The skin is the largest organ in the body. This article focuses on building healthy habits into your daily routine to reduce stress and optimize liver health for healthy skin and a confident YOU.
If you suffer from skin irritations during the Fall it could be your liver and nervous system talking to you...
Your liver might be saying...“I am overwhelmed from the number of toxins I have to process for you to eliminate" "You must have had a Summer of heavy foods and fun nights" "I need support!"
Your nervous system might be saying... "AHH there is so much to do as I get back into routines of school schedules, work, and life! I am stressed!"
Liver Health and Skin Health.
Your liver is an important waste elimination system for the body if it is not functioning properly your body eliminates toxins in other ways. Discoloured skin, breakouts, and sudden hypersensitivities to allergens are messages your liver is not functioning optimally.
3 Healthy Habits for Liver Health
(This is really one habit and three opportunities to adopt it. )
- But First.... Water. Before caffeine, start your day with lemon or lime water to stimulate the liver and promote digestion. Don't put the peel in the water
- Stay Hydrated. Keep the organs functioning and eliminating waste by keeping fluids up!
- Drink Herbal Teas. Herbs have powerful health benefits, and make drinking water more exciting!
Herbal Remedies for Liver Health (By Mindful Medicine)
- Dandelion and Burdock Root - are excellent roots for supporting liver health. They can also be juiced or included in your smoothies
- Turmeric Milk Tea - Mix 1 tbsp turmeric with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk over the stove on low heat. Add 1 tsp honey and drink before bed. This is also effective to treat gas and bloating.
- Ginger Root - Grate 1/2 inch ginger root into a glass of warm water or heat over the stove. Strain out the ginger, add honey or stevia to taste and drink in the morning to stimulate digestion.
- Milk thistle - Mindful Medicine recommends Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) to help restore and protect liver cells from the chemical damage it can often be exposed to. Buy it as a tea, tincture, or as supplements.
Image: Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Stress and Skin Health
The better question might be... how do I manage my stress for the sake of my skin. Stress is... well stressful, and it can occur on a mental, physical and cellular level. Stress is a personal journey, and how we deal with stress is usually unique to each individual.
10 Healthy Habits for Managing Stress (By Miiko Skin Co)
"First of all I would like you to know I am in no way a stress-free woman. I was recently asked how I stay so calm... and I laughed out loud simply answered "I think that is just fatigue". Running a start-up company is no easy task for a twenty something year old, but here is what I do to stay "calm" as so it appears.- KF"
- Create a Morning Ritual (Avoid Decision Fatigue) - Every morning I wake up, drink a giant glass of water (sometimes I add apple cider vinegar, lemon or ginger), put on the Saving Face Wash, hop in the shower for less than a minute, dry off, apply the Saving Face Toner (sometimes twice), get dressed,apply the Glitter Girl Face Oil, meditate for 15 minutes using headspace.com, drink 2 cups of coffee faster than I care to talk about, make the bed, and start my day. This has been my morning script for 2 years.
- Make a List and Prioritize. Knowing what I need to do, how long it will take and when I am going to do it is the only way my head stays on. Here is an article recommended by Clemens Rettich (Great Performances Group)
- Try Aromatherapy - I use aromatherapy and the Scary Sniffer. When I am stressed (or in a room that stinks) I use the scary sniffer.
- Try EFT Tapping - Emotional freedom tapping is a system of tapping various points on your body where the nervous system is close to the skin’s surface. It has proven to reduce the cortisol levels in the body. Here is a link to Anne Goodman's blog on EFT
- Exercise - Physically using my body whether it be a walk, a bike ride, or yoga exercise has never once let me down for reducing stress. Sweating daily is also good for your elimination systems and the skin
- Embrace It - that's right. It is when I am stressed and try to pretend like I am not that I really get into trouble. Embracing stressful moments and knowing they are temporary can make it easier to endure. Just like the moment when you get over the flu!
- Have a Herbal Bath - There is nothing that compares to a bath with Epsom salts and herbal teas for reducing stress! This is also an amazing way to eliminate toxins and beautify the skin
- Just Breathe - yes I said it. But taking a few deep breaths is the most affordable cognitive therapy available on the market.
- Laugh with Friends! Reach out to your tribe and laugh, cry, sit, share, craft, or drink wine together. Sometimes connecting with friends and realizing that everyone gets stressed is a healthy reminder that what you are feeling is OK!
- Go see Mindful Medicine! Herbal tinctures have been something I have actively used to reduce stress for over five years. Avery is a professional and works with you to develop formulas specific to your needs.
Herbal Remedies for Managing Stress (By Mindful Medicine)
Nervines are a category of plants that can relax and nourish the nervous system to help ease stress and anxiety. Nervines are your friend! Getting back into health can be difficult and sometimes stressful.Here are 3 nervines plants I’m recommending for fall:
- Milky Oats (Avena sativa): A tonic that helps by directly restoring nervous system tissue. This is one of my all time favorites!
- Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate): A relaxing nervine that is commonly used before bed to ease a restless mind.
- Motherwort (Leonarus cardiaca): With an affinity for the cardiovascular and nervous system - Motherwort can aid in heart palpitations due to nervousness and anxiety.
Image: Motherwort (Leonarus cardiaca)
Conclusion:
Great skin comes from within too! We can only provide you with the best natural skin health if we talk about internal health as well! Miiko Skin Co and Mindful Medicine would like to provide you with the best skin health possible. That means talking about your liver and stress as well as topical treatments. The skin is the largest organ in the body, it's time to start treating skin care like health care.
Want to learn more? Tune in to our first Livestream from our Headquarters at 203-734 Aldebury road September 22, 2017.
Photography by: Kim Jay Photography