Skincare can be confusing. What are the steps to putting everything on? Do we even need a multi-step regimen? My guest today will discuss the differences in ingredients and why she thinks we need to trim our care routines down. [smart_track_player url=] Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | Subscribe on Android My guest today, Rachael Pontillo, is a holistic skincare innovator, author, and educator. She is the bestselling author of the book Love...
Apr 07, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 239
Psoriasis can be a very isolating condition that causes a lot of shame. My guest today will discuss how and why psoriasis can affect mental health and even lead to depression. My guest today, Dr. Fabrizio Galimberti, completed his medical training at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine-Case Western Reserve University, received his doctorate degree from Dartmouth College and his residency at the Jackson Memorial Hospital-University of Miami Miller School of Medicine where he also served a...
Mar 24, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 238
I find anti-aging to be this awful marketing device that oftentimes makes us feel bad about ourselves, but that's not what this interview is about! My guest today will discuss what exactly is bio-aging and how genetic expression plays a big role. My guest today, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, ND, IFMCP, is the first-ever recipient of the 2018 Emerging Leadership Award from the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute in recognition of her work on DNA methylation. As a leading voice in the intersection of...
Mar 17, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 237
Poor sleep quality can affect the skin in a number of ways. Sleep is a time for our bodies to repair, and poor sleep does not allow that to happen efficiently. Today, my guest and I will discuss exactly how sleep and skin health are linked, as well as ways to improve your sleep quality. THIS IS THE FINAL SEGMENT OF A 3-PART INTERVIEW. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PART 1 . CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PART 2 . My guest today is my colleague, Michelle Nilan, CNS. Michelle is a clinical nutritionist, yoga te...
Mar 10, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 236
Did you know that strenuous exercise, big meals, and even certain supplements can affect sleep quality? In part 2 of this sleep and skin series, my guest and I will discuss ways to improve your sleep quality, as well as things to avoid. (Spoiler alert: Staring at your phone before bed is doing you no favors!) THIS IS PART 2 OF A 3-PART INTERVIEW. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PART 1 . AND STAY TUNED FOR PART 3! My guest today is my colleague, Michelle Nilan, CNS. Michelle is a clinical nutritionist, y...
Mar 03, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 235
Sleep quality is an undervalued part of overall wellness. But it is SO important. Our sleep quality affects pretty much all aspects of our waking life, so learning how to improve it can be a game-changer. THIS IS PART 1 OF A 3-PART INTERVIEW. STAY TUNED FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES! My guest today is my colleague, Michelle Nilan, CNS. Michelle is a clinical nutritionist, yoga teacher, and ACSM-certified personal trainer. She is the associate clinical nutritionist in my private practice and has bee...
Feb 24, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 234
Have you tried a gluten-free diet for eczema, psoriasis, rosacea or some other type of chronic skin problem? Whether you noticed an improvement or not, you might wonder if it’s worthwhile to continue avoiding gluten… And if so, for how long ? I want to share with you my thoughts based on research as well as my clinical experience as to why I recommend to clients to avoid gluten . AND why I don’t really care about whether it’s an actual food trigger that flares your rashes. Gluten is a much bigge...
Feb 17, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 233
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a progressive, underdiagnosed, possibly devastating condition. My guest today will discuss some possible ways to find relief. My guest today, Dr. Daveluy, is an associate professor and program director at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He holds special interests in teledermatology, noninvasive skin imaging, skin of color, integrative dermatology, and complex medical dermatology, including hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Dr. Daveluy serves on the boar...
Feb 10, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 232
Have you ever wondered if biologic drugs are bad for you ? It’s a question that I frequently answer on my Instagram profile , but I also find that clients share similar concerns. So I figured that I’d take this moment to explain my feelings on biologic drugs which is not a black + white answer. It is complicated and it’s also highly personal for every single person considering this route. I hope that my approach is helpful on your journey so that you can ultimately decide what is best for you. I...
Feb 03, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 231
Have you ever heard of MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)? My guest today is going to tell us all about it, as well as research into why a mindfulness practice could be beneficial for those with chronic skin issues (such as eczema, psoriasis, and alopecia areata). Jessica completed her BSc at York University in Toronto, ON and has completed her Doctor of Naturopathy degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Her passion for integrative medicine and research led her to a po...
