Holistic Skincare 

Holistic skincare is another of 2023’s cosmetic trends, and it’s time to delve deeper into what exactly this means.

‘Holistic’ is the belief that the parts of a thing are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole. When applied to the body and skincare, it means that our bodily systems don’t function in isolation: our physical, emotional and mental states are interconnected and can influence one another. Whether or not one or more of these are in or out of balance can impact how healthy our skin is; our skins are very often a reflection of what is going on inside of us. 

Therefore it stands to reason: holistic wellness can lead to better skin.

Holistic skincare is all about considering every aspect of one’s lifestyle when it comes to caring for the skin. These factors include nutrition, gut health and internal health, sleep times, physical activity, stress levels, hormones, environmental factors like sun and pollution exposure, health/medical concerns, mental health, etc.

When all of these systems are in equilibrium, then our skin should naturally also feel and look healthy.

While keeping on top of all of these lifestyle factors might seem a bit overwhelming in today’s stressful world, there are a couple of key ones that can greatly benefit your whole body when kept healthy and maintained: the gut, stress and sleep.

 

The Gut

We’ve spoken a lot about the skin’s microbiome recently, but your gut microbiome is also important! Numerous studies have shown that the gut microbiome impacts many other major bodily functions such as the digestive system (an obvious one), obesity, development of food allergies, various diseases such as diabetes, and even heart and brain health! All of these in turn have other knock-on effects on the body. It’s little wonder that a healthy gut can help with better skin, and an imbalanced gut could impact our skin health.

What to do: the gut is all about diet! Eat better: cut down on sugar, fried foods and too much dairy, and eat more nourishing foods. Taking  pre- and probiotics may also help the gut microbiome.

The Stress Effect

Stress levels are another major influencer on our skin, not to mention the rest of our body.

The stress hormone, cortisol, can impact so many things: eating habits (which in turn impact the gut), weight, sleep habits (which impact mood, energy levels, eating habits, exercise, you name it. Not to mention dark circles under the eyes and dull skin!), metabolism, and of course mental health, to name a just a few.

What to do: make use of adaptogens, superfoods and supplements that help with stress, herbal remedies such as teas and tinctures, sound waves, yoga and meditation, and exercise.

Sceletium is an excellent natural remedy to assist with stress and anxiety, boost energy levels and uplift the mood.

Sleep

As noted above, stress levels impact sleep, but it's also vice versa. Poor sleeping patterns can lead to increased stress levels which in turn impact all the things mentioned above. It’s a feedback loop.

In addition to the groggy irritableness that we feel when we haven’t had enough sleep, those nighttime hours we spend sleeping are when a lot of the work in the skin happens. Collagen production, blood flow to the skin, healing and repair, balancing etc, all happens while we sleep. Those who don’t get enough zzz’s, are often the ones with earlier signs of aging, dull skin tone, reduced elasticity and skin issues.

What you can do: assist your body in getting enough sleep by reducing stimulating screen time before bed, calming yourself with chamomile tea and other relaxing herbal remedies, avoiding large meals near bedtime, doing your best to manage stress and getting in some exercise.

We love  chamomile,  mugwort,  valerian and  lemon balm for assisting with better sleep, relaxing and melting away stress. Other herbs that are also excellent for this are  schisandra berries and  passionflower herb. If you struggle with sleep,  make a soothing cup of herbal tea part of your night time routine.

You can also  diffuse essential oils to create a calming atmosphere which can assist with better sleep:  chamomile,  sleep easy blend and  lavender are some of our best loved oils for this purpose.

Other Holistic Remedies

Maca root is an adaptogen and excellent for everything from skin to stress.

Colloidal gold is said to help with many ailments such as stress, energy levels, insomnia and digestive disorders. It may be well worth adding to your supplement regime if you suffer from any of those. Studies also suggest that it may be beneficial for the skin, and also assist with skin penetration of other actives.

A Holistic Skincare Routine

Eliminate toxins from your skin, personal care and home care products, and instead choose products with simple, clean, and well researched ingredients. You can refer to our blogs on the  skin’s microbiome and  the skin barrier for all the very best ingredients for the skin and the skin’s microbiome.

Try your best to have a steady sleep routine that allows your body and skin enough time for proper rest and rejuvenation. A good night’s sleep is so important for overall health as well as skin health!

As we have learned, holistic skincare is all about taking care of the whole, as the outside is a reflection of the inside.