Wave: College of Naturopathic Medicine

Your queries about natural health answered by Jacquie Lane for the College of Naturopathic Medicine

I’ve had dry skin with eczema patches for years. Is there any natural help?

The skin is our largest organ of detoxification and reflects what’s going on inside the body. Healthy skin indicates a healthy colon, kidneys and lungs, which all work together to detoxify the body.

There are many things we can do to help our skin. Eating oily fish, seeds and nuts provides us with essential fatty acids, including omega 3 and omega 6. You need to be eating a couple of portions each day, mixing the types of nuts and seeds for variety and having a selection of fish, (eg, sardines, mackerel, and wild salmon) 3–4 times a week. Flax seeds and hemp seeds have a great mix of the 2 omega oils, so aim to have 2 tablespoons of crushed seeds a day, as a portion.

Vitamin E is a great oil for the skin, both eaten from almonds, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, and applied to the skin using oils with a high wheat germ oil content. Many of the over the counter creams don’t do the trick because of the chemicals and additives in them. You need to find an organic skin cream, of which there are now many lovely examples on the market.
The skin also needs a good selection of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, especially vitamins A and C, (from fresh fruit and vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, blueberries, beans, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries), and Zinc (from sources such as seafood, fresh ginger and cashew nuts).

Fibre is required to keep the intestinal tract regular and help eliminate toxins from the body. Some people suffer from skin problems due to constipation as they are not consuming enough of the correct type of fibre to help eliminate toxins. A nutritional therapist can help you put together a dietary plan with specific recipes to meet your particular requirements.
Bathing in oat milk can be very soothing; try hanging a muslin bag of oats around the tap so the water runs through it as you run a bath. Afterwards apply a layer of organic skin cream whilst the skin is still warm and damp.

See your health professional for advice.

Free Brighton open evening
7th May 6.30pm–8.30pm
Find out about CNM training to become a nutritional therapist.
www.naturopathy-uk.com