Clean Skincare, Hormones & Fertility: The Hidden Toxins In Your Skincare (Episode 587)

Full Transcript: Episode 587

Lisa: Today’s episode is a really great follow-up to last week’s episode where we took a deep dive into how to reduce our toxin exposure with Laura Adler. That episode really made some waves. And of course, whenever we get into this topic of toxins and toxin exposure, it can feel overwhelming. And in Real Food for Fertility, we have a really in-depth chapter on toxins and how they affect fertility.

So in today’s episode, we’re focusing on skincare. And my guest Courtney Joy Getts is joining us. She is from Primally Pure and we get into a lot of interesting topics. I mean, your skin is your largest organ. And what I always say is that if you’re putting it on your skin, you also should be able and willing and wanting to eat it, because essentially when we put products on our skin, they’re being absorbed into our bodies similar to eating it — it’s obviously not exactly the same, but it has very similar effects.

So a couple of really interesting topics come up in today’s episode — from greenwashing, this whole issue within the natural industry where different companies are putting green labels and marketing buzzwords on their products when they haven’t actually removed the toxins — to just the importance of natural skincare and how it can be different to our typical ideas and thoughts around skincare.

Courtney Joy Getts is Primally Pure’s holistic aesthetician and education lead. She has been with the brand for over eight years and has been involved in the beauty industry for over 15 years. She has trained extensively with industry experts across the country in buccal intraoral sculpting massage, manual lymphatic drainage, facial gua sha, and cupping.

Lisa: So I’m so excited to be here today with you, Courtney. Welcome to the show.

Courtney: Thanks, Lisa. It’s such a privilege to be here with you.

Lisa: The last time we saw each other was in person, which was so fun. Tell me the specific name of your podcast so the listeners can go check that out.

Courtney: Our podcast is called the Grounded Wellness Podcast. Obviously we’re a skincare company, but everything impacts skin health, and so we really love to focus on overall health and wellness.

Lisa: What do you wish you knew then that you know now about acne and poor skin?

Courtney: I believe everything is repairable. I believe balance is possible and our skin is so brilliant and intricately created that when given the right support, it does have these innate healing capabilities. Our skin is our largest organ — it truly is a mirror to our internal world. Oftentimes these signs that our skin is showing us can be a cry for help. There are these imbalances within my body that need some tender loving care. When we start to see these conditions as an invitation to do deeper healing, the ripple effect is not only clear, balanced, healthy skin, but it’s more energy, it’s more vitality, it’s better sleep.

Lisa: Everything is skincare — I’d love to hear how we balance what we put on our skin with that being only one piece of the puzzle.

Courtney: Everything is skincare. As we look at it being our largest organ and it’s intricately connected to the way we’ve been created, everything influences the other. One thing that is very important for skin health that I think is often overlooked is actually nervous system regulation. I believe that stress is actually the number one culprit for aging. We are living in such a state of chronic stress in our modern society. Repair and regeneration of our skin, our body, our organs can only heal in a state of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is our rest and digest. One of my favorite tips to support balanced skin is parasympathetic nervous system activation — vagus nerve exercises, deep diaphragmatic breathing, an inhale of about four seconds, holding, and then exhaling about eight. That extended exhale really helps to engage the vagus nerve.

Lisa: That’s so interesting because of course that is not typically what we are told when we think about improving our skin. And I really like how you framed it — the chronic stress isn’t like the guy that cut you off today. The chronic stress could be the fact that you have stuff off-gassing in your house constantly that’s putting an extra burden on your liver that you don’t even know about.

Courtney: I think the nervous system can be a missing link. Especially if you feel like you’ve tried every topical or lifestyle change. The mind-skin connection is so real, and that’s also what can create this inflammatory cascade. Often the root cause of premature aging or acne is inflammation. And I think in modern medicine they’re beginning to acknowledge the link between emotional stress and disease.

Courtney: When we add up all these different ingredients that may not always be clean or supportive to our health and our hormones over time, it contributes to this toxic burden on the body, which makes it harder for our liver to be optimal and our digestion to work effectively. These ingredients that are in modern-day conventional skincare are known endocrine disruptors. They mimic our own estrogen and throw off this delicate hormonal balance that we need for so many functions in the body — obviously fertility being a big one. There is also practically zero regulation in America on what “clean” or “natural” or “non-toxic” actually means.

The number one ingredient I always recommend to keep an eye out for is fragrance. This word is protected by the FDA for companies to use because it’s a trade secret. It can contain hundreds to thousands of chemical ingredients to make up this one fragrance. In reality, we have no idea what this ingredient actually entails. And it’s truly in everything — the body washes, the shampoos, the air fresheners, the candles. If we just start with fragrance and remove that from the products we’re applying and surrounding ourselves with, it’s a really powerful foundation to start to heal.

Courtney: Aluminum-based antiperspirants block the sweat glands. There’s no ingredients to block this natural function that’s necessary to detoxify the body. Sweating is so beneficial for our health — we’re doing it from a whole body perspective in saunas, working out, exercising. It kind of defeats the purpose if we’re doing these other health practices but still using aluminum deodorant to block our sweat glands. Aluminum has also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. We’re applying it near these really profound lymph nodes, which is a main detoxification hub for the body, and then our delicate breast tissue. And oftentimes alongside aluminum in those antiperspirant products are parabens, and there are also studies that found parabens in breast tissue tumors.

Lisa: It is terrifying to think of all the people out there that are not sweating. Like you said — it’s an essential part of detoxification and right next to our breasts, which is a huge thing.

Courtney: I feel like cycle syncing is just becoming more prominent and prevalent as we are learning more about our bodies. When we use those clean products that don’t have endocrine-disrupting chemicals, it can actually help bring balance back to that hormonal system over time. It can help to reduce period pain and PMS symptoms when we have that lower toxic load in our bodies.

Menstrual phase — moisture and massage: Estrogen is low, progesterone is low. This contributes to a weaker skin barrier and lower sebum production. Balanced, healthy skin requires both skin-loving oils and water content. Tallow from grass-fed cows and emu oil are very similar to our skin’s own lipid barrier — easily recognized and easily absorbed.

Follicular and ovulatory phase — light exfoliation and circulation support: Estrogen is rising, collagen production is increasing, hyaluronic acid production is increasing. This is where your skin is starting to feel a little more glowy and dewy. Light exfoliation — facial dry brushing, raw honey masks — supports that natural glow. Facial cupping enhances microcirculation and delivers an immediate glow.

Luteal phase — lymphatic drainage and detoxification: Progesterone peaks and so does oil production. This is where recurring breakouts appear before your period. The goal is lymphatic drainage and detoxification — double cleansing, gua sha focused on neck flow, and nourishing animal-based ingredients to calm inflammation. Salicylic acid has also been shown to be an endocrine disruptor — natural alternatives include white willow bark, manuka oil, and tea tree oil.

Lisa: For women who are struggling with different issues with their skin, even just tracking where those issues are cropping up in your cycle can be huge. And then pairing that with some intentional practices around minimizing what tends to happen more in those stages — of course you’re going to get much better results.

Lisa: I hope you enjoyed today’s episode with Courtney. It was such a treat to have her on the show. Thinking about how your skin is a reflection of your overall health and the connection to the menstrual cycle are all really important themes we talked about today, as well as buyer beware — being aware of this trend for companies to say the right things in their marketing, but not necessarily follow through by removing the toxic chemicals in the products themselves. You could have the prettiest, greenest-looking label, you can have it in the most high-end store, and it’s still full of chemicals. We have to always just be aware of what we’re buying and what we’re putting on our skin. As always, until next time — be well and happy charting.