If you’ve been following me along my journey for the last 1-2 years, you’ll know this isn’t the first time I talk skin health.
It is the first time, however, that I talk about skin health with my good friend Sandra B.
You’ll see us on the first Tuesday of every month chatting about essential oils and holistic wellness topics because it’s what lifts us up.
I truly believe in the power of essential oils, of toxic free living, of plant-based living; that to reach your full potential you need to be clear and you need to be healthy from the inside, so that you have the energy and mindset to make it happen.
I am also passionate about the environment and know every day that we, myself included, can and need to be doing more.
Before I go on a totally different topic though, back to skin health… ok, so if you missed the show, click below or go to Essential Oils & Holistic Wellness free Facebook Group to catch the video – you’re welcome 😉
Success & Health
So, let me break this down for you: The way you feel determines your success.
Let me repeat… the way you feel determines your success.
When’s the last time you had a bag of chips and then went and gave the presentation of your life or ran your best marathon?
What about when you eat fruits or food that have been contaminated with pesticides?
Sometimes you feel it right away, like in the first example, and sometimes you don’t even realize it, like in the second one… but what gets into your body, mind and soul determines how you function – food, drinks, books, news… this is where your energy levels and how you feel mentally and physically can be impacted.
If you’re not where you want to be, start taking notice of your behaviours, thoughts and feelings, aches and pains, and get curious. Work with a coach if you need to – you know where I am.
And if you think what you’re putting on your skin doesn’t matter, think again my friends because your skin is the largest organ of your body and since it is porous, it absorbs, or at least penetrates, whatever you put on it.
Skin health
It’s funny when we think of health in its general sense, but then when you break it down into its part, you start to really appreciate just how amazing your body is.
Your skin is the protector of all protectors, keeping you safe from the sun and from harmful bacteria.
It’s not just that though, it acts like a window into your internal system. Think about when you have too much sugar or chocolate and you get a pimple… that’s a signal that your body is out of balance.
Your skin is also there to help moderate your temperature and allows you to feel the sensations to touch, heat and cold.
When you’re in a state of stress or overwhelm, that can cause a skin flare up as well. The only time that ever happened to me was when I was in a toxic friendship and working in my old corporate job years ago, only I didn’t realize it at the time.
It wasn’t until I physically broke out into hives, which had never happened to me before by the way, that I was like, ok, what is happening?!
I had no idea what it was at first. I went to the doctor, who referred me to a dermatologist, who then took a skin graph…like it was awful. With every struggle there is a light, isn’t there? I am so grateful to this day that it happened though because it was a serious wake up call to my environments and really forced me to take action out of that situation.
It was my body signalling to me that I needed to WAKE UP… and that I needed to release a lot of emotion that I was keeping inside in order to destress. See, I used to be very personal, keep to myself, think that I needed to put on this face that all is well when maybe it wasn’t.
I didn’t think I would get this personal today, but you know what, if it’s going to help just one other person to just take a step back and really see just what they hey is going on and take control and then go on to take inspired, purpose-driven action, then that brings me no greater joy.
Stress is serious, how we talk to ourselves and treat ourselves is important – you don’t need to add synthetic chemicals via food and what you put on your skin to negate all the good you to try to do by exercising or eating well.
Needless to say, that is when I learned the hard lesson that sometimes, you have to cut people off so that you can create space for the people and things that matter.
Ok, so back to skin health … see it’s all connected 😉
Chemical
Now, I’ve definitely used the hashtag: #chemicalfreeisthelifeforme
Thing is though, is that we’re all chemicals, atoms and molecules, so really and truly, chemical free means nothing.
What I should really say is #toxicfreeisthelifeforme
| Synthetic | Natural |
| Manmade | Organic |
| Artificially made via industrial process or in labs | Any ingredient from nature |
| Same as ‘artificial’ found in food and on food labels | Be careful with organic labels |
We want to stay on the natural side of things. Recognize that your skin has three layers, and what you put on your skin has to get through those three layers before it hits your bloodstream.
So really and truly, there are two ways to look at this: penetration and absorption.
Penetration is when a chemical makes it into the deeper layers of the skin.
Absorbtion is when the chemical actually makes it into the bloodstream.
Sometimes these two are used interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference. If your skin is cracked or dry, then the layers are weak and your more susceptible to harmful bacteria entering your system, or vice versa, your skin not being able to do its job.
The Skin
Your skin really acts as an elimination system. I wrote a whole other blog last summer about it HERE.
In the layers of our skin exist over four million sweat glands and interestingly enough (and slightly gross to think about), we, as in adult humans, shed almost 9 pounds of skin every year on average.
It’s because part of the skin’s job is to release and push out toxins and toxic chemicals.
Here’s where it gets really interesting,… if you think about all the chemical reactions that go on in our body, we’re not consistently reusing the same hormones and chemicals that we produce and we’re continually producing and consuming more. So our skin, along with our liver, kidneys, and lungs, is always working to detoxify our bodies.
Sidebar, it’s why I love Yin Yoga, because certain poses work to stimulate different organs in your body (so fascinating!).
Anyway, this fun fact really blew my mind:
It takes 26 seconds for the cleaning CHEMICALS on your floor to enter your bloodstream through your feet.
Ditch & Switch
Sandra & I are going to make a challenge out of this at some point in our group, but if you’ve ever decluttered your house or your room, or a drawer, you’ll know how freeing it can be to just let go of what no longer serves you.
It’s the same when you replace toxic people or products. I am in the process of replacing all of my makeup with Savvy Minerals, and it feels so good. Because I’m on their Essential Rewards Loyalty Program, I also get 20% back towards more plant-based products – woohoo.
The deeper I go into this journey, the more I want to just replace everything, and help everyone do the same. I’m not so focused on the $, as I am on my health and living this one life that I have to the fullest.
Things that serve you are things that lift you up, that make you feel HIGH ON LIFE.
Things that make you feel this way are natural, they come from within. Synthetic chemicals can disrupt that.
I replaced all synthetic chemicals in my house with a simple kit: Thieves Starter Kit – I don’t worry what I’m breathing in because it’s not made of synthetic chemicals. I use one household cleaner to clean my windows, my floors, refresh my rooms, laundry even… it’s just the greatest thing ever.
Success Factors
Taking care of your skin has a few results when it comes to success…
If how you feel and how you think are directly linked to what gets into your body, don’t you want to take better care of yourself?
- having a nightly routine that involves spending time loving your skin, meaning, taking the time to moisturize every inch of your skin
- keeping harmful synthetic chemicals away from entering your system is key to keeping your body operating at is optimal level
- expelling toxins from the inside out that no longer serve us and that keep our energy high
In her book,
This is why I say moisturize your way to success. Self care is skin care, and when you feel good not only about your skin, but about yourself, then you will achieve greater success.
Who knows, you may even make a business out of it 😉 Like me hehe.
It’s true! I decided to take the plunge!
I just released my Body Beautiful Balms homemade skin care line, and it feels incredible to be able to offer people an alternative to what you find in your local drugstore, at a fraction of the price.
I’ve never been a walmart kinda gal, I’m a small town girl with big girl dreams, and a woman who knows she is making a difference.
On that note, I’m hoping you had some great value here. Would love to see you in my Life Fulfillment Academy Community to hear about your nightly rituals!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend and much love!
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