UPDATED May 2024

The Gua Sha has recently exploded in the beauty market, so I wanted to share a few thoughts and resources.

First, I want to stress the importance of investing in a high-quality tool bought from a trusted company.

Ever since writing my post on Gua Sha the Glow blog, I’ve been bombarded with emails from Chinese companies wanting to wholesale me their Gua Sha tools. 

Upon further research into these companies, I could not verify the quality of the stones or find any “real humans” behind the business, people who would talk to me, answer my questions and provide answers to my concerns about sustainability and best practices when it comes to mining crystals.

A high-quality Gua Sha stone is supposed to be made of real quartz or semi-precious stone but you’ll likely find that the cheaper tools are made of plastic. We don’t want that.

So, with the rise of this trend, I have concerns about quality and sustainability.

The Gua Sha Technique

Angling the Gua Sha tool as close to parallel with your skin as possible (you don’t want to dig the edge straight in like you’re chopping), place the fingers of your free hand close to the tool’s edge to provide some resistance, and then gently sweep the tool up and out toward the perimeter of your face.

At the end of each stroke, give the tool a little extra wiggle to help release the tension.

Repeat each stroke at least three times, concentrating on puff-prone areas, like the cheeks and under-eyes. The key is to be gentle, especially where the skin is thinner, like around the eyes.

Gua Sha & Rosacea

Since my journey to glow is all about healing my rosacea naturally and holistically, I researched to see if anyone was documenting the benefits or side effects of gua sha for rosacea.

As you know, going down the Google rabbit hole means you’ll find contradictory information. So, as always, you’ll have to use your judgment and listen to your intuition once you’ve done your own research.

If you find science-backed articles, please share! I will add them to this article.

Here’s what I found on Gua Sha and rosacea…

In a recent Vogue article, Britta Plug was quoted saying that she “has been using Gua Sha tools in her holistic facial practice for years, helping clients relieve nearly every skin condition from rosacea to dryness and adult acne.” She says, “With this type of treatment, we’re moving lymph, which carries away toxins or, in this case, blackheads, and stimulating the chi or prana.”

However, she advises against Gua Sha for anyone with inflamed skin (a.k.a. those with acne, rosacea, or sunburn). Likewise, she recommends that sensitive skin types and those prone to breakouts stick to less intense roller massages or seek out a pro to get personalized instructions for how to treat their skin properly with gua sha.

I’ve also heard Britta say in one of her tutorials on Instagram that it’s best to avoid areas with inflamed cystic acne, which is common sense really.

Intuitively, I have a feeling that gua sha would help relieve redness and stuck energy, which, for me, is on my cheeks. However, I would not gua sha on areas where my rosacea was unusually inflamed. Again, it’s common sense.

A Chinese Medicine Approach To Gua Sha For Rosacea

One of the more interesting articles I found on Gua Sha and rosacea was written by Diana Hermann, owner of Zizai Dermatology, a Chinese medicine clinic specializing in skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema.

In her article, Diana Hermann, a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner, explains that, when the technique of Gua Sha is used on the face, a much lighter pressure is applied than on the body to not raise the “sha” (the redness that appears when you Gua Sha the body vigorously).

The skin on our face is much more delicate and has more capillaries than elsewhere on the body, so there’s a greater risk of bruising, which we obviously want to avoid, especially with sensitive, rosacea-prone skin.

When performed correctly, facial Gua Sha is said to have wonderful, lasting benefits for the face and complexion such as reducing redness, inflammation, and blemishes.

Skin Types That Should Steer Clear of Gua Sha

Anyone with dermatitis or easily irritated, hyper-sensitive skin should be careful with Gua Sha, such as those who often break out in rashes or dermatitis-like skin irritation as a result of using new products or from their skin being touched or massaged.

Is Gua Sha Appropriate If You Have Acne, Eczema, Dermatitis Or Psoriasis?

If your skin is currently reactive — if you have dermatitis, eczema, inflamed acne or psoriasis on your face — it is recommended to wait until the skin is brought into a more stable state before trying Gua Sha.

Also, people who have had fillers or Botox should wait at least three months after their procedure to do facial Gua Sha on those areas where they received injections. They can do Gua Sha on other areas, or at least the neck. Releasing the neck is essential for facial work and can even help to create change and improve skin health.

The Gua Sha Experts

As with any skin care, you’ll want to be mindful of doing a little research or at least watch a few videos so that you know what you’re doing to avoid damaging or bruising the skin. Also, make sure you’re learning from trustworthy experts who’ve been using gua sha tools effectively and can guide you on how to gua sha safely.

