Harmful chemicals damage the natural microbiome of the skin, and the health of your skin is directly related to the health of your gut. That bottle that says "all natural"? Take a look at the label and see what that really means. Parabens, fragrences, phthalates, and toxic chemicals are present in so many common household items and beauty products.
Top Endocrine Disruptors:
- Parabens
- Parabens are a type of endocrine disruptor found in cosmetics such as shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and face cleaners.
- They are not water-soluble and can penetrate the skin, causing disruption in the endocrine system and reproductive issues.
- Parabens have different names, such as butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, and methylparaben, making it challenging to identify them in a product.
- Avoid any product that has a paraben at the end of its name.
- Phthalates
- Phthalates are chemical compounds found in plastics, cosmetics, and some food products.
- They can be absorbed by the body through both the air and the skin, making them harmful.
- Phthalates can be found in perfumes, moisturizers, eye shadows, nail polishes, shampoos, and conditioners.
- They have been linked to reproductive disruption in both men and women.
- To avoid phthalates, avoid plastic containers and water bottles, and use homemade hair and skin care products.
- Synthetic Colors
- Synthetic colors are added to cosmetic products to make them look more appealing.
- Hair dye, eye shadow, eye liner, and lipstick often contain harmful coloring with carcinogenic properties.
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic fragrances are found in most cosmetic and beauty products.
- They can cause allergic responses and disrupt many different body systems.
- Synthetic fragrances are often labeled as “fragrance” on a product label, making it challenging to identify them.
- Avoid anything that has a label containing the words “fragrance” or “parfum” and be selective with the options that you choose.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is found in most shampoos and is also used in floor cleaners and engine degreasers.
- SLS has been linked to endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation, and cancer.
- Opt for SLS-free shampoos, body washes, hand soaps, and toothpaste brands to avoid this chemical.
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Transcript:
Welcome to Follow Your Gut, the podcast where women like you are empowered to take charge of your family's health and happiness. I'm your host, Sarah Bennett, founder and CEO of ōNLē ORGANICS. As a mama of four, I have personally gone through the ups and downs of navigating the sea of misinformation and the runaround from our medical system, while caring for my family's health and wellbeing. This podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering you on the significance of gut health and how it affects everything from your family’s sleep to their mood and everything in between. By understanding the foundation of your wellness and the causes of common, yet preventable symptoms, you can achieve a deeper level of health and happiness for your family. Join me as we explore the world of gut health and enhance our lives from the core of our well-being, all while honoring our powerful intuitions. I am so happy you are here! Let's dive into today's episode.
Welcome to episode 48; Understanding the Skin-Gut Axis: Protecting Your Microbiome with Skin-Care Products
The skin-gut axis refers to the relationship between our skin and our gut microbiome. Our skin and gut are two separate organs, but they are intimately linked by the bacterias that inhabit them. These bacterias are involved in a range of processes that affect our health and well-being, from digestion and immunity to mood and skin health. Understanding the skin-gut axis is important, especially when it comes to choosing the right skin-care products. And to be clear - what we are talking about today is not only important for beauty products but also skincare products for children. There are alternatives to chemical based moisturizers, steroid creams and acne treatments.
Many chemicals found in skin-care products can have negative effects on the skin-gut axis. These chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, can interfere with the delicate balance of hormones in the body, which can affect your metabolism, mood, sleep and so much more. Endocrine disruptors also interfere with the good bacteria in and on your body, disrupting the delicate balance and potentially causing inflammation, hormone imbalance and other health issues.
This is why it is so important to choose skin-care products that are designed to nurture your microbiome, promote healthy skin, and avoid chemicals that disrupt the skin-gut axis.
Nurturing your gut by eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods that not only damage the good bacteria but feed the bad bacteria and by supplementing with quality products that support balance is really important because this helps build resiliency for unavoidable chemicals that are in our environment. As for your skin care products - it is so important to shop intentionally and mindfully. What you put on your body impacts your health just as much as what you put in your body.
