Skin issues? It’s time for a deep dive.
Years ago I started having signs of rosacea and eczema and my skin was very reactionary all the time-I had no idea what was going on and I kept defaulting to assuming it was from something topical like makeup or lotion or from being out in the world in general with toxins and pollutants in the city air. I spent toooons of time and money trying new products and new makeup, even though I used organic products and mineral makeup and all of the top tier lines that were made for sensitive skin, nothing was working, in fact it was getting worse each year.
I spent tons on facials and dermatology appointments. I tried literally every antibiotic and topical gel and my stomach microbiome became totally destroyed from almost 2 years of antibiotics back to back (thinking of this makes me cringe). Unfortunately, all the acid based topicals from the dermatologist didn’t do anything but make my face red, itchy and tight and just very unpleasant.
After several years of struggling I was tipped off from a friend that it may be a good idea to take a food sensitivity test and sure enough it came back with a LOAD of foods that were my triggers. The usual culprits from dairy, egg, gluten and sulfites were on my “red list”, which is the top tier foods to avoid but there were also some random unexpected ones like mushroom, green beans, walnuts, cayenne pepper and tomatoes. It turned out that some of my healthy favorite foods were not working in my best interest. I used EverlyWell brand testing kit, you can find these at target or in many drug stores in the pharmacy area or of course online.
My next step was to do an elimination diet and remove all these foods from my diet for a month. After 1 week I already saw very noticeable results. My skin was less red, bumps were fading and I didn’t feel this underlying heat and flushed feeling that seemed to be ever present. I will say you have to be very diligent about keeping the no-go foods out of your diet if you want to really see results and make sure these foods are actually a trigger- I cheated a few times and just had to start the whole process over so just a word from the wise on that J.
After I committed to my one month cleanse my skin looked so damn good I wanted to shout from the rooftops! Anyone who suffers with skin issues knows how that can affect your confidence- makeup can cover it up but we know what’s lurking underneath.
As I mentioned, after just a week I was waking up in the morning with an even skin tone, no red, no flushing, no bumps- I could do a bare face selfie and feel proud! I didn’t… but I could have JIt was a very cool feeling to know I could take charge of my skin and confidence by having an awareness of what affected me. I didn’t have to rely anymore of nonstop new products and expensive dermatologists.
My skin has become vibrant and clear again and I love that- but on the flip side it’s a lifestyle change to keep your skin looking good. If I slip up and am traveling and decide forget this regimen, I am eating that big piece of cheesecake in NYC or that strudel in Vienna – I definitely pay for it the following week. My philosophy is that you have to also live your life and if food pleasures make you happy, you can forfeit perfect skin for a week in lieu of indulging in a treat! I am just happy to know what causes my issues and to be in control of when I want to manage it with a simple solution! Good luck fellow skin issue friends and I hope I gave you some “food for thought” 😉 go get your food sensitivity kit, I guarantee it will be the beginning of a new chapter in your skin health!
