Skin care has become more of a priority for me recently. This is due in large part to the obvious changes I am noticing from natural aging of my skin. As I begin the journey into my 6th decade of life I am noticing more and more the evidence of aging that reflects my unique genetics, my lifestyle choices over time, and the natural progression of the human body as it grows older.

None of these changes are particularly welcomed, however, they are what they are, and each of us ages in our own unique way. As we grow older, the natural aging process reflects in how our body functions and how it appears. Our skin is the largest organ in the body, and obviously the most visible from outward appearances. Changes from aging, however, present in both the appearance of our skin and also on a deeper level in our connective tissues in general.

In my case, aging is showing up as fine lines and wrinkles on my face, darkened patches of skin from sun damage, redness over my cheeks from rosacea, dryness of my eyes, sagging skin on my arms and legs, and cellulite from loss of collagen and the underlying structures that normally hold the skin taught. Ugh!

As I have come to witness these changes and watch their progression in my body, I have become more attentive to how I treat my skin from both the outside and the inside of my body. It takes intention to heal, and as I have begun to pay more attention to supporting the health of my skin, I have discovered a number of favorite products and methods that I would like to share in this blog post.

Skin Care From The Inside

Healing the skin from the inside enhances elasticity of the skin, fosters integrity of the cells and vascular structures that support hydration of the skin, allows for transfer of nutrients needed by the skin organ, and plays a strong role in overall integrity of the layers of the skin that act in our defense and protect us for harmful organisms and microtrauma.

Elimination Diet

Elimination Diet is one way to reduce exposure to foods and beverages that the body is sensitive to. By identifying food sensitivities and eliminating exposure to those we are sensitive to, we allow the body to flow as it was designed to do without interference from foods and beverages that the body interprets as toxins. By reducing our body’s exposure to foods that cause inflammation, our skin integrity and appearance improves. It is amazing to see the results of an elimination diet that allow the skin to actually “glow”.

Dietary Variety and Phyto Nutrients

One of the biggest lessons I have learned as a functional medicine practitioner is how important variety is in the diet. There are hundreds and hundreds of nutrient compounds available to us through food, and the best way to ensure exposure to a large number of nutrients is to increase the variety in our diet. By this, I mean variety in fruits, vegetables, proteins, fats, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. I often encourage my patients to shop with this in mind. Rather than shopping for similar items each week, try to expand on variety by selecting new and different foods each time you shop.

By increasing variety in the diet, you will heal the gut, foster strength in your immune system, have a better chance of absorbing a wide variety of nutrients, and this equals health of the body organs including the skin. The added nutrition obtained by a varied diet will literally show in your skin in a short period of time! One eating plan that I commonly recommend to my patients is the Institute For Functional Medicine Phyto Nutrient Diet. Schedule a FREE 15 minute consultation with me to find out how this amazing plan can benefit you in so many ways… including your skin!

Collagen Morning Smoothie

Collagen is a protein that is essential to skin health and the health of connective tissues in the body. We naturally lose collagen as we age, and this impacts the structure of the layers of the skin. One strategy I like to use is to put collagen powder in my morning smoothie. My favorite is to use Collagen Plus powder made by Thorne. I use it to create a berry flavored smoothie to start my day. It tastes fresh and healthy. If you become one of my clients, I will connect you with my dispensary to purchase this at a discounted price!

Skin Te’

Skin Te‘ is a sparkling collagen tea beverage that I am so thrilled to have discovered. It is made from healthy botanicals, herbs, collagen, and teas that are designed to work together to encourage healthy skin. I order mine online by the case and get a variety pack that includes four different flavors. They are light, refreshing, some have a tiny bit of caffeine, and I feel like I am treating myself and healing my skin at the same time. I recently heard that these will be selling at Walmart soon.

Bone Broth

Bone broth is a great way to support collagen in the body. I often drink bone broth instead of coffee or tea due to the warm soothing and flavorful nature of the beverage. This natural form of collagen will go far to heal the skin, connective tissues in the body, and the lining of the gut as well. You can purchase bone broth to drink as a beverage or make your own.

Probiotics/Prebiotics

Probiotics (healthy bacteria) and prebiotics (food for the probiotics) work to heal the lining of the intestines. This promotes optimal health of the digestive tract and allows the body to absorb nutrients from the food that we eat. Optimal nutrient intake, metabolism and absorption in the body will promote health skin in general. Probiotics can be found in cultured foods and beverages such as yogurt that contains live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchee, and kombucha. My favorite probiotic to take on a daily basis is Flora Synergy by Energetix. If you become one of my clients, I will connect you with my dispensary to purchase this at a discounted price!

Omega 3 Supplements

Fish Oil is a form of omega 3 fatty acid that is something I take daily for many reasons. One reason is that it helps my skin to be moist and pliable. Omega 3 fatty acids are considered “healthy fat” that is important for many reasons in our body. It helps reduce inflammation, helps delay skin aging from oxidative stress, promotes moisture to the skin, and allows for faster healing of the skin. We typically get omega 3 from fatty fish such as salmon. If you are like me, however, and don’t eat several servings of wild caught cold water salmon each week, you might find taking a supplement to be very helpful.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is so good for the skin. It is a powerful antioxidant, and it is great for ensuring that the blood vessels which supply our skin with hydration and nutrients are pliable and healthy. I personally take vitamin C daily for these reasons and many more including heart health, immune support, and for reducing inflammation in my body.

Water

We all know we should drink enough water every day to help support the health of the body. Water assists the body to flow and operate as it was designed to do in all of it’s complexity. I typically recommend drinking 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water daily, and if you do this on a regular basis, you will be amazed at how your skin improves!

