Episode Transcript

The Nourished Mama - Ep 16

Transcript 

Welcome back to The Nourished Mama podcast today. I am so excited to be joined by the incredible Victoria. Victoria is a functional health coach. She's a mom, she's a sonographer, and even a Pilates instructor. She has a deep passion for helping others take control of their health. Welcome, Victoria. Thank you for having me today.

Oh, I'm so glad you are here. Joining us. So Victoria is an expert in many things, but one thing I'm gonna pick her brain on today is skin health. She has helped countless mamas heal skin conditions like acne, psoriasis eczema, and more. All through nourishing this. Skin from within. But before we talk about all things vibrant, glowy skin, Victoria, can you give us a little background on you?

How did you get into this space? Yeah, so I have always been in the health industry and really interested in health. I always lived a really healthy lifestyle, but did suffer from a lot of gut issues and hormone issues. And then in my mid twenties I got diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and the

doctors told me that didn't matter what I did, I would feel pretty flat and fatigued for the rest of my life, and I just wasn't happy with those answers. I knew that I could do more, so that's when I sought out. I. functional health and realised that there's so much more to your health than just, a diagnosis.

So I looked into my diet, I got my blood work analysed through functional or optimal medical ranges, and then a lot was, found from there, which we worked on and improved and my life changed for the better, and I honestly just want to help as many people as possible now, to also feel that change and not be just left with no answers.

So yeah, that's what I'm really passionate about. I still do some ultrasound, here and there and teach my Pilates on the side, but this is my main passion is, just getting to the root cause of a lot of health issues. I love that. And I remember when you first told me your story, I was blown away becauseI saw so much of me as well in your story.

And I think that's not a coincidence because I think that a lot of women have our story and share our story where, they become so burnt out, they're given this diagnosis. A lot of the time being an autoimmune condition, and then it's basically here's your medication. Manage it this way.

You're gonna feel crap all the time. Yep. But there's no talk about the root cause or how we can even just support our symptoms through food and lifestyle practices, which is just so powerful. And it's just unfortunate that no one in those moments. Have those conversations with a lot of women. Yeah.

And I think that's where both of our passion really comes from. getting that diagnosis, hearing the, the devastation of, this is your medication, that's all you can do. There's nothing else you can do. Yeah. and then going, no, there has to be another way. Yes. No, I definitely agree and that's why the, I've had countless conversations with women who've been told, everything is normal in their bloods, but they are feeling anything but normal and they're left to just.

Suffer for years to come, and that's not a great quality of life, especially if you are a mom, that it's so hard to show up for yourself. It is alone, your children and your family. So it's so important to really optimize all aspects of health and not just have a look at just your diet, but also look at your lifestyle, even the types of movement that you are doing, and then supplementation if.

Required, and that's what I usually do with my health protocols when I analyze bloods, is to really just ensure that we are doing, having a holistic approach. Yeah. I love that about you. So you have helped hundreds of women rebalance their hormones and heal their gut, but something I love that you do obviously particularly is support women with their skin health, which is what I want to talk to you about today.

Yes. What are some of the most common skin conditions women struggling with? So definitely acne. I feel like that is something that is so common and most women have either experienced in the past or even as an adult still suffer with, and whether they've been on the pill to try and manage it as a teenager or something like roaccutane or antibiotics.

This seems to be a big challenge that people. Tend to deal with throughout their lives and a lot of the time they're put on medications from teen being a teenager. Yeah. But not actually addressing the root cause so that when they come off these medications down the track, it comes back again. And it may be worse and other symptoms may.

come up as well. So things like, rosacea or dermatitis or even things like psoriasis or eczema. So these are very common symptoms that I do tend to see and, work with quite a lot. Yeah. And do you work with women of, various ages? Yes. going through this Yeah. All the way from teenagers all the way through to, postmenopausal women as well.

Yeah. Because we, I have noticed we are seeing a lot more older women struggling and dealing with things like acne dermatitis. It's becoming so much more common in those older years as well. It sure is. And even things like rosacea. So those red skin tones. Yeah. that just don't seem to go, that can be quite, Detrimental as well. Yeah. And what are maybe some of the biggest mistakes then you see women make when it comes to healing their skin or trying to get on top of it when it appears? firstly, I think a lot of people just think that because it's your skin, you just have to work on it. Externally, which a lot of the time and most of the time is it's an actual internal problem that has happened.

