All skin problems, be it acne, rosacea, eczema, hyperpigmentation, premature lines and wrinkles, and even more advanced conditions have a root cause. Sometimes that root cause is the person using topical skincare products with the wrong ingredients for their skin. Other extrinsic causes include sun damage and overexposure to environmental pollutants and irritant substances. Internally, the root cause might be due to poor gut health, dysbiosis, or liver dysfunction.
But what happens if a person cleans up their diet, protects their skin from the sun, and takes additional measures to address these factors; yet STILL struggles with skin symptoms? This is when we have to look at the potential root causes that often stay hidden, or go unnoticed in one’s day to day life. One common, overlooked potential cause is fluoride in water. Another that is equally as problematic and may be even more hidden is toxic mold.
Mold exists everywhere–in our homes and offices, in our outdoor environments, in foods we eat, and even inside our bodies. If we maintain a healthy and diverse microbiome, and take measures to make our home and work environments less habitable to toxic mold, it doesn’t have to be problematic. However for many people–especially people who struggle with high stress, chronic illness, or autoimmune disease–that is not the case.
Molds and other fungi produce mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by microfungi that are capable of causing disease and death in humans and other animals. Some mycotoxins or mycotoxin derivatives have been found to have useful properties, and are used as antibiotics and other kinds of drugs. Others, however, are the opposite of helpful, and have even been implicated as chemical warfare agents. On people, mycotoxins can cause local skin infections such as athlete’s foot or jock itch. However mycotoxins can cause spread systemically, causing more serious infections and conditions when it enters the body either via the respiratory tract, or through direct contact with the skin.
In addition to causing local and systemic infections, mold exposure also affects the appearance of the skin. According to mold expert and naturopathic physician, Dr. Jill Crista, mold mycotoxins stop our bodies from making all of our youth-preserving proteins, like keratin and elastin for skin and hair; and actin and myosin for muscles.
Toxic mold prematurely ages the skin.
Mycotoxins can also trigger rosacea, hyperpigmentation, and eczema flares, as well as certain types of acne. If you have persistent skin or health issues check to see if you’ve been exposed to a water-damaged, damp, or a musty smelling building. If you have, mold could be the culprit, and mold treatment could eradicate the problem for good.
Want to learn more about how toxic mold affects the skin, and what you can do about it?
Dr. Crista is presenting a live webinar called The “Appearance” of Mold to the Nutritional Aesthetics Alliance community on Wednesday, 3/18/2020 at 1pm EDT. The live presentation is free and is open to the public.
Register HERE to attend.
About Dr. Jill Crista:
Dr. Jill Crista is a naturopathic doctor, bestselling author, and nationally recognized health educator on mold-related illness. She helps people recover their health after exposure to toxic mold.
Her book, Break The Mold, provides tools for anyone wanting actionable steps to conquer health challenges related to mold exposure.
Has your skin or health suffered due to toxic mold exposure?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
Please note:
Only the live webinar presentation is free and open to the public. The recording is available exclusively to Nutritional Aesthetics® Alliance members and Certified Nutritional Aesthetics Practitioner® students.
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Hello- until recently, my skin has been about “average” in my opinion. I take care of it- washing every morning and evening; and if I’ve worn makeup, going to bed without thoroughly washing it off was BARELY even a THING fir me in college-lol. Are use extra moisturizers in the winter, so it doesn’t dry out. Educationally gets oily but is typically balanced with my usual washing routine. Until I recently moved into the house of horrors. One of them being the walls were riddled with mold. I had no idea mocha cause acne or skin problems. I would like you to know I never lived in a mold field house before this either. Mold caused my skin oh my upper back to break out more horribly than I’ve ever had any problem in my life. And the skin on my neck literally began ‘falling off of/pulling away from” my body. YEAH. Read THAT again.
I’m a HIGHLY MOTIVATED, hardworking single mother. Over the past 5-years, I’ve began “indulging” in injection treatments from my aesthetic physicians office. And followed their skincare regimen. I need to professionally present a certain way for my career; to be taken seriously.
Personally- on my birthday last week, I turned 45. Until I moved into that house- I looked, and felt, like I was 30.
I can now confidently say my skin has a very long road ahead of it. The scars are horrible. The gratitude in my heart is tremendous. And it must be, to put it behind me. I am grateful to have moved.
In my opinion; as an educated human being-everyone should be aware that MOLD is a serious problem that can detrimentally effect your health in multiple (some irreversible, sadly.) ways with dire consequences.
We need to have better ways of investigating within the walls of the homes we find ourselves in.
ESPECIALLY severe in homes where these latent defects are overlooked or never addressed. The homeowners who sell a home, and perhaps even worse to landlords renting their homes. Should they HAVE ANY INCLINATION TO SUSPECT OR FACTUALLY KNOW OF PROOF, that they are selling OR renting a property inhabited with toxic mold-then-the consequences need to be much more severe. During my divorce I rented this home. Financially- I could not move as expeditiously as I wanted.
Because the lasting affects her irreversible and absolutely horrendous. The consequences need to be so severe to deflect such terrible practices. I was lucky enough to be able to move. Some people don’t have that option financially. Someone needs to fight harder for more severe consequences. That is the truth.
WOW–thank you so much for sharing your story. We wish you a full recovery. You are correct that moving or full mold remediation is not financially possible for some people, but working with a mold-literate doctor (usually a functional or naturopathic medical doctor) can definitely help. There’s a lot more that can be done with certain supplements and dietary changes that can help minimize the damage, and also assist with recovery. All the best to you on your healing journey!
I am just discovering the depth of damage my present living situation has caused and continues to affect me. I had resperatory and digestive complications that kept me I’ll for months as I continued to get worse. I spend thousands trying to slow this thinking it was just a minor problem. First athletes foot, ring worm, scalp problems then internally and would not give an inch. Then the final blow was a relentless rain and flooding spell we had which unveiled the growth and rapid expansion if mold EVERYWHERE. My bed, my shower, my car, my poor cat, my clothing and washing machine, my refrigerator and beyond. No amount if cleaning will change this and there is little public information about this iroblem and how to mitigate. Even these so called Mold recovery services are all over the map. You don’t know who to trust, who to listen to or when to feel in control. I hope there is some hope of repairing my skin and hair after all this. I am so traumatized by the whole experience and horrified by the damage I am still finding
I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through that! It is frustrating indeed. Dr. Jill Crista’s Break the Mold, is a great starting point! –Rachael
What type of doctor do you recommend for people with problems with their skin due to toxic mold?
Hi Melissa, you’ll want a doctor who is mold literate. This means they have completed continuing education in identifying and treating mold and mycotoxin-related illness. Dr. Jill Crista offers courses in that for doctors, and has a directory to find a mold-literate doctor on her website. https://drcrista.com/doctor-finder/