Naturopathic Beauty's Clear Skin Sessions
Clear skin and aging beautifully conversations, trainings and challenges by Dr. Stacey Shillington ND.
Naturopathic Beauty's Clear Skin Sessions
Week 4 of the 8-Week Clear Skin Challenge: Moving the Lymph
Uncover the secrets to radiant skin by exploring the intricate connection between your body's detoxification and drainage systems. What if your quest for clear skin could also enhance your overall well-being? Join me, Dr. Stacey Shillington, as we navigate the fourth week of our eight-week challenge, focusing on healing acne from the inside out. This episode unravels the importance of supporting the body's natural detox pathways and how effective drainage can transform not only your skin but also your health.
This week, we shine a light on how poor drainage can lead to toxin buildup, causing skin issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Learn about the vital role your liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, and bowels play in maintaining efficient drainage. We'll explore how factors such as dehydration, toxic exposure, and lymphatic congestion can affect your skin health and why collaborating with an expert is essential for tailored treatments. Our discussion also highlights practical strategies like enhancing hydration with minerals and utilizing castor oil packs, powerful yet simple tools to aid in lymphatic drainage and reduce skin congestion.
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Welcome to Naturopathic Beauty's Clear Skin Sessions, where we heal your acne from the inside out. Hello, beauties, and welcome to Naturopathic Beauty's Clear Skin Sessions. I'm Dr Stacey Shillington. I'm a naturopathic doctor and for the last 20 years I can't believe it's been that long already I've been helping women heal their acne from the inside out. This podcast is for you. It's to help you on your clear skin journey and to give you the answers that you need so that you can get clear skin for good by healing your body from the inside out. And really this is the only way that you're gonna heal your acne for good. You can try other things that are popular, different medications, different skincare. Even if it helps your acne for a period of time, it's not solving the problem because it's not solving the root cause. And that's what my medicine is all about. It's about solving the root cause. So not only are we clearing your skin and getting rid of your acne, but we're optimizing your health at the same time. So you'll find other symptoms start to disappear and you feel more vital and healthy than you ever have in your life. So this is what my medicine's all about and this is what I am so excited to deliver to you.
Speaker 1:So this is week four of my eight week clear skin challenge. If you haven't listened to the previous three episodes, I really urge you to go back and start at the beginning. What I'm doing is, over the course of eight weeks, I'm providing you an episode each week. Each episode contains a step that you need to take to get clear skin and the steps are sequential. So I don't want you to start with week four. I want you to go back, start with week one, make your way through the challenge and I hope that at the end of the challenge you experience significant clearing of your acne. So I want to start off by asking you how the challenge has been going so far.
Speaker 1:So we've done a few things. The first one was that we removed inflammatory foods, really with a focus on dairy, and we discussed which dairy is going to trigger acne the worst and what some great substitutes are, and hopefully, just by removing this one food group and other inflammatory foods that we also discussed, you noticed a reduction in your inflammation immediately. Then we talked about my favorite clear skin foods and incorporating more of those into your diet to really nourish your skin properly. We talked about a lot of nutrient deficiencies that are experienced when acne is present, and how certain foods can really help nourish and fortify the skin so it can be healthy. And then last week we talked about how to regulate your blood sugar and how to heal the skin by incorporating more protein into your diet. We talked about the best types of protein to eat, how much you should eat, and I gave you some tips on making sure that you're eating protein correctly. So hopefully you have incorporated those steps already into your protocol. Hopefully you're starting to notice some differences already, not only in your skin the inflammation should be going down but also in your energy, also in the way that you're feeling overall, because, like I said, it's not just your skin that's being affected by this challenge, it's your overall body, it's your overall being, and I really want you to feel and look as beautiful as possible.
Speaker 1:So let's jump into week four. Week four is all about supporting drainage and detoxification in the body, and I just want to give you an overview of why we're doing this challenge, why we're taking these steps. The first step is to reduce inflammation, and that's what we're doing by reducing inflammatory foods, by increasing nourishing foods, by balancing blood sugar levels. This is all reducing inflammation. This step, week four, of supporting detox and drainage, is a huge step to reducing inflammation, because many acne patients are incredibly poor detoxifiers. And if I was to identify one root cause of acne that I see all the time in almost every single patient, it's an inability to detoxify efficiently. We need to support detoxification. So supporting drainage is the first step to do this. So by putting all these steps together in the eight-week clear skin challenge, we're reducing inflammation in the body and many people are going to experience significant clearing of their acne. Just by implementing these steps, they'll notice maybe even a complete eradication of their acne. That's my goal. However, some people they're going to notice an improvement in their acne. It's not going to go away completely, and that's because there's probably deeper work that needs to be done. There's more specific detox pathways that need to be supported. What we're doing right now is we're supporting overall drainage, and that's the first thing that needs to be done before we can dive in and start detoxifying on a deeper level.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about what drainage is. So drainage means that toxins are not being eliminated from the body optimally, and I want to emphasize that drainage is not detoxification. They're two completely different things. So drainage is everything that facilitates the movement of toxins from the cells to the outside of the body. It's an ancient practice. It simply removes congestion and toxins. Naturopathic doctors are excellent at drainage. A lot of our therapies really promote drainage in the body, and it's probably one of the foundational steps in healing the body, because if we're not draining properly, then toxins are just building up and building up in our body, and that is one of the main reasons for acne.