I’m following Britta Plug, the creator of the Lanshin Pro, Sandra Lanshin Chiu and Cecily Braden. Cecily is definitely one to follow as she’s an American Spa Finalist, the originator of Gua Sha Facial Fusion, an expert in herbal poultice facial and a Gua Sha tool designer. 

The Radiantly Clear Rosacea Skincare System contains 5 products which can be used in 5 simple steps. Once you’re familiar with the products and how they feel on your skin,  adjust based on your needs which will change with the season.

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be uploading new videos on rosacea skincare as well as interviews with happy customers who want to share their skin transformation. Sign up for the Glowletter at the bottom of this page to be notified when new videos come out. I also suggest watching the FREE Rosacea Masterclass which will guide you in your next steps in healing rosacea naturally and holistically.

Please visit healrosaceanaturally.com for free articles on healing rosacea naturally or if you’d like to work with me 1×1.

Shop all products featured in the videos on shop.journeytoglow.com

Video#1 How to use the Rosacea Skincare System (all 5 products)

Step 1: How to use the Exfoliating Botanical Powder

Step #2 How to use the Soothing Flower Water

Step #3 How to use the Aloe Vera & MSM Sulphur Serum For Rosacea & Demodex Mites

Step #4 How to use the Radiantly Clear Essential Oil (EOS) Blend

Step #5 How to use the Radiantly Clear Face Oil

Rosacea Articles

Which natural skincare is best for rosacea?

UPDATED October 1st 2023

This post aims to shed light on the best natural skincare for rosacea and give you some pointers to help you shop smarter.

As someone who has done extensive research on rosacea skincare and healing rosacea naturally, I understand how challenging it can be to shop for rosacea skincare products.

Over the years I’ve learned to read labels and run ingredients in the EWG.org database to avoid harsh chemicals but also to avoid falling prey to greenwashing. (Greenwashing is when a company uses tactics to make you think their products are safe and natural such as using the color green on their packaging and using words such as “natural” which really doesn’t mean much…)

Over the years I’ve also accumulated a counter full of products that I couldn’t use either because my skin reacted to it! This is the reason why I decided to formulate, after much testing and research, my own line of botanical skincare for rosacea.

So hopefully this rosacea skincare guide will help you save time, and money and give you some pointers on how to shop smartly if you have sensitive, rosacea-prone skin.

Natural Skincare for Rosacea

When shopping for natural rosacea skincare products (or anything really) I try to find as much information as possible about the brand to make sure our values align. I believe that as consumers, we are voting with our dollars, and what we choose to invest in or purchase impacts the environment, farmers, communities and ultimately our health.

Becoming a health advocate and demanding that companies become transparent in their practices / sourcing won’t happen at the government level, it must be a grassroots movement led by empowered humxns. 

Here are some questions I like to ask before purchasing a product:

1. Is the product sustainably made or does the company have sustainable practices?
2. Are the ingredients organic or wildcrafted?
3. Is the company transparent about its sourcing, testing, manufacturing process?
4. Does the brand’s mission contribute to a better world?
5. Do they have stellar customer service?
6. Are they cruelty-free?
7. Are the products endorsed by non-affiliated experts?
8. Is the company doing anti-racist work and highlighting brands from the BIPOC community?
9. Are they using plastic or glass?
10. Do they offset carbon production by planting trees?
11. Are the workers — especially in third world countries — paid BEYOND fair wages?
12. Are the products made in China / Asia or locally? If made in China, why?

These values are the reason why I created my own line of natural, organic skincare for rosacea. Each medicinal plant, carrier oil, essential oil, butter or wax used in my skincare line holds the highest of standards. As a Skin Herbalist, it is paramount for me to use pure, active botanicals that have been researched for their proven benefits in healing a compromised skin barrier.

Learn more about my botanical skincare line for rosacea here. Visit healrosaceanaturally.com for articles on the rosacea diet, rosacea skincare, beneficial medicinal plants and to work with me 1×1.

Why choose natural, nontoxic & organic skincare for rosacea

So why is it important to choose clean, nontoxic, organic skincare if you have rosacea?

No category of consumer products is subject to less government oversight than cosmetics and personal care products. Although many of the chemicals and contaminants in cosmetics and skincare products likely pose little risk, long term exposure has been linked to serious health problems such as hormonal issues and cancer.

The truth is that womxn use anywhere between 5 to 15 skin + haircare products in one day, so those “little amounts” of chemicals add up.

Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals, in more than 73,000 products, that have been linked to cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm.

Many of the chemicals that are banned in Europe are still found in cosmetics in the US:

• Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen
• Mercury, which can damage the kidneys and nervous system.
• Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates, which disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system
• Isobutyl and isopropyl parabens, which disrupt hormones and harm the reproductive system
• The long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer
• M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA and can cause cancer

All of these toxic chemicals have been banned by the European Union and many other nations, and many have been slated for removal from the store brands of major U.S. retailers, including Target, Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS Health.