Jan 27, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 230
I have to be honest – lanolin can be a real pain for anyone who’s allergic to it . If you’ve never heard of lanolin and you’re struggling with mystery “contact” dermatitis, it could be worthwhile asking your dermatologist or allergist to do a patch test. While lanolin allergies aren’t that common, they are tricky to navigate since lanolin is not required to be labeled and can hide quite sneakily in products you probably take daily (and would never suspect). Since I’m all about helping people con...
Jan 20, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 229
The Mediterranean Diet is one of the world's healthiest ways of eating, and for good reason! There's a large body of research touting its benefits which is why I think it's a great place to start from if you're looking to make smart shifts in your diet for the benefit of your skin. This does not mean that other traditional cuisines aren't as good for your skin, by the way. After careful consideration, it seems like a great place to start if you're looking to make changes that could be gradual ra...
Jan 13, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 228
If you’re one of those people who can’t stick to changes that you want to make to help your skin, this episode is for you! One of the biggest reasons people fail at making changes is that habits that you already have are VERY strong. Motivation simply isn’t a good driver for habit change (because that’s actually what you want to do). Your skin needs you as a partner on this journey called life, so becoming skilled at changing routines and taking actions that support your skin are huge! So let’s ...
Jan 06, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 227
If you have hit some really tough patches this past year with your skin or you’re struggling now to stay positive, this episode is for you. Mindset is one of the greatest tools that you have to help you in the darkest of moments. It’s what honestly can keep you staying the path or throwing in the towel. We talk a lot about research and all sorts of physical things that can go wrong, but the truth is that some tools – like your mindset – are intangible. It’s my hope that these ideas that I’ll sha...
Dec 30, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 226
Have you heard that if you're going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), that you just have to wait it out ? "Just give it time... time is what heals." But when you say that to someone who's years (3 or 5 or even 8 years) into TSW, that statement starts feeling like a bitter pill with no hope in sight. Some practitioners (like myself) are finding that there are things you can do to better support your body as it goes on this journey. There's certainly no silver bullet solution as we still d...
Dec 16, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 225
Today we're talking all about acne. My guest shares her favorite nutrients on the journey to clearer skin...and some of them are quite controversial! My guest today, Robyn Johnson, is a Functional Medicine Dietitian Nutritionist. Her passion of using food and lifestyle as medicine found her after a personal battle and triumph with psoriasis. She specializes in helping women optimize their hormones, gut and skin by finding the root cause to their symptoms. Robyn runs a virtual private practice, i...
Dec 09, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 224
Are you one of those people whose skin gets WORSE the cleaner and healthier your diet becomes? This is one of those things people don’t talk about that can really get someone down because diet changes are so heavily pushed as a one-stop solution to clear up your skin. So if you’ve ever felt like you just didn’t “try hard enough” or “eat clean enough” because your skin got worse, know that you’re not alone . Though I don’t have an exact reason WHY this happens, I do have clinical observations tha...
Dec 02, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 223
Did you know that it is possible for children to become sensitized (and even allergic) to food through the skin ? Yep... *mind blown*! This is something that we're learning more about and that blows a hole in the concept that the only way to become sensitized to food is through the gut. My guest today, Jennifer Brand, MPH (Master's degree in public health), MS (Master's degree in nutrition), CNS (Certified Nutrition Specialist) is an integrative and clinical nutritionist and the founder of Jenni...
Nov 23, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 222
Have you ever wondered if the placement of your rashes actually was an important clue to your case? I’ve been asked this A LOT! So today I thought I’d share some clinical pearls that I’ve picked up along the way to help you become a better skin rash detective! This observation can also help you by looking back to rash placement in the past (even when you were a child) or before the onset of Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW). Especially because we know that skin rash conditions are often driven by...
Nov 18, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 221
If you are struggling with adult acne, today's episode is for you! This episode is celebrating new published research by Dr. Julie Greenberg on the make-up of the gut microbiome of someone whose primary complaint is acne! These findings can help us all better know what steps can be taken to support someone struggling with acne, but it also underscores that other skin issues (like eczema) may have a very different gut microbiome diversity. Time will tell as that research eventually becomes availa...