And after it festers for a while, then it comes to the skin surface. So it's actually something internal that has been causing issues for a while. You may not notice any changes in your self internally, but over time it does come to the skin. So it's something we deal with a lot. But also having this approach of, going on social media and seeing what the, an influencer has done or someone else has done and just trying to follow their approach.

It is so individual and I could have exactly the same symptoms as someone else, but my blood work and what is happening internally could be completely different. So the approach to dealing with the symptoms is completely different. So it's so important to make sure that you are actually. Finding out what the root cause is and dealing with it on an individual perspective.

I love that you say that, and you've mentioned the pill as well, so it is crazy that a lot of these teenagers or even you know, o older women are being prescribed to go on the pill for skin problems and then they come off the pill and it's actually made it so much worse. Yeah. Can you walk us through why that happens?

Yeah, so firstly, the root cause is usually not addressed in the first place. So we're often put on the pill or recommended the pill as a teenager, and that's when our hormones are really starting to regulate. So sebum production will change and even our gut microbiome is still building up. What happens is when we are put on the pill, even as an adult, is a lot of these hormones are suppressed.

So estrogen is suppressed, progesterone is suppressed, which will stop you from ovulating, will stop you from having a lot of these skin issues, or hormonal issues. But the problem is once you come off it, we're often not supported in terms of internal health. So a lot of the time you just come off it and that's it.

And then Three to six months is usually when we see those post pill side effects, especially those skin issues. And that's because your hormones have a 100 day life cycle. So your, those hormones that have been, while you've been on the pill are still circulating for up to 100 days. So roughly.

Three months and then that's where you'll see that issue come up. So a lot of the acne and the skin issues come up three to six months post, post pill. And what actually happens is when you take the pill, the pill actually it affects your gut microbiome, but it also competes with zinc for absorption.

So it'll prioritize the pill over zinc so that when you come off the pill, your body is. Significantly depleted in zinc. And zinc is really important for sebum production. So when you are finally off the pill and your hormones are now working themselves and created themselves, your skin starts to flare up because you don't have that zinc to create a natural, sebum production.

So you might get post pill sebum rebound. So an overproduction of sebum, which can create that, red. Acne painful acne generally in certain specific spots on your skin. So your or your face, your chin, your cheeks, and it can be quite painful as well. And even your body as so they are. Quite common parts to, and for those that might not know what sebum production is.

Yep. Can you just sort of on that? Yeah. So we have, sebum glands in our skin, and basically they just create oils to help keep our skin hydrated. However, this can be dysregulated either over produced or under produced, over time. And that can create dry skin or oily skin. And then this can, these sebum glands can get blocked and the pores can get blocked.

and that's where that acne can occur because the bacteria gets tracked in your skin. And then that's where you'll get a flare up of things like acne or, Dermatitis, rosacea, eczema. Yeah. all of that. And I know you see a lot of this happen for women post pill. Yeah. What are some other causes say, I actually have a lot of women that I work with that all of a sudden, they've hit their forties, they've never had any skin conditions, and all of a sudden they're getting things like eczema and psoriasis all over their hands.

Especially. Yes. now I know this is very much linked to inflammation. And gut disorders. can you touch on that as well? Yeah, so as we age naturally, our cellular renewal isn't as optimal as it is when we are younger. So that's where we'll see things like aging skin and deterioration of certain health markers.

But this is where an immune and a heightened immune response can also come into play when we have a heightened immune response,it can manifest in different areas of the body, and these symptoms can a lot of the time. Show up in your skin. So because you have a heightened immune response, your body starts to almost attack itself.

So it can attack things like the sebum glands, it can attack certain bacteria on the skin, or even things like collagen. So that is where it's really important to support. first of all. Gut health and collagen production because these are gonna be essential for helping with healthy skin production and renewal over time, especially as we age.

Yeah. Thanks for explaining that. Sorry if that was a bit No, that was really good. Thank you. I love that you do take that holistic approach when it comes to skin, which is so important. I know you've touched on this a little bit, but what does that look like, that holistic approach? So when clients come to work with me, I get them to do a really in-depth, symptom history form, first of all, so we know what previous health symptoms they're experiencing in their health history along with the current symptoms and their goals.

And then I also get them to do a really in-depth blood test. So we test everything from immune markers to liver markers, thyroid, iron. it's really important that we don't just go in and test, for instance. Hormones or if they've got low energy, we don't just test iron because this can only be a small piece of the puzzle.

