Regardless of where you search online, adaptogens are a huge buzzword right now in the health and wellness community. But what are these so called "adaptogens" and what exactly do they do? Well, adaptogens are basically super herbs that help your body and mind adapt to life's stressful events. Overtime, they help your body to use its own resources to return to a state of normal function.
They're essential in dealing with persistent stress or fatigue because they work to naturally balance the body's hormones, bringing you back to a state of homeostasis. Depending on the adaptogen, the health benefits are wide from boosting the immune system, improving adrenal function, and encouraging a general feeling of wellness to increasing mental focus, strengthening physical endurance, and in the process promoting clear, glowing skin. That's right adaptogens can even be used to clear your skin, after all acne is in part a hormonal imbalance, right? And well, adaptogens work to bring your hormones to a completely balanced state.
So, it's no surprise that the market is booming right now with beauty tonics in every health food store claiming to promote even tone and glowing, clear skin. Some of
my personal favorites are the Pearl Butters, Moon Juice Beauty Dust, and the Amazing Grass Beauty Elixir. These definitely help to mask the taste of the adaptogens, which are sometimes not so amazing, and are great for those who are just starting out or looking to take the plunge without buying a whole bag of herbs (which can be overwhelming).
However sometimes these blends can start to get pricey. It can actually be cheaper or more potent to buy your own herbs and create your own DIY beauty dusts, like this article explains here. But when searching for the right adaptogens for you it's important to know which ingredients to look out for. Which will make the greatest improvement; those that are a flip, and others which are a flop. The following five adaptogens are ones I have personally seen the greatest improvement with and I truly believe are helping to balance my hormones, reduce my levels of stress, improve my endurance, and in the process clear my skin.
*It's important to never take more than 3 adaptogens at a time. Also make sure to switch out your adaptogens as needed, never taking the same exact ones every single day. As always when starting a new medicine, make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new supplement or regimen. These are meant as general guidelines and may not be suitable for everyone."
maca
Maca is perhaps one of the most popular herbs used to promote hormonal balance in both males and females. It doesn't increase or decrease hormones, but rather supports your body in healing and helps restore overall balance to your system. According to thelovevitamin, it does this by stimulating the pituitary and hypothalamus to balance the entire endocrine system. Maca is considered most helpful if you have estrogen dominance. It3 is also known to increase libido, improve energy, mood, and memory.
ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is considered a general health tonic and one of the most widely consumed adaptogens among the wellness community. It not only helps with balancing your sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone), but also lowers cortisol (stress hormone) and balances thyroid hormones. Ashwagandha is considered a great option for acne because it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps to speed up the process and aid in overall wound healing.
reishi
Reishi is one of the most widely studied adaptogens, and one of the most powerful (in my opinion). The benefits are far and wide from enhancing the immune system, improving allergies, reducing inflammation, acting as an antioxidant, and reducing anxiety or depression, to helping you sleep, healing the liver and kidneys, enhancing your brain, and aiding in gut health. Reishi is one of the best tonics to keep in your stash of herbs for helping your body function to its best ability.
Although it's not one of the first herbs talked about in clearing the skin, Reishi does help to balance hormones and strongly influences the body to remain in a homeostasis balance. Like the previous herbs mentioned, it doesn't add hormones or reduce them one way or another, but instead works to balance them thus reducing hormonal acne.
cordyceps
Cordyceps is well known for improving stamina and physical endurance and many people opt to take it as a pre-workout for this reason. If you tend to do more high energy intense workouts, Cordyceps might be for you, as it works to balance the cortisol released before, after, and while you're working out. It's also a powerful mushroom that works in detoxifying the human body, flushing out toxins from the liver, and protecting the rest of the body from harm. Cordyceps is another great adaptogen for regulating hormonal balance, being amazing for brighten and improving overall skin texture.
moringa
Moringa is best known for reducing inflammation and regulating blood sugar levels. It also helps with digestion, which many of us know can be an underlying cause for cystic acne. When your digestion is backed up and struggles to eliminate toxins, it will pair up with other organs (like your skin) and eliminate toxins that way. Because acne is an inflammatory disease, the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Moringa can also reduce overall inflammation and redness of the skin.
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