Speaker 1:So as we increase our total toxic load, our normal organs of drainage are not able to handle increased levels of toxins and there's something called our detox threshold, and when we're below that threshold, our body's able to naturally eliminate toxins. We're built for this. It's part of what our organism does very well. To keep us healthy is to eliminate things that no longer serve us. However, when we surpass a certain threshold and that's very easy to do in this day and age, because we are being bombarded by toxins, whether it's in the air, in the food, in the soil, in the water, there's so many chemical toxins it's very easy for us to surpass that toxic threshold and when we do that, toxins are no longer able to be eliminated normally from the body. Instead, they're going to try and be eliminated through other pathways in the body, and one of the pathways is the skin. So the skin is the largest detoxification organ system in the body and when we have too many toxins, when we're not able to process them, the skin is the organ that starts to become overloaded with toxins.
Speaker 1:That's what I see very often with acne, very often with eczema, with psoriasis. A lot of these skin conditions. The root root, root root cause is an inability to release these toxins from our body. So if the main organs of elimination are not working properly, like the liver, the lymph, the kidney and the bowels, then toxins are, as I said, they're not able to leave the body through normal channels. That's when we get congestion and that's when the body attempts to eliminate the toxins through the skin.
Speaker 1:Acne is often considered a result of inefficient drainage. Now, when there's a toxic load that builds up in the body, other things are going to start to happen. That's when we're going to start to see a proliferation of yeast, of bacteria, of other types of imbalances in the body. And so often it's not enough just to support drainage and detoxification. We also need to repair the damage that's been done so often.
Speaker 1:There's multi-step processes to really heal and support drainage and detoxification, and that's when you need to see an expert, so somebody like myself. I do a lot of testing. I do GI mapping testing, I do organic acid testing, I take a deep look into blood work, I do mycotoxin testing to test for mold, I do environmental toxin testing so we can really identify what's clogging your pathways and remove things step by step. It's not always just very simple let's take a liver herb and let's be done with it. It doesn't work that way, unfortunately. If it did, nobody would be suffering from acne. But acne is complex. It's a complex medical condition.
Speaker 1:Many different organ systems are involved and we really need to take small steps, one at a time, to really drain and detoxify the body properly. So we can't really talk about drainage without talking about the lymphatic system, and the lymphatic system is my personal favorite organ system in the body other than the skin. I also love the skin, but they're so connected. Because the lymphatic system is going to drain the skin, it's also going to deliver a lot of immune cells to the skin to help it heal and to protect it. The one thing that's very interesting about the skin and the lymphatic system is that there are so many lymph nodes in the head and neck, and especially the neck area, and when the lymph nodes in the neck become congested, toxins are not able to drain properly from the face and the head and nutrients and immune cells are not being delivered to that area either. So we get a situation of intense congestion in the face when the lymphatics are not working properly. So really working hard to decongest the lymphatic system is one of the first steps that needs to happen when we are healing acne.
Speaker 1:So what causes lymphatic congestion? Infections that's probably the biggest one. Streptococcus bacteria tends to really colonize in the lymph nodes and we need to clean this out. We need to unblock those infections to really get things moving. Dehydration so when we don't have enough water in our system, then the lymph is going to become very thick. It's not going to flow as easily. It's going to be more viscous.
Speaker 1:Also, lack of movement. So the circulatory system, the blood circulatory system, has a heart and the heart pumps the blood throughout the body. The lymph system doesn't have a central pump. It's reliant upon muscle movement. So if you're sedentary for many hours a day, that's going to inhibit your lymph from moving optimally. And likewise, if you're a day, that's going to inhibit your lymph from moving optimally. And likewise, if you're not hydrated, that's going to create congestion because your lymph's not going to be able to move properly. And also removal of lymphatic tissue. So if you've had your adenoids removed, if you've had your tonsils removed, that's going to prevent efficient drainage as well. Consumption of cow dairy that really tends to inhibit lymphatic flow. And also toxic exposure, including medications. These can all impact how the lymphatic system works and prevents it from working optimally and can lead to more acne in susceptible individuals.
