Detoxification: Nutritional Factors and Skin Care Application
 

by James Meschino, DC

Dietary manipulation and nutritional supplementation has been shown to be of clinical importance in the prevention and treatment of various skin conditions, including skin cancer, wound healing, atopic dermatitis—eczema, seborrhea, psoriasis and acne. In traditional medical channels, nutritional involvement for these conditions largely has been neglected over the years. However, more recently, skin care professionals have expressed a growing interest in nutritional aspects of anti-aging, disease prevention and treatment as it affects conditions of the skin and total body health and wellness.

For estheticians, awareness and knowledge of evidence-based nutrition interventions that are useful in skin care management enables them to provide an additional level of service to clients, improves treatment results and creates an opportunity from which to derive additional income through the sale of a professional line of nutritional supplements.

Eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and, to a lesser degree, acne are skin conditions that are highly responsive to nutritional management. Skin smoothness can be enhanced, as well, through specific dietary manipulation and supplementation with essential oils, B-vitamins and antioxidants at established doses. In addition, antioxidant supplementation has been shown to reduce ultraviolet light-induced skin damage that is linked to premature aging and skin cancer. 

Regarding nutrition and detoxification, research reveals that many skin conditions are aggravated by faulty detoxification mechanisms, excess toxicity and compromised liver function. The liver is the main blood filtration plant to neutralize and eliminate toxins from the body. Conversely, a number of skin conditions have been shown to respond favorably when the body’s detoxification centers are supported through dietary manipulation and the appropriate use of supplements. Thus, nutritional support is a vital aspect of skin health and appearance, and optimizing detoxification is a primary target in the treatment of a variety of common skin conditions. Although enhancing detoxification is not the only role of nutritional management for skin conditions, it is an often overlooked area of intervention.

Detoxification
As various toxins, end products of metabolism and certain prostaglandin hormones are known to affect the health and appearance of the skin, a basic review of the body’s detoxification systems can help you understand their importance.

Essentially, the body eliminates toxins and end products of metabolism either by directly neutralizing them or by excreting them in the urine or feces, and to a lesser degree, from the lungs and skin. Approximately 25% of detoxification occurs within the cells lining the intestines and 75% occurs in the liver. Almost two quarts of blood pass through the liver every minute for detoxification. Any bacteria in the blood are intercepted and destroyed by the Kupffer cells in the liver upon contact. Kupffer cells line the liver sinusoids and clear 99% of the bacteria from the blood that enters the liver before it is allowed to re-enter the general circulation. Detoxification of other toxins, hormones, end products of metabolism, prostaglandins, drugs and other chemicals occur in both liver and intestinal cells primarily via a two-phase detoxification process. These systems are highly responsive to dietary and supplementation interventions and any disruption to these detoxification centers can have far-reaching effects on the health of the body and often involve manifestations to the skin.

Detoxification and various skin conditions
Impairment to the body’s detoxification systems and an escalation of blood-borne toxins or allergens have been shown to contribute to the development or exacerbation of certain skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, hives and seborrheic dermatitis. In addition to topical treatments for these conditions, basic nutrition and supplementation practices deserve consideration in the holistic management protocol.

These basic interventions to support the body’s detoxification processes enable you to provide your client with proven, effective complementary strategies to help combat many chronic-recurrent skin problems. Detoxification support through the use of nutrition and supplementation represents an important therapeutic target in these cases. Through the inclusion of dietary and supplementation recommendations, skin care professionals can deliver a more comprehensive and efficacious treatment plan in the management of various skin conditions. This course of action also opens up a new stream of revenue through the sale of a professional line of supplements. Key products to stock in this regard include:

• A high potency multiple vitamin and mineral supplement as outlined previously.

• An immune-detoxification booster product as outlined previously.

• A full-complement digestive enzyme supplement.

• A probiotic supplement product. Optional, as it requires refrigeration in your business.

Be aware that for each of the skin conditions mentioned, other nutritional factors should also be addressed that affect prostaglandin synthesis, the inflammatory response and secretory function of the skin. Over and above detoxification support, specific nutrition management protocols exist for each skin condition. Nevertheless, nutritional support of intestinal and liver detoxification is a vital, and often neglected, aspect of skin care management. As such, estheticians and skin care professionals should be aware of the association between detoxification systems and skin health, and be prepared to engage clients in evidence-based nutrition and supplementation practices that can help improve conditions of the skin.

This article was excerpted from the December 2001 issue of Skin Inc. magazine. Skin care professionals should receive specialized training before offering any new services, and clients should be told to consult a health care provider before starting any supplement therapy.

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James Meschino, DC, serves on the board of advisors of the Academy of Anti-Aging Research and is the clinical and research director for the RenaiSanté Institute of Integrative Medicine in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. 

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