All of these toxic chemicals become a burden on your liver and a CRUCIAL element in healing rosacea is to have a liver that functions optimally. (Keep pumping those toxic chemicals in your system — including chemicals such as glyphosate, herbicides and pesticides from the non-organic foods you eat — and your liver will forever be busy trying to rid your body of toxins, toxins that ultimately show up on your skin as rosacea.)

To learn more about toxic chemicals found in skincare products, please visit EGW.org.

Quick tips when shopping for natural rosacea skincare:

• Look for anti-inflammatory + soothing ingredients such as blue tansy, calendula, chamomile
• Look for organic or wild crafted plants
• Avoid overly processed coconut oil which can clog pores
• Avoid harsh chemicals and alcohols
• Water-based products contain emulsifiers, read the label carefully
• In doubt, run ingredients through the Skin Deep database
• Avoid the following: petrochemicals (mineral oil, petroleum), parabens, SLSs, synthetic fragrances

Ingredients that are beneficial for rosacea skin:

• Niacinamide (see a list of products further down)
• Aloe vera
• Helichrysum Italicum, Blue Tansy, Rose and Frankincense essential oils 
• Cooling and calming hydrosols such as Rose, Immortelle (Helichrysum Italicum) or Melissa officionalis (learn more about hydrosols)

Quick links:

In this post I share some of my favorite balms for rosacea.

And this is a comprehensive post on suncare / sunscreen products + tips if you have rosacea.

Natural Rosacea Skincare

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How do UV rays work?

Humans need a healthy amount of sun daily to ensure an adequate amount of Vitamin D, a vitamin necessary for cellular function. Overexposure to UV radiation, however, can bring its fair share of problems. That’s why we need to consider using a clean, non-toxic sunscreen. (More tips on safe sun exposure below…)

There are two types of ultraviolet rays: UVA and UVB.

UVA comprises UVA1 & UVA2. UVA rays are the rays that tan your skin. They’re the deeper penetrating rays responsible for long-term damage such as skin aging, wrinkles and cellular damage.

Overexposure to UVA rays is now believed to be a key contributor to the most aggressive and potentially deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.

UVB rays are primarily responsible for reddening or “burning” of the outer layers of skin. UVB damage and sunburn can also cause skin cancer. Each incidence of burning to a peel is believed to increase one’s risk of skin cancer by 50%.

To easily remember the difference between the two, UVA is related to aging/tan, and UVB is related to burning/sunburn.

How does SPF work?

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a relative measure of how long a sunscreen will protect you from ultraviolet UVB rays.

As the experts at Raw Elements USA explain, this amount is measured in percentages and is not a linear scale. For instance:

SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays,
SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays,
SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays,

Therefore, SPF 50 only provides 1% more protection than SPF 30.

What most people don’t know (heck, I didn’t know) is that SPF alone will not protect you from the deeper penetrating UVA rays (the rays thought to be the main cause of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer).

So, how do we protect ourselves from both UVB and UVA? A broad-spectrum sunscreen.

What does broad-spectrum mean & why do we want it?

Broad-spectrum is defined as an overall protection from both UVA and UVB rays. In order to have true broad-spectrum protection, the UVA protection should be at least 1/3 of the UVB protection.  

What is a mineral sunscreen and how does it work?

Sunscreens that use mineral filters as the primary active ingredient are called physical, inorganic or mineral sunscreens. The active mineral ingredients in sunscreens are zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Zinc oxide is a naturally occurring mineral formed from the metal zinc. Titanium dioxide is also a naturally occurring mineral that is formed from the metal titanium.

These mineral filters create a physical barrier on the top of the skin. The mineral filter sunscreen molecules reflect and scatter both UVA and UVB rays from the skin. Unlike chemical sunscreens, the mineral filters do not break down and release heat into the skin.

Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are said to be safe and very stable in formula as well as when exposed to the sun. Since they’re not absorbed by the skin, they will not cause an allergic reaction, which is key for people (like me) who have sensitive skin.

The safest sunscreen filters are non-nano zinc oxide (non-nano means that it will not be absorbed; it will sit on top of the skin) and titanium dioxide.

What you need to know about sunscreen application

First, don’t be fooled by the SPF.

An SPF 30 does not mean that a sunscreen protects your skin for 2xs longer than SPF 15. It does not measure a product’s ability to protect your skin from UVA rays, which are also damaging. So, applying an SPF 50 sunscreen doesn’t mean you get to stay in the sun for hours in the middle of the day when the rays are at their strongest.

