The Whole Story Behind Healthy Skin
At Everly Grace Whole Beauty, there’s a clear reason we included the word WHOLE in our name. Beauty isn’t just following every step of skin care routine and treating symptoms (acne, dry skin, oily skin etc.) as they arise. Whole beauty is about our diet, stress level, hormones, activity level and mental health. It takes more than applying serums and moisturizers to have healthy skin and a healthy mind.
Ever wondered why you’re breaking out before a big meeting, after eating too much dairy, or during your period? Your skin is a reflection of all that’s going on inside, including your diet, stress level and hormones. It’s important to look at the bigger picture to understand the root cause of skin imbalances, not just the symptoms. This is the essence of whole beauty.
Factoring all of this into your skin care routine may seem overwhelming, so our friends at Natropathica developed a roadmap of simple recommendations to address common concerns. Start by discovering your Skin Personality (we can help you with this during a facial), then learn about the beauty foods, skin care, herbal remedies and well-being rituals you need for radiant skin from the inside out:
Skin Personalities
In the late 1960s, a trend toward “scientific” skin care led to a definition of ‘skin types’ that many of us still use today: normal, dry, and oily. While this can be a helpful topical diagnostic tool, it does not tell the whole story of how or why a person’s skin has become imbalanced.
If you have oily skin, there could be multiple causes such as hormone or nutritional deficiencies—perhaps your skin is oilier around your period, or maybe you’ve been eating more sugar than usual, resulting in an increase of oil production. Until these causes are addressed, your skin cannot be effectively treated.
Skin Personalities, our version of skin typing, provide a more holistic look at skin health by analyzing your diet, stress level, hormone balance and skin care regimen. We break down the four primary Skin Personalities as: Adaptive, Hormone Reactive, Stress Reactive, Mature.
A facial is a true way to determine skin personality, but to explain each very simply, here’s a quick tool:
Adaptive: Your skin is resilient and requires minimal attention. You may experience congestion, breakouts, dullness or an oily t-zone, but these issues typically resolve quickly.
Stress Reactive: Your skin is highly sensitive to factors such as lack of sleep, poor diet, a high-pressure lifestyle and changes in the environment.
Hormone Reactive: Your skin is influenced by the ebb and flow of hormones; you may experience oiliness, breakouts and uneven skin due to puberty, your class menstrual cycle, or menopause.
Mature: Your skin lacks moisture and may show facial lines, wrinkles and sun damage.
Beauty Foods
What you eat plays a pivotal role in supporting skin health. Imbalances in the diet can lead to inflammation and result in a greater risk of skin disturbances. To support a healthy gut, it’s important to consume minimally processed plant foods which help reduce inflammation in the body. The basic rule is to fill your plate with mostly fruits, vegetables and legumes (beans and peas), then add about 1/2 cup of a 100% whole grain such as brown rice, quinoa, or farro. Always include a lean protein like eggs, plain yogurt, poultry, wild game, tofu, tempeh, or oily fish such as salmon or trout.
You can eat specific foods for your skin type; a comprehensive list is complimentary with each facial. Here are some quick recommendations for each skin personality:
Adaptive: Almonds & Kombucha
Hormone Reactive: Berries & Green Tea
Stress Reactive: Chia Seeds & Turmeric
Mature: Spinach & Coffee
Stress and Your Skin
When we’re stressed, our bodies produce cortisol, which is a major contributor to many health problems in the body and the skin. Because cortisol interacts with the circulatory, nervous and immune systems, it can trigger skin-related problems like acne, eczema, hives, psoriasis and rosacea. While stress may be an inevitable part of our busy lives, we can change how we adapt to it.
Herbal remedies like herbal teas and tinctures help the body adapt to stress and relax the nervous system. Adjust your daily rituals to incorporate Adaptogen herbs like Ginseng and Schisandra Berry, which build immunity and energy reserves, and Nervine herbs like Chamomile and Passionflower, sedative herbs that help relax the body and mind.
Everyone had a different way to de-stress. At Everly Grace Whole Beauty, we offer Natropathica teas, reflexology, energy work and yoga as some ways to help calm the mind and ease stress. Some easy ways to de-stress include: come early to your facial to relax and enjoy a cup of tea or stay late. Make self care more than just checking in and out of an appointment.