Matcha Green Tea

I drink matcha tea at least twice daily. I use it for many health reasons and just enjoy the earthy taste as well. In regards to the skin, matcha is a powerful antioxidant which helps reduce cell damage. It is also anti-inflammatory which can improve appearance of the skin and skin integrity in general. Matcha also has the capacity to mitigate damage from UV exposure from the sun. Matcha is used in many skin care products these days, however, I just prefer to drink it to heal from the inside out.

Skin Care From the Outside

Paying attention to what we put on our skin is so important. We are exposed to so many toxins in the environment including from some skin care products, and this can ultimately damage the skin organ. I have a few topical products and strategies that I have come to use for supporting the health of my skin, and below are a few of my favorites.

Cleansers

One of my favorite skin cleansers for my face is Liquid Gold Cleansing Oil by Ogee. It contains Golden Jojoba Oil and is great to use as a makeup remover or I actually use it for an overall face wash. It leaves my skin feeling clean but also moist and supple. I also love AHA/BHA Exfoliating Skin Cleanser by Skinmedica. I like to alternate between these two types of cleansers, one being an exfoliating scrub and the other a more moisturizing cleanser. They both make my skin feel amazing!

My favorite cleanser for the skin of my body is soap made by Samish Bay Soaps. I have used their soaps for years and they are lovely. They are a family owned business located in Bellingham, Washington. Their soaps are made with natural ingredients and are created, cut and packaged by hand. Some of the soaps contain gentle exfoliating ingredients which I absolutely love as they keep my skin soft and smooth.

Hydration Spritzer

I love love love to spritz my skin for added moisture. I do this right out of the shower before I apply moisturizer. And I also use it at times over the top of my makeup to produce a nice dewy glow. There is nothing more noticeable than a nice glow to the skin, even wrinkled aging skin. My favorite spritzer is Luminous Botanical Face Mist by Ogee. It has a light scent that is so fresh but not overpowering and the mist is very fine and gentle.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid supports the skin’s natural ability to retain moisture resulting in radiant, rejuvenated tone and texture. It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I use this each night after I moisturize and mist my face. My favorite is HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator by SkinMedica.

Another hyaluronic acid product that I often recommend to my patients is BioNourish Ultra Moisturizing Vaginal Gel by Good Clean Love. This product will promote moisture in the vaginal tissues reducing vaginal dryness. It is a game changer for women who experience pain with intercourse due to vaginal dryness. If you are interested in this product and would like to receive my discount, you can follow this link.

CC Cream

Sun damage often becomes quite telling as we age. My face certainly reflects my history of unprotected exposure to the rays of the sun and the resulting damage. I also have a form of rosacea that causes redness over my cheeks, forehead and nose area. I have discovered a CC cream, however, that does wonders to help hide some of the again spots and redness in my face. It is called CC Cream by Perbelle. It is a color correcting moisturizer with sunscreen in it. I absolutely love it. If you go to Instagram you can find many videos of women using this cream, and I have to say that the results in those videos has held true for me as well. Take a look for yourself!

Body Moisturizer

I apply moisturizer to my body daily just out of the shower. One of my favorite ways to do this is to use Cerave’ Moisturizing Cream mixed with Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil . I simply put a pump of the moisturizer in the palm of my hand and then top with 3-4 pumps of the oil and mix before rubbing on my skin. My skin stays moist all day long using this approach.

Sun Screen

One of my favorite podcasts is Clean Beauty School by Mind Body Green. Here is a great episode on sunscreen!

Skin Care through Lifestyle

Lifestyle choices have a huge impact on our aging skin. We often don’t think about this, but it’s true that the decisions we make every day about the clothes we wear, the activities we choose to participate in, the degree of stress we engage in, the quality and quantity of our sleep, and our ability to find joy and connection all have an impact on the health of our skin.

Sun Protection & Aging Skin

Sunglasses, protective clothing, wide brimmed hats all go far to protect us from the potential damage from UV sun rays.

Sleep & Aging Skin

Sleep it critical for the health of our aging skin. When we sleep, our body uses this time to repair and rejuvenate at a cellular level. The health of our cells will definitely show up in the appearance of our skin. Therefore it is important to prioritize both quantity and quality of our sleep in order to support aging skin health.

Stress & Aging Skin

Chronic stress causes inflammation and can result in oxidative damage in the cells of the body including in the cells of the skin. Stress can cause aging skin to become more sensitive and reactive. It can aggravate several skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, rosacea. Stress can influence our self care habits and cause us to be less attentive to the support of our skin organ. Cumulative stress over time is especially damaging not only to our aging skin but to other organs and processes in the body.

Moods and Our Skin

When we are happy, we can exude a sort of glow that reflects in the appearance of our aging skin. Here is a series of blog articles that gives food for thought around this idea of how the mood affects our skin. It is called Skin Mood.

Skin Care Podcast

Mind Body Green has an excellent podcast all about skin care and beauty called Clean Beauty School. It is a wealth of information and thoughtfully presented. I think you will enjoy it!

Lessons From My Grandmother

One of the best bits of advise I have to give regarding our aging skin is to be mindful of how we think about our appearance. I remember my grandmother, Mabel, so vividly. When she comes to my mind, I see her smiling face and the way that it lit up her many many wrinkles around her eyes and her cheeks and mouth. I remember noticing the wrinkles and how they would light up her face when she smiled, and I thought she was beautiful! I remember her wrinkled hands, so soft and gentle, and all that her hands did for me… wrinkles and all.

Maybe this sounds strange, but my grandmother’s wrinkles were a big part of how I remember her beauty. This is what I try to remember as I glance at myself in the mirror now and see my many wrinkles becoming more prominent. It doesn’t quite look beautiful to me, but I am trying to change my perspective and look at myself like I did my grandmother, in full admiration of the evidence of aging that appeared to make her glow!