Your wellness routine doesn't stop at what you eat. It's also about what you put on your skin.
When we talk about supporting our health naturally, we often focus on nourishing foods, supplements, gut health, stress management, and getting enough sleep. But there's another piece of the puzzle that deserves our attention: the products we use on our skin every single day.
Think about your morning routine: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial cleanser, moisturizer. Then add: deodorant, body lotion, makeup, perhaps a spritz of perfume, and all the other products we use throughout the week.
Have you ever stopped to consider what's actually in them?
Our skin is our largest organ, and it serves as an important protective barrier. Although it keeps many substances out, a large percentage of ingredients in personal care products can be absorbed through the skin. Others can cause irritation or affect the skin's natural barrier.
For those of us who want to support our health naturally, it's worth taking a closer look at what we're putting on our bodies—not out of fear, but out of a desire to make informed choices.
And for my fellow ITP warriors, this conversation connects to something I believe is important: looking at the bigger picture of our health.
Three Skincare Ingredients Worth a Closer Look
Let's start with three common ingredients that have prompted many people to explore cleaner skincare alternatives.
1. Synthetic fragrance: What's behind that lovely scent?
That beautifully scented lotion or body wash may contain a mixture of fragrance ingredients that aren't individually identified on the label. The terms fragrance or parfum can represent a blend of ingredients.
Some fragrance ingredients can trigger skin irritation or allergic reactions. Certain chemicals used in fragrances, including some phthalates, have also been studied for their potential to interfere with hormone function. In my home, the word “fragrance” gets called “the ‘F’ word!”
Our endocrine system—the network of glands and hormones that helps regulate everything from metabolism to reproduction—depends on carefully coordinated signals. Researchers are investigating how certain environmental chemicals may interfere with those signals.
My crunchy take? Products infused with high quality pure essential oils can smell lovely as well as support your skin and your endocrine system without doing any of the harm that synthetic fragrance can do.
2. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): All that foam isn't necessarily better.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a cleansing and foaming agent found in some facial cleansers, body washes, shampoos, and other personal care products.
It helps remove dirt and oil, but it can also irritate the skin, particularly with repeated exposure or in higher concentrations.
If your skin feels tight, dry, or irritated after washing, your cleanser may be too harsh for you.
SLS is primarily a concern for skin irritation as well as an endocrine disruptor. Choosing a gentler cleanser can help you protect your skin's natural barrier.
You don't need mountains of bubbles to get clean!
3. Parabens: Preservatives under investigation.
Parabens are preservatives used to help prevent harmful bacteria and mold from growing in cosmetics. Certain parabens have demonstrated estrogen-like activity in laboratory studies, which has led researchers to investigate their potential hormonal effects.
If you'd prefer to minimize your exposure, you can look for paraben-free alternatives. ne
The goal isn't to fear every chemical name. It's to become an informed consumer who makes choices that align with her wellness priorities.
The Gut, Liver, and Immune Connection
Here's where this conversation goes beyond beauty products.
Your gut, liver, and immune system don't work independently. They're interconnected systems that help your body process nutrients, maintain protective barriers, regulate normal immune activity, and metabolize and eliminate many substances.
Researchers are investigating how certain environmental chemicals may affect these systems, including their potential effects on the gut microbiome, hormone signaling, liver function, and immune regulation.
Let's look at why these connections matter.
Your gut microbiome
Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that help break down food, produce useful compounds, support the intestinal barrier, and interact with your immune system.
Some environmental chemicals have been associated with changes in the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier function, particularly in laboratory and animal studies. Human research is ongoing, and the strength of the evidence varies by chemical.
A healthy gut environment is one part of supporting normal immune function.
Your liver: Your body's processing powerhouse
Your liver performs hundreds of essential functions. It processes nutrients, metabolizes medications and other substances, produces bile, and helps your body eliminate certain waste products.
Some environmental chemicals can affect liver function, and researchers are studying how cumulative exposures may contribute to metabolic and other health effects.
Your gut and liver also communicate through what's known as the gut-liver axis. Substances absorbed from the intestine travel to the liver through the portal circulation, where many are processed.
Your liver has sophisticated systems for handling substances your body encounters. Supporting your overall health and making thoughtful choices about unnecessary exposures is a sensible approach.
And what about our immune system and platelets?
For anyone with immune thrombocytopenia, this is an important distinction.
ITP involves an immune-mediated process that results in low platelet counts. Environmental exposures and immune regulation are areas of scientific investigation, but there is no established evidence that the common skincare ingredients discussed here cause ITP, trigger a relapse, or directly lower platelet counts.
So why pay attention?
Because caring for our health involves looking at more than one symptom or one laboratory result. Our immune system, gut, liver, hormones, nutrition, sleep, and stress responses all contribute to our overall well-being.
