Unfortunately for some acne does not stay in our adolescent teenage years, it rears its ugly head (unintentional pun, but a welcome one) and shows up in adulthood. Whilst in adulthood we are armed with a barrage of fanciful products to hide behind, one can’t help but resent the need to cake on makeup, spend small fortunes on facials, and occasionally give a finger to those more fortunate flawless faced bitches.

The connection between beauty and gut.

It’s not as though coming of age doesn’t carry with it enough hard knocks. The heavy hangovers and stress induced cortisol spikes warrant a high five just for making it through the day. With this said, must we really be contending with zits? The answer is no! This is our time to shine ladies, like the beacons of light that we are, and we’re here to tell you how.

Perhaps you’ve been privy to recent studies linking the quality of our skin with the quality of our gut health, it’s no nonsense, the two are inextricably intertwined. If your gut is compromised it will be reflected in your complexion.

In fact, a majority of problems stem from the gut. To be clear, when we refer to gut health, we aren’t necessarily talking about what you eat more so how it is absorbed. That being said, if you consider Maccas “the breakfast of champions” and weekend benders are more of a lifestyle than an impromptu blow out (we’ve all been there) you can be fairly certain that this is why you aren’t the walking chickpea poster child.

Alternatively, you may not even realise you are experiencing gut issues due to having lived with them for so long. In other words, your normal has strayed so far from the garden path of good health you’ve literally forgotten what it is like not to bloat post meal, and we’re willing to bet your stools pertain to the extremities of the ‘perfect poo’ spectrum (loose or like bullets). If the above is an uncomfortably close recount of your own biological biography, or if you suffer from other equally glamorous correspondent issues (i.e. gas) then we would say your gut is not a happy chappy. Never fear, we’re here to help you sort your shit out… Literally.

Gut Mojo 101

Get Proactive with your Probiotics

In order to get your digestive system working at its optimum, introduce small doses of coconut kefir, kombucha and raw sauerkraut into your diet. These fermented foods are natural probiotics and help to heal your gut. You can also incorporate supplementation but we suggest starting here first, as these can be rather pricey and we know you’ve already committed 80% of your weekly pay package to facials and cosmetics.

Ditch the Dairy

This may be a little controversial for our dairy devotees hooked on the promise of calcium; and might we just add for the record that we at Cohere are neither for nor against veganism; but statistics show that many of us are predisposed to dairy intolerance which wreaks havoc on our gut health and complexion. Knowing this, it might be a good idea to trial the exclusion of dairy from your diet for a minimum of three weeks to see how it impacts your skin appearance and any gut issues that might be at play. Observe and act accordingly; as human beings we are unfathomably unique and so it is up to you to listen to your body and see what is the best fit for you – sound a bit daunting, Cohere is of course here to help should you need support with this journey.

Cut the Crap

Reduce your intake of processed foods, sugar, caffeine and load up on fresh wholefoods.

Fats are PHAT

Healthy fats, a.k.a. essential fatty acids, aid in a smoother complexion by producing healthy cell membranes. Omega 3 and 6 cannot be made within the body without consuming said fatty acids so load up on foods such as, oily fish, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds and walnuts.

Aqua

This is one of the most important health elixirs you can give your body and skin. Aim to consume at least 2 litres of water per day. If you are exercising on a daily basis, increase your consumption to an extra 500mL on top of your daily intake.

Zinc Again

Zinc is the superhero of supplementation when it comes to skin health. Popping one of these babies will most definitely assist with your hair, skin and nails. Just ensure you don’t take it in conjunction with any B vitamins as they inhibit absorption. Foods that are high in zinc include shellfish; especially oysters, meat, legumes, nuts and seeds, eggs and wholegrains.

Catch Some Z’s

Catching at least 8 hours of zzz’s each night can have a major impact on your overall health and will be sure to stave off blemishes. Hop into bed earlier and switch off all electronics half an hour before bed in order to induce a deeper slumber (the gram can wait folks).