Speaker 1:So now we're coming to the big question. Everybody's like yeah, okay, I get it, I need to drain my lymphatic system, but how do I do it? So I'm going to teach you two things that need to be in place that you need to focus on to get that lymph moving. So, first of all, I'm not going to really talk about it, but you need to move your body. If you're not moving your body, if you're sedentary, the lymph is just not going to flow. The other thing you need to do is remove environmental toxins. So our toxic load is very high and for those of us that genetically aren't great detoxifiers and that's most of us. These environmental toxins are just adding insult to injuries. Okay, so here's a few really easy ways to remove toxins from your environment, to reduce the toxic threshold that your body has to deal with on a day-to-day basis. We can go into this in detail. There's entire books and programs and courses dedicated to removing toxins from your environment, but I'm going to give you a few pointers just to get you started and, honestly, if you follow these pointers, you're going to be in much better shape.
Speaker 1:So number one avoid plastics and canned foods that do not have a BPA-free liner so BPA, also known as bisphenol A. This is an endocrine disruptor and when you have acne, your hormones are usually dysregulated and consuming bisphenol A is just going to throw your hormones into more chaos. So avoid plastics, and that means plastic water bottles. Don't put plastics in the microwave. Avoid plastic wrap. You really want to steer clear of plastics unless it's very clear that they're bisphenol A free, so BPA free.
Speaker 1:The other thing is filter your water. I mean, we are becoming more and more aware of the toxins that are in our water and it's no longer a question as to whether or not you should filter your water. You should, absolutely. There's a number of great water filters out there. You can get water filters that go in your fridge Aquagear is a great one, tevia is one that I really love or you can even get an underwater filter that is actually installed underneath your sink and has its own faucet. I have that and I love it.
Speaker 1:Avoid synthetic fragrance. Everything that you purchase, whether it's a cosmetic, whether it's a cleaning product, whether it's a candle look at the ingredients. If fragrance is listed, do not purchase it. Fragrance is one of the most toxic things that we're inhaling, and once you get those out of your home, you're actually going to start to feel a lot better. Avoid chemicals in cosmetics and household cleaners and avoid processed foods.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's talk about the two steps that I want you to take that are going to make an immediate difference in how you're draining, and the first one is hydration, and the second one is using castor oil packs. So let's talk about hydration first. So you may think but I drink a lot of water, like I'm drinking eight glasses a day exactly what's recommended. I don't think I need to drink anymore, but here's the thing what's recommended? I don't think I need to drink anymore, but here's the thing Just drinking filtered water is not going to do it, because unless you have an adequate amount of minerals in your body to help facilitate water in and out of the cells, water is basically just going to go right through you.
Speaker 1:So in order to truly hydrate your body, you need to deliver minerals along with that water and, as we talked about in a previous episode, most of us are incredibly mineral deficient, so we need to take steps to infuse those minerals with our water. I find that this is really helpful. So, first thing, upon waking, take some warm water. I usually fill a mason jar with some warm water. I boil my filtered water and let it cool a little bit. I add half a lemon to that water, because the lemon is going to stimulate bile production, that's, going to stimulate a bowel movement. I put some sea salt in, because sea salt has a nice mineral profile, and then I also add electrolytes. And this is because we are so deficient in our minerals that, unless we're adding these helpers into our drinking water, it's very likely that we're just drinking water and we're not hydrating.
Speaker 1:This is what we need to do to truly hydrate, and when we're truly hydrating, what we're doing is we're making sure that our lymph fluid is not thick and viscous. We want it to be able to flow freely through our lymphatic vessels, and that's what real hydration is going to help us do. And not only is this going to help lymph and drainage, but it's also going to help our skin. As we start to truly hydrate, we're going to see the hydration in our skin. Our skin's not going to be as dry or as dull. We're actually going to start to see our skin looking hydrated. So this is a really great tip. Do this at least once a day. If you can do two mason jars a day, maybe one first thing in the morning, one in the mid-afternoon. But you want to keep yourself hydrated by adding the sea salt, the electrolytes and the lemon into your water. And sometimes I even take the water and I make a hibiscus tea and I will use the hibiscus tea. Sometimes I add rose hips there's some really great aging beautifully properties in those herbs and I will add my hydration formula to the tea and it is just spectacular the results that you get from that.
Speaker 1:The other thing that I want to talk about is castor oil packs. So castor oil packs are actually a really old naturopathic therapy and when I was in naturopathic school and this was about 25 years ago now we learned how to do castor oil packs and it was a very cumbersome process because first we added the castor oil, then we added a flannel layer, then we added a heating pad, then we put saran wrap around the entire body. So, as you can understand, it was very cumbersome, it was very messy and we would prescribe it to our patients. They would do it a couple of times and then they would just forget about it because it was too annoying to do all those steps. Very messy.
