Focusing on topical forms of treatment is a mistake – good skin starts from the inside by taking care of the body. The following list provides 10 ways clients can ensure their body is doing the work on the inside to take care of the outside.

1.        Fixing the inside starts with what clients are putting in their body. What they drink can have a huge impact on the skin. To keep skin hydrated and cool down the liver, professionals should serve cooling drinks, such as iced teas or tonics. While this suggestion is a common idea during warmer months, it is helpful year-round. Hibiscus mint is always a safe option; an even better option is coconut water. Additionally, pomegranate juice is cooling and helps with breakouts and acne.

2.        Partner up with an expert, such as a medical doctor, who can speak at the spa about gut health and its connection to skin. When professionals are dealing with their clients’ health, it is always smart to partner up with someone who has been trained in the specific field. The work they do will focus more on what is causing the body to respond in a way that is harming the skin and will, therefore, enable the professional and the expert to come up with a dietary plan that clients can use to take care of themselves and improve their health and skin. An expert will also be able to explain to professionals in more detail about the connection between gut health and skin care.

3.        Recommend to clients that they remove any physical stress prior to eating. If they are feeling uncomfortable and internalizing the day’s complications, they will have a harder time allowing their body to digest what they are about to eat. That difficulty in digestion may cause their skin to react poorly. Suggest that they take three deep, cooling breaths before eating to help digestion and lessen the amount of stress placed on their internal organs to function efficiently.

4.        Lymphatic massage helps remove toxins and sludge from the body’s system. Suggest to clients that they book a lymphatic massage. Alternately, if possible, educate clients about lymphatic massage through an expert. If lymphatic massage is a practice that professionals are personally familiar with, teach clients on the spot how to perform the massage on themselves in the shower daily.

5.        Recommend to clients that they incorporate ghee, or clarified butter, which is an ancient health food, into their diet and regimen. Originating in the Indian subcontinent, ghee has been used in countless health remedies over the centuries. Ghee benefits gut health through diet and can help to heal skin topically via application. Encourage clients to utilize ghee in all its numerous ways. In addition to ghee, fermented foods and drinks – such as kimchee, kefir, and sauerkraut – improve the probiotics in the gut.

6.        Detoxifying the body for one-to-three weeks may serve to improve a client’s well-being and skin. Detoxes serve to improve the body’s natural detoxifying agents – such as the liver and gut – in clearing toxins from the body. There are a number of ways to detoxify the body, including through juices, smoothies, and teas. Detoxes improve a person’s diet, increase energy, decrease stress, and improve the skin as toxins are removed from the body. Some experts do note, however, that the skin may become dry and patchy as the toxins are released; the skin will improve afterwards.

7.        Skin is directly related to the nervous system, so to practice becoming as relaxed as possible will improve skin. Practicing yoga nidra is one way to completely relax the body. Yoga nidra is a form of meditation that is similar to the experience of falling asleep; it is somewhere between being asleep and awake – where the mind is fully conscious while the body is completely relaxed. Practicing yoga nidra has been shown to positively impact any number of physical and mental problems, from abdominal pain to anxiety. This improved well-being will influence the skin.

8.        In order to further cleanse the body of toxins, moving around will help moving the lymph through the body to keep things clean and healthy. Vigorous exercise, such as trampoline jumping, will help to move the lymph and put the body in a position to start naturally pushing out bad elements that will worsen the overall health of the body and of the skin, as a result.

9.        Mental stress can add to the stress put upon one’s body, which shows on the skin. There are a number of mobile applications designed to help combat stress and anxiety; utilizing one frequently can help decrease physical pains, such as backaches, headaches, and increase energy. Improving health in this way will improve the skin. Educate clients with resources for these mind, body, and spirit mobile applications, such as those from headspace.com, to calm the mind.

10.     Skin care professionals seeking to provide the most current and helpful treatment plans need to be aware of how clients’ diet and care for their internal organs, such as their gut, will cause unexpected amounts of difference. 

Denise Baron is an entrepreneur, wellness expert, and business strategist who works with fellow entrepreneurs, authors, and experts with public relations and business strategies around the globe.