By Silde Marins — Skin Specialist, Natural Formulator, Total Beauty Care by Silde
It started with my skin.
After 40 years of treating women’s skin, I thought I knew everything about aging, sensitivity, and inflammation. I had the tools, the knowledge, the protocols.
Then my own body stopped cooperating.
A fall in 2019 started a chain reaction I never saw coming. Chronic pain. Forced stillness during two years of pandemic lockdowns with no physiotherapy. The stress of closing my beloved clinic. Then shingles — four weeks of neurological pain that no treatment could touch, sleepless nights that never seemed to end.
And then a stroke.
My body had been fighting silent inflammation for so long — it finally gave out.
Here I am today at 70 — rebuilding myself from the inside out. And what I discovered in that process changed everything I thought I knew about skin, health, and aging.
The skin was never the problem. Inflammation was.
WHAT IS INFLAMMATION REALLY?
Most people think of inflammation as redness or swelling after an injury. That is acute inflammation — your body doing exactly what it should.
But there is another kind. Silent. Invisible. Chronic.
It doesn’t announce itself. It builds slowly over years — fed by poor diet, chronic stress, disrupted sleep, environmental toxins, and a lifestyle out of sync with your body’s natural clock.
And it shows up first on your skin.
WHAT CHRONIC INFLAMMATION DOES TO YOUR SKIN
When inflammation becomes chronic, it triggers a cascade of damage:
Collagen breakdown — Inflammatory molecules called cytokines directly attack collagen fibers. This is why chronic stress ages skin faster than sun damage.
Barrier disruption — Inflammation weakens your skin’s protective barrier, leading to sensitivity, redness, and dehydration that no moisturizer can fully fix.
Hyperpigmentation — Inflammatory triggers activate melanocytes, causing dark spots and uneven skin tone.
Accelerated aging — A 2024 study published in Nature Aging confirmed that chronic low-grade inflammation — now called “inflammaging” — is one of the primary drivers of accelerated biological aging in skin and organs simultaneously.
Adult acne — Adult acne is almost always inflammatory in origin — triggered by gut dysbiosis, insulin spikes, or hormonal imbalance — not bacteria alone.
THE CONNECTION YOUR DOCTOR IS MISSING
Here is what conventional medicine rarely tells you:
Your skin symptoms and your internal health symptoms are the same problem wearing different masks.
Bleeding gums? Inflammation.
Recurrent infections? Inflammation.
Fatty liver? Inflammation.
Insulin resistance? Inflammation.
Joint pain? Inflammation.
Dull, aging skin? Inflammation.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle confirmed that fat depositing inside organs — including the liver — directly disrupts metabolic health and accelerates aging throughout the body, including the skin.
Your doctor looks at each symptom separately. Your skin sees the whole picture.
WHERE INFLAMMATION STARTS — AND WHERE TO START FIXING IT
In my experience — both professional and deeply personal — inflammation almost always begins in one of these four places:
- Your diet
Sugar, processed food, refined oils, and alcohol are the most powerful inflammation triggers. Conversely, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, wild salmon, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, beets, broccoli, cabbage, oats with chia seeds, and raw honey are among the most powerful inflammation fighters known to science. Everyone is different — pick what works for your own needs and health conditions. This is simply what I do personally. - Your gut
A disrupted gut microbiome sends inflammatory signals directly to your liver, your bloodstream, and your skin. If you experience bloating, belching, or irregular digestion — your gut inflammation is likely showing on your face. - Your sleep and circadian rhythm
Your skin repairs itself between 11pm and 4am. Your liver detoxifies overnight. Your cortisol resets before dawn. When this rhythm is disrupted — by late eating, artificial light, or irregular sleep — inflammation rises and skin aging accelerates. - Your stress levels
Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which directly breaks down collagen, disrupts gut bacteria, raises blood sugar, and suppresses immune function. All at once.
MY PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS — WHAT I DO EVERY DAY
These are personal suggestions based on current research and my own experience. I am not a medical doctor. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or treatment.
Diet first — always:
Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil daily. Wild salmon — my number one fish. Omega-3 supplement if you don’t eat fish. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries — any red or purple fruit. Beets, broccoli, cabbage. Oats with chia seeds. Raw honey in small amounts. No sugar, no processed food.
Supplements I personally take and research supports:
Magnesium Bisglycinate — reduces inflammation and supports sleep. Omega-3 — essential for skin barrier and cardiovascular health. NAC — powerful liver protector and antioxidant. CoQ10 Ubiquinol form — cellular energy and skin repair. Niacinamide — reduces inflammatory markers and supports skin barrier. Psyllium Husk — before meals to slow glucose absorption.
Lifestyle non-negotiables:
Stop eating by 6pm. Walk daily. Resistance exercise. Morning light exposure. No screens after 9pm.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Your skin is not betraying you. It is communicating with you.
Every spot, every line, every patch of sensitivity is your body sending a signal that something deeper needs attention.
After 40 years of sitting across from women who came to me talking about their skin — I know now that what they were really describing was a body out of rhythm. A woman who had stopped being seen. Starting with herself.
The skin does not lie. And neither does inflammation.
Start with your lifestyle. Start with your diet. Start with your sleep.
Everything else follows.
Silde Marins is a retired esthetician with 40+ years of clinical experience, a Formula Botanica certified organic skincare formulator, and the creator of the Chrono-Dermal Balancing Method. She writes about the connection between inflammation, circadian rhythm, and skin health at silde.ca
Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. All product suggestions are personal recommendations. Some links may be affiliate links — I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.