Speaker 1:But there are some amazing castor oil packs out there now that make doing castor oil packs very, very easy. And they're great because castor oil has a very low molecular weight and this means it's able to penetrate through the skin and it actually reaches the lymphatic system. So castor oil has an affinity to the lymphatic system and when it reaches the lymphatics it's able to remove congestion. Now it's so powerful that you actually have to be careful with it. You don't want to do too much too quickly. So I recommend doing it for 20 minutes three times a week only, and just watch your skin to make sure your acne is not getting worse. If it is, it means you're draining too quickly and you need to hold off and maybe just do it once a week or maybe just do it twice a week. You have to find the cadence that works for you. It's going to be a little bit different for everybody, but this is a very gentle yet powerful treatment and this is going to get into your lymphatic system and really start to move things. So just doing these two things increasing your hydration and using castor oil packs this is a great first start.
Speaker 1:And when you're putting the castor oil pack together, usually you take two tablespoons of castor oil, you put it on the pack, and Queen of Thrones has a great castor oil pack. I actually just purchased one on Amazon not too long ago. It was not very expensive at all. It has had an organic cotton kind of pad that you put down and then the actual pack. That is kind of a little plasticized and that's important because it traps the heat. We need to trap the heat. If you just put castor oil on your abdomen or over your liver, you know it's going to be good. But when you actually apply a layer that traps the heat, the heat kind of forces the castor oil deeper into the body, so it's going to be more effective. You have to put the flannel, put the plastic on top to really make a castor oil pack effective.
Speaker 1:And where do you want to place the castor oil pack? Usually over the liver. That's a really great place to put it. You can put it over the abdomen as well if you have any digestive issues, even lower abdomen if you have PMS, if you have any ovarian issues. However, you don't want to do it there if you're on your period because it could really increase bleeding. But yeah, you can place it in different areas.
Speaker 1:I also really love putting castor oil on cystic blemishes. So if you have a cyst, put a dab of castor oil on the cyst. Don't put the castor oil everywhere, because if you have a tendency to fungal acne, it's going to make your fungal acne way worse. But just on cystic blemishes you can put the castor oil and it penetrates deeply and it will help remove the congestion in the cyst. Sometimes I even like mixing a little bit of colloidal silver in with the castor oil and applying that to cystic blemishes.
Speaker 1:It tends to work really, really well and sometimes, as I alluded to earlier, you can experience a bit of a healing crisis when you start really hydrating, when you're removing a lot of inflammatory foods, when you start using castor oil packs. And what a healing crisis is is that we are mobilizing toxins within the body and when we mobilize them too quickly, often we can feel unwell. We can experience an increase in inflammation in areas of our body, so acne could get a little bit worse. So if this is something that you're experiencing, then you want to step back a little bit. Use your castor oil packs a little bit less. Be sure to continue the hydration. Don't stop that and rest and let it pass some food. I want this to be a really gentle start for you. So you guys probably won't experience too much of a healing crisis with just these therapies, but it's possible.
Speaker 1:And if you do just step back, use them a little bit less, stay at maybe just using castor oil pack once a week for a couple weeks. Then try doing it twice a week and just really listen to your body. When you start to heal your body, it's so essential that you become intuitive and you understand what's working for your body and what's not working for your body. You are your very best healer, because I don't know how castor oil is going to affect you. You are the one that's going to be able to tell, and you have to be master of your own experience. So definitely pay attention to what's going on in your body, and if you're not used to really understanding what's going on in your body, now's the time to learn. Now's the time to get really connected to your body and just be still and understand how different therapies, different foods are affecting how you feel. All right, so that's it for week number four.
Speaker 1:I hope that this information has really helped you on your clear skin journey and that it's going to take you to the next level of clear skin. I would love to hear how this challenge is going for you. Be sure to tag me in Instagram at naturopathicbeauty, let me know how the challenge is going for you and DM me if you have any questions. And if you want more tips, I want you to watch my free training. My free training is called Clear Skin Mastery. I go through my method on how I heal acne and what it really takes, especially when you have complex cystic acne, what needs to happen in order for it to heal. So the link to that is in my show notes.
Speaker 1:If you've enjoyed this. I would be so grateful if you could leave a review. If you do want to leave a review, I am offering you, as a token of my thanks and appreciation, free access to the first module of my Clear Skin Group program. The instructions on how to leave a review and how to let us know you've left a review are in the show notes, so please check those out and stay tuned. For next week We'll be heading into week five of the Clear Skin Challenge, so I hope that you're enjoying it so far. I hope that you're really starting to see results you should by now and I am so grateful for you being here and trusting me on your clear skin journey. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.