Re-apply often

A general rule is to re-apply often. All sunscreen, whether SPF 15 or 70, needs to be applied and reapplied to fully protect our skin. That means you’ll need to reapply every few hours and if you’ve been swimming, exercising and sweating.

How to choose an effective non-toxic sunscreen for rosacea

Raw Elements USA suggest we look for Non-Nano Zinc Oxide percentages over 18% to be fully effective. Titanium dioxide does not cover the full range of UVA radiation by itself, so it must be paired with Non-Nano Zinc Oxide to be broad-spectrum.

Use Broad-Spectrum SPF 30

Beware of lower or higher numbers. It is a widely accepted that Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 is the benchmark needed to provide adequate UVB & balanced UVA protection. Remember that a higher SPF does not give you much more protection, so a high SPF of 50 or more provides a false sense of security.

Choose ʻWater-Resistant 80 Minutesʼ

Water-Resistant 80 Minutes has a proven track record. The term ‘Water-Resistant 80 Minutes’ is regulated by the FDA and represents a sunscreenʼs ability to remain effective after 80 minutes of exposure to water.

A product that is Water-Resistant 80 Minutes will likely offer better sweat resistance as well.

Avoid sprays or powder sunscreens

Avoid sprays or powder sunscreens as these applicators expel excess amounts of chemical ingredients, which immediately become lung inhalants and pose a health hazard. These chemicals become airborne and indiscriminately pollute the environment.

Natural & Holistic Solutions Rosacea

EDITED October 2023 / IMPORTANT NOTES: I initially wrote this post in 2019 and some of my opinions have changed since then. Instead of completely re-writing this post which contains useful information on healing rosacea naturally, I’d like to invite you to read my latest articles on my new website healrosaceanaturally.com.

Article at a glance

Putting things into context:

• My journey healing rosacea naturally & holistically

• Why it’s hard to find high quality information on natural solutions for rosacea

• Who’s behind top ranking articles on Google on rosacea (and why they suck)

• The biggest myth about rosacea

• Examining your beliefs around healing your skin

• There is no one size fits all formula to healing or treating rosacea

• Why taking the healing process into your hands is key to achieve clear, glowing skin

Natural Solutions for Rosacea-Prone Skin:

• The link between food and rosacea 

• Heavy metals & toxic burdens

• Functional testing to pinpoint the root cause of rosacea

• Supplements & herbal medicine

• Essential oils & flower essences

• Non-toxic skincare

• The impact of stress

• Working with a holistic skin healing expert

Natural solutions & remedies to heal rosacea

Early on in my journey looking for natural solutions for rosacea, I was lucky to find a Naturopath and Functional Medicine practitioner who both shared a holistic approach to skin healing.

Working with these practitioners taught me a lot about healing rosacea from the inside-out. But I also wanted to empower myself to take the healing process into my own hands and learn everything I can on the clear skin diet, gut health, liver detox, holistic nutrition and organic skincare.

So, I fell down the rabbit hole called the internet. 🙂

Very quickly, it became clear to me that a lot of the articles on the topic of ‘natural solutions for rosacea” offer “surface” information.

These articles talked about the usual triggers (sun, heat, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee….) but offered NO REAL solutions.

Even more frustrating was realizing who was behind these articles (more on that later).

The cookie-cutter information and pharmaceutical-based treatments didn’t resonate with me. Intuitively, I knew there was more to healing rosacea than managing triggers or using internal and external antibiotics. 

I also knew, deep down, that rosacea is fully and completely “healable”. I don’t believe in a cure in the form of a pill or cream plus, the current medical paradigm has told us rosacea is incurable BECAUSE big pharma hasn’t manufactured a drug to “cure”. 

Yet, after interviewing 60+ Holistic Skin Healing Experts, many of them womxn who have COMPLETELY healed rosacea naturally and holistically, I believe it’s way overdue to change the narrative around our skin’s capacity to fully heal.

Why generic information found on Google won’t help you heal rosacea

If you’ve been going down the rabbit hole researching the internet, you’ve probably noticed that articles ranking on the top pages of Google on the topic of “natural solutions or natural remedies for rosacea” often sound the same and contain no substantial information whatsoever.

These articles are paid content written by internet marketers hired by big media firms (and big pharma) or paid writers who have zero understanding of skin health or rosacea. These posts aren’t designed to provide quality information but to “rank high” to get the most traffic and make money from targeted Google ads.

YouTube is another search engine built on an algorithm designed to feed you content based on popularity, not quality, and make money through advertisements.

