Did you know that your skin can give you direct messages about your overall health? I call the skin a “magic mirror” because it provides so many reflections about what’s happening on the inside of your body. Skin is your body’s largest organ and because it’s on the outside of your body, it gives an outer reflection of your overall health.
While it’s tempting to cover up the skin messages you don’t like with topical treatments and makeup, it’s more important to get to the root cause of your skin issues.
Before you can do that, you have to know what to actually look for on your skin and identify the root causes that might be holding you back from having the clean, clear, youthful-looking skin that you deserve.
Here are some of the signs to look for on your skin that your magic mirror might be sending messages about.
1. Acne
Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States – and one of the most common issues people see in their magic mirrors! The American Academy of Dermatology reports that acne impacts 50 million Americans per year. Furthermore, it’s the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide. They also report that adult-onset acne is on the rise in women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Acne is a key feature of the Olivia skin type and has root causes such as blood sugar issues, inflammation, and microbiome disturbances.
We used to think that acne was a condition for teenagers – however, that is clearly not the case.
Acne can impact men and women of all ages.
Unfortunately, the most common treatments for acne are topical therapy, antibiotics, isotretinoin or Retin-A, and oral contraceptives. None of these things address what I’ve found to be the main root causes of acne.
I understand that acne can be painful and embarrassing. When topical treatments are recommended, they can help people in the short term – but not in the long run. Covering up acne can lead to more health and skin challenges in the future. The acne may even get worse over time. These topical treatments can also cause side effects, which is something I have seen in my practice. That’s why it is so important to discover what is causing acne.
2. Rosacea
Rosacea is another common skin condition that affects 16 million Americans. On your skin, rosacea can show up as flushed, blushing skin, visible blood vessels in your face, and small, red bumps. Your skin may feel warm to the touch or appear swollen.
Rosacea is more common in people after age 30.
And it doesn’t only show up on the skin – rosacea can also affect the eyelids and your eyes. In many instances, people mistake rosacea for acne, but it is a different condition. Rosacea is a key feature of the Heath skin type and root causes of rosacea may include hormonal imbalance, inflammation, and microbiome disturbances.
3. Eczema
Another clue your magic mirror might reveal is eczema or atopic dermatitis. Eczema is estimated to affect 32 million people in the United States. Signs of eczema on your skin include red to brown-gray patches and dry, itchy, and scaly skin.
Eczema is a feature of the Emmett skin type and is usually caused by something in the environment (which includes what you put into your body) that creates an increased inflammatory response. Other root causes may include hormonal imbalance and microbiome disturbances.
4. Premature Aging
This one is a little different than classic skin conditions, but it is still a very real and telling issue that can be seen in your magic mirror. First, we can’t stop the clock. Time will march on, and it is a privilege to get older. However, I do understand that most people don’t want to look older than their biological age. Most people want to look and feel youthful. When we look youthful and young for our age, that is a good sign that shows up on our skin.
If we have excess wrinkles and sagging skin before our time, that’s a sign that something needs to be addressed.
If you don’t address the root cause behind the signs of premature aging, it’s likely going to show up in your health in some other way.
Sage skin types may experience signs of premature aging and there are many root causes, such as hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, and blood sugar issues.
5. Hyperpigmentation
Skin discoloration, uneven skin tone, age spots, or melasma can be embarrassing to deal with. Most of the time, skin discoloration is a harmless condition, but it is frustrating and it does make people feel self-conscious! If you’re an Amber skin type, you know what I’m talking about.
Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of the skin in certain areas, and it’s caused by increased melanin production in the body. There are many myths floating around about hyperpigmentation and how to fix it. However, this condition still has root causes like any other skin condition, including hormonal imbalance and nutritional deficiencies.
How to Address the Root Causes of Skin Issues
So what does it take to truly address the root causes of your skin issues? It depends on the condition, and to start you’ll need to make certain lifestyle changes to improve your overall health. When you do this, what you see in your magic mirror will start to change.
These lifestyle changes include making dietary changes that support healthier skin. For example, you may have heard that what you eat doesn’t influence acne – however, I do disagree with this statement.
I have seen over and over again how diet plays a role in acne.
You’ve probably seen it yourself and may already know that diet does impact your magic mirror! Need help with this? I lay out a full plan in my book Clean Skin From Within.
Another way to address skin issues is to use healthy and natural skin care that has the right pH level. The skin has what’s called a skin microbiome – or a balance of microorganisms that live on and protect the skin. One of the things that really impacts that is the pH of our skin. Research shows the pH of our skin does best in a 4 to 4.5 pH range with skin care products.
Most skin care has a pH level that is too high.
If you have a bar of soap that lathers up, there’s a good chance that that means it’s going to have a high pH. That’s actually going to disrupt your skin’s natural defenses, including the skin microbiome.
Finally, when you incorporate these changes, you’re also going to be able to help change your genetic expression. A lot of people think that they are stuck with “bad genes.” However, just because someone in your family didn’t age well, that doesn’t have to be the case for you. You can actually change your genetic expression – or the way that your genes show up in your health – with the lifestyle choices you make.
As you can see, your skin has a lot to say about your health and what is going on internally. The condition of your skin can impact self-confidence. When you take time to examine your magic mirror and figure out what’s really going on, you will look better – and most importantly, you will feel better and can achieve better health.
Not sure where to start?? Take my Skin Personality Type Quiz!
The Spa Dr.® Approach
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