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By Richmond Natural Medicine
RNM Blog
Addressing The Multiple Causes Of Acne

Acne affects nearly 15% of the US population in both adolescents and adults, and the cause is often different for each person.

Understandably, addressing the multiple causes of acne can seem extremely daunting, especially for young adults and teens. It is most common that people presenting with acne, regardless of the actual cause, are often given conventional topical treatments that work temporarily but do not solve the underlying issue long term. Many people who try topical treatments report that they work for a little while, then stop working or they need to try several different topicals over the course of months or years. From a holistic medicine perspective, getting to the root cause of acne is the most important factor before a treatment strategy can be addressed, and this often takes some investigative work.

The development of acne is caused by a blockage of sebaceous follicles with sebum and represents unregulated tissue growth, especially at the endothelial cells that surround the follicle. Often, androgens (or hormones) cause this increase in sebum production, however other factors including digestive inflammation and liver stagnation can cause this downstream effect as well. When the follicle is blocked, this causes inflammation in that localized area, leading to redness, pain, and scarring. The cause of the androgen imbalance specifically is often the most difficult thing to pinpoint, however this is only one of the many potential causes of acne.

Other causes of acne include:

  • Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency
  • Hormonal insufficiency or hormonal dysregulation
  • Liver detoxification issues
  • Food intolerances
  • Environmental allergens or toxins
  • Blood sugar imbalance
  • Topical products
  • Genetics

Read more: Skincare 101 with Dr. Ferreira

More than half these potential causes are an internal issue – not a topical issue. Therefore treatment of acne with topical remedies alone usually fail to solve the problem if we do not address the underlying cause. Usually the first thing people with acne do is try to address it with an onslaught of facial or body care products, often exacerbating the symptoms and making them worse. For example, it is common for acne specific products on the market to contain alcohol which is extremely drying to the skin. These products dry out the oily blemishes, but in response the skin works double time to produce even more sebum to replenish, making the skin extremely unbalanced and the blemishes worse over time due to the excessive drying inputs trying to counterbalance the overproduction of oil. Many people use dozens of topical treatments before seeking help and getting to the root cause. This may take more time, but is a more long term, individualized solution.

When working with a naturopathic doctor, they will often inquire deeply into your lifestyle, your diet, your environment, your previous health history and your current body care items. They will also likely do some allergy or food intolerance assessments to see how each of these factors comes in to play with your specific symptoms. Appropriate supplementation may be recommended as well as lab work to look into hormones and androgen production. With these helpful clues, it’s is far more likely to create a long term solution to dealing with acne than with topical treatments alone.

Topical skin conditions, including acne, are one of the most common health issues that our practitioners at Richmond Natural Medicine work with. If you struggle with acne at any age, consider making an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors to get to the root cause of your symptoms, and address them individually and holistically.

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psoriasis
By Richmond Natural Medicine
RNM Blog
Naturopathic Approach For Caring For Your Skin: Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects many people and in many different ways. Similar to eczema, psoriasis presents itself as a dry, flaky, red, and inflamed skin condition, but also typically has a characteristic scaly plaque present on the skin. Psoriasis can appear in many locations including the scalp, knees, elbows, arms, legs, and neck. A common underlying cause for psoriasis is the immune system, and oftentimes, factors that affect the immune system will also lead to psoriasis flare-ups. We will review some basic ways from a naturopathic approach to help stabilize the immune system, improve the appearance of psoriasis, and prevent future flares.

Immune-modulation

When looking into a condition that is commonly linked to an immune response, it is important to control the immune system as much as possible, most basically through diet and lifestyle. Gut health commonly has an impact on immunity and healing your gut needs to be addressed in order to modulate your immune system. Avoiding reactive foods can also help to reduce inflammation. This elimination and healing with the help of specific supplements such as probiotics, adaptogens, plant sterols, and zinc can help reduce psoriasis flares and concomitant psoriatic symptoms.

Topical support

Psoriatic skin appears as a scaly rash due to its overproliferation of epithelial tissue. This leads to the skin producing excessive new skin cells without having sloughed off the most superficial layer of skin. This epithelialization occurs more with a stressed and overly active immune system and while addressing issues internally is a great start, there are some topical things that can be included in your skincare to help improve the appearance of flares. Some topical product actions you may want to consider are anti-plaque, anti-inflammatory, vulnerary and hydrating.

Anti-plaque herbs such as Oregon grape root can often be found in topical salves, lotions, shampoos, and soaps that can be used to reduce the proliferation of skin cells.

Anti-inflammatory topicals are commonly found as oils such as fish oil and vitamin E. Topicals that are oil-based can also be hydrating to the skin, particularly on a lipid level, but some such as vitamin E can also have the added benefit of being vulnerary or skin healing.

Prevention

Managing and preventing stressors is an important way to decrease experiencing psoriasis flare-ups. Maintaining a specific and clean diet is helpful and important, but we often forget what else can be truly stressful to our bodies. The word stress applies to more than just having a difficult or overextending schedule, it applies to anything that you actively or passively experience that can push your body into an overly active state. Over-indulging in things such as alcohol, smoking and tobacco products, and exposure to harsh chemicals can push your body into a state of immune overactivity. Not having a healthy relationship with yourself or those around you can cause stress and that is where practices such as journaling, art, meditation, or even exercise can help you to cope with those stressors.

Ultimately, management of psoriasis flares consists of a unique and comprehensive diet plan, lifestyle changes, skincare, and stress management implementation. While these tasks can seem difficult to implement, a naturopathic doctor can help guide you along your journey. For help with psoriasis or other skin conditions, book an appointment with Dr. Vanessa Ferreira, ND.

