Did you know there is a connection between your gut microbiome and skin health? Or that adopting a non-toxic lifestyle may help improve symptoms of chronic skin conditions? Please read along as I share my recent experience attending an online summit on these topics.

Last week, I attended a seven-day virtual event hosted by Health Means called, the “Eczema, Psoriasis, & Skin Disease Masterclass.” Health Means is an online platform which hosts various online conferences and events in the health and wellness sphere. Last year, I attended an online conference called the “Toxic Mold Summit” which introduced me to more experts in the mold illness world and further resources to help me along in my journey. Check out their website by clicking here. You’ll notice that the talks slant towards the functional/integrative medicine side of healthcare- if that’s of interest to you.

I saw the “Eczema, Psoriasis, & Skin Disease Masterclass” event pop-up in my email and almost deleted it because I personally do not struggle with eczema or psoriasis. After consideration, I signed up for the event because I figured the information might be useful to a future client struggling with their skin health, some disorders of which are considered autoimmune-linked. I also love learning new concepts and actively look for opportunities to continue to expand my knowledge base or even challenge what I thought I already knew.

The first talk motivated me to tune in consistently for the rest of the week, as it was about the journey of the Sternagel family’s (founders of the Stern Method) infant son’s struggle with infant eczema. Working with experts to address his gut microbiome diversity, rebuild healthy gut cell walls, implementing key topical strategies, and continuing with their already non-toxic lifestyle, they finally achieved relief for their infant son. This was after being told there was nothing they could do, besides steroid creams which gave their son no relief. Can you imagine staying up all night with a baby try to keep him from scratching his eczema patches? These parents amaze me! Their tenacity and grit to push past this condition inspires me. I can personally relate to how you (as the patient or the patient’s advocate) must take charge of your own health journey and knock on every door until you find a solution. This wasn’t even the Sternagel family’s first experience with a medical crisis, as their eldest son went through a stage IV cancer diagnosis at age one in 2014.

The prevalence of chronic skin disorders also impressed me. Consider the following statistics:

Approximately 7.5 million American adults suffer with psoriasis, an inflammatory condition which causes raised plaques and scales on the skin. [1] These plaques and scales can appear anywhere on the body and the triggers may vary from each individual.

Of those who suffer with psoriasis, 30% will also develop psoriatic arthritis. [2]

31.6 million people in the U.S. have some form of eczema, which is a term for a group of conditions which includes atopic and contact dermatitis, for example. [3] The skin appears inflamed, itchy, red, and irritated and is considered an inflammatory condition.

Acne is also very common in our society, in fact the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 50 million Americans annually! [4]

Looking at these numbers, the knowledge shared in this conference is applicable to many more people in our society than I realized. I am glad I tuned in, not just to learn about the prevalence of skin disease, but to also become aware of innovative ways to manage these disorders.

Gut-Skin Axis

The main theme throughout the conference was the connection between the health of the gut microbiome and the brain and skin, of which I was unaware. I had heard of the gut-brain axis, but the skin reflects our gut health as well, referred to as the gut-skin axis. Skin is the largest organ of the body, the first line of defense of our immune system, and a way for our body to excrete waste. It makes sense therefore, to understand how the products we slather on our skin daily can influence our overall health, and how our skin can break out angrily, struggling with the inflammation within.

On reflection, I realized I have struggled with my own skin health in the past. When I was going through the moldy exposure, I had all sorts of unexplained rashes and skin flare-ups. My face was congested, and I struggled with occasional acne. My skin was also dull, gray, and with an overall haggard appearance- not the picture of health! Of the various people I know struggling with gut disorders or recovering from toxic mold or other autoimmune issues, I notice their skin tone first. I also notice that anytime I accidently am exposed to gluten, small, raised, red bumps appear on my limbs and my face breaks out.

The best lecture during this event was the following, “The Gut-Skin Connection” with Kiran Krishnan, which helped me understand the science behind the gut-skin axis. In this talk, Kiran Krishnan reviews the difference between the human skin microbiome and the gut microbiome, and explained what leaky gut is and how it can increase inflammation in the body. He also explained the changes in the gut microbiome as associated with each skin condition. For example, psoriasis is associated with an increase in the Bacteroidetes phylum, but a decrease in the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria phylum. The talk was technical in nature, but I watched parts of it several times to better understand his lecture. I was hopeful at the end, because with significant changes on our part to increase gut microbiota diversity, we can effectively minimize the effect of the bad bacteria, and work to seal the gut lining to decrease inflammation, and ultimately achieve clearer skin.

My skin all over my body is slowly clearing and brightening up over time as my gut heals, but I truly was enthralled to find out that my microbiota in my gut, as well as the health of the tight junctions between the cells in my gut lining could contribute to skin issues. If you have never heard of the concept, “leaky gut,” please take some time to do so! I recommend the following books (affiliate links) and articles on the subject, listed below:

“9 Symptoms of Leaky Gut & How to Heal” by Dr. Amy Myers, MD

“How to Heal Leaky Gut” by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DNM, DC

Healthy Gut, Healthy You by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DNM, DC

Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, MMedSci (neurology), MMedSci (nutrition)

“The Gut and Psoriatic Disease Connection” podcast episode from the National Psoriasis Foundation

Gut health is not a topic I work on with clients, as it is above my knowledge and skill set. For true gut healing and developing a diverse microbiota, it’s important to work with a knowledgeable provider who can guide you and tailor your treatment plan accordingly. The process is much more complicated than just taking a probiotic or avoiding certain foods. For example, in my own journey, my provider ordered a stool test from Genova Diagnostics and then made a treatment plan based on the results and the research available to prescribe antifungals/antimicrobials to reduce the undesirable bacteria, and select which strains of probiotics to replace and reinoculate my gut microbiome. Do not undertake this journey alone and please use the above resources for foundational knowledge, not as a prescription.  

