I did a thing!!!
SO, I did something!!! I starred on a podcast and it went LIVE today!
For IWD earlier this month, I was thrilled to take part in the podcast Food Rebels– a refreshing, real TALK chat featuring women from all walks of life, and unusual and innovative industries across Kent. This opened up conversations that we sometimes wouldn’t always have around skincare, leaning towards this greater understanding between our lifestyles, nutrition (mainly our gut) and our skin – how what we consume really is affecting and supporting our skin barrier and how by de-stressing and introducing rituals can really help to improve the skin.
AJ (Food Rebels Star) even trialled the Fox & Bloom products and said how amazing she thought they were, particularly because her skin is often so sensitive.
I spoke about being NEVER too old to start a business, the importance of looking after yourself, how Fox & Bloom is all for the environment and how you can support your skin in so many other ways than just by what you put on it.
The Gut Skin Connection - how everything starts in the gut.
There’s so much more conversation now about the gut being the first brain and this focus on, ‘we are what we eat’ (phew) which may seem obvious to a lot of people, what we put in to fuel our bodies and our brain – but more importantly, with a focus on our organs, and the biggest one of those being our skin! The podcast touches on everyday rituals that we should be introducing into our daily habits and how those might be affecting our skin directly. The food we put in directly affects our skin's natural barrier.
Why Healthy Skin Is More Than What You Put on It
More evidence is coming out about the gut coming first and the focus on skin – and why it’s so important to feed it everything it needs. Our gut and our skin are closely linked through what’s called the gut-skin axis. When the gut is healthy and happy and we’re feeding it all those important things it’s craving, our digestion is efficient, nutrients are absorbed, and inflammation is balanced. We may also notice our mood is lifted, our hormones are more balanced, we get ill less often, we have more energy and more!
Conversely, imbalances in the gut, whether due to diet, stress, or lifestyle, can trigger inflammation that shows up on the skin: breakouts, sensitivity, redness, or dryness. Eating nourishing foods, staying hydrated, and supporting gut health with probiotics or fermented foods can help skin thrive from the inside out.
When our gut is supported, our skin benefits too, it’s well hydrated, resilient, and calm. In other words, we aren’t having breakouts or suffering from other skin issues like eczema or psoriasis. The podcast also touches on everyday rituals we should be introducing into our daily habits and how those might be affecting our skin directly.
I think this is my encouraging speech to think more consciously about what you’re eating and make the connection between your skin and your gut. That’s the first step. Start with the gut and everything will follow.
Why De-Stressing can REALLY help the skin glow
There’s a much wider conversation now around stress and skin, and how important self-care and overall wellness truly are.
Stress affects our bodies in very real ways, and this is often reflected in how our skin looks and behaves. Skin is not separate from the rest of us — it is deeply connected to the nervous system, the gut, our hormones, and our emotional state. When the nervous system is activated, cortisol levels rise. In small amounts, this response is protective. But when stress becomes chronic, the body stays in that heightened state for longer than it should.
Chronically elevated cortisol can:
Disrupt the skin barrier
Increase water loss from the skin
Trigger inflammation
Slow down repair processes
Make skin more sensitive or reactive
Inflammation weakens the skin’s protective layer, which can lead to dryness, breakouts, redness, and sensitivity. The skin may also appear dull, depleted, or tired. Collagen production can be affected, healing can take longer, and existing conditions can flare more easily.
Ultimately, it’s about supporting the whole system: sleep, movement, nourishment, connection, and daily rituals. Skincare alone cannot override a dysregulated nervous system. A calm, supported nervous system helps maintain a healthier, stronger skin barrier — and that’s where true resilience begins.
Want to LISTEN NOW - click the link below and let me know what you think!
You can also listen to all the other amazing podcasts from fellow Kentish producers.
Food Rebels is a show dedicated to uncovering the real and rebellious side of the food world. Each episode meets food and drink founders, chefs, or personalities who are changing the food industry today for the better
