Most of us know we shouldn’t stress. However, when life throws challenges our way, from work to our social lives and home lives, our thoughts can be toxic and block our path to confidence and good health.
In addition, negative thoughts and unmanaged stress put a burden on our adrenals, which can create hormonal imbalances. The good news is there are steps you can take to reduce this burden and support healthy hormones – even if it feels impossible right now.
How Adrenal Imbalance Impacts Your Skin and Health
The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and they make hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. They also make hormones your body uses to make other hormones, like testosterone and estrogen.
If you’re overly stressed and often feel wired or tired, you may have imbalances in cortisol – or adrenal fatigue. And when the adrenal hormones are imbalanced, they can cause many issues in the body – and they can create skin issues. Excess belly fat, sugar cravings, and insomnia are all associated with adrenal hormone imbalance.
On the skin, imbalanced adrenal hormones can show up as acne, eczema, or rosacea. Acne often forms because when we’re stressed, the adrenal glands release the hormone cortisol. A surge in cortisol causes increased sebum production, which triggers acne. Chronically high cortisol levels can lead to sugar cravings, and eating sugar also triggers acne breakouts.
Adrenal imbalance and fatigue can also cause dark patches to appear on multiple areas of the body. Adrenal imbalance can also drive melanin production to increase, which causes hyperpigmentation. And if you have spikes in cortisol, that can trigger inflammation and cause your skin problems to worsen.
So if you’re experiencing some or all of these issues, your adrenal glands may be producing higher than normal levels of cortisol. This could be happening around the clock or during specific times of the day – usually in the evening – and this is the opposite of healthy adrenal function.
The good news is it’s possible to balance your adrenal hormones.
How to Balance Adrenal Hormones
Like everything, when it comes to balancing hormones, it’s about creating balance in your life. Stress is unavoidable, and it must be managed. And when you’re already stressed, pushing yourself too hard physically will tax your adrenals even more.
To help balance adrenal function, focus on healthy eating, movement, and mindset practices. To minimize stress, find a way to take it easy. I’ll be the first to admit this is more challenging than it sounds!
Yoga
One way I like to unwind to support adrenal balance is with yoga. Yoga has many benefits, including reducing stress in your mind and creating strength in your body.
Ready to get started on your yoga journey? Getting started is as simple as choosing your yoga location, temperature, and poses. Also, be sure to drink extra water with electrolytes if you’re doing hot yoga, especially in the winter when the air is dry and you have a greater chance of dehydration.
Breathwork
Breathwork can help you improve your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. It involves breathing consciously and systematically by intentionally changing your breathing pattern to create relaxation. But it’s not only relaxing – there’s evidence that breathwork benefits the immune system, nervous system, digestion, and heart. It’s simple to get started – try a breathwork video on YouTube or a streaming app.
Nutrition
Eating to support healthy adrenal balance will vary based on the time of year. For example, cortisol levels tend to be higher in the winter months. Choosing seasonal foods when you can is another way to promote a healthy balance.
In addition, consider looking into supplements to help complement your diet and balance adrenals. Extra support for your adrenals to balance your levels can come from adaptogenic herbs such as rhodiola, ashwagandha, astragalus, and ginseng. Amino acids l-theanine and l-tyrosine are also useful.
The Spa Dr. offers Stress Adapt – a comprehensive blend of three unique and well-researched forms of ashwagandha extracts that help support a healthy mood and normal response to perceived stress.* Stress Adapt is carefully formulated with industry-leading ashwagandha sources and a high-quality standardized extract that is derived from whole-plant extracts (root and leaf) to provide optimal efficacy.* This is another great way to add adaptogens to your routine.
Adaptogens can also be applied topically for support. For example, ginseng root extract is a powerful adaptogen that increases the overall resistance to all types of stress and helps rejuvenate and invigorate tired-looking skin.
Read Natural Beauty Reset
My new book, Natural Beauty Reset: The 7-Day Program to Harmonize Hormones and Restore Radiance, is all about how you can support your hormones and create balance throughout the year. It shares how you can nourish your body and support your health and hormones through the seasons.
When you read it, you’ll uncover the real, overlooked causes for women of acne, bloating, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, chronic pain, and sleeplessness. And you’ll receive a step-by-step 7-day plan for each season to finally eliminate frustrating issues without “Band-Aid” solutions that cause more harm than good.
If you need help balancing adrenals and other hormones, Natural Beauty Reset is the best way to start.
Not sure if you have high, low, or normal cortisol? Take my hormone quiz to learn more about your possible hormonal imbalances.
The Spa Dr.® Approach
At The Spa Dr.®, our approach is to help shine the light on the skin and health care information and offer our guidance to support you on your journey.
We’re offering a free 9-part documentary series – Hormones, Health & Harmony to help you balance your hormones and restore radiance. Register HERE.
My next book, Natural Beauty Reset, provides an in-depth look at how you can nourish your body and support your health and hormones through the seasons. You can pre-order my book now on Amazon.
The Spa Dr.® offers natural skin care products that are safe and free from chemicals and toxins that can harm your skin and health. Our products are formulated to contain key nutrients in their pure and active form to provide optimal results. In addition, our products are pH balanced towards mild acidity to promote and protect a healthy skin microbiome.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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