Understanding the Link Between Inflammation and Skin Health
Let’s talk about body inflammation from an esthetician’s perspective! Puffiness in the face, acne, excessive redness, and accelerated signs of aging (ex: sagging skin, wrinkles) are skin issues caused by inflammation in the body. I want to acknowledge that things like illnesses, injury, or chronic illness are significant contributors to increased inflammation. But, since I’m not a doctor, I will focus on lifestyle factors that cause inflammation. Habits and lifestyle changes we can easily edit on our own. If you’re struggling with one or more of these skin obstacles mentioned above, it’s worth reviewing any lifestyle choices or habits that can be causing excess inflammation in your body.
scrub me secret: stimulation of the lymphatic system is so helpful for reducing inflammation in the body. That is why we wellness professionals and beauty gurus are so obsessed with lymphatic drainage massage and other things that stimulate the lymphatic system (like dry brushing and movement)
The contents of this blog post are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Common Causes of Inflammation
Certain foods & alcohol:
High glycemic foods are foods that can quickly raise your blood sugar, thus causing inflammation. Fast food, processed food like chips and candy, as well as baked goods made with refined sugar, are all examples of high glycemic food. Most sodas also fall into that category. Red meats, processed meats, and fried foods are also known to increase inflammation in the body.
Consumption of alcohol increases inflammation because our organs are working to expel the toxins from our bodies. Some alcohol and alcoholic mixed drinks are high in sugar which also causes excess inflammation.
Poor circulation:
The flow of blood and oxygen in the body can decrease due to factors like buildup in the arteries, weight gain, a sedentary lifestyle, or medical conditions. Poor circulation of blood, oxygen, and lymph can cause a buildup of toxins in the body that then cause inflammation or chronic inflammation.
Lack of sleep:
Poor sleep or sleeping a minimal amount of hours can lead to an impaired immune system, poor circulation, and higher blood pressure. All of these things lead to excess inflammation in our body. Getting 7+ hours of sleep a night is actually shown to be helpful for repairing the body and decreasing inflammation. On the other end, getting only a few hours of sleep every night can cause inflammation that leads to a puffy-looking face, among other issues.
Smoking:
Smoking cigarettes or vape pens introduce toxins into the body. When our bodies ingest unwanted toxins our immune system works hard to defend itself and clear the body of the toxins. This defense causes inflammation that can lead to skin conditions and health conditions.
scrub me secret: The photo is of me and my now husband in 2014. at this point in time I was not treating my body its best and if I'm being honest I was embracing my early 20s party girl era. You can totally see this reflected in my skin and my husband's as well. My body was holding onto excess inflammation that was making my face retain fluid and making me look older than I was. Now, almost 10 years later I look less puffy, more radiant, and even more youthful than I do in this photo. Because I’m treating my body right!
Read my “scrub me secret” for details on this not-so-flattering photo 🤭
How inflammation affects our skin
Puffiness in the face:
Retention of fluid in the face can be a symptom of inflammation in your body. When your body is inflamed, circulation and lymph fluid flow are not moving how they should. This creates lymph fluid retention that sits in areas like our neck, jawline, cheeks, under eyes, as well as your forehead. This fluid retention is usually fairly visible to the naked eye or you can even feel it by lightly touching your skin.
Accelerated signs of aging:
Chronic inflammation can speed up the degeneration that happens to the bonds of our collagen and elastin cells. As we get older, our skin naturally loses collagen and elastin making our skin begin to sag and have wrinkles. If your body has excess inflammation then this process of aging can speed up, possibly causing early fine lines, wrinkles, and/or loose feeling skin.
Acne:
Acne in itself comes along with a lot of inflammation. Red, swollen pimples are caused by the combination of oils, bacteria, and inflammation caused by your immune system trying to fight off the bacteria. Sometimes this inflamed acne is linked to inflammation in the body caused by diet. Refined sugars and flour can raise blood sugar which can lead to inflammation. Other high glycemic foods as well as dairy have been linked to inflammation that causes acne.
Excessive redness/rosacea:
Rosacea is an inflammatory condition that causes excessive redness and sometimes texture and bumps in the cheek and nose area. Rosacea flareups where your skin gets hot, red, and/or broken out can be triggered by your body experiencing inflammation. Even if you don’t have rosacea you could have skin that is reactive and sensitive to inflammation and shows it by becoming red or flushed when your body is inflamed.
scrub me secret: as an esthetician, it’s my job to be a bit of a detective and find out reasons why your skin may be having issues or not getting the results you desire. A facial consultation is so much more than just looking at your skin and getting to know your skincare routine. During a consultation, we also chat about hobbies, work, diet, and other lifestyle things so I can try to get to the root of why your skin is acting the way it is. Sometimes after chatting for a bit, we can pinpoint habits that may be contributing to skin issues.
My top 5 ways to reduce inflammation in the skin & body
Daily Movement:
Movement! One of my favorite wellness rituals. Walking, jogging, yoga, weight lifting, biking, boxing, swimming; these are all examples of movement that helps decrease inflammation in the body. Movement decreases blood pressure, boosts circulation, and expels toxins. Not to mention it’s a major endorphin boost 😉 🏃♀️
Massage your face and body:
Massage works wonders for stimulating lymph flow and boosting oxygen and blood flow in the body. There are many different types of face and body massage. Some are geared more toward boosting circulation, like Swedish massage for example. Other types of massage focus specifically on draining stuck lymph fluid. Honestly, any type of massage is more beneficial than no massage at all. Just the simple act of massaging your face or body with lotion or oil using your hands really does help decrease inflammation.
Lymphatic drainage massage and gua sha facial massage are specific types of massage that are geared towards detoxing your body of built up lymph fluid that causes puffiness and other issues.
scrub me secret: Are you a lover of body treatments? I wrote a blog post that compiles all my current favorite body treatments and body care products. Read it here!
Dry brushing and/or physical exfoliation:
Another circulation-boosting wellness ritual! Using a dry brush or body scrub gloves to gently buff your skin while it’s dry is not only a good way to remove dead skin cells it’s a great way to increase blood flow and oxygen flow. This is something that feels great and reduces inflammation in our body.
Get proper sleep:
We talked about lack of sleep being a big contributor to inflammation so it only makes sense that proper sleep is the key to reducing it. Sleep is so healing for our bodies, its something that helps keep us looking and feeling youthful! According to the CDC adults ranging from ages 18-60 years old need 7+ hours of sleep.
Add anti-inflammatory items to your diet:
Leafy Greens, Turmeric, Green Tea, berries, and salmon are all food items can are known to decrease inflammation in the body. These foods are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber (greens), and antioxidants that reduce inflammation. Adding items like this to your diet will help push out other foods that aren’t so great for us.