Holy Cow! How Dairy Affects Your Complexion and Skin (from Guest Blogger Madeleine Pope)

Got Acne? Maybe the cows are to blame... 

If you have complexion issues that persist, consider avoiding dairy products. Dairy contains hormones which stimulates your hormone production, including insulin which aggravates acne. Many of you may be consuming organic or hormone-free dairy. Unfortunately, these products are referencing added hormones for increasing milk production. Almost all dairy comes from pregnant cows and still contains the cow's natural hormones which can affect our bodies. Those hormones are mean't to turn a calf into a great big steer, right? So why wouldn't that do something strange to us? While there are many different ways dairy can affect the skin, here are a few to look out for:

• Acne - Dairy can increase the production of sebum, the oily secretion in your pores.
• Rosacea - Dairy can cause inflammation due to an immune response to bacteria, herbicides, pesticides, viruses, etc. that are contained in dairy products.
• Eczema and Dry Skin - Dairy can cause allergic reactions that can inflame and irritate the skin.

For more information on dairy and acne click here.

Growing up in the Source Vitál household, dairy was always a subject of discussion when it came to skin. At age 5, I suffered from Eczema. Doctors told my mother it was something I would have to live with for the rest of my life. My mother took my hand, and from then on started looking for solutions. After extensive research, she took me off dairy and my eczema problems were over - I am a believer!

Source Vitál user and now enthusiast, Travis Ritter, has rosacea. He took antibiotics and retinae cream for three months with little to no improvement. After much discussion, Travis decided to get off dairy, take probiotics and supplements, and discontinue the antibiotics and retinae cream. Travis states, "After cutting dairy out of my diet, it didn't take long to see the results. The overall redness and heat sensations subsided. A balance of probiotic and algae supplements mixed with exfoliating and calming Source Vitál products gave me clear skin rather than fierce irritation that went deeper than what you could actually see."

If you are worried about calcium, don't! The earth has got you covered! Replace dairy with plenty of calcium-rich leafy greens (like kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.), broccoli, and sardines. I could go on and on about the affects dairy has on the skin. If you want to look and feel your best, my best suggestion is to try it and see for yourself.

About Guest Blogger, Madeleine Pope

Madeleine is a resident of Seattle, WA and is the daughter of former Source Vitàl owner and CEO, Jerry Pope. She is an avid holistic skin care enthusiast and is a custom jewelry maker.