What Should You Eat Through Your Skin?

If you had a severe food allergy to peanuts, would you use any skin care product that contained peanuts? Of course not. Yet everyday people are using body products that contain ingredients that add strain on their immune system because of food and chemical sensitivities.

Skin is part of our immune system, a physical barrier that keeps the outside out. Viruses, bacteria and pollen usually enter your body through your eyes, nose and mouth. 

Yet your skin is not impermeable. It absorbs a debatable percentage of what you put on it. Science calls it dermal absorption. The exact amount of dermal absorption depends upon: concentration of product, solubility of product (molecule size and carrier), and duration of contact with skin.

Many skin care products and medications include carriers that purposely increase your skins absorption ability to carry the product’s ingredients deeper into your skin. Products containing small molecules can also be absorbed through your skin. That is why being aware of the ingredients in your skin products is just as important as what you eat.

Gulf Oil Syndrome reported by hospitals treating oil clean up crews on the Gulf coast is an example of dermal absorption of known toxic chemicals. Symptoms of Gulf Oil Syndrome are similar to those of true food allergies and food sensitivities. Ironically, one known cause of food allergies and food sensitivities is elevated toxicity.

But symptoms of chemical sensitivities may not surprise you. But symptoms from food sensitivity is just as real. Food sensitivity occurs when a food reaches your blood system by penetrating your skin or escaping your digestive system.

So, if you are gluten sensitive, why would you choose a hair care or body lotion containing ingredients made from grains? If you are sensitive to molds and fungus, wouldn't it be wise to avoid all soaps and lotions containing olive oil? And if coconut makes you ill then what happens when you lather up with body products containing palm oil?

Nerissa Oden has studied food sensitivities since 2007. Her experience with food sensitivity is documented on her website along with tons of educational materials, www.FoodPowers.com.