Environmental Toxins and Skin Health

Another consistent theme throughout the conference was monitoring environmental inputs which we absorb into our bodies, such toxicants from air, drinking and bathing water, food, and the products we use directly on our skin. The presenters consistently advised that to truly progress in healing skin disorders, sufferers need to embrace a lower or non-toxic lifestyle over time, especially in skin care products. Various presentations mentioned toxins in cleaning products and laundry detergent, beauty products, air filtration, and water. I found all the information familiar, but wished for more cited sources to back up the staggering statistics presented such as “the average woman uses 12 personal care products per day and these contain an average of 168 different chemicals.” The information was a general introduction to how a person may minimize his or her toxic load, but for a novice just hearing about the connection between toxins and skin health, the content could be overwhelming. Furthermore, it’s hard for someone new to this type of thinking to distinguish the lingo between “toxins” and “chemicals” since not all chemicals are bad, such as water.

We live in a world with constant assault of various toxic compounds, from pesticides used on the grass at the public park, additives in our food, ingredients in our grooming products, and even flame retardants in our furniture. When I really think about it, I feel depressed at how tall a mountain it is to climb to achieve a “non-toxic lifestyle.” The reality is that it’s impossible to remove every single toxin from our lives! Of the many chemical compounds and toxicants mentioned during the week-long event, it would be hard to really grasp which next steps to make as a consumer. For example, two of the many ingredients mentioned to avoid in skin care products for eczema sufferers are fragrance and propylene glycol (used as a moisturizer and emulsifier), yet for someone new to this field, it can be daunting to scour each product’s ingredient list to figure out if it’s “safe” or not. Trying out each product one-by-one can be expensive and time-consuming- as I personally can testify. I can only imagine the endurance required by the Sternagels in finding solutions to their son Rocky’s eczema when he was only a baby and could not easily communicate.

Working to Heal

Maintaining your health can indeed be a full-time job, and finding the right help and resources on your journey can save you time and money. In the Sternagels’ case, they used their own experience of non-toxic living, but also used supplements, and expert guidance in trying new modalities to finally achieve success.

If you are suffering with psoriasis or eczema and want to better understand the role toxins in your environment play into your health journey, please check out my services. I serve clients interested in adopting a non-toxic lifestyle but do not know where to begin or how to maintain the changes long-term. I even have an introductory coaching program where I only focus on cleaning and grooming products, instead of my 3-month program, which includes more information on water, air, among other factors.

Don’t know where to even start? Please book a discovery call with me to discuss your situation.

I attended this conference to better understand the disease state of patients suffering with skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema. If you are a sufferer yourself, I do recommend the “Eczema, Psoriasis, & Skin Disease Masterclass” as an introduction to holistic therapies and modalities to try. There is a free encore presentation happening the weekend of September 4-5, 2021, and afterwards, I believe you can pay to access the talks. My favorite presentations were the following:

“Eczema 101” with Sheila Kilbane, MD (expert integrative pediatrician)

“Environmental Toxins and Triggers” with Ryan and Teddy Sternagel

“The Gut-Skin Connection” with Kiran Krishnan (more technical by a research microbiologist)

“Light Therapies and Skin Detoxification” with Dr. Eric and Sabrina Zielinski (focused on emotional detoxing)

“Filling in the Gap in Your Skin Health” with Jaime Boyachek (more technical)

“Food Triggers and Supplements” with Ryan and Teddy Sternagel

If you attended this online event or plan to, I would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a comment, below. Learning the connection between gut health and the skin blew me away and perhaps may help you as well. Thank you for reading!

Works Cited

[1] Armstrong, April W., et al. “Psoriasis Prevalence in Adults in the United States.” JAMA Dermatology, vol. 157, no. 8, 1 Aug. 2021, p. 940, 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.2007. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

[2] Mease, Philip J., et al. “Prevalence of Rheumatologist-Diagnosed Psoriatic Arthritis in Patients with Psoriasis in European/North American Dermatology Clinics.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 69, no. 5, Nov. 2013, pp. 729–735, 10.1016/j.jaad.2013.07.023. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

[3] Hanifin, Jon M., and Michael L. Reed. “A Population-Based Survey of Eczema Prevalence in the United States.” Dermatitis, vol. 18, no. 2, June 2007, pp. 82–91, 10.2310/6620.2007.06034. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

[4] Bickers, David R., et al. “The Burden of Skin Diseases: 2004: A Joint Project of the American Academy of Dermatology Association and the Society for Investigative Dermatology.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 55, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2006, pp. 490–500, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962206015209, 10.1016/j.jaad.2006.05.048. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.