Search “natural solutions, cure or remedies for rosacea” on YouTube and you won’t be shown a video from a Ph.D. in skin health (which could actually be of REAL VALUE). Instead, you’ll be shown a 20-something influencer whose video has millions of views because it was strategically titled “I CURED MY ROSACEA OVERNIGHT!!!”. Unfortunately, undiscerning people click on these videos in the hopes of finding a miraculous cure for rosacea. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that this influencer has never had rosacea in her life and that she’s an affiliate for a brand that promises overnight results from their miracle cream/pill.

So….After a few weeks of research and realizing it was much harder to find high-quality information on healing rosacea naturally, I decided to do something about it.

I sought out the help of the best skin experts in the field of holistic medicine, then got trained in functional nutrition and herbal medicine. You can learn more about my work on healrosaceanaturally.com.

The disclaimer

1. This blog post does not constitute medical advice, I’m not a doctor. If you need medical advice, seek the help of your trusted advisors.

2. This is by no means an exhaustive list of natural solutions or remedies for rosacea. I plan on adding to this article, so feel free to bookmark it or sign up to the Glowletter to be notified when new resources become available to you.

3. What’s working for me might not work for you. There is no “one size fits all formula”. There are, however, effective principles that, if followed, will support the healing of your skin from the inside out. The key (and I say this all the time on the podcast) is for you to feel empowered to take the healing process into your own hands.

Letting Go of Beliefs That Don’t Serve You

Hear this: you can heal your skin.

Yes, that means rosacea, too.

I was talking to a Naturopathic ND specializing in Integrative Dermatology who admitted (off-record because she can’t speak freely about this) that rosacea is absolutely curable.

The problem is, doctors aren’t permitted to say so for fear of being sued or giving false hope. (Why they can, however, say that there is “no cure for rosacea”, which can cause severe emotional trauma in patients suffering from this skin condition, points to how broken the medical system is.)

Speaking to womxn in the Journey to Glow community, many of whom are frustrated and even depressed because of their skin, I feel that it’s time to shift the conversation into a more empowering one: one that addresses the root cause and focuses on FINDING solutions.

These podcast interviews feature real womxn who have found effective natural solutions to heal rosacea. Every post includes untouched, unfiltered, unphotoshopped before-and-after photos of their skin. To say that we have gathered evidence that rosacea can be fully healed is an understatement.

Our mission at Journey To Glow and healrosaceanaturally.com is to invite readers and listeners to examine their beliefs about healing and to connect with the body’s innate healing intelligence.

If you hold the belief that rosacea is incurable or that a natural approach isn’t going to work, you won’t make progress because your mindset will stop you from actually trying something new, whether it’s, at the very least, changing your diet or trying out a holistic healing modality.

Our mind is a powerful thing: it dictates the actions we take and the changes we make.

Healing a skin “issue” whether acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis… is, first and foremost, about pinpointing the root cause and bringing the body back into balance.

But it’s also about mindset or “state of mind”: being aware that your inner state and inner dialogue will dictate a lot of the outcome.

Personally, I’ve had to become really discerning about my thoughts and my daily practice is to ask: “Are these thoughts coming from a loving, accepting place?” or “Am I nasty and critical about my skin?”

Another avenue to explore is the emotional root cause of rosacea. This is a fascinating topic and one we explore in our 4-week program Self-Heal.

So, having established that clear glowing skin is attainable no matter what your skin looks like now, let’s explore natural solutions for rosacea.

Natural Solutions For Rosacea:
A Holistic Approach To Nutrition

The foundation for clear glowing skin is very much linked to the foods we eat. That some dermatologists still don’t see (or ignore) the link between food and skin (or gut microbiome and skin microbiome), makes absolutely no sense to me.

If you have food sensitivities, gut issues, an overburdened liver with heavy metals (often found in food!), a histamine intolerance, eat a highly-processed diet laden with pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs, clear skin just ain’t gonna happen.

Want a simple yet effective, natural solution to heal your rosacea? Look at the foods you eat!

Finding the right anti-inflammatory, rosacea-diet for you

There are so many books that offer food and diet guidelines to help clear skin issues but I find that the best approach is one based on bio-individuality. I write about the rosacea diet here if you’re interested.

Anthony William (The Medical Medium) talks a lot about celery juice and the benefits of heavy metal-detoxifying foods. I had a strong skin reaction drinking celery juice for 30 days but I know a lot of people get great results following his principles.

I’m an epicurean who loves cooking organic foods and prefer local, in-season fruits + vegetables as much as possible. Living in Quebec, Canada means I don’t have access to fresh fruits in the winter and tend to crave warm foods rather than a green smoothie in the morning, especially when it’s -30 degrees Celcius outside.

So I’ve learned to trust my body to navigate which foods are best for me during different seasons.

