Anyone who has asked me about a skin issue has heard my most common advice. "Put some sour cream on it."
Some reasons to use it:
Sunburn relief
Diaper rash
Eczema
Psoriasis
Dry Skin
Acne
Burns (healing)
Itching
Yeast infections
Before we go on, let me clarify. I am not talking about just any white substance with the label of sour cream. I mean real, cultured cream (actually called créme fraîche). How can you know the difference? Look on the back of your sour cream tub. The ingredients should be cream and cultures. Nothing else.
There are several brands that meet this requirement. This brand is often accessible, and is my favorite to eat right out of the tub. If there are additional ingredients, it signifies that the cream is poor quality and could not be thickened or that it was not cultured long enough to thicken it (which significantly reduces the probiotic benefits). These fillers may also feed bad bacteria or yeast that is growing on your skin. Not helpful!
As a side note, what we call sour cream is actually cultured cream. Sour cream means that you leave the cream out until it sours. This produces a very different flavor, and one that is not very popular in America. Cultured cream is made in a manner very similar to yogurt. Live probiotic strains are added to cream and allowed to change that cream into cultured cream (aka créme fraîche), which we call sour cream in America. So when I refer to "sour cream" I am really referring to créme fraîche)
Ok, now that we have discussed what we are talking about, let's talk about why sour cream is helpful. Sour Cream (créme fraîche) is made up of 2 ingredients, both of which are very helpful to any skin issue.
Cream:
Cream is rich in fat-soluble vitamins that nourish the skin. Vitamin A helps to thicken the skin, as well as helping to repair the skin from damage from things like toxins and sunburn. Vitamin D contributes to skin growth, and helps produce an endogenous (meaning produced by the body) antibiotic. Vitamin E helps prevent skin damage from the sun and free radicals.
There are minerals present in cream that also help the skin. These are zinc and selenium. Zinc is a co-factor needed for Vitamin A to function properly, and selenium is needed to protect the skin from free radicals and to keep it elastic.
Of course, eating these foods also gives you these nutrients, but applying créme fraîche or butter topically puts these nutrients right where the body needs them to be.
Cultures:
The live probiotics play a major role in treating skin issues. Beneficial microbia can eat or inactivate toxins (including histamine), repair epithelial (skin) cells, balance the skin pH, and kill bad bacteria, yeast or viruses that are in the area.
The skin's natural pH is between 4-6... this acidic environment is called the acid mantle, and is a protective barrier. Sometimes we need to address the pH of the skin more specifically, and for this I recommend raw apple cider vinegar (ACV). You can put it on your skin undiluted, diluted, or take an ACV detox bath. It is fine to put both ACV and créme fraîche on your skin at the same time.
This is why I recommend "sour cream" for pretty much any skin issue there is. Occasionally I find it doesn't help much, but it doesn't hurt!
More reasons to apply "sour cream"
It is soothing, and brings instant relief to itching
It does not burn when it is applied
It is completely safe to apply to a child's skin
A child can apply it themselves, because it's just a food
It can be applied frequently, even every few minutes
It populates the area with beneficial flora
A little goes a long way, and it absorbs quickly
If you brought some for lunch, no need to carry extra lotion
Your puppy will love to lick it off! Extra kisses!
Reasons to not use "sour cream"
There are a few reasons why "sour cream" may not be the best option:
You cannot obtain or make quality "sour cream"
A known dairy allergy, and the cream tested positive in a sensitivity test
Applications of the "sour cream" seems to make the issue worse
The skin issue is not going away. Seek professional advice if no improvement
One More Thought:
Although this entire post is about sour cream, I would be remiss not to mention the importance of addressing the root cause when there is a continuing skin issue. Nutrition, microbiome balance, and toxic load all need to be addressed if you want clear, healthy skin! If you're ready to address your root cause, you can schedule a nutritional counseling appointment with me today!
References:
Trifold ButterSkin DeepSkin Acid Mantle
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