Beauty from the inside out: Jess Shand’s Skin Health Protocol for Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin can be tricky to manage. We’re firm believers in a holistic approach to sensitive skincare, harnessing the power of natural and organic skincare and a nourishing diet to transform skin health.
We’ve teamed up with Jess Shand, naturopathic nutritionist and founder of Eat Nourish + Glow, to bring you an exclusive Skin Health Protocol for Sensitive Skin – an exclusively curated nutrition and natural skincare plan to support sensitive skin from the inside out.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS SENSITIVE SKIN?
"The term sensitive skin can mean different things to different people. Generally speaking it includes skin that presents as dry, flaky or reactive (due to topical or internal irritants) and is often diagnosed as being atopic dermatitis (eczema), which is one of the most common sensitive skin conditions in the UK and affects 1 in 10 people1.
With that out of the way, we’re going to be looking at how you can harness the power of nurturing, natural and organic skincare, herbal remedies and healing whole foods to provide a 360o approach to managing sensitive skin.
TREATING THE OUTSIDE WITH FOUR STEPS
This carefully curated skincare protocol naturally targets sensitive skin by nourishing, comforting, and replenishing with natural and organic skincare and supplements. Use it in the morning and evening to help calm and soothe sensitive skin.
STEP 1 - CLEANSE
This fragrance-free soothing cleanser melts away everyday impurities without stripping for a deeply calming cleanse. Organic borage oil calms and hydrates, while organic aloe vera cools and moisturises, leaving skin cleansed, calmed and cooled, ready for the next step in your routine.
Use morning and evening. Massage in to skin with fingertips and wipe clean with cotton wool.
- Effectively cleanses, calms and cools sensitive skin
- Fragrance and alcohol-free
- Dermatologically tested
- Certified organic
- Vegan approved
STEP 2 - REBALANCE
This clinically proven targeted treatment is formulated to restore and rebalance reactive skin. Skin-soothing naturally fermented oat extract and hyaluronic acid hydrate, smooth and strengthen, and helichrysum extract and sea water mineral infusion deliver fast-acting relief for sensitive skin, conditioning and helping to restore skin’s natural health.
Apply to clean skin, morning and evening. Squeeze two drops of serum onto fingertips and apply to your face and neck with a light upwards and outwards sweeping motion, until fully absorbed.
- Skin is less reactive after 28 days*
- Clinically proven to hydrate skin for 12 hours
- Clinically proven to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smooth and plump skin after 30 days of use
- Dermatologically tested
- Fragrance and alcohol-free
- Certified organic
-
Vegan approved
*Based on a consumer trial with 106 women
STEP 3 - NOURISH
Perfectly suited to sensitive skin’s needs, this expertly formulated organic moisturiser nourishes the skin with calming organic borage oil and liquorice root extract, while organic edelweiss extract restores the skin’s natural barrier.
Apply to clean skin morning and evening. Massage into face and neck using and upwards and outwards sweeping motion, until fully absorbed.
- Skin feels instantly soothed*
- Skin condition is improved over time*
- Dermatologically tested
- Fragrance and alcohol-free
- Certified organic
-
Vegan approved
*Based on a consumer trial with 91 men and women
STEP 4 - DRINK YOUR SKINCARE
A true inner health skin hero!
This herbal blend combines the power of yellow dock, cleavers, burdock, red clover, nettle and dandelion to soothe, calm and enhance the skin, taking your skincare regime to another level of targeted nourishment.
Dandelion & Burdock Formula is a useful tincture blend, hand-made at our eco-factory, in Peacemarsh, Dorset. Dandelion root works synergistically with nettle, yellow dock, burdock root and cleavers.
It’s simple to use; 2ml in a little water, three times daily.
TREATING THE INSIDE
First things first, let’s talk about the skin-soothing powers of plants. Fibre-rich plants are underrated in skin health management. They not only feed your gut microbiome (the trillions of microbes that live in your gut) which creates a diverse and flourishing internal gut garden, but in doing so, they’ll feed your skin microbiome too (the microbes living on your skin). This strengthens your gut-skin axis , boosting your sensitive skincare routine for results that are more than just skin deep.
Foods have the power to optimise our skin or deplete it. When our nutrient stores are low due to lack of plant diversity in our diets combined with eating too many ultra processed foods, refined sugars and alcohol, this shows up on our skin. The lack of nutrients in the gut affects its ability to support the skin – the end result is inflammation and compromised detoxification. These factors may have a negative impact on how our skin looks, feels, and behaves and can present as being dehydrated, flaky or itchy - what we know to be ‘sensitive skin’.
DISCOVER MY SIX FAVOURITE FOODS FOR NOURISHING SENSITIVE SKIN
A SKIN SOOTHING MEAL PLAN FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
THE AIM: calm, nourish and rehydrate the skin from within, top-up nutrient stores needed for optimised protective functioning and soothe skin from the inside out.
| TIME | SUGGESTION | GUIDANCE |
| Wake Up | Drink Lemon & Ginger Tea to soothe your gut and support detoxification | Try making your own with hot water, a twist of lemon and a few drops of Neal’s Yard Remedies’ Ginger Single Herbal Tincture |
| Breakfast | Mash avocado with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Serve on seeded rye toast topped with walnuts. | For busy mornings make my Healthy Fat & Protein Pot the night before and grab and go in the morning. |
| Lunch | Try my Antioxidant Loaded Broccoli Skin Salad. It’s loaded with skin-soothing nutrients and polyphenols. | Swap the quinoa in this recipe for buckwheat to make it super soothing for sensitive skin. Follow with a cup of fennel tea to support digestion – this After Dinner Tea from Neal’s Yard Remedies works a treat! |
| Afternoon Snack | Get creative and play with my Strawberry & Baobab Skin Glow Milkshake recipe. You can tweak it to suit your skin’s specific needs. | I use Neal’s Yard Remedies’ Baobab in my smoothie. You can add a few red grapes to up the resveratrol content too. |
| Dinner | Roast a salmon fillet for its omega-3 content, and serve with puy lentils to feed your gut microbes, roasted tomatoes for the high antioxidant content, and steamed cavolo nero for the chlorophyll plus vitamins A, C and K. |
Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds for added. Follow with a cup of peppermint tea to aid your digestion. Again, Neal’s Yard Remedies’ After Dinner Tea works great here as it contains both peppermint and fennel for a digestive health double whammy. |
Visit Eat Nourish + Glow for details of the recipes highlighted in bold."
References
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Reference 1: According to the National Eczema Society
- Reference 2: The Role of Phytonutrients in Skin Health
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Reference 3: The Skin Benefits of Blueberries
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Reference 4: Eating Well for Eczema
The Author: Jess Shand
I’m Jess, a naturopathic nutritionist and specialist in women’s hormonal health and wellbeing. I create tailored nutrition plans and deliver one-to-one programmes for my clients encompassing the healing powers of food, natural remedies, and lifestyle intervention to optimise female health and help my clients thrive from the inside-out.
