taking advantage of our Light Lounge - red light not only has physical benefits to the skin, but it helps combat the damaging effects of blue light which contribute to a whole host of hormonal, mental and other physical disturbances to our bodies and minds. Clients regularly use our Light Lounge as their dedicated 20 minutes of daily meditation - with the bonus of plumped, vibrant skin at the end of it! Check out our Light Lounge passes here, so you can get skin-meditating today.
Manage Your Stress
Potentially easier said than done? We have a go-to list of ‘ways to boost your happiness levels and decrease stress’ that we give to every new Skin Health Assessment client. And now we’re giving it to you, too:
Daily meditation - 20 minutes. We recommend using the app Insight Timer, use the ‘timer’ option and choose a soothing sound you enjoy. Set it for 20 minutes, sit comfortably, and see how it becomes easier as the days go on. I recommend getting up 20 minutes earlier and doing this first thing in the morning.
Daily grounding - spend at least 10 minutes outside on the grass (or on the beach) barefoot. You can combine this with 10 minutes of sunshine on your body (arms, belly, back, legs, NOT FACE)
Daily sunshine - this gives you vitamin D, which is essential for your immunity.
Daily legs up the wall - spend 20 minutes lying with your legs up the wall daily, to switch you out of the sympathetic nervous system and into the parasympathetic nervous system. If you want to do something (ie you need mental stimulation) read a book rather than scrolling social media! If you have a Shakti Mat it’s awesome to combine lying on that with your legs up the wall before going to sleep.
If you need more help, we are here in the Studio ready to help save your skin! Saving skins is our absolute favourite thing, so if you’re struggling with acne, rosacea, pigmentation, eczema, dermatitis or just want to look after your skin better and age more beautifully, book yourself in for an Initial Skin Health Assessment (and facial!) and we will work with you to create your healthiest, most beautiful skin (and you’ll start to feel epic too!)