feed your skin

Did you know your skin is your largest digestive organ?

Anything you apply to your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream and affect your entire body. This means your skincare choices are crucial for overall health. 

The first step in holistic skincare is to eliminate harmful chemicals. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s likely a synthetic compound that could burden your liver, kidneys, and other organs. Over time, we’ve learned that substances like sodium lauryl sulfates and parabens are harmful. The beauty industry just replaces them with similar compounds that have not yet been banned.

Feed your skin

My daughter told me a funny story of how her dad replied to offer to try her face scrub with, “I don’t do that girly stuff.” Her reply was “Well, you have skin, and you have a face, so I’m pretty sure you could use this.” I had to laugh, and she’s right. 

All of us with skin, need to take care of our skin -  just like any other organ.

The best starting place to revamp your skincare is to be aware of what you feed your skin. 

Skin is our largest digestive organ, and quickly absorbs whatever is on its surface. That’s a great opportunity to feed ourselves nourishing herbs and oils. 

While Ayurveda offers a traditional oiling practice, I suggest a modified simple version of Daily Oiling practice, which you can learn more about here.  

Here is a natural approach to support your skin to have a healthy oil based mantle (the skin surface), which helps prevent infections, brings herbal benefits into the body, and keeps the skin supply and glowing:

Move away from>>>

Lotions - have a ton of chemicals and fragrances, many of which are variants of what is now banned (and probably should also be banned)

Petroleum Base products - also carcinogenic, and often with other chemicals (Aquafors, Baby Oil)

Anything with tons of chemicals, including tanning and beauty products, as well as laundry products.

Move towards>>>

Food Grade Oils - Any organic food based oil, from coconut to olive to almond. Anything you can put on your plate, is a great fit for your skin to eat too. You will find these in grocery stores.

Essential Oil Blend Oils - These usually have a base of a food grade oil (sesame, coconut), essential oils, and stabilizers (Vit E, glycerin). Make sure there are not other non-edible ingredients, as often oils are marketed as “natural,” but aren’t really. The best ones are artisan made in local markets. The ones in health food markets are often the ones you need to read ingredients for.

Nut Butters - These are made from shea nut or cacao nut. Jojoba is a wax and is not edible. The best ones are raw blocks. Watch out for commercial products marketing as body butters with several harmful ingredients and fragrances.

Herbal Medicinal Oils - These are the optimal choice, as they are made from medicinal grade herbs slow cooked in a traditional process to infuse food grade oils with herbal benefits. It’s an easy yes to upgrade to this version because who doesn’t want to sneak in daily rejuvenation within our skin care routine?

By treating your skin with the same care as your diet, using only natural products, you can support your body’s overall health. Remember, if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

Check out my Skin Remedies Collection - access my practical natural remedies blending the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda with contemporary wellness, offering you a holistic approach to healthy skin.

For my favorite skin oils, check out my recommendations on the Shop Page.