And that brings us to a concept I believe deserves a place in our wellness conversations: reducing our overall toxic load.
Reducing Your Toxic Load: One Piece of the Healing Puzzle
Let's be clear about what I mean by toxic load.
It's a common wellness term used to describe the range of environmental substances we're exposed to over time. It isn't a single medical measurement, and it doesn't mean that every chemical exposure is harmful. Risk depends on the substance, the amount, the route and duration of exposure, and other factors.
Our bodies have remarkable systems for processing and eliminating many substances. But researchers are continuing to investigate how some environmental chemicals may affect our health, particularly with repeated or cumulative exposures.
We encounter these substances in many places: our food, water, air, household products, personal care products, and surrounding environment.
We can't control every exposure. But we can make informed choices about some of them.
For those of us living with ITP, I believe this is a worthwhile part of the bigger wellness conversation.
Skincare toxins may not be the direct culprit behind ITP, but reducing unnecessary environmental exposures can be one piece of a broader approach to caring for our health.
That doesn't mean that eliminating a particular ingredient will increase your platelet count, put ITP into remission, or replace medical treatment. Those outcomes haven't been established by research on clean skincare.
It means we can take a thoughtful look at our daily habits and ask ourselves where small, practical changes might make sense.
Are we nourishing our bodies? Are we prioritizing restorative sleep? Are we managing stress as best we can? Are we caring for our gut health? What products are we bringing into our homes and putting on our skin?
When I think about natural wellness, I don't think about finding one magic supplement, following a perfect diet, or eliminating every chemical from my life. I think about the many pieces that contribute to our overall health and the choices we can make to care for ourselves.
Reducing unnecessary exposures is one of those pieces.
We don't have to identify one culprit to recognize the value of being intentional about our health.
Let's Make Our Skincare Routine a Little Crunchier!
Ready to take a closer look at your bathroom cabinet? You don't need to throw everything away or spend a fortune replacing it all.
Start small!
1. Read your labels.
Look for ingredients you'd prefer to minimize, including added fragrance, sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate, and parabens such as methylparaben and propylparaben. Learn what these ingredients do so you can make informed decisions rather than relying on scary-sounding ingredient lists.
2. Choose fragrance-free skincare.
Start with the products you use most often, such as facial cleanser, moisturizer, body lotion, and deodorant. Look for options that work well for your skin without unnecessary added fragrance.
3. Simplify your routine.
Do you really need ten different products on your face? A gentle cleanser, a suitable moisturizer, and daily sun protection can be a practical starting point for many people.
Fewer products can also mean fewer ingredients to evaluate. Keep the products that serve a purpose and work well for your skin.
4. Make gradual swaps.
When a product runs out, replace it with one that better aligns with your preferences. Look for transparent ingredient lists and companies that provide meaningful information about their products.
Remember, the goal isn't to achieve a perfectly toxin-free life. It's to make thoughtful changes that are realistic, sustainable, and right for you.
Small Choices. A Bigger Picture.
My approach to wellness has never been about finding one magic product or doing everything perfectly. It's about looking at the many pieces that contribute to our well-being and making thoughtful changes where we can.
That includes nourishing our bodies, supporting gut and liver health, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, reducing unnecessary environmental exposures, and nurturing our faith and mindset.
We can't control every factor affecting our health. And we don't need to live in fear of our bathroom cabinets!
But we can become more intentional about what we bring into our homes and use on our bodies.
For my fellow ITP warriors, remember this: your platelet count is an important part of your health story, but it isn't the whole story. You deserve to care for your overall well-being while continuing appropriate medical care and monitoring.
You may not be able to control every factor affecting your health, but you can become more intentional about the ones within your reach.
Maybe your next step is choosing a fragrance-free moisturizer. Maybe it's simplifying your skincare routine or learning to read ingredient labels.
Whatever you choose, start where you are. You don't have to change everything today.
One thoughtful choice at a time, you can build a wellness routine that reflects how you want to care for your body.
Healing is a journey. You don't have to walk it alone.
Ready to Make the Switch to Cleaner Skincare?
If you're ready to take a closer look at what you're putting on your skin, I'd love to help you get started!
🌿 Already know what you're looking for?
Explore my favorite skincare collection and browse the products that fit your needs. (Be sure to use code: SHAREYL for 10% off your first purchase.)
🌸 Not sure which skincare system is right for you?
I've got a helpful guide that walks you through the different skincare options based on your skin type, so you can explore the choices and find a good fit.
And if you need a little help deciding, reach out! I'm happy to help you navigate the options.
Small changes can be a meaningful part of your wellness journey. You don't have to figure everything out at once. 💜
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