Nov 11, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 220
Did you know that about 10% of people using Dupixent develop awful face and neck dermatitis? This issue (more officially called Dupilumab Facial Redness (DFR) ) wasn’t flagged during the randomized FDA trials, but has some dermatologists concerned because DFR can be incredibly severe, just as it was for one of my clients. Since Dupixent is a biologic drug used by some with Eczema and Topical Steroid Withdrawal to ease symptoms, this new problem isn’t ideal. Rather than just assume that the perso...
Nov 04, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 219
I often talk about how nutrition and digestion can play a role in our skin health. And there are many different dietary theories out there that have been used over the decades (and even centuries) that could be beneficial. As you might already know, I don't think diet for many with chronic skin rashes is the only tool that should be used to help achieve healthier skin. It's one tool in the larger toolbox. So today I'd like to share with you the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approach to nutr...
Oct 28, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 218
Did you know that psoriasis is associated with a bunch of other health issues? Things like hypothyroidism, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, PCOS, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver disease, and liver fibrosis , just to name a few. Many of my clients have no idea about these connections and have unfortunately had their concerns about other health issues blown off. Because there is so much newer research coming about about these issues, I wanted to share some of the research that I’ve seen so that you can ask...
Oct 21, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 217
Most times, a skin rash is a skin rash. But sometimes, if the skin condition comes out of nowhere, and if it does not respond to treatment, it could be a sign that something else is going on. And that something could be lymphoma. My guest today is Dr. Peter Lio, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology & Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his internship in Pediatrics at Boston Children’...
Oct 14, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 216
Have you had that dreaded diarrhea after you start a round of antibiotics? And maybe you worry that if you take probiotics, doing so while taking the antibiotics will just “cancel them out.” You’re not wrong to think this because timing is everything when it comes to taking probiotics while on antibiotics ! Thanks to my recent 3-week course of antibiotics after finding a gross blood-filled tick in between my toes, I got a lot of questions about what my probiotic regimen looked like. That’s why I...
Oct 07, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 215
When you think of methods to detox from mold, bile may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But, as my guest today will explain, bile can actually play a huge role in how (and if) mycotoxins are leaving your body. My guest today is Dr. Jill Crista, a naturopathic doctor, best-selling author, and internationally recognized educator on mold illness. She helps people recover their health after exposure to toxic mold. Dr. Crista is the author of Break The Mold: 5 Tools To Conquer Mold and Take...
Sep 30, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 214
Once you feel like you’ve exhausted what your dermatologist can do for your skin, you start to wonder if there’s anything else you can dig into to help your rashes. Most people start with diet and try avoiding different foods. Eventually you might start to wonder if there’s something going on in your gut! And somehow you’ll stumble across a bunch of stool testing kits you can buy yourself. Many of the bigger brands advertise heavily across Google and social media hoping to catch your attention. ...
Sep 23, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 213
Mindset is an important, albeit overlooked, piece of the skin health puzzle. How you feel about your skin condition can have a huge impact on your skin health journey! My guest today is my colleague, Michelle Nilan, CNS. Michelle is a clinical nutritionist, yoga teacher, and ACSM-certified personal trainer. She is the associate clinical nutritionist in my private practice and has been working with me since June 2020! She has a master's in human nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and a b...
Sep 16, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 212
We're constantly being told to consume less sodium…but what we're not told is that the quality of the sodium we're consuming makes a huge difference. It can even play a role in how well we absorb water! My guest today is Kaely McDevitt, a Registered Dietitian specializing in women's health. She owns a virtual private practice where she and her team help their clients overcome hormone and digestive issues through personalized nutrition. Having experienced the pitfalls of a conventional approach t...
Sep 09, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 211
Many people don't think twice about applying steroid creams near their eyes to get rid of rashes. But did you know that steroid creams can actually affect your eyes and your vision? My guest today is Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler. He is known as America's TV Eye Doctor, as he's been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, Dr. Phil's The Doctors and many more. He has over 1.6 million followers on TikTok and is known as the go-to doctor for calling out what's real or cap (which is Gen-Z t...
Sep 02, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 210
