As a naturopathic doctor*, a registered nurse and the mother of a teenage daughter, I know a thing or two about proper skin care. However, when my daughter began experiencing severe and bizarre symptoms that transcended the traditional acne most teens experience, I was at a loss. My name is FayeLynn Wright and this is our story of how going natural and finding the perfect product, like Orthomolecular’s SophytoPRO®, saved my daughter’s skin and her self-esteem!
I’m normally a level-headed individual, but when my daughter was struck with an odd skin condition that surpassed her occasional eczema, my maternal panic button was soundly slapped. At one point her condition became so severe that I thought she had some necrotic, skin-eating bacteria. Her skin would rupture into open, oozing sores over a matter of one days’ time. First, our alternative allergy specialist said he’d never seen anything like it and even refused to charge me for the consult. Next, my friend and homeopathic practitioner took a peek at her ravaged skin and determined that Anacardium would be a helpful, if atypical, remedy for my daughter.
While we kept our original appointment with the dermatologist, her skin had miraculously cleared! Once we finally met with the dermatologist, she diagnosed ordinary eczema. Her prescriptions contained the the usual suspects from Western medicine’s arsenal: a steroid and an antibacterial. The doctor advised soaps, lotions and creams which were fragrance-free, paraben-free, formaldehyde-free, etc. My daughter used the steroid very sparingly because I knew the fallout of this quick fix could be thinner skin, a decreased immune system and possible mood changes with prolonged use. Her skin calmed down, and the years went by.
Last year, I thought her increasing acne was simply a result of being a teenager and having to cope with hormonal changes and stresses. One evening, I decided that an at-home facial from the natural grocery aisle might help improve things. When I touched her face to do a gentle exfoliation, I discovered that this was no run-of-the-mill acne marching across her cheeks. It felt like dots of glue had been flung on her face and dried into sharp, waxy points tightly welded to her pores. Over the next few weeks and months, her skin became increasingly worse. Clear blister-bubbles started to boil up from under the skin and spread to her legs, fingers, arms and face. Patches on her body morphed into seething masses of inflamed, irritated, itchy, crusty and cracking skin. Attending school with a face, fingers and legs which were bumpy, “weepy,” or red (and sometimes all three) became a major ordeal.
I knew gut health was paramount, and her diet went on an immediate overhaul. She went gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free. I gave her probiotics, enzymes and omega-3s. I researched healthy alternatives to prescribed antifungals, antivirals and anti-inflammatories so she tried Sea Buckthorn Oil, Dead Sea Mud, Chinese Herbs, Colloidal Silver Gel and a host of other remedies. I picked the collective brains of pharmacists, naturopaths, chiropractors and more. Their collective recommendations plied her immune system, liver and blood with silymarin, homeopathic flu remedy, natural antifungal sprays, beta-glucans and more. These all contributed to her temporary improvement; however, it was our focus on a healthy diet for her that ultimately laid the foundation for better skin.
Once the diet was in place, she was helped the most with The Allergy Kit which is the alternative to Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) and Orthomolecular’s SophytoPRO®. SophytoPRO® comes in two systems: one for problem- or acne-prone skin called Skin Restore System and the other for normal to dry skin called Pure Daily System. Each consists of a cleanser, a serum and a moisturizer. She dabbed on the pure cleanser in the morning allowing it to stay on her face about 5 minutes until she got in the shower. After her shower, she applied a dime-sized portion of the serum all over her face. She would then wait about 30 seconds before rubbing a pea-sized dollop of moisturizer on her face. Just a wee bit of each product went a long way. I didn’t see any discernible difference in her skin after a few weeks of using SophytoPRO®, so I suggested trying something else. She practically begged to stay on the SophytoPRO®, saying it was the only protocol that didn’t itch her face or dry her skin out. After using for a few more weeks, we began to notice a drastic improvement! Finally, her skin was smoother, less red and bumpy and the light of hope had returned to her eyes. The initial cost for the SophytoPRO® system was around $100 and since starting them in April 2014, she is still on the same bottles in today! Like I said, a little bit of product goes a very long way!
So that’s my daughter’s story. Skin problems can sap your energy and are such visible reminders of potential internal mayhem. Diet changes and Orthomolecular’s SophytoPRO® is what (finally!) worked for her, but I would encourage readers to chat with your healthcare practitioner and formulate a treatment plan that may work for you. SophytoPRO® is available at all Peoples locations, so stop in to chat with a Wellness Specialist about these amazing products.
By FayeLynn Wright, Registered Nurse and Naturopathic Doctor*. Fayelynn is available for consultation at the South and North Peoples Wellness Center locations.
*Naturopathic doctors are not currently licensed in the state of Texas. The supplements cited are not meant to diagnose, cure, or prevent your particular skin disease.