I've known for a while that there is a connection between the liver and my skin. But what really drove it home to me was something that happened last year. I had a painful tooth and was taking near the maximum over-the-counter dosage of Tylenol to help with the pain. After doing this for a few days, I noticed that my forehead started breaking out. First there were a few spots, but soon, my whole forehead was covered in bumps. I started thinking hard about what might be causing these breakouts: Was I using any new skin care products? Was I touching my face a lot? Was I using a new shampoo? Then it dawned on me. The Tylenol was causing me to break out!
It makes sense because acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylonol) puts stress on the liver. (That's why it's so dangerous to overdose on Tylenol -- it can literally kill you!) I stopped taking the Tylenol and my skin got better. But I also learned a valuable lesson about the connection between my skin and my liver.
My preferred way of keeping my liver healthy and strong is to avoid eating foods or taking medication that are too hard on it. Heavy foods, especially deep fried ones, weaken the liver. Alcohol is hard on your liver, too. Your best bet is to eat a healthy, balanced diet and minimize the number of drugs and chemicals you put into your body. This doesn't mean you can't splurge sometimes, but it's good advice for life in general to make healthy choices more often than you make unhealthy ones. There are also some excellent teas available that help cleanse and strengthen the liver. Look for teas with milk thistle. My favorite is Get Clean from the Republic of Tea.
