How You Can Talk Gut Health With Your Skin Clients Successfully

A strategic framework for supporting gut health to enhance skin outcomes.

Skin conditions as we know aren’t just skin deep, they’re increasingly linked to what’s going on beneath the surface, including gut health. For skin therapists, navigating conversations about gut health can feel tricky.

You want to stay within your scope of practice, while still offering valuable guidance and creating a trusted network for your clients. So, how can you approach these conversations confidently and responsibly?

Brooke Oke, Owner of Goodkind Naturopathy, holds qualifications as a Naturopath and Mental Health Nurse (BHSc, BN, PostGradDipMHN) and has completed over eight years of tertiary education. With almost a decade of experience as a Registered Nurse specialising in mental health and a thriving clinical naturopathic practice, Brooke combines empirical knowledge with modern-day evidence to deliver the best possible outcomes for her clients.

Brooke also practices out of SSKIN, who is Founded by sisters Amy and Emilee Hembrow, so we sat down with Brooke to learn about how referrals can be successful and mutually beneficial across both skin therapists & naturopaths.

Brooke, what questions would be helpful in the treatment room to introduce the topic of gut health to a client that’s within a Dermal or Skin Therapist’s scope? 

I always communicate to my clients the importance of treating both the internal and external aspects of their health. Without looking at their internal health you can sometimes miss a crucial area of skin health and improvement. Often simple changes to someone’s internal health can make a huge difference.

The basic foundations like drinking enough water, minimising exposure to chemicals and toxins, eating enough fibre and antioxidants to name a few. Opening the conversation about gut health and skin will often reveal loads of information about their dietary habits and mindset which will enhance your clinical decision making when it comes to skin treatments.

The main areas to understand would be things like: are they consuming a lot of refined sugar? do they experience a lot of gut symptoms like bloating, pain, constipation etc? do they find there is a link between their dietary intake and skin breakouts or texture?

Basic questioning about their health is well within your scope, if the client would benefit from more intervention and support then referral to a Naturopath might be indicated.

How can a Dermal or Skin Therapist aid in the holistic process with basic nutritional recommendations? Should/can they be recommending EFA’s etc?

Just like with gut health supplements and nutrition can either be a simple conversation or a more complex one! Again, sticking to the basics with diet and lifestyle is a no-brainer (hydration, fibre, antioxidants, dietary omega sources), however there may be cases where clients need extra supplementation to address their skin concerns.

I’m a huge advocate for seeking professional advice when it comes to supplements as it’s a bit of a minefield out there when it comes to quality, dosage, type and whether it is indicated.

In general, when it comes to common complaints like congestion, redness or hormone related acne, EFA’s and Omega 3, 6 and 9 can be helpful – however I am huge on quality when it comes to fish oil or omegas as you need to ensure the supplement has been batch tested for heavy metals, quality assurance so the oils don’t go rancid and where they are sourced. 

What would be the appropriate process for referring a client onto a naturopath – especially without it seeming daunting or overwhelming?

If the Naturopath you are referring your client to has experience or speciality in working with skin then the more information the better. We love to know about your skincare recommendations, treatments in the clinic, any protocols and extra information the client has told you.

You can usually reach out to Naturopaths via email, phone or social media. I have loads of dermal therapy connections on social media! It’s a great way to connect and share different lenses of treatment. Often a simple message asking about the process is all you need, or even a short email. 

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