Written by Nina Livii
Mineral balance inside your body is fundamental to skin health & wellness. Hydration with minerals is how we get water into our cells before its flushed out of our body. Without minerals, no matter how much water we drink, we will not be hydrated.
For such a large task, we don't hear about minerals enough, even though they basically run the show. Minerals affect every single cell, organ (including our largest organ - the skin), and tissue. They bathe our cells in nourishing nutrients, are essential for a healthy lymphatic system which is key to skin health, and they assist our body in detoxing properly while restoring hydration and electrolytes.
Skin, Lymph, and Minerals
The lymphatic system is an extensive drainage system (also known as our body's 'natural cleansing system' or 'elixir of life') that consists of fluid called 'lymph' which is responsible for carrying out substances and toxins that need to be removed from our bodies so that we can remain healthy. The areas of greatest lymph concentration are in the intestinal system. the neck and the dermis of the skin. If this cleansing system is stagnated, we are more prone to infection, illness and a wide range of inflammatory skin issues. Additionally, we will not be able to receive nutrients properly, which are essential to healthy aging and overall wellness. Since the lymphatic system is one of our largest internal water reservoirs consisting of 96% water, one of its other primary roles is to manage the body's inner fluid balance in the tissues. If we are unable to bathe our cells in the minerals needed for proper hydration and fluid balance, this system becomes compromised. The skin is one of the first areas to show signs of lymph stagnation. Signs can include inflammatory skin conditions, puffiness in the skin, dry and dull looking skin, and premature signs of aging. Receiving face & neck massage targeting lymph support and drainage is highly effective for alleviating a lot of these issues, but if the body isn't getting the minerals and nutrients that it needs, the problems will keep coming back.
To name just a few of the many ways minerals DIRECTLY impact the skin: Copper, Magnesium, Manganese and Selenium maintain the ideal pH balance of the skin's barrier. Selenium powers up with antioxidants to helps scavenge and neutralize free radicals that cause inflammation and premature signs of aging. Calcium, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Silver and Zinc communicate with skin cells to regulate and boost it's functions, while protecting essential proteins like collagen and elastin which are essential for firmness and elasticity. The word 'Spa' comes from the Latin term 'salus per aquam' or 'sanitas per aquam' which means "health through water" as ancients literally bathed in mineral rich sources for wellness and beautification purposes. Using healthy skin care and getting holistic facials that focus on the health of the skin will nourish the skin with nutrients and minerals topically, however as you are reading, it's equally as important to nourish the body with minerals from the inside-out.
If you are not taking in enough minerals, your body then has to use minerals from its stores in order to process the water you are drinking to make sure that it makes it to the cells. Therefore, drinking lots of water all day without taking in minerals can deplete the body further. In this blog I will discuss why we most likely aren't getting enough minerals and the most effective ways to restore and balance them.
Mineral Depletion
Health 'gurus' tell us to 'drink more water' and 'eat more fruits & veggies' to hydrate, and although these things will always be foundational, many of them have not considered the quality of these things. Unfortunately, minerals are extremely depleted in our modern lifestyles. This is largely due to water that has been de-mineralized and decreasing soil health. Most water purifiers actually remove the minerals during the purification process, without replenishing them. On the other hand, soil depletion is when the nutrients and minerals that contribute to the health of the soil are also taken away and not replaced. Nearly 99 percent of the world's calorie intake can be traced back to soil, as everything we eat to nourish our bodies requires soil to grow. Intensive mis-managed farming practices is largely to blame for soil depletion. As a result, the nutritional contents, including the minerals, of many fruits and vegetables have been compromised. The magnesium content of vegetables and wheat alone has declined by up to 25 percent, and many of us walk around with magnesium deficiency without knowing it. A Magnesium deficiency alone can cause dry and dull skin which leads to pre-mature aging and inflammation.
