Why Fall Apart | Let it all go!
Authored by Anne C. Willis  

Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last array of colorful vibrancy, as nature prepares itself for its long-awaited beauty rest.  I am so ready! After running my body full throttle all summer, it is time to ease off the accelerator. But before I slip into neutral for winter’s rejuvenation, I am going to draw from Autumn’s energy where I will examine the riches of our essential nature; purpose, identity, and the value my hard work brings to others.

The season of Autumn not only prompts us to let go, but allows for the assimilation of what we have gained through the previous season.  Contrary to what you may be conditioned to believe, letting go doesn't mean something is destroyed in the process. Just as the leaves fall to the ground and decompose, the earth absorbs the nutrients providing richness to the soil. Even at death they serve a purpose.  “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall’, Confucius.  Confucius must have understood the value of falling leaves on mother earth’s evolution.

The skin experiences a similar process of letting go. As cooler weather marches in dead skin cells detach providing nourishment for skin’s microbiome, enriching skin’s surface with added protection and future cellular regeneration.  This of course is contrary to what the aggressive conventional skin care campaigns bamboozle you into believing.  More on that later.

Much of my work follows the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. So, I rely on this ancient teaching when it comes to understanding the body's response to each season. The traditional philosophy identifies an earth element associated with each season. Each element is connected to a cycle of creation, destruction, and transformation. This theory is used as an approach to understand how natural phenomena manifest in the body and skin when in health or illness.

TMC teaches us that Autumn is the season of the metal element. Metal is the precious substance found deep within the earth that mirrors the introspection that is to come during the winter months.  The metal element directs us to put things in order, seal openings, and protect our boundaries with others and even ourselves. It is important to note that the metal element is seen to belong to the three organs of immunity and detoxification, Lung, Skin, and Large Intestine. These are all systems that we identify as releasing and letting go. I just love this mystery of nature.

The Lungs, Skin, and Large Intestine association with immunity is due to the role of the microbiome in preventing infections. The lungs, skin and large intestine all share the functions of taking in nourishment via water and oxygen or nutrients and filtering out toxins that don’t serve us. As nature would have it these organs systems go into full activation during the autumn months.  If they are weak entering the season of autumn then respiration and elimination often becomes impaired, and the immune system can become weakened leaving us susceptible to pathogenic invasions and autoimmune conditions. So prevention is the best medicine.

The Large Intestines

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the large intestines focus on eliminating body waste, which is crucial to prevent auto-toxicity. A sluggish system cannot defend itself efficiently, so it is very common that you may experience changes to bowel movement during the autumn months. Associated with this change are symptoms of constipation, frequent bowel movements, and/or bloating.  The large intestines are not only responsible for eliminating body waste, but are thought to help us move long-standing emotions out of the body. It is the organ that prompts us to let go of burdensome judgements we impose on ourselves and others. As soon as the weather begins to shift, I start my day with a warm cup of De La Terre Skincare’s Purifies Herb Rich Tea which aids in cleansing the colon and improves my digestive and mental health.

 The System of Respiration

One of the principal functions of the lungs includes governing respiration and regulating water passages.  It is in charge of inhalation and exhalation and in more general terms, the flux of coming in and going out. The nose is the sensory organ of the Lung. If your Lung is weak, your nose may be easily affected by wind, cold and dampness in autumn, and you may be prone to allergies, sinusitis and rhinitis. It seems to never fail. As soon as that wind kicks up, I start sneezing and getting a runny nose. At the onset of experiencing phlegm, I can feel my lungs, nose and sinuses begin to store dampness resulting in nasal congestion, nasal swelling, and nasal drips. For this reason, I practice inhalation therapy with De La Terre Skincare’s Purifies Herb Rich Mist.  Our clients love this product telling us that it helps to disperse nasal dampness while relieving the pressure associated with mucus.

 The Skin

Did you know that the skin is a part of the Lung organ system and the pores are controlled by the Lungs?  You know those little orifices on the surface of the skin actually allow for the coming in and going out of small chemical molecules that assist with nourishing microbial life, detoxification, lubrication, temperature control, and oxygenation. At the end of summer, skin pores are considered to be open to allow excess summer heat to leave the body. As the skin transitions through the autumn months, pores slowly begin to close to prevent the loss of moisture, nutrients and heat. It only makes sense that during this time of year the Lung may experience difficulty adapting to the shift. If they have difficulty closing the pores when needed, the skin may be predisposed to dehydration and dryness. This also will prevent elimination of skin waste and detoxification.  Then what happens? Skin conditions such as acne, obstructed pores, eczema, psoriasis, and barrier disturbances flare up.  This takes us back to the value of inhalation therapy in order to support pores so they can rid your skin of waste instead of holding onto it all winter. 