Ultimately, it’s about finding what works for you.

The bottom line on food

Making simple changes such as eating an organic plant-based diet, drinking pure water, cutting out inflammatory foods (sugar, gluten, corn, dairy, highly processed foods), and keeping caffeine and alcohol in check is essential if you have rosacea.

Since there’s no one size fits all formula as to the best rosacea diet, you’ll have to do some investigative work to find out the best healing foods for your skin.

When diet changes are not enough to heal rosacea naturally

Even though foods play a major role in skin health and potentially healing rosacea, sometimes changing our diet isn’t enough, which is why you may need to investigate further.

Sometimes there is more to the equation than changing our diet and cutting out inflammatory foods which is why a functional approach is key.

Some people make simple dietary changes and see a HUGE improvement in their rosacea (like Eva!) others will have to dig deeper to find out what else is going on. (This was certainly the case for me.)

Eliminating Heavy Metals & Toxic burdens

One of the books that were instrumental for me in learning about toxic burdens on the liver (toxicity that can translate into dermatoxins that trigger skin issues such as rosacea, acne, eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis)) is the Medical Medium’s The Liver Rescue.

This is an excerpt from the book:

“Almost every single skin condition comes from the liver. The intestinal tract often becomes involved by default in a forced collaboration; however, conditions labelled eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, lupus, cellulitis, vitiligo, age spots, other discolorations, and more start and end with the liver.

Your liver releases dermatoxins (formed by viruses feeding off heavy metals and other toxins in your liver) to the surface of your skin to protect you. The skin knows your liver is getting overwhelmed with pathogens and their byproduct and toxins, and in a panic, it pushes poisons up to the surface in a rush. The dermatoxins, which are at least far away from your internal organs now, do make life uncomfortable; they’re highly inflammatory to skin tissue, causing blemishes, fissures, cracks, scabs, flaking, scarring, bleeding, and rashes of all kinds. The associated irritation occurs because of tiny nerve endings all through the epidermis. When inflammation occurs, the nerves get squeezed and pulled apart, causing the itchiness, discomfort, and outright pain of the rash.

The level to which these symptoms disrupt your life can depend on the strain of EBV or other virus present, the levels of heavy metals or other toxins present inside the liver, how sluggish the liver is, and your current diet, which could contain unhelpful foods that are feeding the underlying cause, the viral strain.

Rosacea is usually mercury-based, with that mercury present in both the liver and the small intestinal tract, plus a virus, most commonly EBV.”

Mercury fillings (yuk!)

Besides looking at heavy metals in foods, water and in my home/environment, the Liver Rescue prompted me to do more research on mercury fillings which I still had in my mouth even though they were over 35 years old!!! YUK!!!

Now, a quick Google search shows that quite a few studies connect skin/health issues to mercury fillings so I oriented my research toward functional medicine which, turns out, has been talking about the effects of heavy metal toxicity and skin issues for years.

Here are some resources to get you started on the subject:
https://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/mercury-get-this-poison-out-of-your-body/
https://draxe.com/health/heavy-metal-detox/
https://wellnessmama.com/302581/detox-heavy-metals/

Podcast: Wendy Myers https://myersdetox.com/category/podcast-category/

Even though there are sources out there trying to discredit the link between mercury fillings and health/skin issues, intuitively I knew I was on to something. So I promptly booked a series of visits to my holistic dentist and got mentally prepared to get my old mercury fillings replaced with non-toxic ones.

I also talked to my naturopath, who suggested a gentle protocol to support my body’s detoxification before and after the removal of mercury fillings.

Without getting into details here (because you should absolutely talk to a holistic expert about detoxing the body of heavy metals) it involved daily doses of cilantro (fresh herbal form or the essential oil), spirulina, adding chlorella to my water, shilajit, and milk thistle.

I’m now happy to say that I’m mercury fillings FREEEEEEEE and I’m so glad I made the investment, even though it was painful on the wallet and mouth!

And, to my amazement, I saw a HUGE improvement in my skin, within days. Specifically, the redness on my cheeks went down drastically. More on this topic in this video.

If you feel intuitively called to explore if and how heavy metals are burdening your liver and possibly impacting your skin, a great investment is to work with a knowledgeable Functional Nutrition Practitioner, Naturopathic ND, or Functional doctor who can order the right tests for you.

Functional Testing

Before embarking on my journey to glow a few years ago, I had no idea there was such a thing as functional testing!

New to functional medicine? Dive into these episodes.

Functional tests are used by Naturopathic or Functional NDs to get straight to the root cause of an issue as opposed to treating symptoms.

Because of advancements in functional medicine in the last 5 years, we now have access to an incredible variety of cutting-edge tests to help us get to the root cause quickly and effectively.