And if we don't look at it through a global perspective, we could be either potentially missing the root cause or other areas in the body that may be affected by a certain symptom or a certain cause. So once I've gotten the blood. Back. I correlate them with the symptoms, but I analyze them through different ranges to the gp.

So my ranges are called functional medical ranges, and they're based off someone with optimal health and they account for changes in gender. So a lot of the time when you go to your GP. the ranges they use are based off 95% of the population. So you are compared to a male, you are compared to someone who's 90 years old.

But you are also compared to people with underlying health conditions. So for a, let's say, 30-year-old woman, their bloods may be. Quote, unquote normal for someone who is 90 years old, but for a 30-year-old woman that doesn't, shouldn't have any real underlying health conditions, their levels may not be optimal.

Yeah. And they're feeling the symptoms, but. It's not flagged as abnormal from the gp, whereas the ranges I use, they're very narrow. So we can start to detect as soon as a system in your body starts to dysfunction and address it then. And it usually helps us to determine the root cause so we can go in and then create a health protocol that incorporates nutrition, movement, lifestyle, and supplementation in order to address it.

I love that. So you look at that holistic approach when it comes to the food, the lifestyle and supplementation, which is just so important. Yes, it is. Uh, which is something that you're just not gonna get from a gp. No. And often you only get a 15 minute consult. So they'll only have a look at one specific symptom and.

Just address that and not look at the whole picture, and it's really important to have a global perspective and a holistic perspective and take the time to actually understand the client and really get to know them and their health issues. As well as what their goals are Yeah, and I love that you touched on, those lifestyle factors as well because for particularly exercise, I see a lot of women that are over exercising.

Yes. Especially for their age, which we know this can really start to mess with hormonal balance. Yeah. And that in turn, links back to our skin, the way we feel and everything. So those lifestyle factors are huge and stress. Stress is such a huge one. It's a big one, yes. That people have just not linked enough to skin health.

Yeah. Which is so important. can you touch on that link between, stress and our skin health? Yeah. So cortisol, which is naturally released in our bodies to help, it's almost. like a hormone that helps us to stay awake when we need it, but also relax when we need it as well. So it is part of our sympathetic or,fight or flight nervous system.

Yes. So we need that. Naturally in our body. The problem is a lot of the time we stress our bodies out through, over exercising, undereating, or just having a really stressful lifestyle and not giving our body enough time to rest. This actually affects the way our cells work, so it's really important to have healthy cell growth and renewal because this is gonna help with the quality of our skin and also how our cells.

age and reproduce. So if we are in a really stressed state, it can cause something called oxidative stress so that when our cells, divide and create new cells, they're not the best quality. So that means that a lot of the organs that we're dealing with and that they're re reproducing, including our skin, isn't looking or working as well as 

Usual. So that's where you can get really dull skin, maybe some, sagging or fine lines and wrinkles. And it's because that stress has really impacted the way the quality of your cells have reproduced.And because they renew, our skin cells renew every month. Is that right? Yes. Yeah, they can. Yeah.

Yeah. But different parts of your bodies will renew at different times and they have different speeds as well. Yes. Yeah. And this is where that collagen production and all of that comes into play as well. Yes. Which we'll touch on soon. Yeah, I know, we obviously spoke a little bit about this, but there is always a root cause when it comes to things like acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis.

There is always a root cause and unfortunately a lot of the time in women, this sort of just gets brushed off. and it does, you've spoken about enough or it's just. Part of, being a teenager or part of mum life or part of, menopause or perimenopause, we just categorize it rather than looking for that root cause.

What have you found to be some of the main root causes with your clients? I know you've touched on hormone health, gut health, but what are some specifics that you see when it comes to those particular things? for example, like I've seen for me, I dealing with URIs and eczema. For me, inflammation was a big marker.

Yeah. That kept triggering this. So every time, I would eat inflammatory foods, I found that I would have a flare up of my psoriasis on my hands. Yeah. what are some other things that you've seen? So that is definitely one, and it can be, exacerbated by something called leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability.

Yes. So it means that undigested food particles can actually. Move through into the bloodstream before they're properly broken down. And that can cause an inflammatory response in the body because your immune system's flagging them as a foreign body. So it comes and triggers that inflammation and heightens it.

and that can happen not necessarily with inflammatory foods. It can happen with. A whole heap of different foods. So some people just have food intolerances but they don't have a specific food intolerance and they just find any kind of food can really flare up, their skin. So that's really important to actually improve the lining of the gut and seal the lining of the gut to avoid that immune response.

