Why healthy liver function is crucial in fighting skin conditions like acne

We may hate looking in the mirror when our skin is breaking out with blemishes, blackheads, rashes, redness and everything in-between, but the truth of the matter is that aside from the hormonal breakouts, 85 per cent of Aussies will experience acne during their lifetime.

For many women, acne often manifests itself in early adulthood or during periods of hormonal change, like pregnancy.

The wellbeing team at Happy Healthy You is heavily focused on holistic health and considering that the skin is our biggest organ, it is an important one to educate ourselves on.

Acne is an imbalance that needs to be addressed — as a qualified health expert I can tell you, it’s your body trying to tell you something.

For those who haven’t heard it before, the condition of our skin, and for that matter our hair, is a direct reflection of our internal health.

Treating acne from the inside out is vital to settling angry skin, but sadly it is often overlooked when it comes to fighting acne.

There are many natural remedies and ingredients to combat excess sebum and inflammation topically, but prioritising your liver health is the way to go.

Many of us aren’t aware that many skin conditions, from acne to eczema and psoriasis, can be linked to poor liver function.

How does our liver health cause acne?

As human beings, our bodies are constantly being bombarded with a range of dietary, lifestyle and environmental toxins.

We also produce a range of metabolic toxins daily that need to be efficiently cleaned out.

Our liver is our body’s workhorse and, as such, it plays a vital role in ensuring our body can eliminate these toxins.

Our skin is often the first place to show the effects of an under-functioning liver. When it is not functioning at its best it has difficulty eliminating wastes and toxins from the body. Instead, it pushes the toxins out through the skin, which can result in pimples and acne.

Research shows healthy skin requires healthy digestion, nutrient metabolism, and detoxification.

What is the liver vital for?

• Synthesising and making bile, which is essential for breaking down fats
• Supporting other digestive functions and removing waste from the blood
• Filtrating and detoxifying all the blood from the stomach and intestines
• Regulating glucose production and conversions
• Ensuring healthy cholesterol metabolism and utilisation/excretion
• Storing iron and helping to regulate healthy iron levels and haemoglobin
• Excreting urea, a by-product of protein metabolism which is toxic to humans
• Detoxifying the blood especially from drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and internal/external toxins
• Storing copper, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin A
• Converting Vitamin D from cholecalciferol to a more active 25-hydroxyvitamin D3
• Regulating immunity and communicates with gut environment/bacteria
• Metabolising oestrogens, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin and thyroid hormones.

If these mechanisms become imbalanced, acne can become a persistent problem.

Our skin relies on all these pathways to function efficiently – we often refer to it as finding your inner glow and seeing it inside and out.

The body is intricately connected – when it comes to the skin, think of it as your own little Earth. The skin needs pathways to work synergistically to be in balance.

Happy Healthy You’s supplement Happy Liver is a great place to start. It is a proprietary blend formulated by company co-founder Jeff Butterworth to help women and men improve liver function.

I always start my patients on Happy Liver as the ingredients are excellent for supporting liver detoxification, digestion and hormone metabolism, and in turn, healthy skin.

What are other benefits of a healthy liver?

• Maintain antioxidant profiles and reduce free radicals formed in the body
• Support natural liver cleansing and detoxification processes
• Promote healthy digestive system function
• Relieve symptoms of indigestion, dyspepsia and digestive discomfort
• Promote bile flow from the gallbladder and liver
• Protect the liver
• Enhance liver regeneration.

I encourage many of my female patients to prioritise supporting their liver. And I’m pleased to say I’ve seen incredible results.

Do I need a 10-step skincare routine to clear my acne?

You certainly don’t need a 10-step skincare routine to see positive results.

Many of my patients are under financial stress due to the economy at the moment so I am always looking for easy and low-maintenance tips to support liver function, which won’t break the bank.

For extra skin-loving lifestyle practices, I always recommend to my patients to read through our Happy Healthy You Optimal Skin Guide. It’s full of science-based skin nourishing practices to incorporate into your daily routine with further tips and tricks and food recommendations for healthy skin.

You don’t have to spend a fortune and skimp out on skincare; investing in yourself will pay dividends.

In conjunction with Happy Liver, a simple skincare routine of cleanse, hydrate and protect, is a great place to start.

For further information or advice, connect with Tahlia via the Happy Healthy You Community groups or listen in to the Happy Healthy You Podcast.