These tests are not typically used in allopathic/conventional medical hospitals or clinics where doctors focus on treating symptoms, not getting to the root cause. (Hence saying that rosacea is incurable. Because a pill or cream hasn’t cured rosacea doesn’t mean it’s incurable, it just means they haven’t investigated the root cause yet.)

Functional testing can get pricey, so working with a functional expert is key and in the end, will save you time and money.

Personally, I invested my fair share in functional testing partly because I’m interested in learning more about functional medicine and because I’m determined to get to the root cause of my rosacea. But you don’t have to spend a tonne of money to get answers when you work with an expert.

Testing your water

We’ve talked about the importance of drinking pure water. Well, unbeknownst to me, my well water –—  which I was convinced was “free of heavy metals or pathogens — could be better which we found out thanks to a water test my Naturopath suggested.

If you’re currently drinking tap water, you might want to skip the test (save some money) and invest in a good filter asap instead. Tap water needs to be filtered as we talked about with Melissa in this episode.

Heavy metal test + DUTCH Test + SIBO Test + Live Blood Test

I also did a heavy metal test (a urine test done from home), the DUTCH test (also a urine test) which is a complete hormonal panel, a SIBO test and, when I visit my naturopath’s office, she’ll do a live blood test (a prick on the finger) which is always SO TELLING as to what’s going on in my body, blood, or gut (urgh, hello parasites!).

Without getting hyper-focused on ALL the tests available today (food sensitivities! MRT!) I wanted to mention it here as a possible natural solution for rosacea as it can really help you make incredible progress on your journey to glow.

The last test I’d like to mention is the MRT test (Mediator Release Test) which is a blood test to detect very specific food sensitivities. It’s also quite pricey (around $500USD) but if you have the extra cash, it might be worth checking out. Learn more about the MRT test here.

Also, this interview with Ramona Remesat is INCREDIBLE and gets into the details of testing for SIBO, EBV and Lyme. Plus, Ramona’s journey to glow is very inspiring: she’s now free of SIBO!

Supplements & Herbal Medicine

There’s no denying that plant medicine in the form of supplements, tinctures, powder or tea is an incredibly reliable option when looking for a natural approach to healing rosacea or any other skin conditions.

The challenge, however, is finding the right plant combination at the right medicinal dosage, which is where, again, working with a Naturopathic doctor or Skin herbalist is very beneficial.

Supplements that support skin health:

✔ Milk Thistle (liver support)
✔ Turmeric (protects the skin from free-radical damage)
✔ Vitamin C (an immune-boosting antioxidant that prevents cell damage)
✔ Polypodium Leucotomos (a powerful antioxidant)
✔ Astaxanthin (said to promote healthy skin tone, texture, elasticity & moisture levels)
✔ Zinc is said to relieve the symptoms of acne, pimples, and minor skin eruptions
✔ Burdock is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine as a blood cleanser and to relieve minor skin eruptions and symptoms of mild eczema and dermatitis
✔ Calendula can be used externally to repair skin tissue + reduce redness as well as repair gut tissue

Since finding the right supplements or herbal protocol is key, I can’t emphasize enough that the best way to go about it is to resist the temptation to buy everything that promises clear skin but to work with a herbalist that can craft the right formula for your own unique need.

Flower Essences

I also wanted to mention flower essences because they’re really not that well known and hold tremendous healing powers.

If you don’t know about flower essences, they work very differently than essential oils as they work on an energetic level.

So what are flower essences exactly?

They’re a bioenergetic imprint of a flower that has been transferred to water via the sun or moon.

The process was first discovered in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach and has since been created and used by many holistic practitioners.

Flower essences work on our energy bodies and help support emotional, mental, and spiritual healing by shifting energy blocks, limiting beliefs or destructive/sabotaging behaviors.

Since flower essences are energetic in nature, their benefits are not due to a biochemical interaction with the body. Instead, they work on the various energy pathways (such as the acupuncture meridians) to create health and well-being in the body, mind, and spirit.

What does that have to do with healing skin issues you ask?

So much!

If you feel stuck on your journey to glow because you’re just not making progress, you’re not implementing the lifestyle and diet changes you know you need to make, you’re feeling depressed or beat yourself up every time you look in the mirror, you’ll need to change a deep-seated belief or energetic pattern in order to fully heal.

That’s where flower essences come in. Plus, they’re super safe, and affordable, and you can’t do it wrong.

I’ve been working with flower essences for years and they have supported me through big life transitions, grief, emotional blocks, and mental well-being. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without them!

