What do you have against soy?
Soy contains phytoestrogens, and we like them. When are phytoestrogens good for your skin and hair? Around menopause, and after, when your body hormone levels are declining and your skin and scalp hormone receptors will be “hungry” for them, and phytoestrogens, which can fit into those receptors, however imperfectly, will help. This is when your skin and hair start aging fast, and when your skincare products should be working to stop (or even turn back) the clock. Read here how menopause affects your body.
It’s also true that sometimes, soy can be a bad idea. For whom? When?
1. If you are allergic to soy you must avoid it. But, if you are not, soy can be a good source of protein, especially for vegetarians. In some parts of the world, soy is the main source of protein for their people.
If you are allergic to soy protein, ask your doctor if you are allowed to use other soy components, like isoflavones or lecithin, in topical products.
2. If you have thyroid problems, please note that there is no reason why you shouldn’t eat soy. Some foods interact with medicines (grapefruit is a big one here), and your doctor will give you instructions if the medicine you are taking interferes with other medicines or with food, but don’t deny yourself a type of food just because you read something somewhere. You are not supposed to eat soy within 4 hours of taking your thyroid hormone supplement. This is also true for iron and calcium supplements, and antacids that contain calcium or aluminum hydroxide: they may interfere with the ability of your GI to absorb the hormone.
3. Soy may become relevant to our hormonal balance. If you eat lots of isoflavones-rich soy, the phytoestrogens in it may affect your hormonal balance. Is this important? For most people, eating normal amounts of soy will not affect them. Women who have cancer with receptors for estrogen may be asked to avoid phytoestrogens to prevent the cancer cells from dividing, they will also be taking medications to prevent their own bodies from making estrogen.
In general, if you start crossing out from your diet all kinds of foods because you read something somewhere, you will soon get into trouble, because your diet will lack nutrients, including vitamins, that your body needs. Soy is an essential food for many, and its composition will depend on how it was processed or cooked, so to cross out soy from your diet or your skincare “just because” it’s silly.
Skin Actives uses soy in some products, as noted below. Our lecithin is extracted from (non-GMO) soy. Daidzein and genistein, two isoflavones, are extracted and purified from soy. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned. We don’t use soy protein in our products.
DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.