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I wish I had known all of this sooner….

As early as high school, I had felt unwell. My symptoms started with being extremely fatigued and having an erratic cycle. As a busy and active high school student, the doctors just told me these symptoms were due to stress. But they did nothing about it, and symptoms kept piling on. They included eczema, acne, oily skin, random patches of dry skin, random skin rashes, terrible seasonal allergies, and weight loss resistance. And let’s not forget the mood issues. My depression and anxiety weren’t debilitating like they are for many people, but they were still very real.

I had seen several doctors. Nearly all of them tested my thyroid and told me my levels were “in range,” so it couldn’t possibly be the problem. All of them gave me some kind of vague explanation, but not a single one of them gave me any solutions. Over the next two decades (yes, you read that right) the symptoms just continued to add up, and as I was no nearing 40, I convinced myself that this was just how everyone feels at this age.

Then, I finally met a doctor who looked at not just lab ranges (which are just an average of a sick population’s results), but functional ranges. My thyroid still tested in the lab range, but it was far from optimal/functional. I changed my diet, and I got on some thyroid meds. I also started educating myself on what causes autoimmune issues. I became aware of a pesky little family of ingredients known as endocrine disruptors. These were especially a problem for me since the thyroid is a key part of the endocrine system.

Even worse, I tried product after product, only to find that the company was greenwashing. In other words the company was putting it into natural looking packaging or even including the words “all natural” on the label, but sneaking endocrine disruptors, and sometimes even known carcinogens into the formula.

Then, out of nowhere, a friend sent me a screenshot of a list of ingredients and asked for my thoughts. Very skeptical, I took a look. What I found truly changed my health and in many ways the course of my future. I’ll tell you more about what I found in tomorrow’s post.

The list of ingredients was from a skin care and cosmetics line. Unlike all the other labels I had read, these ingredients were way better, even beneficial, so I decided to take a chance. No more melting off an hour after I applied makeup, and no more eczema and weird rashes on my face due to harmful ingredients. Results weren’t immediate, but I actually liked the feel of the products and it was allowing my endocrine system to calm down while simultaneously improving my skin, not just covering it up. Wins all around. I was hooked!

But that’s not the end of my story. My journey into clean skincare also introduced me to a whole community of like-minded people. Even after huge improvements in my health due to diet, better medical care, and cleaner ingredients, a few stubborn symptoms still plagued me. So, I was all ears when a new contact told me about a practitioner she was seeing. I researched the practitioner type. They used all the key words I had learned to look for — emphasized testing before any supplementation, used a functional approach to wellness. So, I clicked to see what it takes to get trained. There was no looking back after that. I took the plunge and enrolled in classes to help others look upstream of the symptoms. I’m now trained to partner with people who are ready to adapt a lifestyle to feel not just “fine,” but truly well.

So, can you relate? Are you unsure about the safety of your personal care products? Are you looking for answers on symptoms that don’t meet medical diagnosis status but also don’t leave you feeling well? Leave a comment or send me a message. Let’s discuss.