www.justusskincare.com www.DesertHealthNews.com January/February 2026 Natural Options The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 10 Continued on page 11 www.livewellclinic.org 760.771.5970 78900 Ave. 47, Suite 102 • La Quinta info@livewellclinic.org www.livewellclinic.org @LiveWellClinicLaQuinta @LiveWellClinic Sonja Fung, ND Naturopathic Doctor Medical Director Live Happy, Live Well Offering Telemedicine Naturopathic Primary Care Photodynamic Therapy GLP Weight Loss Integrative Cancer Care Sound Baths Last Wednesday of each month $30/person Environmental toxins enter our bodies every day, often without our awareness. Sources include polluted air, contaminated water, foods exposed to pesticides, chemical-laden products and industrial waste, to name a few. Over time, these toxins can stress the immune system, disrupt hormones, inflame tissues and hinder the body’s natural ability to repair itself. Low-level, chronic exposure to toxins has been linked to fatigue, cognitive difficulties, respiratory issues and increased risk of long-term disease. Thus, awareness and prevention are essential for protecting overall health.¬ While there is no single fix, a combination of medical, lifestyle and environmental strategies can significantly reduce exposure and support the body’s natural detoxification systems. Here are the main evidence-informed approaches: Medical evaluation and targeted treatment · Clinical testing. Practitioners can test for heavy metals, mold and glyphosate exposure, chemical sensitivities and organ function to pinpoint sources of toxicity. · Treatment plans. Depending on findings, practitioners may administer chelating agents that bind to toxins such as heavy metals, assisting the body in excreting them. Supplementation may also be recommended to manage inflammatory or respiratory issues, along with protocols for mold-related and other toxin-related illnesses. · Support for affected organs. Liver, kidney, gut and thyroid function are often assessed as environmental toxins target these sites with treatment protocols to support specific conditions. Reducing exposure at the source · Cleaner indoor air. Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air purifiers, improve ventilation, reduce indoor chemicals and avoid burning synthetic candles or fragrances. · Water filtration. Activated carbon or reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large group of man-made chemicals that don't easily break down), heavy metals, chlorine byproducts and other contaminants. · Non-toxic household and personal products. Choose fragrance-free, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) cleaning products, avoid plastics where possible and reduce pesticide use. Supporting the body’s detox pathways · Nutrition. Add more foods rich in antioxidants (berries, leafy greens) and sulfur-rich vegetables (broccoli, garlic, onions) to support liver detox enzymes. Choose to eat organic foods whenever possible and maintain a high-fiber diet, which helps eliminate toxins through your gut.® · Hydration. The body is 70% water. Adequate water intake is important in helping the kidneys flush metabolic waste. · Sweating. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and one of the main pathways for eliminating toxins. Sweating achieved through regular exercise or sauna use facilitates the natural elimination of toxins.¯ · Gut health.A diverse diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and grain, along with prebiotics, probiotics and now, post-biotics, help maintain the 100 trillion microbiomes in our gut, playing a key role in detoxification.° · Functional genomics testing. Knowing how to support your body throughout each phase of detoxification is essential to dealing with overload. Working with a qualified genomics practitioner can help you interpret your unique genotype and identify targeted support that may optimize your body’s natural detox processes. Understanding your DNA and where your detoxification pathways may be hampered can reveal underlying contributors to toxin-related symptoms. These may occur from variability in enzyme activity, missing genetic variants, or increased demand on certain pathways due to hormonal changes, stress or increased exposure to toxins.± Mitigating Environmental Toxins Tips for minimizing effects and maximizing health By Joan McLoughlin, FNP-C Remember puberty and getting your first zit? The horror of it all. Your sweet baby skin was suddenly gone, a casualty of hormones you didn’t ask for. But you adapted. You learned how to care for your skin, and most of us eventually landed on routines that worked. Then, one day—sometime during the long journey across the great menopausal divide—your moisturizer quits working. Your skin feels drier, thinner, more reactive. Somehow…different. This is the great estrogen exodus. Estrogen is one of the unsung heroes of skin health. It helps regulate collagen production, oil balance, wound healing, hydration and elasticity. When menopause reduces estrogen levels, it doesn’t just age the skin; it changes the architecture of the skin itself. As estrogen declines, oil production drops, leaving fewer natural lipids to seal in hydration. The outer layer of skin becomes less efficient at preventing water loss. Wrinkles deepen, the barrier weakens and many women experience new sensitivities or rosacea-like flare-ups they never had before. In desert climates, where dry air relentlessly pulls moisture from the skin, these changes are amplified. Suddenly, products that worked for decades don’t just stop helping—they can make things worse. Why? Because most skin care isn’t formulated for post-menopausal women. Pre-menopausal skin care is relatively easy to formulate. Younger skin naturally contains higher levels of collagen, ceramides, elasticity and oil. Lightweight formulas with basic hydrators, simple emulsions and minimal active concentrations are often enough. These products are inexpensive to make, and for women in their 20s, 30s, and even early 40s, they meet the skin where it is. But once you cross the menopausal line, the biology changes, and those formulas no longer meet the need. Formulating for post-menopausal skin requires higher percentages of active ingredients, richer lipid systems, more sophisticated emulsions and targeted antiinflammatory support. These formulas cost more to produce, but they deliver what your skin nowbiologically requires. So what should you look for? Lipids and humectants. Nourishing plant butters and oils help replace what declining estrogen takes away. Hydrate deeply and consistently, not just with creams, but with humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, amino acids and saccharide isomerate that replenish the skin’s internal water supply. Keep a misting product at your desk. Keep a mini bottle of body oil in your car. For collagen support, modern actives matter. Retinal (a gentler, more advanced retinoid), peptides such as Matrixyl or Telangyn, and oil-soluble vitamin C can help, but only when they are present in meaningful levels, not as a footnote tacked onto the end of an ingredient list. Inflammation also plays a larger role after menopause. Botanicals like acai, tamanu, calendula and green tea help calm redness, restore comfort and support healthier aging skin. And of course, daily UV protection remains the single most powerful tool for preventing accelerated aging at any age. When post-menopausal skin is supported with formulas specifically designed for it, the skin becomes calmer, stronger and more luminous again. The goal isn’t to fight getting older, it’s to get the complexion reins back in our own hands. With any luck, we still have a long ride ahead of us. It isn’t rocket science…it’s just a heavier pour of the good stuff. Brook Dougherty of Indio is the co-founder of JustUs Skincare and welcomes your questions. She can be reached at (310) 266.7171 or brook@justusskincare.com. For more information, visit www.justusskincare.com. Sources available upon request. Care for Post-Menopausal Skin By Brook Dougherty Mature skin can regain a youthful glow with targeted skin care ingredients. Choosing natural products for home and body is a small but impactful step.
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