Let's Talk: Skin Health + The Liver
About the Liver
One of the most important organs in our body, the Liver is responsible for a plethora of jobs that help our body to function as it should. One of those jobs, is to filter blood coming from the digestive tract to obtain nutrients including carbohydrates, fats and proteins. By removing toxins, eliminating old red blood cells and metabolizing drugs, the Liver secretes all of these waste products into bile for elimination.
Liver function is directly impacted by both nutrients within our diet and environmental aggressors that enter our bodies through food, the air we breathe and water
So, how does Liver function play a role in skin health?
When the Liver becomes overworked due to over-exposure of toxins or lack of nutrients, this causes congestion which means that the Liver slows down it's elimination and detoxification process. Over time, this leads to a build-up of waste products that can't be filtered out as quickly as they once were.
With skin being our largest organ, most of the adverse effects of dietary or environmental toxins present themselves in our skin. When the toxins build up in the deeper layers of our skin, inflammation can develop and cause issues such as:
- Dermatitis
- Eczema
- Red, itchy rashes
- Hives
- Psoriasis
- Acne
- Premature brown liver spots
How can we best support or improve our Liver function?
The world we live in exposes us to many toxins such as chemicals, pesticides, solvents and plastic-related compounds that we can't necessarily avoid on a day to day basis but choosing to be more conscious about the personal products we choose to put on our skin, the house-hold products we have in our cupboards and ensuring we aim for a nutrient-rich diet that support the bodies detoxification process are all key in maintaining good Liver health.
When looking to improve Liver function with the hopes of alleviating skin issues, depending on the severity, there are two important herbal/natural health products to try: milk thistle which contains Silymarin and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli containing Glucoraphanin.
Glucoraphanin can be converted within the body to its bioactive form known as sulforaphane. Silymarin helps to modify liver insult that can result partly from dietary intake, while sulforaphane reduces liver stress related to environmental toxins. Both of these substances have been shown to support liver function in humans as per current research. The results leading to healthier, more beautiful skin.
Here at the Shoppe, we sought out to bring in a product that could facilitate healthy skin from the inside out and found it within Bend Beauty's Reset supplement that includes both key ingredients previously mentioned (Milk Thistle and Sulforaphane from Broccoli).
Reset effectively aids in our body's natural detoxification process as well as providing vital anti-oxidants to rid us of free radicals.
It's important to acknowledge that a big part of skincare is addressing the issues from the inside out, our skin's health relies heavily on the optimal function of the organs in our bodies (particularly the Liver), so eliminating any underlying problems may help clear up anything that you were struggling to tackle topically.
Depending on the severity of your skin issues, we would also recommend seeking out advice from your health-practitioner or naturopathic doctor to ensure you're taking the healing path that's right from you.
