This article looks at the ways you can cleanse your liver for acne healing including supplement and diet advice to gently support your liver.

The liver is the target for nearly every toxin, chemical and contaminant that we come into contact with during the course of our busy lives and when stressed, our liver may show signs of toxic build-up through the skin. The body may try to release stored toxins by producing excess sebum and pushing it out through pores where it clogs and can cause inflammation and acne. Therefore it’s really important to support our liver to ensure it can do it’s job of storing vitamins and minerals, detoxing and producing bile for optimum health and beautifully clear skin.

gentle ways to support & cleanse your liver for acne

You may have read a load of posts that highly recommend drastic cleanses and ‘flushes’ to detox your liver. I’ve tried many of them, including the controversial Andrea Moritz’ Liver Flush and found them all to be very disappointing. Remember, healing you acne will never be a quick fix so don’t believe these miracle cures! Your skin problems are likely the result of longterm neglect and inflammation which can’t be remedied overnight. Gently support your liver everyday with these top tips.

drink lemon water

The citric acid in lemons helps maximise enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification. Most healthy living advocates recommend drinking a glass of warm lemon water first thing in the morning, however I found this interesting point on Pure Inside Out: “A naturopath once told me that the body cleanses while at rest, so drinking the lemon water at night makes more sense, as it supports our inherent ability to detox.”

go natural

I recommend going back to basics with what you put on your skin. Did you know that 60% of what you put on your skin can be absorbed straight into your bloodstream? Or that the average person is exposed to 126 toxic chemicals everyday just from their personal care products? These chemicals can include pore clogging mineral oil and silicones and skin irritating preservatives and foaming agents. Strip your beauty regime right back and stick to natural and organic products to reduce toxic overload on your liver. You can see my skincare regime for acne prone skin here. (link)

eat well

Try to avoid processed foods and start eating real foods and buy organic wherever possible, you can read the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables which I recommend buying organic due to their higher levels of pesticide residue here (link). I find the best way to do my food shop is to stick to the fresh product aisles and cook everything from scratch! This may seem time consuming, but get organised and make a big batch of quinoa and soup and it will make your lunches and dinners really easy and nutritious! Increase your intake of healthy fats as this helps your gallbladder produce the right amount of bile for better digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals.

milk thistle

Milk thistle extract is nature’s own liver supporter and protector and comes in capsule, tincture and even tea. Studies on the effect of milk thistle liver damage, chronic liver disease and disease caused by certain drugs have been reviewed by medical experts. These experts all concluded that milk thistle is an extremely therapeutically useful medicinal plant product that stabilises the cell membrane and stimulates protein synthesis while accelerating the process of regeneration in damaged liver tissue. (link) 

add some herbs

As well as Milk Thistle there are a other herbs that can help support your liver. I’ve recently been introduced to a brand called Salus which do concentrated tinctures of some of these herbs, you can buy them here (link).

• Artichoke leaf – Artichoke-leaf extract improves the liver’s eliminative function, the acid components in the extract stimulate production of bile. (link)
• Turmeric – Turmeric helps reduce free radical damage and increases the livers detoxification ability.
• Dandelion – Dandelion nourishes and strengthens the immune system. It’s also great for the digestive system!
• Oregon Grape – Oregon Grape stimulates liver function, improves bile production and helps cleanse the blood.
• Fennel – Fennel is a powerful anti-oxidant and also contains lots of fibre for healthy digestion.
• Licorice Root – Licorice Root supports your adrenals and your liver. Studies have shown it enhances liver function and defends against liver inflammation.
• Burdock – Herbalists use burdock root as a diuretic (elevates the rate of urination to remove waste from the blood and body), diaphoretic (sweating to remove toxins from the skin), and a blood purifying agent (to destroy bacteria and fungus).

de-stress

Make some time for yourself and do some yoga, read a book or have a bath. Keep your stress levels in check, as emotional toxins can also lead to an inefficient liver. It’s also an important reminder to never eat when stressed, chew your food thoroughly and eat mindfully to improve digestion and the liver’s detoxification ability.

fix your gut

If your gut isn’t happy, then your liver probably won’t be either! After your intestines break down your food into individual amino acids, vitamins, minerals and the accompanying toxins, the liver absorbs this in the form of nutrient rich blood via the hepatic portal vein. If your digestion is not working efficiently, fewer nutrients get to your liver, and more toxins do. Therefore, it’s vital to make sure your digestive tract is running smoothly! To aid gut health you can take good quality probiotics and live fermented foods to ensure you have lots of good bacteria. The more bad bacteria in your gut, the more toxins they create.

Do you practice any of these tips already to cleanse your liver for acne clearing?

Peace, Love & Clear Skin