PS: If you’re interested in flower essences and botanical skincare, check out my new website shop.journeytoglow.com

Rose & Helichrysum Soothing Flower Water

Made with pure, organic Rose, organic Wild Carrot Seed, organic Helichrysum italicum, and organic Melissa (Lemonbalm). 

This hydrosol is made from 100% pure plant & flower distillate and does not contain alcohol. Please use this beautiful flower water within 2 to 3 months to experience its most potent botanical properties.

The Rose Soothing & Hydrating Rose & Helichrysum Hydrosol leaves the skin feeling supple and nourished, ready to receive the benefits of the Aloe Vera & MSM Serum, Calendula Face Oil, or Radiantly Clear Face oil.

Evening skincare ritual with hydrosol for rosacea and sensitive skin

For more skincare tips for rosacea, please visit shop.journeytoglow.com/pages/skincare-tips

Organic Skincare for Rosacea

balms for sensitive & rosacea-prone skin

In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite balms made with natural, skin-soothing ingredients for rosacea.

Although this is a round-up of balms for rosacea-prone skin, these products are also great for sensitive, thirsty skin, especially if you need extra hydration in cold winter months.

Quick tips to shop smartly:

✩ Talk to your holistic facialist and ask what she recommends for your skin
✩ Always patch test
✩ Read the ingredients, organic and natural doesn’t mean “gentle” especially if you have sensitive or rosacea-prone skin

02

JTG #69 Farm To Skin Skincare With Aviva Skye Tilson Founder Apis Apotheca

JTG #69 Farm To Skin Skincare With Aviva Skye Tilson Founder Apis Apotheca

In this episode, I talk to  Aviva Skye Tilson, the creator of a farm-to-bottle skincare line called Apis Apotheca.

About my guest:

Aviva Skye Tilson, the creator of Apis Apotheca, comes from a background in biodynamic and organic farming and is a certified community herbalist.

Aviva has spent a decade healing herself through working with plants and animals and has always had an obsession with skincare. Through much trial and error, her skincare line represents her combined years of field experience, academic research, endless experimentation and provides the highest quality, most effective whole-plant based skincare available.

Her products can be used by people of all skin types, and are especially safe for acne and eczema-prone skin. Her simple, botanically infused line targets the 5 main concerns challenging blemish-prone, (and therefore barrier damaged) skin: unbalanced skin microbiome, excess sebum oxidation, irregular desquamation, chronic inflammation, and inefficient wound healing.

Her new farm in New York’s stunning Hudson Valley is high on a hill facing the Catskill Mountains, with deep, mineral-rich, loamy soil that supports trillions of healthy micro-organisms in balance. This healthy soil grows healthy plants, 100% organically. They grow 98% of the plants used in her formulas which ensures freshness and potency.

Aviva’s lab is steps away from her farm fields, which enables her to capture the potency of the plants they grow to the fullest. 

We also cover:

The benefits of eating an ancestral diet
The importance of sustainable farming and locally made products
Aviva’s best and worst supplements for acne
The beauty benefit of raw milk
Aviva’s favourite plants of beautiful skin
How to make a really good turmeric milk packed with anti-inflammatory properties
The story behind Apis Apotheca, Aviva’s farm to face skincare line

Apis Apotheca Skincare apisapotheca.com

Apis Apotheca Instagram instagram.com/apis.apotheca.farm

JTG #66 From Eczema To Glowing Skin With Teju Owoye Founder Clean Rebellion

JTG #66 From Eczema To Glowing Skin With Teju Owoye Founder Clean Rebellion

I had a BLAST talking with Teju Owoye, founder of Clean Rebellion about clean + sustainable beauty, voting with our dollars and disrupting the skincare industry.

While we were recording this episode, Teju was in the middle of a huge windstorm and unfortunately this caused gaps in our conversation. Nonetheless, this interview is PACKED with wisdom and is sure to trigger some insights for you!

In this podcast episode Teju shares how her own battle with eczema awakened her desire to find a more natural approach to caring for her skin. She started Clean Rebellion after realizing that the standard, everyday castile soap sold in stores was better suited for cleaning sinks than rejuvenating our skin. So, she set out to create a super-powered yet gentle and nontoxic castile soap

We also cover:

Tips to regulate vitamin D production and rebalance your circadian rhythm
How to clear the space before a meeting or important conversation
How to pivot quickly when “life happens” (haha)
Teju’s key learning working at Lululemon that she brought into her current business Clean Rebellion
How Teju stays grounded and centered in the middle of a (thought) storm
How to shift out of a negative state of mind to a more empowering one
How relying on intuition is crucial in her life and business
The importance of working and trusting our inner healer on our journey to glow
How a crazy idea turned into the free educational platform that is Journey to Glow

Shop Clean Rebellion cleanrebellion.com