Love the Skin You're In

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It protects and gives you signals from the environment, and regulates temperature and water. We often don’t think about the functions of our skin until it starts to cause us problems – itching, rashes, acne, discoloration, premature aging, etc – all of which can be a signal of something deeper going on in our body. The skin is also a great absorptive surface, for better or for worse. We can use this effect to our benefit for absorbing certain medications or nutrients applied topically (eg. estrogen, testosterone, magnesium), though the absorptive nature of skin also makes us susceptible to adverse effects from environmental exposures that may be allergic or irritant in nature.

ouTSIDE IN VS AND INSIDE OUT

Whether it’s limiting exposures to harmful substances, or increasing exposure to therapeutic agents, both internal and external approaches can, and should, be used in conjunction to promote optimal skin health.

outside in

Skin & The Immune System —> Allergies

An allergic response occurs when the immune system reacts abnormally to a substance found in the environment. The substance that provokes the reaction is called an allergen.

3 Categories of Allergens:

• Ingested allergens - reactions to food or things consumed orally

• Inhaled allergens - reactions to substances we breathe in

• Contact allergens - reactions to substances applied on skin or mucus membranes (lips, mouth, groin)

Skin Allergies

1. Allergic reactions tend to happen after repeated exposure to a substance. The reaction never happens to the first exposure because the immune system must first become sensitized to the chemical.

2. Once you have been sensitizes, you will always be allergic to it.

3. Sudden development of allergies is possible.

4. Even small amounts of allergen can trigger a reaction that can last for several weeks.

5. With each new exposure, the reaction becomes stronger.

6. The reaction can spread beyond the exposure site.

7. A reaction need not happen immediately - it can take hours or days to present.

Allergy Testing

• Prick testing - for allergens ingested or inhaled

• Patch testing - for contact allergens

Top Allergens in Personal Care Products

1. Fragrances

2. Preservatives

3. Hair dyes

4. Lanolin

5. Synthetic detergents

6. Botanicals

7. Nail cosmetics

8. Sunscreens

Skin and The Immune System —> Irritants & Intolerances

Skin irritants elicit non-allergy reactions, that may be immediate, dose-dependent, and/or cumulative.

Irritant Reactions

• Irritation is dose-dependent - the more you are exposed, the more severe the reaction.

• Irritation is cumulative - multiple exposures, multiple chemicals.

• Irritation can happen after a single exposure.

• Irritation does not necessarily happen after every exposure (cumulative exposures impact the outcome).

• An irritant reaction can happen immediately after exposures and can resolve quickly after exposure ends.

Top Irritants in Personal Care Products

1. Water

2. Soap and detergents

3. Fragrances

4. Botanicals

5. Alcohol

6. Abrasive scrubs

7. Vitamin A derivatives and Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (AHA)

8. Shampoos and conditioners

inside out

Your skin is also reflective of what is going on within your body. We see this often with certain conditions that have dermatologic manifestations, such as Celiac disease (dermatitis herpetiformis), systemic lupus erythematosus (malar erythema), PCOS (acne) and many others. Aside from diagnosable pathologies, functional imbalances and other factors can also impact the quality and health of our skin. These may include:

• Inflammation

• Hormonal imbalances

• Diet

• Digestive issues

• Food sensitivities

• Sun exposure

• Stress

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Immune dysfunction

• Medications or supplements

• Smoking

• Infections

Skin problems are often multifactorial, and as such often require a multi-factorial approach. Whether you are addressing the symptoms of chronic disease or looking to improve the appearance and health of your skin overall, optimizing and correcting any one or several of these factors may be necessary to achieve desired results.

THE FIRST STEP TO TREATMENT IS A PROPER ASSESSMENT.

Deciding where to start can be overwhelming. With no shortage of information online, many times patients are confronted with information and option overload. A detailed history taking with a health professional can help to narrow down areas to focus on and get you started on a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs to help you love the skin you’re in.

In health,

Dr. Jacalyn Sieben, ND

PS - for more information about a holistic Outside-In approach I highly recommend the book referenced below.

Reference:

Skotnicki, S. (2018). Beyond soap: The real truth about what you are doing to your skin and how to fix it for a beautiful, healthy glow. Penguin Random House.

Your Health, Your Comfort: Embracing a Scent-Free Environment

We talk a lot about keeping our clinic a scent-free space, but we thought it would be important to explain the reason WHY. You may be thinking, “I don’t wear perfume”, but you may be surprised to know that scents can be following you around through the detergent or fabric softener you use, the shampoo you wash your hair with, or the cleaning products you just used to clean your home and have stuck onto your clothes. In fact, these substances can be found in thousands of consumer and industrial products - and they may be wreaking havoc on your body.

A growing number of scented products are available on store shelves, and our homes are becoming more and more saturated with airborne chemicals. It’s almost impossible to avoid exposure to these substances, and they are contributing to poor indoor air quality all around the world. While Canadians spend approximately 90% of their time indoors [i], the concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations [ii] [iii]. Usually this boils down to a lack of ventilation. In addition to scents and fragrances from various products we use indoors, when outdoor pollutants make their way indoors (tracked in on shoes, residue on clothing, etc.), they end up concentrating in higher amounts than they would outside (because there is less airspace for them to occupy inside). [iv] All of this adds to the challenges of keeping your indoor air clean.

Let’s look at one of the biggest offenders: Phthalates.

What are phthalates? Phthalates are the reason why your deodorant keeps you smelling fresh on hot summer days. They are why a new diaper has that powdery-soft baby smell. Or why your sheets still smell clean even after sleeping in them for a day or two. Phthalates are used to make fragrances last longer.

But it doesn’t stop there. Fake Christmas trees have phthalates. Vinyl flooring contains phthalates. Rubber duckies contain phthalates. Phthalates can even be found in food products. This is a reason why phthalates are called the “Everywhere Chemical”.

A single product may contain up to 300 different fragrance ingredients, but there are over 3000 different chemicals a manufacturer can choose from – even ones that are known irritants, allergens, and carcinogens. Health Canada says that most phthalates don’t pose a risk to health, and therefore phthalates will not appear on ingredient labels; instead, they are grouped in as “fragrance” or “perfume/parfum.”[v]

After tobacco smoke, perfumes are one of the most noticeable air contaminants in public places and the workplace. They are reported to cause difficulties for most people with environmental sensitivities.[vi] A 2009 study that appeared in the Journal of Environmental Health showed that around 30% of the general population found other people wearing fragrances to be irritating.[vii] “Irritating” doesn’t mean that someone is merely bothered by it – we are talking nausea, migraines, difficulty breathing, rashes, stuffy or runny noses…the list goes on. For people who have asthma, the study found that 37% of people were aggravated by scented products.

Further, there is growing evidence that shows the link between these chemicals and a long list of health conditions. We’re talking changes to fertility, hormonal imbalance, inflammation, excess weight, sleep disturbances, elevated stress levels, issues with childhood growth and development…this list also goes on.

When we ask for your help to make Saskatoon Naturopathic Medicine a scent-free space, it’s so we can make our clinic a safe and comfortable place for all patients who visit. As your trusted experts in natural health care, it is our job to share our knowledge to help you make better choices for yourself and those around you. If you are interested in learning more, our NDs would love to chat with you!

[i] https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/campaigns/canadian-environment-week/clean-air-day/indoor-quality.html          

[ii] https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality#note2    

[iii] https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/inside-story-guide-indoor-air-quality             

[iv] https://www.airqualitycanada.ca/news/indoor-and-outdoor-air-pollution          

[v] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety/phthalates.html

[vi] https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/sites/default/files/envsensitivity_en.pdf

[vii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19326669/