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Welcome to Essentially Quinny - A podcast to help you learn more about your body and all the things that affect your health.

I have more than 12 years experience in the Natural Health field working with practitioners and doctors and speaking all over the world.

With more and more people wanting to take responsibility for their health and well being, I am bringing weekly episodes to you so you can make informed choices towards your good health.

If you would like to book an appointment with me, I
 am available for both online and in person consults.

Head to https://www.aurorahealingcodes.com/ for more information. 

Jul 16, 2021

This is episode four in our holistic care for skin series. Fungal conditions of the skin not only affect how your skin appears but can also be extremely painful, itchy and debilitating. Today we are talking about what the most common fungal conditions are and how we can treat them naturally.

Fungal conditions are something we call mycosis, which is an external fungus which is bigger than a bacteria and takes over your body. We normally know the fungal condition called Candida (or yeast) which makes many females panic because it can be a really tough issue to get on top of, especially because it tends to show up in the vaginal area which is very moist making it the perfect area for Candida to grow. In today’s episode however, we are not talking about internal presentations of Candida like this, but we will address it as a skin presentation. 

Forms of fungal conditions on the skin:

Pityriasis Versicolor - Trunk, neck and/or arms

Tinea Corporis - Most common type, known as ringworm. Corporis Means in your body or comes from your core. 

Tinea Pedis - Presents mostly between the toes but can also be seen between fingers. 

Tinea Cruris - Presents in the groin area, between thighs and genitals. 

Candida - Presents in the genital region (jocks itch) and also under the breasts

There are other forms as well but as these are the most common this is where we will focus our attention today.

For a fungal condition to take hold of the body it must have the right body conditions. The biggest factor is a low body pH (acidic). We have spoken about being too acid a lot in previous episodes. If you missed it I highly recommend going back and learning how to alkalise your body. Moisture and darkness are two other conditions which encourage fungal growth on the body.

Tinea Corporis (Ringworm) lives in soils, pets and water with the perfect conditions described above. If/when we come in contact with it and we have a low pH it will be able to grow and spread, using our body as a host. You can see the effects of ringworm on the skin where you get patches of light red circles with defined edges. They are almost flat and slightly flaky. These spots will not necessarily itch. 

Tinea Pedis shows up more like a cut in between the toes. It can be very painful, especially when you sweat, due to the rawness and blistering it can create. Candida varies from Tinea in that it is a lot more red and itchy.

Pityriasis Versicolor is a different family or variety of fungus from Tinea. It prevents the sunlight from hitting the melanocytes (sun receptors on the skin which create pigment) and thus creates patchy, white areas over the body. Pityriasis Versicolor does not create flakiness or have a well defined edge.

What should you be aware of if a fungal condition has taken hold?

  • Look at what you are eating and drinking that could be contributing to a low pH.
  • Reduce stress levels - High cortisol can definitely make you acid. 
  • Supplement to help neutralise the pH
  • If it is on the toes, keep them dry. 
  • Avoid synthetics and polyester in which you will tend to sweat and trap the sweat in. Cotton is both breathable and cooling so it is the best option.
  • Some people tend to use talcum powder to help with Tinea, but it is very toxic so it is not recommended. However, arrowroot powder is a good substitute and if you have essential oils you can blend a few drops of Lavender (not Lavandin as that will burn) with the arrowroot before applying. 
  • For the other types where they are covering large areas (that aren’t necessarily moist) we need to use an ointment. Sometimes we also need to exfoliate, especially with tinea corporis, as we need to remove the scale as the fungus dies so the new skin can come through. Exfoliation is best done twice a day as the skin regenerates about 3 times per day.  
  • Support the immune system as a low immune system leaves the door open for any number of parasites, bacteria, viruses etc and fungus is no exception. A good starting point is to supplement with some Zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin C. Be mindful, that is some skin conditions, Vitamin C is not recommended as it can aggravate your skin. 

For support and to book an appointment with Maria, head to https://www.aurorahealingcodes.com/