We're all familiar with the cycle, stress, work, hectic lifestyles, and many other factors that can take a toll on our skin. We sat down with top nutritionist, podcaster, and wellness coach Brittany Ford, aka @biohackingbrittany, to talk about the stress skin response and her advice on how to combat it.
Read the biohacker approach to have the best skin of your life:
Radiant skin starts from within—a concept I return to time and again. Not only our diet, supplements, environment, hydration, and lifestyle influence how healthy our skin is, but our mental health, stress, and hormones also play a significant role. As I've previously shared on my podcast and Instagram account, at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I experienced serious acne for the first time (not just a pimple here and there), which triggered a new level of anxiety, depression, and stress I'd never experienced before.
I had tiny bumps on my chin, cheeks, and forehead. I was so embarrassed! I wondered, "How could a biohacker and nutritionist have such unhealthy skin?" This affected my willingness to go out in public, participate in activities, and create online content, leading to me being less physically active and social, which in turn caused more anxiety and stress.
Healing our skin from within
Mental health plays a significant role in skin issues, especially when they're new and unfamiliar. Therefore, healing skin requires a holistic approach: You can't simply fix it with an expensive serum; you have to heal it from within, taking into account your mental health and stress. Whether it's acne, redness, eczema, skin texture, melasma, or another common skin concern I hear about or my clients experience, there's always an underlying cause, usually related to your gut or hormones.
Stress impairs our ability to maintain a healthy gut and balanced hormones, both of which can cause skin problems. When we're stressed, we have difficulty digesting our food properly, leading to many problems in the gut, including protein fermentation, dysbiosis, and leaky gut. This digestive stress can easily manifest itself in our skin.
Chronic stress also disrupts our natural cortisol production, negatively impacts our blood sugar levels, and can cause fluctuations in sex hormones. These fluctuations usually manifest as acne or a bumpy texture on my chin and between my eyebrows. Unfortunately, I struggled with these exact issues in 2020. I was dealing with hormonal fluctuations due to my irregular menstrual cycle and stress from the pandemic, which caused my skin to break out and stressed me even more. As a result, I needed to address the root cause of my skin issues and take a holistic approach to healing.
Eating right is a must
Healthy skin starts from the inside, including the types of food and drinks we consume every day. Whether you consume only plants or a mix of plants and animals (or even only animals, which is becoming increasingly popular), the quality of what you eat matters. Choosing whole foods over processed foods is a good start.
If your pantry is fuller than your fridge, you're probably eating too many processed foods like cookies, chips, cereal, bars, and baked goods. Instead, we should strive for a fridge full of fresh and frozen vegetables, fruit, eggs, animal protein, milk, butter, and homemade meals. The quality of our food is also important, ensuring it's not contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, additives, or preservatives, or made from GMOs. When it comes to food, make sure it's organic, local, and seasonal whenever possible.
An easy way to do this is to follow the "Dirty Dozen" guide, which lists the twelve foods you should always buy organic due to their high levels of chemical residues. This makes buying organic more affordable, as not every item you buy has to be organic. When it comes to animal products, look for grass-fed (and even grass-fed, if possible), local, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free products.
There are many food delivery services that deliver high-quality meat directly to your door! Research the best sources for you. By choosing high-quality, natural, and clean foods, we reduce the stress our bodies experience while eating and provide them with the nutrients they need to function properly. This, in turn, promotes healthy, radiant skin.
High-quality dietary supplements make the difference
In addition to what we eat, we can choose supplements that support skin elasticity from within. These aren't just specific vitamins or minerals for the skin, but ingredients that target stress management and hormonal balance, leading to more radiant skin.
Adaptogens are perfect for this, as they support homeostasis and target the balance of all hormones in the body. Therefore, taking supplements that support mental well-being and general stress in the body is an important part of a holistic healing approach.
I recommend taking supplements that balance hormones, such as chaga, blueberry, rhodiola, and pine bark. Chaga mushroom protects against common skin reactions to stress, and rhodiola rosea helps repair skin, energize the body, and restore hormonal balance. Wild blueberry brightens, nourishes, and awakens the skin, while pine bark firms, hydrates, and evenly tones the skin. Piperine also strengthens the skin and contributes to more resilient skin.
The world of supplements can be overwhelming! Therefore, look for authenticity and transparency in a brand (no hidden additives or preservatives), easily absorbed ingredients, and a brand that enjoys an excellent reputation among its customers. My favorite skin supplement brand is Forest Spa Finland, a company based on these principles that heals the skin by addressing the root cause of stress.
Maintaining a healthy body and mind takes a lot of self-confidence, effort, and time, and that applies to our skin as well. Deciding to make healthy choices every day can be challenging, but the rewards for our skin are worth it every time. While I focus on eating whole foods, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing my stress, I also make it a priority to take the right supplements to support my skin from within.
Start your wellness journey now!
Food supplements from FOREST SPA FINLAND
