Why are chronic skin
conditions rarely skin deep?
It might surprise you to know
that most skin conditions have
little to do with the skin per se.
In fact, reaching for skin products
will do little more than provide
temporary relief at best, and can
even worsen the problem.
What
do Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea,
Vitilago, Lichen Planus and other
chronic skin conditions have in
common?
In
all of the aforementioned cases the
skin is a reflection of an internal
problem. Think of the skin as a
detoxification organ. When we sweat
and/or shed skin we are excreting
excess amounts of natural and/or
toxic substances from our bodies.
However, the skin is only meant to
be a secondary or minor
detoxification organ. The brunt of
the work should go to the primary
detoxification organs: the liver,
the lungs, the gastrointestinal
tract and the kidneys.
What happens if our primary
detoxification organs are
overwhelmed? If the liver, intestines, kidneys and/or lungs are overburdened, the
skin can become an outlet. Ancient
Chinese medicine recognizes that a
burden on the liver is often
reflected in the skin. A vivid
example of this is jaundiced skin
that accompanies severe liver
disease.
Why
do skin diseases run through
families?
Just like one can inherit the
tendency to develop a particular
disease such as diabetes, similarly
one can inherit a pattern of
detoxification. In homeopathy, we
call this a MIASM. For example, a
tendency to develop benign tumors
may be a genetically determined way
of dealing with toxicity for a
particular family. Eczema and
psoriasis have particularly strong
miasmatic underpinnings. The
important point is that a miasm must
be treated in order to cure the skin
diseases.
What
are the most common internal issues
linked to chronic skin diseases?
The three most
prominent underlying issues where
chronic skin diseases are concerned
are: 1. Toxic Overload, 2. Immune
Dysfunction, and 3. Infectious
Organisms. In reality, there are no
obvious distinctions among these
categories; they often overlap and
are interrelated. For example,
eczema is often associated with a
disruption of function in the
gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a
primary organ of elimination.
GI tissue plays a
surprisingly large role in our
immune functioning and explains the
common link between food
sensitivities (allergies) and
eczema. It is not uncommon,
furthermore, to have an overgrowth
of opportunistic organisms (for
example, Candida) in the GI tracts
of those with eczema. And to top
this all off a miasm is often
involved.
Is a
diagnosis helpful?
Skin conditions can be extremely
challenging to diagnose, with an
accuracy rate of only about 50%.
The relevance of a diagnosis in
mainstream medicine is questionable
since the overwhelming majority of
cases are treated with
corticosteroid creams. Why are
these seemingly effective topical
creams problematic? Firstly, with
long term use, steroids can
contribute to osteoporosis,
autoimmune disease, weight gain,
cataracts and increased risk of
serious infection. More
importantly, while the skin
condition may disappear in some
cases, the underlying disease
process will resurface at a deeper
level. A common example of this is
the correlation between eczema in
children and the development of
childhood asthma. Suppress the skin
and the disease goes deeper to the
lungs.
How
can one best treat skin conditions?
A diagnosis is not
nearly as important as a clear
understanding of a person’s
detoxification pathways, immune
health, relative toxic load and
possible miasm. For this reason, I
rarely prescribe specific remedies
to treat the skin until months into
the treatment. The treatment must
start from the inside out. In
addition to a thorough health
history, specialized screening tests
for food sensitivities, heavy metal
loads and bowel functioning can
provide invaluable information. In
my opinion, despite what mainstream
medicine says about conditions such
as psoriasis, skin conditions can be
cured.
TIPS FOR TOPICALS
Quick and Easy
Remedies for Skin
Warts – Cheliderm
Cream by Genestra (and treat
underlying cause)
Wounds, Abrasions,
Broken Skin – Calendula Cream
Bruises – Traumeel by
Heel or Arnica Cream
1st &
Second Degree Burns – Aloe Vera Gel
Dry Colloused Feet –
Akileine Dry Foot Crème (Shoppers
Drugmart)
Dandruff – 1 tbsp
Apple Cider Vinegar on scalp and
wash after 1 hour
Uncomplicated Acne –
1 drop tea tree or lavender oil
diluted in ¼ tsp aloe gel
Fungal Infections –
Tea Tree Oil diluted and applied
regularly
Dry Skin – Shea
Butter
Skin Detox – Dry Skin
Brushing
Recommended Brands
for Skin Products
Nui
Aubrey’s
Suncoat (cosmetics)
Druid
The Green Beaver Co.
www.greenbeaver.com
Burt’s Bees
Evenhealy (Rose line
for nature skin, Blue line for
sensitive/problematic skin)
Weleda
New Co.
Avalon Organic
Floral Waters:
Essencia Floral Water, The
Aromatherapist, Divine Essence
Divine Essence
Love at First Touch
(creams)
Life Root Healing
(face creams)
Derma Med (acne wash
with salicylic acid and green tea)
Joie Cosmetics
Aroma Crystal Therapy
Limited
Butterfly Weed
Vaginal Lubricants:
Good Clean Love, O’My (sodium
benzoate), Jason Women’s Wise
(Methyl Parabens)
Shawla
Wise Ways Herbals
PhytoCort
St. Francis