On this week’s episode, Stacy and Sarah cover the skincare basics. What is a good skincare routine and why should you implement one? How do you treat specific skin conditions? And what is the role that diet and supplements have on your skin health? All of this and more in episode 391 – enjoy!
If you enjoy the show, please review it on iTunes!
The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 391: Non-Toxic Skincare FAQs
Welcome back to episode 391! (0:40)
Sarah and Stacy are turning your world upside down this week with Stacy leading the show with science.
This week Stacy pulled the show notes together and it made her really appreciate all that Sarah does.
Sarah feels out of her comfort zone not knowing 100% where this episode is going.
She has to play the role of asking thoughtful questions to push the discussion and she hopes she is up to the challenge.
This week’s episode is all about skincare basics.
Stacy will be answering the questions that she receives from people with frequency.
She loves answering these questions as this topic is truly her passion.
However, it dawned on Stacy and Sarah that they have never done a podcast episode where they did a basics show on skincare.
Stacy wants to first remind everyone that this is a science-based show.
Everything that they are going to talk about will have links and references, but Stacy also has a ton of blog posts that dive into these details on a deeper level
Product Safety
One of the very first questions that Stacy gets is on natural products. (4:26)
If you are seeking natural, cleaner, safer, better, non-toxic, whatever you want to call it, personal care products, Stacy likes to use the word safe.
Something can say natural but actually contain dangerous ingredients.
Stacy likes to know if a product is tested and is it safe.
There are brands out there that come with a certification of ingredients that they use.
Make sure that you are using brands that prioritize safety.
You can also look up what you are using on EWG.
If Stacy can’t find something on EWG, the next play she goes to for information is PubChem.
Sarah shared her feelings on what has happened in the space of personal care products since the marketing terminology isn’t regulated.
It is frustrating as consumers to not be able to trust the information that is listed on products.
For more information on this topic, check out this podcast episode.
If you want to support this, text ‘BETTERBEAUTY’ to 52886 and ask your legislators to support the law that would help change this labeling issue.
What is a good skincare routine and why do I need to do it?
Stacy thinks of skincare in three steps. (13:54)
You need to wash, you need to tone and then you need to moisturize.
With washing, you are removing the dirt and the grime that you have accumulated throughout the day.
At the very least, wash your skin in the evening.
One of the keys to washing is to use a wash that is right for you, which depends on what kind of skin you have.
Don’t use hot water when you wash your skin, use luke-warm water.
Sarah noted that it is actually really good for your hair health as well to use luke-warm water.
With a toner you want it to seal your pores and create a good balance of Ph on your skin after you wash it.
If you jump straight into moisturize after washing, your pores aren’t optimized to absorb and properly utilize the nutrients and hydration that you are putting straight on to it.
Toning really depends on the type of skin that you have.
It is the step that Stacy loves most skin she has sensitive, complicated skin.
Sarah asked if it matters how you are applying toner.
Stacy noted to definitely follow the instructions listed on the product.
The goal of the moisturizer is to hydrate the skin.
Stacy genuinely feels like everyone can do three steps, especially if you are doing this routine at night.
In the morning you can do an abbreviated routine.
Think about a moisturizer that is good for your skin.
There are so many nuances to the skin, so it may take some trial and error to figure out what is right for you.
You are always welcome to email Stacy at stacy@realeverything.com if you need help with this.
She does skincare consults for free.
You may also need to change your routine up as the seasons change.
Treating a Specific Condition
If your skin needs something, like if you have acne or rosacea or signs of aging, you want to treat that thing, then you are looking for a treatment for your skin.
Stacy uses a Brightening Facial Oil with her facial oil in the evening.
On the menopause show, Stacy and Sarah talked about the role that vitamin C has on skin health.
Other treatments are the Overnight Resurfacing Peel, Charcoal Mask, and Primally Pure’s plumping mask.
Face oils and eye creams would also be considered treatments.
Stacy also uses a spot treatment for zits.
All of these treatments are great, but none of these treatments are a routine.
How to reduce dark circles under your eyes?
Dark circles are an indication of a lack of sleep. (36:15)
They are also an indication of dehydration and an abundance of sugar.
Dark circles under the eyes are much more lifestyle-related, where a product won’t necessarily solve this challenge.
Stacy can recommend eye creams and masks that may help, but they will not be a solution.