(Testing for Magnesium is known to be inaccurate, as serum changes can be affected by short term changes like day to day and hour to hour invariability of the amount of magnesium excreted by the kidneys -- Ask for RBC Magnesium test for more accuracy. If you are 'deficient' in magnesium, you may need to consider seeing a specialist that deals with magnesium titration).
Overall, This means that although it is extremely foundational to continue to eat fruits & vegetables as they still contain most of our nutrients, it may not be enough. Additionally we have to consider that poor diet choices, processed food, stress, medications, alcohol consumption and a wide range of chronic gut and health issues also deplete minerals.
In order to heal the skin and body, replenishing minerals is key, but so is balancing them. If we have too much of one mineral, it can deplete another. For example, too much 'zinc' can potentially deplete copper. This is why the standard electrolyte drinks at the grocery store aren't exactly the best way to replenish minerals, as they are synthetic, imbalanced, often full of sugar, and low quality overall. Taking minerals individually on a daily basis can lead to overconsumption of one mineral, while it depletes another.
How to Replenish AND Balance Minerals for Healthy Glowing Skin, and Overall Wellness
It is key to use well-sourced products that contain a well balanced, broad spectrum of trace minerals to replenish minerals and eating the highest quality foods you can find. Buying food from local, well-run farms and having access to fresh springs is a great foundation, however also not available to most, which is why I'll be focusing on what is available to everyone here.
Salt Matters
The first most foundational way to improve mineral balance is by using real salt. It might sound strange, but not all salt is real! Processed and refined salt (table salt) is not real salt because it's stripped of naturally-occuring minerals, therefore using table salt may dehydrate you more and make you feel worse. Processed table salts also often contain a surprising amount of sugar called dextrose and anti-caking agents, instead of actual salt. Even some sea salt, although 'less processed' can still be refined and/or contain additives, which doesn't make it real salt. (Majority of pre-made and processed foods do NOT contain real salt).
In order for salt to be real, whole, and natural, it needs to contain natural trace minerals, be unrefined, and have no additives. Companies that provide real salt like Crucial Four, Celtic Salt, and Redmond tend to mention these things on the front of their packages. You will have to look at the Nutritional Information on the back of the packaging for some other companies, but this is very simple -- In order to qualify as real salt, the nutritional information should mention minerals, and it shouldn't mention any additives at all. In order to get the best quality salt to make sure your body is getting much needed minerals, it's important to make sure that your salt checks both boxes.
I like to switch up my salt products daily in my meals to make sure I'm getting a well rounded dose of healthy minerals.
The salt products that I use and recommend:
I do not recommend frequent use of Pink Himalayan Salt, because although it's known to come from very clean and pure oceans, it's mineral content is far from balanced.
Foods with the Highest Mineral Content
Although we are dealing with a soil depletion issue, majority of our nutrition will still come from food. This means that eating mineral rich foods are still extremely fundamental in making sure that your body gets the proper amount of minerals.
Healthy mineral-rich whole food sources that are great for your skin:
- Oysters (especially high in copper, which is needed to balance zinc levels, although it's important to observe moderation with copper)
- Bee Bread (bee pollen is extremely rich in minerals and Rosita's form is highly bioavailable. Also supports gut & immune health.)
