We’re all familiar with the saying that “beauty is only skin deep,” but having beautiful skin is so important that around 100 billion dollars are spent on skin care products globally. That’s not even counting the 571 billion spent on cosmetics. Skin care is important for both women and men. About 65% of women use skin care products daily and 37% of men use them daily as well. And considering the skin is the largest and most visible organ and an indicator of overall health this makes a lot of sense.

Given this information, it’s interesting how few people understand that to tackle chronic skin problems you need look more than skin deep. The health of the skin is completely dependent on the health of other organs and body systems such as the digestive system, liver, gallbladder, circulatory system, kidneys, and the endocrine glands (especially the pituitary, pineal gland, thyroid, and reproductive glands).

This means that topical treatments alone aren’t enough to correct a skin condition. They will only mask or push the problem elsewhere. You should always look deeper when working to create healthy skin. In this month’s Sunshine Sharing we’ll discuss how you can improve the health and beauty of your skin by supporting your body’s detoxification systems, endocrine glands, and overall health, as well as natural topical treatments.

The Importance of Healthy Skin

We don’t usually think of the skin as an organ in the same way we would the liver or kidneys, but the skin is an organ. In fact, it is the largest organ in the body. As an organ, it performs several vital functions. Your skin along with the membranes in your respiratory system and GI tract form your first line of immune defense, protecting you from both infection and toxins. So, unhealthy skin makes it easier for infectious organisms to enter your body.

The skin also plays a critical role in regulating body temperature. The skin pores can open or close to conserve or release body heat, which also helps maintain health.

Finally, you skin is an important eliminative organ. In fact, it is the body’s largest eliminative organ, acting primarily as a back-up system for the colon and kidneys. It has the capacity to eliminate both water-soluble substances (via the sweat glands) and fat soluble substances (via the sebaceous or oil glands). Thus, keeping the skin healthy is not just for beauty’s sake. It’s also important for overall health.

• Strategies for Health by Steven Horne