Over-the-counter products can offer quick relief but can also cause additional dry skin, irritation, and itchiness. The system’s central roles include physical protection, immunity, wound healing, vitamin D synthesis, body temperature regulation, and sensation. For overall health, protecting the integumentary system is essential.
Julie Greenberg, a licensed naturopathic doctor and registered herbalist specializing in integrative dermatology and the founder of The Center for Integrative & Naturopathic Dermatology in Los Angeles, cultivated an interest in health and skin-care products after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disease) while finishing her master’s of business administration at Stanford University. Her diagnosis prompted her to reexamine her beliefs about health. During her health journey and research, Greenberg found that many compounds women put on their skin are toxic or disrupt hormones.
This discovery inspired her to develop an “inside out and outside in” approach that she recommends to every person entering her office and which she uses herself. “During the thorough initial intake, every patient completes the OAT (organic acid test) and a stool sample. I need to know the health of their microbiome,” Greenberg said in an interview with The Epoch Times.
“All of us have the Malassezia yeast on our scalp,” Greenberg said. “It is true we need to address the overgrowth first, but then we must go back to the gut microbiome t.