Mold Exposure and Your Skin

When it comes to toxic mold exposure, this couldn’t be more true that “your skin tells your story.” Mold is hard on your skin. Whether you’re actively being exposed or dealing with a past exposure, mold leaves its legacy on your skin. When most people think of mold, they think of mold allergies – sneezing, runny nose, and sinus congestion. You may be wondering what mold allergies have to do with the appearance of your skin. It turns out you can have a skin allergy to mold spores. Skin allergies to mold may cause skin conditions like eczema, allergic dermatitis, or chronic itchiness. These are the symptoms of being around mold spores. But there’s more to this story. Just like true beauty is more than skin deep, so is the mold story. The mold-skin story goes beyond mold spores. You see, allergies are a reaction to mold spores. But many mold-skin reactions are actually from the chemicals that mold off-gasses, called mycotoxins. Mold emits these toxins into your indoor air. You absorb them into your body simply by breathing that toxic air, causing skin issues that express from the inside out. Mold mycotoxins induce toxic effects in your body that cause your skin to lean towards its least-desired skin tendency. That’s right; mold highlights your skin’s worst attributes. Do you tend toward acne? Well then, mold will push this tendency to deep cystic acne. Do you tend toward dryness and wrinkles? Well then, mold will push this tendency to deeper wrinkling and rapidly expanding age-spots. Tack on a little mold allergy inflammation, and you have a recipe for ultra-sensitive, reactive skin. Total bummer!   Let’s look at the five skin types to see how mold might be playing a role:

Amber

Amber skin types struggle with freckling, darkening of the skin, and splotchy, uneven skin tone. The leading root causes of Amber skin related to mold are liver health, hormones, and oxidative damage. How does mold make the situation worse for an Amber skin type? It increases oxidative damage and taxes the liver. Increased oxidative damage makes you even more susceptible to sun damage and skin tone variances. And if your liver is working overtime, it has a hard time keeping hormones in balance. Ambers exposed to mold need healthy, happy livers, and plenty of antioxidants in their diets. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts, protect your liver from mold mycotoxins. And by eating veggies and fruits from each color of the rainbow every day, you’ll be sure to get your mold-conquering antioxidants.

Olivia

Olivia skin types struggle with acne, oily skin, and enlarged pores. The leading root causes of Olivia skin related to mold are blood sugar issues and microbiome disturbances. How does mold make the situation worse for an Olivia skin type? It causes sweet cravings and alters the microbiome. Many people with mold exposure become carb-cravers. This carb craving is no accident; Mold alters the gut microbiome in favor of fungal overgrowth; fungus loves sweets. Sweets feed fungal overgrowth, which is terrible news for both the gut and the skin microbiome. For Olivia skin types, this means worsening acne and increased sebaceous secretions. Olivias exposed to mold benefit from balancing their blood sugar and supporting their gut microbiome through foods high in probiotics. Their disrupted skin microbiome benefits from a proper pH balance in their skin care products.

Heath

The name of the game for Heath skin type is “skinflammation.” Heaths commonly deal with red, over-reactive skin, visible blood vessels, and rosacea. The leading root cause of Heath skin related to mold is inflammation. How does mold make the situation worse for a Heath skin type? Mold and mycotoxins cause profound inflammatory reactions throughout the body. This reaction causes chronic inflammation that expresses from the inside out, making worse the Heath skin tendencies toward red or inflamed skin, flushing, and responses to topical products. Also, the excessive inflammation challenges the systems that manage the day to day stress. Heaths exposed to mold benefit from a diet rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, uniquely suited for “skinflammation” from the mold. Healths also require plentiful vegetables and fruits in their diets to quell inflammation, as well as stress management.

Emmett

Of all the skin types I see most commonly connected to mold, it’s Emmett. Itchiness is a keynote symptom of mold exposure. Emmett skin types struggle with allergic reactions, eczema, and dry, scaly, itchy skin. Heath skin type can also have autoimmune skin reactions. The leading root causes of Emmett skin that are related to mold are inflammation and immune depletion. How does mold make the situation worse for an Emmett skin type? Mold spores and mycotoxins activate and eventually deplete the immune system. Mold keeps the immune system repeatedly reactive, leading to allergic reactions to anything the skin comes into contact with regularly, such as pet dander, dust mites, pollens, or fragrances. Yet mold is the hidden cause. Emmetts exposed to mold benefit from immune balancing foods, such as bone broths. They also benefit from maximizing vitamin D stores to regulate immune reactivity.

Sage

Sage skin types struggle with chronically dry, thin, or sagging skin, excessive wrinkles, and delayed healing. The leading root causes of Sage skin that are related to mold are hormonal imbalances and increased aging. How does mold make the situation worse for a Sage skin type? Mold mycotoxins impede protein synthesis and accelerate aging. Skin is fortified by proteins, which is why keratin, elastin, and collagen become very important as our skin ages. These proteins provide the structure and youthful appearance in young skin. Mycotoxins block the production of these proteins, leading to rapid aging appearance and dryness of the skin. Mold mycotoxins accelerate aging by disrupting hormones. Mycotoxins do this by blocking the body’s sensitive hormone receptors; causing the body to believe its going into menopause, or in men’s case, andropause, despite a person’s actual age. Sages exposed to mold benefit from diets high in healthy proteins and good fats. Working with a healthcare practitioner to optimize hormones helps to rejuvenate skin and connective tissue.   Okay, as you read about all the skin types, you may have noticed that there’s no single skin symptom from mold exposure. Mold merely amplifies your unique skin type tendencies to make the symptoms worse. You may now be wondering if mold is behind your skin story. Take the mold quiz and find out. What story do you want your skin to tell? Reactive skin needs special care. Using skin care from natural sources with a carefully monitored pH balance is very important after exposure to mold. Use this with all your tools to present the most healthy version of yourself to the world, skin first. Please share this article with your friends, and family to spread the word about the effects of toxic mold exposure and to promote natural beauty. If you are not already part of The Spa Dr. community, I invite you to join us at TheSpaDr.com and on social media. Have any natural beauty tips of your own? Please share them in the comments below!