Saturated Fats and the Skin
People ask often about saturated fats and the skin.
Stacy is a big fan of coconut oil on elbows and heels and cuticles.
However, there are no active ingredients are nourishing anything on your face.
For Stacy, it caused build-up and acne on her skin.
Stacy recommends tallow because it is very nourishing.
However, fats alone cannot be a moisturizer.
Stacy does add oils to her moisturizer, but she cannot use any saturated fats to her skin.
Sarah gave a shoutout to Buffalo Gal’s skincare products.
Be careful of quality here and know where your products are coming from.
Oxidation in oils has been known to potentially cause aging in skin.
Stacy found a fascinating study on plant oils for cosmetic use.
How much does diet play a role in your skin health?
Can I just use a skincare product instead of changing my diet? (44:51)
You cannot just put something topical on and think that from the inside out is not going to show.
When it comes to skin health, one of the most important metabolic bi-products that our bacteria products are short-chain fatty acids.
They are used as fuel for cells, and they are the dominant fuel for our gut cells.
Gut bacteria control the immune system, they produce neurotransmitters, they control genetic expression related to metabolism – and feed into every system in the human body.
Sarah further explained the relationship between gut barrier health and skin health.
The best thing we can to support a healthy gut microbiome is to eat a huge range of fresh fruits and vegetables and a lot of them.
In addition, we should be eating seafood and have a nutrient-dense diet.
The foods that tend to be the biggest triggers for skin are dairy, sugar, and oxidized oils.
Things to add to help your skin are collagen, probiotics, drink more water, and red light therapy with Joovv.
You may also need to explore the use of an elimination diet to see if you are properly absorbing your food.
Stacy recommended testing the use of AIP, GAPS, SED, or strict Paleo for 30 days to test to see which foods are causing digestive issues.
Pull it back to base level, get the things cleared up, and then add it one food at a time to test how your body responds.
For more on elimination diet protocols, check out this episode.
What are the nutrients to add more of?
There is this huge range of nutrients that are labeled as non-essential.
However, the more you consume these non-essential nutrients, the more you lower your risk of every chronic illness.
We need those non-essential nutrients to be healthy.
We need to value non-essential nutrients as much as the essential nutrients.
Adding in omega 3 fatty acids will help reduce inflammation from the higher omega 6’s in your body.
Sleep, hydration, and sunlight are also helpful pieces when it comes to nutrient absorption.
On the menopause podcast episode, Sarah had shared information from a study where nutrient deficiencies increasing the symptoms of dry and aging skin.
Vitamins E, C B12, B6, D, and A are all important for aging skin and dry skin.
The shorter list is E, B6, A, Zinc and vitamin C.
Vitamin A, vitamin D and zinc are important for all barrier tissues.
These are the ones that Sarah thinks are especially important to pay attention to.
If you take a food journal and keep track of your micronutrients for three days, it can be surprising to see where we are falling short.
Where do I start the switch?
When you are thinking about how to prioritize, focus on what you are using on the largest parts of your body.
Stacy also recommends focusing on products that you would breathe in or consume.
So things like sprays, mists, lipstick, lipgloss, and things that you put on your hands you need to pay attention to their quality.
Closing Thoughts
If you are interested in switching to safer products or are wanting to try Beauty Counter products, February is a great time to do it.
Stacy is working to earn a spot in the MARCH FORTH Washington, DC event.
She earned one of the coveted spots two years ago, which you can learn all about here.
The week that this episode airs (from February 12 through the 25th), if you get either a regimen or a collection, you get a free gift with it.
Stacy is happy to consult without any pressure if you or a loved one is having trouble with your skin.
Sarah emphasized that this is about achieving a very important goal as an educator for people who are in charge of policies.
Stacy finds is appalling that America is so behind in personal care product regulations.
No matter what, Stacy is going to push to get there.
She thanks the listeners for whatever they might do, but again, there is no pressure if you aren’t interested.
Again, if you are interested, you can email Stacy at stacy@realeverything.com or you can shop at beautycounter.com/stacytoth.
At checkout, make sure you see Stacy’s picture or select her name at checkout.
The free gift will automatically go to your cart.
Remember you can send follow up questions on either Sarah or Stacy’s social media channels, or you can submit questions using the content form on their sites.
Again, Stacy and Sarah greatly appreciate you taking the time to leave a review or share an episode with a friend who you think would be interested. (1:11:36)
