Skin Healing

Over the last ten years, I have frequently consulted African Americans on a number of skin related problems such as sensitive skin, excessive oiliness, acne, spotting and tonal unevenness, ashiness, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, boils and athlete's foot.  Some people just wanted a "quick fix".  Others, still having to see themselves in the mirror each morning, were not happy about what they saw.

   Skin eruptions of any kind is nature's way of getting our attention when we're off wandering in the wilderness.  According to African holistic principles, most skin eruptions are caused by eating poor food combinations, animal meat, denatured foods, bleached flours, dairy,  white sugar and from chemicals contained in commercial cosmetics, to name a few.  All of these things create congestion and toxins in the body.

   The skin is not just a covering to hold bones and muscles together.  The skin is actually the largest elimination system that the body has and it communicates to us.  Almost everything that we see happening to us, on the surface level, is reflective of a condition going on inside.

   Through holistic health science, we know that each cell in the body has intelligence and memory.  If we stop putting the poisons in the body that are causing the problems and nutritionally-support the weakened system while it repairs itself, then most of the time we can reverse the damage that we've done.  The same principle must be applied to the skin.

   You have probably heard the age-old saying, "you are what you eat."  But we are also what we wear, what we breathe, and what we think.  The thoughts we think, etch themselves on our face because they affect our water soluble vitamins and many of our minerals very quickly.  It's hard to think or feel negative emotions without affecting your B vitamins and your potassium levels. When potassium and sodium levels are out of balance, deep lines start to appear on the ears, cheeks and forehead.

   There are basically two general types of skin diseases according to Yorubic medicine: Oshun imbalance and Ogun imbalance.  Oshun imbalance is the result of a overload of the eliminative systems especially those affecting the kidneys, colon, and liver networks throughout the Orisha modes.  This theory is also in agreement with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizing Yin and Yang polarities in the body.  If we consume too much animal protein, there will be a buildup of urea and other toxic wastes, which does not allow the kidneys to satisfactorily discharge the toxins.  If white sugar is added to the diet, it will precipitate a too active discharge resulting in skin eruptions.