It is apparent that health depends on balance.  The bodies cells and the skin require a harmony that is often disrupted with our diet and over stripping with incorrect washing.  This balance is simply defined as the pH.  pH is a measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) a liquid is. Since the majority of your body is water (60%), helping your body maintain a slightly alkaline pH gives you a better shot at long-term health.

A more acidic pH puts us at greater risk of developing osteoporosis,heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, crohn's disease, cancer and a host of other health and skin problems.

I think that the diet often exasperates some of the common skin conditions that I see.  They very often do not get treated and the offending yeast and bacteria proliferates and soon becomes a chronic conditions, good examples are recurring vaginal yeast infections, seborrhea  and dandruff.

What about the food we eat?

Our bodies cells like to be bathed in the pH of 7.5 which is slightly alkaline, internally this  the perfect balance that keeps us healthy.  Certain foods can elevate the pH to acidic, bread for example, when you eat it the body needs to produce lots of stomach acids to break it down, so it is acid forming, where as a orange or vinegar which is clearly an acid, once in the stomach needs no acid to break it down and becomes alkaline forming.  Too much acid in the body can actually even cause disease.   I am not advocating Dr Simoncini  cancer treatment but he does explain the link between cancer and acidity well .

http://www.curenaturalicancro.com

When the pH is “off somewhere” you can usually ask a few questions and see where the cause is coming from.  Sometimes I need to refer my client to an integrated nutritionist who can assess their diet.  Or a gastroenterologist who can probe a bit deeper.

Integrated nutritionist

http://littlegreen.me/home/

http://www.nourishedbodyandmind.com/

http://healthyfuturestoday.com/

Gastroenterologist

www.robynechutckan.com

Seborrhea Dermatitus and Rosacea

Sometimes its what is being used topically on the skin and scalp that is disrupting the fragile acid mantle, your own personal liquid gold that is perfectly balanced for you and protects you from bacterial infections, yeast and acne. Cleaning with harsh alkaline soaps and cleansers strip the acid mantle. It takes a full  three hours for the skin to restore it back to a pH of 4.5. Constantly stripping the skin can result in an over abundance of bacteria and yeast on the skin,  It usually becomes apparent first in the scalp, with itchy yellow plaques.

Those same plaques then fall into the ears causing it to itch deep down and can sometimes result in frequent  ear infections. But it does not end there those same plaques can fall into the delicate lash line and cause an irritating eye disorder called blepharitis.  

These two seemingly harmless natural occurring ingredients prove more powerful at combatting these pesky conditions  then any oral or prescription medication.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar has hydrating and antiseptic properties, by helping stop the overgrowth of pseudomonas and gram negatives cells.  It also brings the pH of the skin back to acid.  Vinegar is the product of fermentation – fermentation is the process of which sugars in foods are broken down by bacteria and yeast, this is why holistic experts believe Apple Cider Vinegar is useful for obesity and gut health. To take orally put 2 teaspoons in a glass of orange juice or warm water, preferably first thing in the morning before your coffee.

This article explains the pH in the body quite well:

http://healthybliss.net/alkalize-your-ph-how-alkaline-acid-balance-affects-your-health/

https://www.bragg.com/collections/apple-cider-vinegar/products/organic-apple-cider-vinegar

Sodium Bicarbonate or baking soda

Sodium Bicarbonate is the most potent antifungal substance there is. Most antifungal drugs do not work as the fungi are very adaptive and within 3 - 4 days they can change their environment and render the drug ineffective.  Fungi however cannot adapt to baking soda.  Candida colonies are very adaptive and because the sodium bicarbonate rapidly changes the pH from acid to alkaline the yeast is effectively killed off before it has time to adapt to its new environment.

Some experts have found that using baking soda for candida will reduce the likelihood of having a current yeast infection. In fact, baking soda within the human body changes the overall acidity and alkalinity balance, or pH level, making it a more inhospitable environment for fungus growth. This common household substance is usually ingested as a beneficial treatment option.

Candida is a yeast fungus found naturally on the skin and membranes.  Healthy women have a mixture of this fungus and bacteria; but excessive growth of the candida can cause a yeast or vaginal infection,  likewise itchy scalp with excessive dandruff and irritated red inflamed skin in the eye brows and the fold of the nose, causing irritating burning and itching.

How does it work?

The substance has a high pH level, making it alkaline. Candida proliferates in the presence of low pH levels; however, increasing the alkalinity on the skin using baking soda for Candida will slowly kill the fungus.  Baking soda for candida will effectively balance the skin and  vagina's naturally occurring bacterial and yeast levels. As a result, the infection will be cured.

For itchy scalp with plaques

For chronic scalp conditions that are affecting the general health of the skin I recommend a 2 week regimen of apple cider vinegar combined with sodium bicarbonate.  

Every other day take half a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate with water and mix to a paste.  Part the hair and pour the mixture into the scalp.  Massage the scalp for 5 minutes, not to hard as it is slightly abrasive and can make the scalp to inflamed.  Then take the apple cider vinegar mixture (half cup to 8 oz water) and pour into the scalp and massage in well.

Leave this on for 5 minutes also.  Rinse really well and finish with your regular conditioner.

Do this every time you would regularly shampoo for two weeks. Baking soda can be abrasive and a bit harsh if used for more than 2 weeks.  The idea is to treat the skin condition then resume your normal routine.   If when you return to your normal shampoo and your scalp is still irritated you may want to try a non sulfate shampoo.

For general health and longevity

It's hard not to mention Dr. Simoncini when discussing the health benefits of sodium bicarbonate. Those of you who have had cancer or have someone close to them have probably heard of Dr. Simoncini, asked to leave Italy he now has a state of the art facility in Japan and recently a few clinics in the mid west have started to offer his treatment.

Dr. Simoncini is a leading proponent of sodium bicarbonate usage and believes that infection with fungus is the cause of cancer.

According to Dr. Simoncini, cancer is a consequence of the weakening and exhaustion of your organs, and eventually your entire body, in the following stages:

1. Candida roots itself in the deep connective tissue of various organs;

2. As a result, your body/organ tries to defend itself by encapsulating the invading fungal colonies through cellular hyper-production, which results in the formation of tumors;

3. The fungi spreads and growth continues both in your surrounding tissue and remotely (aka “metastasis”). It is always Candida attacking and infiltrating different tissues, but due to this fungus’ highly adaptive qualities, it is able to mutate and adapt itself to whatever environment it is invading which results in the various types of tumors;

4. Over time, your body and its organs is overrun and overwhelmed with Candida invasion which results in a weakened state. The body becomes less able to protect itself from the fungal infection which allows the fungi to spread and take over more rapidly;

5. Your body is completely overwhelmed and can no longer survive.

So keep your acid in your gut and skin and enjoy a healthier you.

Best

Deborah