Dr. Vanessa Ferreira is a Naturopathic Doctor at Richmond Natural Medicine Vanessa Ferreira, ND is a naturopathic doctor with a specialization in skincare, anti-aging, lifestyle and stress management, dermatology, women’s health, mean’s health, homeopathy, and hormone optimization.

Dr. Ferreira received her B.S. degree in Exercise Physiology, with a double minor in Biology and Disability Studies, from the University of Delaware. She then received her naturopathic medical doctorate degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. In 2016, she completed a residency in general medicine at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medical Center.

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By Richmond Natural Medicine
RNM Blog
The Benefits & Cautions of Collagen Supplements: Animal-Based vs. Plant-Based

One of the most popular supplemental products on the market this year is collagen powder. Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body, making up a large portion of our skin – over 70%. It is also present in our bones, tendons, and connective tissue. It is abundant in proline and glycine, two amino acids that support repair in our bones, tendons, and joints. Overall, collagen is required for maintaining our skin elasticity, moisture content, and overall youthfulness of skin tone, as well as providing thin protective barriers around some of our organs, including the kidneys.

As we age (and especially after menopause), we break down collagen more quickly, thus developing the appearance of drier skin, wrinkles, and less skin elasticity, along with weakened joint cartilage. This is a completely normal process, and not something that necessarily needs to be fixed by supplementing with collagen. However, collagen is also being studied for its clinical benefits in easing symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis, support in wound healing, and connective tissue health. Much of this clinical research is just emerging, and people today are most likely to supplement with collagen powders for the supposed “anti-aging” benefits for their skin.

Is collagen worth supplementing with, and if so, what are the real benefits?

The Benefits of Collagen

As mentioned above, our natural production of collagen is an essential protein that helps form connective tissue throughout the entire body – from the bones to the skin. It maintains our joint flexibility and skin elasticity. In addition, our regular internal supply of natural collagen promotes healthy, hydrated, smooth skin. The naturally occurring collagen protein is rather large, fibrous, and hard (1). For the most part, collagen proteins outside of the body are too large to be absorbed through the skin via topical products. Thus, there has been recent popularity in supplemental powdered collagen peptides that can be consumed orally. Collagen peptides are also known as hydrolyzed collagen peptides, meaning they have been broken down into smaller molecules making them more absorbable.

The touted benefits of supplemental collagen range from younger, firmer-looking skin, to extra hydrated and youthful skin tone and elasticity. Supplemental collagen can also be taken as a bioavailable dietary source of extra protein. Current research does support the following benefits of supplementing with collagen peptides:

  • Improved body composition and increased muscle strength when combined with resistance training (2).
  • Therapeutic dietary support in the management of osteoarthritis (3, 6).
  • Improving wound healing and skin aging (4).
  • Increasing skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density (4).
  • May reduce visible signs of skin aging (5).
  • May reduce activity-related joint pain in athletes (7).

More research is still needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of long term supplemental collagen use. These initial studies are promising, and overall it is becoming easier to consume extra collagen through our diets and via high-quality supplements.

Plant-based vs. Animal-based Collagen

One of the most common forms of dietary and supplemental collagen is from animal sources, specifically the hides and connective tissue in cows, which are usually discarded in the meat industry but are now being “upcycled” into collagen supplements. Collagen may also be sourced from fish. Animal-based collagen supplements closely mimic the structure and bioavailability of our own and are effective in “replacing” collagen in our own body. And, just like anything coming from the meat industry, it is susceptible to contamination from pesticides, herbicides, steroids, antibiotics, and glyphosates stored in the bones of conventionally-raised animals. However, the ease and bioavailable nature of high-quality animal-based collagen peptides make them the most common collagen available on the market today.

Plant-based collagen is a bit of a misnomer because plants do not specifically contain collagen. Some plants, however, do contain all the minerals and nutrients necessary to give our body the building blocks to make our own collagen. We require three things to make collagen from our diets: vitamin C, minerals, and complete proteins. Plants can provide some of these essential collagen-producing minerals, including silica, calcium, and magnesium, along with antioxidant-rich sources of vitamin C and proteins. The philosophy behind choosing a plant-based collagen supplement over an animal-based one is that plant-based collagen supplements encourage our bodies to continue producing our own internal supply of collagen, even as it decreases as we age.

Choosing the Right Collagen

When choosing an animal-derived collagen supplement look for brands that are USDA organic, non-GMO, cage-free, free-range, and antibiotic-free. Choose brands that are completely transparent about their collagen amino acid profile and specifically list proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. These are often the more expensive brands, but they’re worth it. Two high- quality brands of animal-derived collagen peptides include Vital Proteins and Physician’s Choice. If you’re opting for a plant-based collagen supplement, look for sustainability sourced plants and herbs with no added sugars or unnatural flavors. Two quality brands include Amazing Grass and Anima Mundi Herbals.

Research seems to show that supplementing with collagen powder can be supportive of many of our internal systems and for connective tissue generation. The quality of your collagen supplement is really what matters, and neither plant-based or animal-based sources are better than the other as long as quality and sourcing are taken into consideration.

Resources

Collagen Structure and Stability
Collagen Peptide Supplementation and Improved Muscle Tone
Effectiveness of Collagen Peptides in the Management of Osteoarthritis
Oral Collagen Supplementation & Dermatological Applications
Oral Supplementation of Collagen and Skin Aging
Collagen Supplements and Modulating Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms
Collagen Supplementation and Reduction of Joint Pain in Athletes

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