Did you know?
A 2019 study in Europe found that skin diseases were the fourth most common cause of human illness and 64.5% of individuals screened had at least one skin symptom.
Interestingly, of those with a skin condition, 77.3% answered they did not have one!
This is why you may have clients suffering from varying degrees of skin conditions, without even realising that they are living with these…
This state of unawareness around the true health of our skin is a result of a huge knowledge gap out there on skincare and maintenance.
When we consider human organs, the skin rarely comes to mind, which is a costly oversight. The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and if you were to spread it out, it would cover about 2 square metres (22 square feet)! That’s a whole lot of skin, and it clearly deserves more attention to what may be going on beneath it.
So how do we ensure we do our part to keep it healthy?
The skin undergoes a renewal process approximately every 28 days! All by itself too!
(As we get older, this time period extends longer). But this natural renewal cycle is not enough and needs to be supported with proper skincare. Our skin health is influenced by various factors, including nutrition making it susceptible to thousands of different skin conditions or skin symptoms ranging from the more common (like acne or dermatitis) to the very rare (like peeling skin syndrome or harlequin ichthyosis).
However, when considering solutions to these skin conditions, for many, the first step is to purchase high-end cosmetics that can be used to treat these problems without ever considering that there might be underlying internal issues triggering these conditions.
Why not help your clients take better care of their skin from the inside out? This is where you can make a difference as an Advanced Skincare and Repair Nutrition Specialist™!
In this post, we will go over:
- Common skin conditions your clients may be experiencing
- Diet for healthy skin
- Becoming a skincare nutrition expert
Let’s dive right in!
Common skin conditions your clients may be experiencing
What causes changes to our skin? Are some of us prone to “good” or “bad” skin? Or are there other factors that we need to take into consideration?
There are 2 main types of skin lesions:
- Inherited lesions are those which you may have been born with (i.e., a birthmark)
- Acquired lesions are those which appeared over your lifetime (e.g., acne, a cut, a rash, and so on)
A medical doctor’s diagnosis of a skin condition is made by gathering information about the lesion(s), including size, location, patterns, distribution, morphology, symptoms, duration, and colour. Family history and lifestyle habits may also be relevant and may also be inquired about during an appointment.
With most skin conditions, there is also an environmental aspect or trigger that activates the symptoms. This means that the environment and lifestyle of the individual are also important. A typical example of this is psoriasis. It is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin as red, scaly, itchy patches, ranging from a small area to covering nearly the entire body. These rashes can be triggered by lifestyle factors such as stress. So, building stress resilience is vital for those with this condition.
Several skin conditions also have a genetic component. A good example here is the skin condition called cellulite, which is dimpled, bumpy-looking skin, more common around the thighs and buttocks. Genetics, age, hormones, diet, and carrying excess body fat all influence risk of its development. Cellulite is prevalent in women, with about 85% of women over the age of 20 having cellulite on their bodies to some extent.
Other skin conditions like cold sores, fluid-filled blisters around the mouth or on the lips are due to the presence of a virus called HSV, along with environmental triggers such as stress, exhaustion, dehydration, or excessive sun exposure. Many of us are already infected with HSV (More than 10% of the world’s population already has HSV in their body) and can’t do anything to control that. However, we can prevent this condition from exacerbating by improving our sleep quality, stress management, good hydration and nutrition, avoiding sunburns.
Our Advanced Skincare and Repair Specialist™ certification covers over 40 skin symptoms or skin conditions, including looking at nutritional and lifestyle options that can help reduce symptoms and improve skin health.
Skincare nutrition: beautiful skin starts with our diet!
Skin health is largely influenced by what we eat. Like with most conditions or unwanted symptoms, no one food will give us the perfect skin we may desire. However, there are nutritional changes, which can help support the health of our skin. Let’s look at a few of these:
Consuming sufficient water
This is the easiest thing to do. Drinking sufficient water daily can help to reduce water loss through the skin and reduce dryness. Water supplies the skin with moisture and helps flush out toxins. To achieve radiant skin, the first step is to get your clients to stay hydrated.
Intake of omega 3 fatty acids
While many may want to avoid consuming fats, some fats in the diet are necessary and can actually help to support skin health. For example, our skin is composed of several lipids, such as free fatty acids, ceramides, and glycerides, which help provide moisture and support the skin’s barrier function. While excess consumption of trans fats may increase systemic inflammation, increase acne lesions, and lead to dermatitis flare-ups, consuming omega 3 fatty acids can help support skin function.
Consuming lean protein
Proteins such as collagen and elastin are essential for skin structure, providing firmness and keeping the skin tight. Amino acids found within our foods can help our body cells synthesise these proteins in the body so that our skin maintains its structure.
Incorporating micronutrients in our diets
Micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, help to keep our skin cells functioning. Thus, ensuring that we consume all the essential vitamins and minerals can help to maintain skin barrier function, keep skin hydrated, protect against UV damage, lessen unwanted skin symptoms, and so on. Interestingly, while the ideal way to get these nutrients is through food, many skincare products are now adding nutrients to their formations which may also provide some benefit.
Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics
The skin microbiome may be just as important as the gut microbiome. And yet gets little attention. Research on the use of ingested or probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics for the skin has increased over the past years. This is based on the idea that our skin is inhabited by 100 different microbial species, with about 1 million microbes per square centimetre. And, like with our gut microbiome, we also want to maintain eubiosis microbiome balance with our skin as well.
Skincare nutrition personalisation
90% of nutrition professionals surveyed by us said that they have come across skincare related problems with their clients or suffer from them personally. Which means that your clients need you to help improve their skin.
Many skin conditions have an inflammatory component. Those few that promote “anti-inflammatory diets” for skin health are on the right track (as opposed to just trying new products or treatments) but miss the personalisation. The first key steps involve identifying WHAT is leading to the flare-ups! It’s different for everyone.
There’s also the embarrassment or fear or self-esteem factors. Skin conditions are often visible. So those with them may hide or not interact as much. or feel stressed, anxious. This can lead to changes in eating habits that can worsen the skin.
Becoming a skincare nutrition expert
Knowing about the factors that influence our skin is an important area when working with nutrition clients. Most professionals only focus on products and procedures and completely ignore nutrition and lifestyle factors!
At The Health Sciences Academy, we have received numerous questions like:
“What are the best ways to take care of my skin?”“I have tried so many products on my skin, but nothing helps.”
“What does nutrition have to do with my skin?”
“I keep seeing collagen listed on products. What is it, and does it really help?”
“I get rashes occasionally. My dermatologist said it might have to do with what I am eating. What do I do?”
Well, here is your chance to discover how you can help your clients with these skin problems with the launch of our brand-new Advanced Skincare and Repair Nutrition Specialist™ L5 client advisory certification!
Join our LIVE CPD-certified launch webinar on Friday 29 October at 4:00 PM (UK Time) with UCL Researcher and Chief Science Educator at The Health Sciences Academy, Alex Ruani!
Get ready to learn:
- Why nutrition and health practitioners should gain a deep insight into nutritional dermatology when working with clients
- Critical role of diet and lifestyle factors on skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, premature ageing, and many more
- Importance of designing personalised skincare nutrition programs based on your client’s skin health goals
- Benefits of becoming an Advanced Skincare and Repair Nutrition Specialist™
- Types of services you can provide by knowing nutritional dermatology
- How you can integrate skincare nutrition into your own client programs
Save your seat here, and be sure to join us for the launch of this brand-new certification!