The other thing I find a lot of the time, and I see it a lot with women who've, been on the pill or some sort of medication is liver detoxification pathway issues. So our liver is one of our main, detox organs in our body, and it naturally just allows all of our hormones in our blood to go through and filter through, breakdown any of the excess hormones that we've used and expel them.

When these pathways compromised and our liver is not working optimally, it causes a buildup of hormones, and then they become reabsorbed and recirculate in the body. Which is where we'll see a lot of things like estrogen, excess, which can cause a lot of things like acne also around your cycle. Yes. You know, different phases of your cycle.

Yeah, that's right. That you fluctuate throughout the month. but it can also trigger things like dermatitis because your body is trying to get rid of. Natural toxins, but it can't do it through your liver. So then it tries to do it through your skin because that is another detox organ. The other thing is, if you are suffering from constipation, it's a similar process because, your body, when your bowel movements naturally eliminate all of the toxins in your body if it's not happening.

Properly and regularly, then it can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream. And then that can trigger a lot of things like dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne again as well. Yeah, and that's really good to know. And what are some ways people can support those detoxifying pathways? So first of all, I make sure that they're getting those regular bowel movements.

So whether they look at their hydration. Fiber intake. These are the basics. Yeah. But then in, in terms of supporting your liver, it's really important for my clients getting their bloods done because if their liver enzymes are high, it'll be a different approach to if they're low. And it can also indicate certain nutrient deficiencies.

So supporting, certain nutrients, specifically things like zinc and B vitamins, which really help. With improving liver function, but getting the right ones because there's so many different supplements around and there's a lot available that are really poor in quality, so a lot of it just goes straight through you and it's not absorbed by your body, so you're wasting your money.

So it's really important to get really good quality ones and ones that are specific for your needs and what we find in your bloods. I love that you do that. And this is why I have never been a huge advocate of promoting supplements because we all need different types of supplements. And I get asked all the time on social media, what should I take and things like that.

And I always unfortunately have to turn people down when it comes to that because our bodies are just made so differently. Like even when it comes to magnesium, I get a lot of people asking, what magnesium do you take? And I'm like. I take a specific magnesium that I know works for my body, that my body needs because of in-depth bloods that I've done.

and that's why I wouldn't talk about it or recommend it to anybody else who'll really ever see me sharing my supplement routine, online because it can be really damaging to do that, knowing that everybody's body needs different things. And even when it comes to your skin health, there are gonna be different things that you need to do versus someone that might have the exact same condition as you.

Yeah. That's exactly right and I see it. I get asked the same questions all the time. People will come to me and say, what's something really good to support my gut health? And I'm like, there are so many different issues that could be driving your gut symptoms. I can't just recommend there's no one gut supplement that's gonna, I.

Fix all your gut issues. Or the same with things like acne or dermatitis. There's not one supplement or one cream that's gonna fix absolutely everyone's symptoms. It's so personalized, and that's why it's really important to have that personalized approach. Get your bloods done, but also get the symptoms associated with that.

And that's, it'll show a lot more and give a much more specific, protocol and pathway to improve your health. Definitely. I love that. So now to the juicy tips that you can give us, what are some of your practical top tips for glowy, hydrated skin in general and maybe, yeah, something that we can do every single day.

So obviously everyone's gonna say drink water. Yes. But being hydrated doesn't just mean water. It also means making sure you're getting enough electrolytes. So some people will say to me, I drink four liters of water a day, but I still feel thirsty. And that's because we are not actually getting the electrolytes.

So sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, they are really important. For just your normal cellular functions, they're required for every single reaction in your body. So I like to use Celtic sea salt, and I'll just put a pitch of that in my water first thing in the morning, and I'll have a squeeze of lemon or lime as well.

So this will help to replenish your electrolytes. But I also. I think it helps a lot with managing fatigue because a lot of people who do suffer from fatigue do have electrolyte depletion. So this is something that I'll also have throughout the day as well. and also having things like coconut oil, water as well.

'cause that's really rich in electrolytes. I know there's a lot of electrolytes supplements out there, but a lot of them have a lot of other things in them to taste really nice. Yeah. But they're not always the best for you, and sometimes they can make your gut a little bit upset too. and they can be loaded with artificial sugars and things like that.