Foods to keep you grounded

Because the weather cools off in autumn, we need to eat fewer cooling foods like raw salads and fruits and more warming foods like bone broth, stews, soups, sautéed vegetables, and roasts. I recommend longer cooking times and heartier ingredients to nourish the body. You really need to think in terms of assisting the body in the process of elimination. For this reason, it is important to eat cleansing and moistening foods like mushrooms, spinach, okra, and squash. I have an affinity for sauerkraut in the fall which offers a lot of fiber for elimination and probiotics for building gut health. If you are not a sauerkraut fan then be sure and check out other fermented foods such as kombucha and miso.

Drinking plenty of water and De La Terre Skincare Purifies herbal tea daily will not only assist with large intestine elimination, but clears the lungs of phlegm and mucus.

Avoid Foods that cause mucus congestion

1. Avoid wheat, sugars, fruit juices, alcohol, processed foods and refined flours
2. Avoid cold foods or drinks, dairy, and fried foods 

Eat Foods that Lubricate the Body and Moisten Lungs

1. Enjoy healthy oils like grass-fed ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, hemp oil.
2. Enjoy seasonal moistening foods such as pears, pumpkin, squash, apples, seaweed, grapefruit, and lemon.

AUTUMN SKIN CARE

Autumn marks the end of the growing season - a turning inward, a falling away of outer-directed energy. Skin goes through the most profound transition of any of the other four seasons.

The downward energy of autumn pulls toward storage as this same momentum pushes the release of waste and dead skin cell remnants. So, when I consult with clients during this time of year I see a lot of flakiness, blocked pores, and the skin begins to look collapsed. That is of course if they haven’t been using De La Terre Skincare products on a daily basis.

The cool thing about pores is that they start to contract as I discussed earlier, allowing for the release of nourishment, detoxification, lubrication, all while attempting to regulate temperature. My recommendation is to avoid topicals that constrict pores or minimize them such as astringents, gel cleansers, retinol, chemical peels, microneedling, just to name a few.  Once the contractual pull of autumn’s energy is completed the pores will naturally begin to close up. It is vital that their protective boundaries of pores are intact so they can rest easy during the winter months.

As all of this contraction and releasing is taking place you may notice sudden outbreak of blemishes, blocked pores and flareups with autoimmune conditions such as Psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea.  Keep in mind, autoimmune means self-attacking self.  Therefore, while you are letting go of what no longer serves you, setting boundaries, and finding peace, skin will reflect that process.

PRODUCTS TO CLEANSE - PURIFY - NOURISH

De La Terre Skincare takes seasonal changes as opportunities to better our skin’s health and prevent minor upsets that leave skin weak.  A few simple changes to your skin care application will make a late summer transition towards skin health easy without changing your entire skin care routine.

Here are De La Terre Skincare’s four TOP product recommendations that will allow your skin to keep the peace during October and November.

Active Support Skin Lotion is most needed during the autumn season as the formula’s inclusion of 14 varieties of mushrooms will assist in the natural breakdown of decomposed organic materials (dead skin cells) thus creating the conversion of nutrients, protection from pathogens and repair to damaged skin cells. How will your skin look and feel after using this product?? Smoother, brighter, and less pigmented. I suggest applying Active Support Skin Lotion morning and night directly after Herb Rich Mist. If your skin needs more moisture, like mine does, then apply Herb Rich Cream after the lotion.

Herb Rich Clay is a must application during the Autumn season.  Each unique blend improves the health of the pore opening, while clearing away surface remnants left over after detoxification.  What I love best about this product is how it provides symptomatic relief from seasonal change. If ever there was a season to start using this product, Autumn is it!  Apply Herb Rich Clay 1-2 times a week as long as your skin barrier has not been compromised. Be sure and apply it to the chest/décolleté, and if you really want skin to breath with health apply it to the legs and arms.

Purifies | Herb Rich Tea has a mild sweet earthy flavor.   The unique blend of herbs naturally promotes cleansing the body, while purifying the respiratory system.  This blend really keeps me stay grounded as I take my foot off the throttle. I recommend drinking two to three cups a day. Be sure to take deep breaths and inhale the aroma of the tea so your respiratory system receives the care it needs.  Caffeine Free and oh soooo delicious.

Purifies | Herb Rich Mist is recommended for inhalation therapy. As I shared earlier the fine mist clears loose mucus and phlegm from the nasal & bronchial airways, thus reducing sneezing and itchy eyes.

I even use it as a facial mist because it helps seal pore openings. As the skin absorbs the unique properties of this fine mist it immediately begins to act on reducing itchiness or any allergic symptoms due to detoxification.

Nature is full of transitions.  Autumn invites you to reinforce your body and skin vitality through the best paired foods, mindful self-care, and De La Terre Skincare products.   By taking the time to acknowledge the shifts that occur inside and outside of the body during each seasonal change, you can become closer to nature’s lessons for obtaining a healthy lifestyle.