Milk Thistle: I Cannot Even Pretend to Make This Herb Sound Sexy

Let’s talk internal remedies. If you think beauty solutions are topical only, you are FAR from right young grasshopper. Lady’s Thistle, Holy Thistle and St. Mary Thistle are all common terms for the (despite its name) beautifying herb- Milk Thistle. I like to think of it as Mother Natures Breast Milk because A.) I’m creepy and B.) I just have a really hard time accepting that the word “Milk” is in this Herbs name. Whatever.

-What IS Milk Thistle?-

Google it, idiot. Just kidding. Milk Thistle is an herbaceous plant that grows about 10 feet tall with purple and red flowers. For some reason, knowing it’s pretty makes me feel pretty when I take it… Anyways. Mother Natures Breast Milk (sorry, I'm 5) has been used for over 2000 years to treat liver problems. Aside from it being a PERFECT natural supplement to take if you consume alcohol regularly, dabble with drugs (I’m telling) or consume fatty foods on a regular basis (crickets…), it is a FABULOUS addition to your beauty regimen!

-Why Does my Liver Need this Beautifying Herb?-

First off, detoxing your body is crazy important when it comes to your skin and overall health. Health and beauty go hand in hand and if you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s going to show. Maybe not now, but it will…. oh it will my little darling. Milk Thistle is one of the top herbs to aid in helping the liver do what it's meant to do- cleanse the toxins from yo bod! Detoxing the liver and keeping it in great shape is incredibly important for your skin. Why? Listen, if you are over working your liver and it cannot keep up, you WILL begin to get rid of toxins through your skin, causing inflammation and irritation. Does that even sound remotely appealing? Haven’t you ever wondered why your skin looks and feels horrible after a weekend of partying? This just may be your answer.

Milk Thistle contains “Silymarin”. Silymarin speeds up protein synthesis in the liver, which aids in faster cell regeneration. One of these proteins being Glutathione, which helps the liver handle all of the hormones, drugs and chemicals we so selfishly throw at it on a daily basis. Milk Thistle increases Glutathione by over 35 percent! That’s pretty impressive. It is also said, that having a Glutathione deficiency is a main cause of Psoriasis! (By the way, does anyone else remember that episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, when Kim was diagnosed with Psoriasis and started balling her eyes out as if she just was told she has a terminal illness and began yelling at her mom for giving her these genes? Life must be so hard for poor Kimmy </3…)

Although Milk Thistle itself does not “Cleanse” the liver, it increases the production of bile, which is what helps detox the liver. It also helps reduce fatty deposits so… yes.. Milk Thistle WILL promote weight loss. What!? SOLD.

-Beauty Benefits of MT-

Long story short, Milk Thistle is going to bring more boys to your yard than a Milk Shake. But I completely understand why those were not the lyrics.

Although liver health is important in general and the ol’ “Lady Thistle” does have miraculous benefits outside of making you more attractive… that’s not what my blog is about.. SO, let’s talk about HOW this is going to assist in causing you to say “DAYUMMMM” when looking in the mirror.

Pimples & Eczema- thanks to the detoxifying properties in Milk Thistle, as well as its help with keeping digestion and bowel movements up to par, we can count on the big MT to get rid of free radicals before they decide to escape through our skin and RUIN OUR LIFE.

Anti-Aging- This is something I’m mega jazzed to talk about. Milk Thistle protects your skin from UVB radiation. Not only that, but it has the ability to actually repair or even RID skin cells that have already been damaged by UVB radiation! I find that incredibly impressive. So for all my little biatches out there who love cooking in the sun and basically aging their skin by the second, this is for you. Not only does Milk Thistle aid in sun protection, but it also encourages hydration! MT has demulcent properties, which means it forms a protective film over the mucous membrane allowing the skin to breathe and GLOW GLOW GLOW!

PMS- Yep. I effing said it. You think, “How is PMS a beauty benefit” and I say, “Are you a robot, or a man!?” My face, like many others, throws the biggest temper tantrum on earth right before a period. Why? Because that’s the time that estrogen likes to over populate and rule our lives. Your liver is what breaks down excess hormones, i.e. estrogen, but when bombarded in times of menstruation or birth control, your liver can become overwhelmed (along with your significant other) and cause a hormonal imbalance. By improving your liver health, you can also help improve a hormonal imbalance. It is also said to alleviate other PMS symptoms… but I’ll believe that when I stop randomly crying because someone ate all of my Oreos. Who knows, maybe I would become violent and my crying episodes are actually an improvement?? MAYBE I should be THANKING Milk Thistle for keeping me out of prison for murder or something!? Who knows, not me, because I’m never going to stop taking it.

-How to Obtain and Consume the Herb-

Not the kind you're hoping for, sorry.

I purchase mine in a capsule form and take it every morning with my other vitamins. Click here for the brand I use and trust.

This perfect herb can also be purchased in the form of gels, powder and tincture form, so whichever makes you most comfortable, stick with! Although Milk Thistle is natural and rare for side effects, always remember to consult your medical professional before adding a supplement to your diet. I mean, I don’t typically do that… but I am so NOT being held responsible for your life, so I like kinda have to say that part. Love ya.

Thistle on Betches.

Peace.Love&Beauty

#milkthistle #herbs #natural #naturalskincare #beauty #antiaging #acne #hangovers #liver #detox #pms