But I love that you said that because I actually, it's one thing that I get a lot of my clients in my programs to do is first thing in the morning, a little bit of Celtic salt in your water. Yeah. I actually get a lot of people in menopause saying to me, I wanna drink more water, but I keep gonna the bathroom.

and I keep going, having to go to the bathroom more frequently and I'm like, that's why you need to add. some salt to your water because it'll also help you not have to feel like you need to go to the toilet so often as well. Yeah, because when we're drinking water, we want our cells and our organs to absorb it, don't we?

We don't want That's right, right through. Yeah. and a lot of people are drinking water as like this empty thing that's not really hydrating and nourishing their body from within. So even the tiniest bit of Celtic salt goes such a long way, doesn't it? Yes, it does. It's huge. And I've actually swapped all the salt, that I use in cooking to Celtic Salt as well.

Yes. Just so I can get that, those electrolytes through my food and like in salads and things like that, it just makes a big difference. Yes, because it does have a lot more trace minerals. it doesn't. And a lot of the other salts, yes. What are some other tips from like a food perspective maybe? So definitely try to get a lot of variety in terms of, plants that you have.

I always say aim for 30 plants a week. It does sound like a lot, but when you break it down into fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and even things like herbal teas, they all contain a lot of different nutrients in them that will help to feel, first of all, fuel your healthy gut. Microbiome. but this will also make a big difference in terms of how your, body feels and then how things are absorbed.

So it'll help with. Your skin quality as well, but some really good ones, to help with vibrant skin are polyphenols. So your red and purple fruits like berries, pomegranate is a really good one. It's also really good for your gut, health. and then cranberries too. Vitamin C rich foods are gonna be good as well because they will help with healthy sebum production.

And collagen production as well. So that's gonna be a really good one. And then having lots of, slow cooked red meat. They, release a lot of collagen in them as well as other really good, nutrients and vitamins that will help with your skin quality, especially those beautiful B vitamins.

Yes, that's really important in those. Really good for glowing skin, slow cooked meats. Yeah. I love that. I actually set a goal, with some of my clients when it comes to meeting those 30 plant foods a week because that is so important and it's, and it can feel really overwhelming when you first hear that, but it's actually a lot easier than what people think.

Yeah. and something that can be really beneficial is when you go to the grocery store, just pick one or two different pieces of fruit and veg that you either have never tried before or you haven't had in a long time. And incorporate them into your meals that week. Because the power of variety is so big when it comes to our internal and external health.

It is, it makes a huge difference. And I do notice a lot of people do say how. Maybe benefits they feel when they start adding more variety to their meals. 'cause a lot of people just stick with, the three basic veg and they have the same ones on repeat every single week. And that can really, lower your gut microbiome and the amount that it's being nourished.

So it's so important just to. Yeah. That really a little bit more variety. That's right. 'cause there's our skin is also just so reliant on so many different vitamins and minerals. Yes. meeting that plant intake during the week is just, it's just so beneficial in the way, that vibrancy comes out in all of you?

I think so. I love that. Yeah. Now, what about some particular like anti-aging tips? 'cause I know a lot of people are gonna wanna hear this, maybe things around collagen. Yeah. Is it worth using collagen powders or any other anti-aging tips, longevity tips for asking you can give us. Yeah. So there is a lot of studies that suggest that collagen can really help with your skin health.

However, there are multiple different types. Of collagen out there. So type three is what you wanna look for and it'll usually state it on the product, but it comes from things like eggshells or egg whites and it helps with healthy, collagen production in your skin. There's lots of other different types, but they can help with like internal organs or ligament

production. So we wanna make sure that we are looking at type three collagen. That's gonna be really important. Yeah. And do is type three collagen in bovine collagen, or is that I believe yes, it is. Yes. Yeah, because that's the one I particularly take. I know there's this huge craze around marine collagen.

Yes. and I've tried different ones over the years, but I find that for me, I notice the biggest difference when I have bovine collagen. Yep. And a lot of people do. That's. It's something. Yes. It's really, 'cause it also supports our gut health at the same time, doesn't it? It alongside our skin health.

Yeah. So where do you get the eggshell collagen from? So you can find it in a lot of, they'll actually just extract it from the eggshell itself to use in collagen. Yeah. and people, some people actually eat the eggshells. I know to get that type three collagen. Yeah. Yeah. Even blending it when they blend it.

if you're making a smoothie or something more in a, in a soup, a lot of people do that. Or with slow cooker. So with the slow cooked meats, that will release a lot of collagen out into the, food. Yeah. but it'll also, if you do cook with the bones, it'll help to release a lot more collagen too, and the marrow.