Something else to be mindful of when choosing skin-care products is the pH level. The pH of the skin is slightly acidic. This acidic environment helps to keep harmful bacteria at bay and supports the growth of beneficial bacteria. When the pH of the skin is disrupted, it can lead to skin irritation and inflammation, which can affect the balance of the skin-gut axis. To avoid this, it's important to choose skin-care products that are pH balanced and gentle on the skin.
In addition to choosing the right skin-care products, there are other things you can do to support the skin-gut axis. Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fresh growing foods like fruits and vegetables and fermented foods can help to nourish the gut microbiome, which in turn can improve the health and appearance of the skin. Getting enough sleep, managing stress, and staying hydrated are also important for maintaining a healthy skin-gut axis.
Overall, understanding the relationship between the skin and gut microbiome is essential for promoting overall health and well-being. By choosing the right skin-care products and adopting balancing lifestyle habits, you can support a healthy skin-gut axis and enjoy healthy, radiant skin.
Are you wondering if you or your child have a gut imbalance? Take my quick and easy quiz to find out in less than 60 seconds. Understanding your gut health is the first step in leading your family towards optimal wellness. Visit www.onleorganics.com/pages/quiz or click the link in the show notes to take the quiz.
Just like in every episode - I didn’t bring you here to sell you anything. But I have poured my heart in soul in creating the cleanest and purest products to make sourcing easy for you. I would feel like I was cutting it short here if I didn't take the time to share with you some wonderful microbiome nurturing alternatives to mainstream chemical based products.
These products are formulated with minimal, pure ingredients that are specifically designed to support the health and balance of your microbiome.
Wash bar soap is thoughtfully crafted with three of the earth's most powerful natural antibacterial agents: activated charcoal, silver, and tea tree. The activated charcoal works to deeply detox the skin of toxins and impurities, while the silver and tea tree oil provide powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal properties to protect against harmful microorganisms.
Rejuvenate is a facial serum that will change the way you care for your skin. This serum is crafted with the highest quality, organically grown rosehip seed oil. It is hand-harvested and cold-pressed in small batches to ensure its purity and freshness. Rosehip oil is deeply moisturizing without leaving a greasy residue on the skin. It is packed with anti-inflammatory fatty acids and vitamins A and C, known for their ability to decrease pigmentation, and fine lines, and for repairing skin damage. Rosehip oil is one of the rare oils that can fully penetrate the skin's cells. You can use this in combination with the next product I want to tell you about to help heal rashes like eczema.
Relieve Healing Gel effectively targets harmful bacteria on the skin, while promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms. This promotes a healthy balance on the skin's microbiome. It is fantastic for rashes, burns, blisters, ouchies, sunburns, diaper rash, yeast infections and much more.
All three of these products are designed to work in harmony to nurture your delicate microbiome ecosystem, all while promoting healthy, glowing skin, and overall health and well-being.
In conclusion, the skin-gut axis is an important concept to understand when it comes to choosing skin-care products. Many chemicals in conventional skin-care products can disrupt the delicate balance of your microbiome which can have negative effects on our health and well-being.
Before we wrap up for today I would like to let you know I will not be here next week. I am going on a little vacation with my daughter - the first time we are leaving our sweet boys behind to go connect under the beautiful California sunshine. I will be back on April 11th for the final two episodes of this season of the podcast. Also! Our rewards program is now up and active. So make sure you create an account next time you shop with ōNLē. Simply accrue points every time you shop and redeem your discounts!
Alrighty! Until I return, please consume any of the previous episodes that might resonate with your heart. Bye for now.
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Follow Your Gut. As a reminder, the information shared on this show is not just for your children, but also for you as a woman. At ōNLē ORGANICS, I have created a line of the best quality gut-balancing supplements and products that have transformed my family's health and happiness. Head to www.onleorganics.com to start your journey to optimal gut health today. Lastly, I always want to be very transparent that I am not a medical professional, and the information shared on this podcast is based on my personal experience and research. Please always listen to your own inner voice of wisdom and your healthcare professional. Join me again next week for more insights and inspiration on taking charge of your family's health and happiness. I will see you then!
