Hormones for Healthy Skin - A Naturopathic Approach

www.annehussain.com

Most of us have heard that skin is the largest organ of our body. Our skin plays a crucial role in protecting us from pathogens and the elements, helping us eliminate waste material, regulating our body temperature, and conveying messages through the sensation of touch. It is a complex organ that is affected by our inner and outer environments, and we cannot talk about skin without talking about other organ systems. Let’s start by looking at some of the major hormones and the impact they have on our skin.

Thyroid Hormones

Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) are hormones made by our thyroid when thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) relays to the thyroid that the body needs T3 and T4. The thyroid is responsible for a variety of functions in the body; most of us know that we need our thyroid to work properly for our metabolism and energy levels. However, the thyroid also plays a crucial role in regulating our other hormones. Some of the skin changes that can be seen with thyroid dysfunction include:

• dryness or oiliness;
• coarse skin;
• redness and itchiness;
• increased acne; and
• hives.

Estrogen and Progesterone

Not only are the levels of these two hormones important independently, but their levels in relation to one another are also crucial. Estrogen typically has two peaks during the menstrual cycle, whereas progesterone has one. Excess estrogen, also known as estrogen dominance, can lead to a variety of symptoms which are usually due to the high levels of estrogen but also due to the relatively low levels of progesterone.^[1] This symptom picture typically presents with the following:

• acne around the jaw line;
• increased skin sebum production and oiliness; and
• skin inflammation that is cyclical in nature.

On the other hand, low estrogen, which happens with age, brings its own set of issues such as:

• decreased elasticity and increased wrinkles;
• increased skin fragility;
• loss of structure and increased sagging; and
• decreased moisture retention and increased dryness.

Testosterone

Typically recognized as the male hormone, testosterone is important for both males and females.^[2] In females, high testosterone levels, usually referred to as high androgens, can lead to:

• excessive sebum production;
• increased acne; and
• hirsutism (excess hair growth).

These are the symptoms typically seen in PCOS.

Cortisol

This stress hormone is produced by our adrenal glands, which are two glands that sit atop our kidneys. Cortisol helps fuel our fight-or-flight response, regulates inflammation and blood pressure, manages the utilization of our fuel sources, and is responsible for our sleep-wake cycle. Our adrenal glands make cortisol daily and when the need arises, our bodies will make more, while sometimes our bodies have a hard time keeping up with our demand. High amounts of unmanaged stress, whether the stress is physiological or mental/emotional, can lead to cortisol dysregulation.^[3] The effects this has on our skin can be as follows:

• increased sebum production and inflammatory skin responses like acne, rosacea, eczema, and more;
• dull complexion and increased wrinkles;
• poor wound and scar healing; and
• increased cold sores, acne, eczema, fungal infections, and more, because the skin’s microbiome has shifted, and our immune system isn’t working well.

Insulin

This is the hormone responsible for blood-sugar regulation. A phrase we commonly see and hear is “insulin resistance,” which is when our tissues do not respond to insulin as they normally would.^[4] Normally, insulin decreases our blood-sugar levels by helping the sugar into our tissues where they can be utilized or stored. When insulin resistance becomes an issue like in diabetes and PCOS, skin changes that are seen include:

• increased skin tags;
• increased acne and hirsutism (excess hair growth);
• thickened dark skin (acanthosis nigricans); and
• inflammatory conditions like psoriasis.

How to Achieve and Maintain Healthy Hormones and Skin

Diet and Nutrition

Eat the Rainbow: Fruits and vegetables have a lot of vitamins and minerals, and they are high in antioxidants. Not only that, but fruits and vegetables also provide our bodies with compounds that support detoxification processes through our liver and support the metabolism of our hormones.

Buy Organic When Possible: Pesticides can disrupt our hormones, increase our toxic burden, increase inflammation, and even be carcinogenic. The Environmental Working Group puts out an annual “Dirty Dozen” list which consists of the fruits and vegetables that have the highest pesticide content and should be bought organic.^[5]

Determine Food Sensitivities and Support Gut Health: Most of our inflammation comes from the gut; when elimination through the gut isn’t happening normally, our hormones and skin will suffer. Food sensitivity reactions have commonly been associated to skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, hives, and acne. An elimination diet or a food-sensitivity test can help determine food sensitivities to decrease inflammation, optimize hormones, and achieve radiant skin. Common food trigger for skin conditions include dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, and wheat.

Eat a Fibre-Rich Diet: Not only does fibre ensure proper elimination through our digestive tract, but some kinds of fibre will also bind to toxins and hormonal metabolites and sequester them out of the body! Ground flax seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and chia seeds are all good options.

Drink Water: Enough said!

Get Adequate Protein and Fat: These form the foundation of our hormones and connective tissue and are also needed for repair and hydration.

Avoid/Minimize Refined Sugar: This will not only suppress your immune system, but also spike your insulin!

Supplements and Herbs (under the guidance of a health-care professional)

Vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin A are examples of supplements that can be taken to support skin health to help with skin-cell turnover. Eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds will provide some of these, but sometimes we need more than that. Spearmint tea can decrease skin conditions caused from high levels of testosterone; so can herbs like saw palmetto and nettle root. Herbs like chaste tree and black cohosh can help support progesterone and estrogen. Adaptogenic herbs like rhodiola, licorice, and holy basil can support our adrenal glands and, in turn, our cortisol, sex hormones, and thyroid function. Apart from medication, our thyroid can be supported with selenium, zinc, iodine, iron, vitamin D, and L tyrosine herbs like ashwagandha and rehmannia. Herbs that support the liver—such as milk thistle, dandelion root, and burdock—can support detoxification processes and hormone metabolism. 

Personal-Care Products, Make Up, and Other Considerations

What you put on your body and how you treat your body is as important as what you put in your body.

Avoid heavy metals, harsh chemicals, and endocrine disruptors: These are prevalent in personal-care and make-up products—from lead and talc to BPA and triclosan. Stay away from these chemicals, since they can interfere with your hormones even though you’re applying them topically. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is a good start to checking the safety data on ingredients used in cosmetics.^[6]

Sunscreen: Use it regularly! Look for reef-friendly products containing zinc oxide. Oxidative damage to our skin increases the aging of our skin and can show up over 10 years later!

Use Plant-Based Products: Plants are chock-full of antioxidants and are a great way to protect and nourish our skin. Green tea, lavender, evening primrose oil, resveratrol, jojoba oil, oats—these are all great ingredients for your skin, but consult with a professional to see what’s right for you.

Uncover Fresh Skin: Exfoliation, whether that be with a gentle scrub or with hydroxy acids like AHAs and BHAs, can be extremely helpful to keep our skin supple and radiant.

Move Regularly: Exercise and movement will support detoxification and elimination processes, improve sleep quality, increase circulation and energy levels, and improve mood—all of which will help hormones and skin. Get Adequate Sleep: If we’re not sleeping well, our hormones run amok, inflammation goes up, sebum production can increase, and our immune system becomes less resilient.

Take Care of the Mind: Our mental self-talk, our reactions, and our stress levels all have an impact on our physiology. Having outlets for emotions, doing activities that bring us joy, not overextending ourselves, and being kind to ourselves are very important aspects of our hormones, skin, and general wellbeing.

Seek Professional Help: Working with a health-care professional who can get address hormones and skin concerns is always prudent.