So some of that, gelatin. meat products and that fatty products are really good for collagen production. Even things like bone broth, which a lot of the time is how you make it. You slow cook that red meat and the bones Yes. To release the collagen in that. Yeah. I love. Doing a bone broth every couple of weeks I'll do a chicken bone broth with some beautiful carcasses.

And just getting all the nutrients from that in general is so nice, but knowing that you're getting all that beautiful collagen as well is so lovely and it's a great thing to do in winter as well. It is, and you can freeze it and just use it as you need. It's something that you can make in, batch and bulk and yeah.

And would that be the type three collagen? Yes. Yeah. Yes. The bone, the collagen. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And what are maybe some other, anti-aging tips you have from more of a lifestyle perspective? obviously getting enough sleep, but good quality sleep. So a lot of people will sleep their eight hours, but they're waking up multiple times, or they're not getting into that deep sleep that is really gonna affect, the look of your skin.

So you're gonna have duller skin, you may have those bags under your eyes. And it's gonna affect, oxygenation levels in your cells. So that will, again, show up in your skin. So you'll feel fatigued, but you'll actually look fatigued as well. So a lot of the time when someone says, oh, you look tired today, and it's because even though you might have slept well, no, yeah, slept long, you might not have slept well enough.

So I like to say. Off your screens 30 to 60 minutes prior to bedtime. Have a good wind down routine. So if you can jump in the shower and have a nice warm shower or bath, do some journaling. If you do find that you struggle with, racing thoughts, and even putting on. a meditation I put on, like it's called Sound Bowl healing, and it's basically just music, but it helps my brain to switch off and get to sleep.

Yeah. And then stay asleep, which I found the biggest difference. Yeah. In terms of sleep length and quality. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. And even,one big thing for me has been using red light. Yes. Yeah. I've noticed a huge difference in that because when we sleep, like people don't realize our body goes through such a vigorous restoration process.

I. Yeah. it's, we during, while we sleep, we detox, we, our hormones self-regulate. So it is so important for looking a certain way when we are awake. Yes, it is. And there's actually new research to suggest not just red light, but blue light therapy. So this is really important for people who are dealing with acne.

So blue light can actually stop, the production of more acne occurring, and then red lights. Can actually help with, preventing scarring from acne. So they're both, if you can find a product that does both blue and red light, it can help with acne as well. Just as a side note. Yeah. And is that, those particular masks?

Yeah, a lot of them will have. both options. Yeah. And that's, that are coming outs and I know that there has been a lot of research backed into those lights as well, which is nice when I'm always about, using things that we know are backed by research and are actually gonna support our health from within and from outside, which is yeah, definitely worth it.

Yeah. And we know, obviously we've spoken so much about how skin health really does start from within and finding that root cause is so important. Yeah. but is there any particular skincare regime that you would recommend to support our skin from the outside as well? So for products, I think it is quite personal again.

And it will depend on if you have things like an overgrowth of certain bacteria. One thing that I like to do, if you suffer with things like psoriasis or dermatitis. On your body, your is try using coconut oil. Now it sounds really weird, but coconut oil is antimicrobial and if you start using it, for some people it won't do anything or it can actually make it worse.

But for other people it actually really reduces the inflammation and the redness and this is a sign. Sorry, that was particularly for psoriasis dermatitis, and Yes. So those, really red flare up type flare up, yeah. And eczema. Yeah. if it does improve with the coconut oil, it can mean that there is a specific bacteria on the skin that is driving the flare up of your skin condition.

So that's something to have a look at. The other thing I recommend, if you do suffer from. Itchy red skin is not having super hot showers because that can increase what's called histamines in your body, which is part of your, immune system, and that can trigger the redness in your skin and the itchiness.

So I do find when they transition from a really hot shower to a lukewarm shower. They do seetheir condition calms down a lot. That's good to know. Yeah. Is there any particular, I know you don't wanna share, everyone's different, everyone is gonna, absorb things differently, but is there a particular skincare brand that you love?

personally, I don't really use a lot of my skin. I don't wear makeup. Pretty much ever. I'll usually like maybe once or twice a year I'll go to a skin clinic and just get them to do a skin assessment and recommend what they see. They'll, they do those, photos on your skin? Yes. and I usually go to the same one so they can track what has, what your skin was in the previous session compared to now, and then just get them to recommend, some.