- Shilajit (contains more than 84 types of minerals including 'fulvic acid' which has anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties for the skin & body)
- Local Honey
- Sea Vegetables (especially rich in Iodine)
- Bone Broth (Grassfed)
- Leafy Greens (locally sourced is best, although keep in mind that too many leafy greens contain oxalic acid which can bind with ionized minerals, preventing them from being absorbed, so it's important to incorporate them in a balanced way)
- Fruits (especially Pineapple, plums, apricots, pomegranates, cherries, lemons, and melon)
- Vegetables such as cucumbers, zucchini and beets. (Additionally, some Ayurveda specialists suggest that beets are a top choice for lymph movement as the fiber in beets is particularly good at clearing substances that have gotten stuck to the villi in the intestines needed to absorb nutrients)
- Wild Caught Fish
- Organ Meats from animals that are humanely raised on mineral rich soil
Quinton Marine Plasma Isotonic & Hypertonic
Quinton Marine Plasma is an extremely effective, fast and balanced way to replenish trace minerals as it crosses the blood-brain barrier. Through decades of clinical practice, René Quinton came to the conclusion that a very special solution existed within certain vortex zones of the ocean which would later be called 'Quinton Plasma". He referred to this as 'marine plasma' because it is isotonic with blood plasma. It is known as the quintessential solution for homeostasis. This particular marine plasma fluid proved to be extremely potent and able to restore health because our extra-cellular fluid (from which lymph is formed) and blood plasma is so similar to it. It has clinically demonstrated that providing the right inner plasma solution, composed of alkalizing water and minerals, allows the body to access more of it's full genetic potential as it promotes vitality, effectively helping to counteract degenerative conditions. Quinton Marine Plasma basically bathes our cells in the essential minerals needed for health and homeostasis in a rapid, balanced and effective way.
Both the Quinton Iso-Tonic and Hyper-Tonic have become a daily part of my wellness regimen and they are the main staple in my mineral replenishing routine. They come in ampoule form, or packets that are optimal for those who are on-the-go, and it is one of the things I find myself recommending to nearly every facial client of mine. Below is a chart explaining the differences between Iso-Tonic and Hyper-Tonic.
Adrenal Cocktails
Adrenal fatigue is a theory that links symptoms like chronic fatigue, insomnia, and other unexplained symptoms to overworked adrenal glands caused by chronic stress. It is not an official medical diagnosis, and some consider it a 'myth', however it is often recognized by alternative practitioners who have helped their patients overcome their symptoms with suggestions like 'adrenal cocktails'. The adrenal glands are small, triangular shaped organs that sit on top of your kidneys and secrete hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that regulate essential processes like the wake/sleep cycle, stress response and metabolism.
In the alternative health community, an adrenal cocktail is said to be a great way to replenish nutrients and minerals and help with adrenal fatigue because they are designed to support the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
One of the original recipes consists of: orange juice, heavy cream or coconut cream, coconut water, and a pinch of real salt. Since orange juice can be too acidic for some people (such as myself), I recommend swapping it for Camu Camu Powder, which is a superfood with the highest and most absorbable content of vitamin C (it's also high in minerals like copper and vitamin C is needed for healthy collagen production). Sometimes, I also like to add collagen peptides for an extra boost of healthy protein and fats. I find that drinking one of these first thing in the morning can give me a boost, and the Vitamin C content is also great for immune health.
Other Mineral Replenishing Products that I Use and Recommend
I also like Crucial Four's mHydrate Electrolyte Mix, because it contains 100% organic functional ingredients and no synthetic minerals (like in most electrolyte powders and drinks).
Molecular Hydrogen contains magnesium as one of it's dominant ingredients which is a vital mineral co-factor for over 300 enzymes in our body. As I mentioned before, a large part of the Westeren population is deficient in magnesium.
The other (most bio-available) form of magnesium that I recommend is Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate. Magnesium in 'bisglycinate' form is known to increase levels of magnesium in your body without producing side effects like other forms, and Thorne is a well-respected brand that tests their products rigorously to make sure they are effective, free of allergens and unnecessary fillers.
Quality of water also makes a difference, and if you have the budget, I highly recommend a good water filter that not only re-mineralizes your water, but re-structures it (like Pristine-Hydro). My runner up would be AquaTru for quality and purity - just make sure that you add minerals into your water if you use this as it does not re-mineralize the water (the company does have package deals where you can purchase re-mineralizing products with the filtering system).
Stay tuned for another Blog Post on how to add high-quality minerals onto your skin topically and check out the Shop List below for links & discount codes from the companies that I use daily and am affiliated with.