In this section I discuss what it takes to keep our skin looking young and healthy—what we can do for it, what to avoid, and some dietary guidelines and supplement suggestions. Many aspects of lifestyle, including stress, cigarette smoking, and sunbathing or ultraviolet (UV) tanning may lead to premature aging of the skin. I also review some of the many acute and chronic skin disorders that occur at various ages or throughout life. Fortunately, most of these problems eventually heal on their own. I will briefly examine these with a focus on nutritional influences and treatment, trying to be a bit more helpful than the lighthearted maxim of the Dermatologist: "If it’s dry, wet it; if it’s wet, dry it out. If that doesn’t work, use cortisone."

The skin is our largest organ. It functions as a protective covering, a key sensing organ, an oil producer, and an important organ of elimination. Through regular evaporation and perspiration, the skin can clear all kinds of toxins to help maintain internal balance. The skin must be well nourished to stay healthy. It needs good circulation through its millions of tiny capillaries, good nerve function, and a ready supply of nutrients to aid its rapid growth.

Our skin surface is the intermediary between the external and internal environments and reflects the health of the underlying organs and our internal body function. By looking at the skin, tongue surface, eye tissue, and hair quality, I can get a good idea of an individual’s general health, vitality, and internal balance. In Chinese medicine, the skin coloration or hue around and under the eyes reflects the subtle balance among the Chinese five elements. For example, a greenish hue may suggest a liver/gallbladder imbalance. In this system, the colors are related to different organs as shown in the following chart.

The condition of the skin and tissue around the eyes can suggest certain other problems. Signs of fatigue and increased aging lines or dark circles under the eyes may indicate stress; the Chinese would diagnose weak adrenal-kidney energy. Water or kidney imbalance may show up as puffiness, while colon congestion or imbalance might be represented by wrinkled bags under the eyes or a white coloration.