Serums some good products. Yeah. Osmosis is a brand that I have used in the past, which I really love. it is a little bit more expensive, but I do find that it really helps just to keep my skin and works. Yeah. Skin clear. Yeah. And it lasts a long time, so I do find that it's worth investing in a better quality skincare.

and then if you can. Go get some professional advice from a dermatologist or a skin clinic, so they can actually recommend what you need, because they're the experts. Yeah. I personally love, I. to use all natural skincare products. Yeah.mainly for reducing my toxic exposure.

Yeah. But I do know that, sometimes in natural, skincare products, there can be a particular type of herb or something like,essential oil potentially that can trigger people's skin as well. So I think it very much is a trial and error. Yes. Process. But I particularly, for me it's something that I prioritize, making sure that I'm using things that are reducing my toxin exposure, which in turn helps with hormones and gut health and things like that.

yeah.I've particularly been using a brand for years called Mukti. Yeah. And I find that for me, it, it ticks so many boxes for me. It supports my skin. It doesn't make me break out. and it also is all natural organic skincare, which again, goes hand in hand with supporting our hormones and gut health.

Yes. I love that, that's why I don't tend to use, and I never really have used a lot of products on my skin because I just try and reduce my toxic load. and I found that has really helped with my skin. Obviously looking after my health internally, but not putting a lot of product on my skin

in my day-to-day life is huge in terms of the quality of your skin. Yeah, and because we want our skin to release those beautiful natural oils as well, which naturally support skin health and heal our skin and, support that anti-aging process. and, allowing our skin to do that on its own is also so important because sometimes I think, looking at everybody else, what they're using can be somewhat of a dangerous approach to our health.

and sometimes just because something costs. $300. it doesn't mean that it's gonna be good for your health. It doesn't mean that it's gonna make any difference to your health at all because we know that it all starts from within first. And that's something that's always been really important for me in my skin journey, especially someone that has in the past suffered with acne.

I've had, had rosacea, and then I've gone through the process of dealing with the psoriasis and eczema on my skin. Yeah. I have found that no matter what skincare I've used. It's always come down to what I've eaten that week. Really? Yeah. that is what causes my flare ups. Now, if they ever happen, I always look back, I'm like, what have I had this week?

What have I consumed? What even, what has my stress been like? Yes, this week. And then that will always. Come back to why I've had a flare up in something or I've gotten a pimple or anything like that. It really always comes down to the internal part, which is, yeah, so important and that's where that root cause comes from, that we always talk about in the natural health space.

It is, it's really important to prioritize your internal health if you are really wanting to ensure that the quality of your skin and the look of your skin is as clear as possible and as vibrant as possible. Not just for one day, but for your whole life. Yeah. Yes. And just even just future proofing. Yes.

Asking for the long run, which is, everything we do now is gonna determine how we age. Exactly. Exactly. And that's sorry. No, I was saying getting to that root cause is so important, but then also, having those small tips every day that you know are going to support your skin. Like you shared, like having, making sure you're staying hydrated, potentially looking at reducing inflammation in your body through what you are eating.

Yeah. adding in some of that beautiful type three collagen, which we know supports cellular. Regrowth. So it's all those little things that we can do daily now that are gonna really future-proof our skin for the long run. It really is. And dealing with it as young as you can. So you may not have any health issues or concerns with your skin, but making sure that you are prioritizing that.

from a young age is gonna ensure that your cells and your, the quality of your skin stays really healthy from a young age, which is gonna make sure that over time it's gonna stay really good as well. Yeah, I love that. Thank you so much for all those amazing tips, Victoria. I think so many people are gonna take so much away from this.

Can you share with us where can we find you? How can someone, work with you and if they're having any skin conditions? That they wanna have looked at or anything in general. So you can find me on Instagram, it's sana underscore underscore wellness, so two underscores. from there you can either reach out and send me a DM or an inquiry and I also offer free health consultation.

So we can jump on a call and have a chat and just discuss your issues a little bit more and exactly how I can help. Amazing. If you wanna reach out to Victoria, I will also pop all of those details in the show notes. Thank you, Victoria. Thank you so much for having me today. It was so lovely to chat.

Thank you. See you soon. Bye. 

Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope this conversation has inspired you to live your healthiest, happiest life. Don't forget to subscribe and tune in next week. Bye for now.