Your liver and clear skin

When I was growing up I didn’t have a great complexion. In fact, there were times when I cancelled my plans to go out because my face was in such a bad shape. So you can understand my obsession to get clear and glowing skin. And in my pursuit of perfection, I’ve realised that good skin is a result of what you eat, what you put on, and how happy you are. You need to have great digestion and (what many don’t realise) a healthy liver too. 

If your liver isn’t doing a good job of breaking down toxins then the they will come out through your skin. Signs of poor liver function include dermatitis, rashes, acne, rosacea, premature wrinkles, and itchy skin. Alcohol, cheese and other dairy products, red meat, transfats, large doses of iron or vitamin A, salt, processed and refined foods, are all bad for your liver.

I first learnt about this connection when I read Calgary Avasino’s fitness diary in 2008. She was the beauty director of British Vogue and the quintessential California girl who eats seeds, saladsand kale. In the article I read, she mentioned that she starts her day with a cup of nettle tea. I researched the tea and found that it cleans out the liver. Once I started drinking a cup a day, it really did make my skin look much brighter and clearer. 

Green vegetables, juices, and omega 3 fatty acids are all friends of your liver. As is dandelion tea, which works as a diuretic and so is wonderful too. You can also load up on selenium rich foods, which repair liver damage like fennel or brazil nuts (only two a day). If you have serious liver damage look up milk thistle, which not only heals but also said to stimulate new liver cells. Try this cleanse for a month and see if your skin feels clearer as a result. I find that just adding a nettle or dandelion tea to my routine is sometimes good enough. 

If you’re pregnant it is better to avoid the above herbs and a liver cleanse in general.