LISTEN TO THE PODCAST – Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, I interviewed my friend Dr. Trevor Cates, also known as The Spa Dr. For over 25 years, Dr. Cates has been helping women around the world balance their hormones, restore their skin health, and feel at home in their bodies. She is the bestselling author of two books, Clean Skin From Within and Natural Beauty Reset, and the founder of The Spa Dr. natural skincare, supplement, and haircare lines.
We had a powerful conversation about the ways hormonal changes – through perimenopause, thyroid dysfunction, and beyond – impact skin and hair, and how natural approaches can support graceful aging. Dr. Cates shared both personal and clinical wisdom about perimenopause, thyroid triggers, gut imbalances, and how to protect the skin from hidden toxins.
This episode is packed with practical tools and deep insights about how to care for your body from the inside out, and the outside in.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Perimenopause reveals hidden imbalances. Symptoms like insomnia, night sweats, palpitations, and anxiety can feel overwhelming, but they are signs of underlying root causes – like gut dysbiosis or nutritional deficiencies – that often resurface during this time of transition.
- Hormones and skin are deeply connected. Fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol can cause acne, premature aging, and sagging skin. Instead of masking symptoms, Dr. Cates emphasizes root-cause healing through nutrition, stress reduction, and hormone balance.
- Skincare toxins can disrupt hormones. Many conventional products contain endocrine disruptors that are absorbed through the skin and contribute to estrogen dominance, thyroid dysfunction, and other imbalances. Choosing clean, pH-balanced, and microbiome-friendly products is key.
- Hair loss isn’t just about the thyroid. While hypothyroidism is a common cause, other root triggers include low ferritin, high DHT, stress, medications, and infections. Addressing these drivers while supporting hair externally can promote regrowth and resilience.
- Inside-out and outside-in approaches create lasting beauty. Anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidants, collagen, and gut health practices work synergistically with topical skincare and haircare products to maintain healthy, glowing skin and strong hair.
- Supplements and botanicals can ease perimenopause. Formulas with Vitex (chaste tree), black cohosh, dong quai, and saw palmetto can help with brain fog, mood changes, and hair loss related to shifting hormones.
Freebies
- Download your free Hormone-Balancing Foods guide!
Guest Resources / Connect with Dr. Trevor Cates
- Learn more at her Website
- Follow her on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn
- Listen to The Spa Dr. Podcast
- Shop The Spa Dr. skincare, supplement, and haircare lines.
- Clean Skin From Within: The Spa Doctor’s 2-Week Program to Glowing, Naturally Youthful Skin by Dr. Trevor Cates.
- Natural Beauty Reset: The 7-Day Program to Harmonize Hormones and Restore Radiance by Dr. Trevor Cates.
Supplements We Discussed
- The Spa Dr. Hormone Balance Blend – A botanical formula with chaste tree, dong quai, and black cohosh to support mood, brain clarity, and perimenopausal symptoms.
- Iron – A gentle, non-constipating option for low ferritin and iron-deficiency anemia. Consider OptiFerin-C from Pure Encapsulations.
- Saw Palmetto – Helps lower DHT, a driver of female-pattern hair loss and hormonal acne.
- Lactoferrin – May improve iron absorption and support immune balance. Consider a supplement like Pure Encapsulations Colostrum, which contains lactoferrin.
Other Tools and Resources
- The Spa Dr. Hair Serum – Contains pea sprout extract, peptides, and red clover to promote regrowth without greasiness.
- The Spa Dr. Shampoo & Conditioner – Clean, effective formulas with rosemary, sea buckthorn, and kelp extract to support scalp and hair health.
- The Spa Dr. 4-Step Skincare System – A pH-balanced, plant-based skincare line designed to support the skin microbiome.
- Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) – For real-time feedback on blood sugar regulation, especially useful during perimenopause.
- Compounding Pharmacies – For personalized, skin-friendly hormone therapies. Here is a list of patient-recommended compounding pharmacies.
Articles About Thyroid & Hormone Health
- IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Dr. Izabella Wentz. People with thyroid disease and Hashimoto’s often experience symptoms related to hormonal and gut health, and supporting our gut can also support our skin. This comprehensive guide dives deep into how irritable bowel syndrome is often a catch-all diagnosis that overlooks treatable root causes. It offers a step-by-step approach to help readers understand what’s really driving gut symptoms, and how to create a personalized plan to restore gut health and overall wellness. The book is available for preorder now and will be released on March 17th, 2026!
- How Balancing Iron Levels Can Help Your Thyroid
- 14 Ways Birth Control Pills Rob Us of Our Health
- Strategies to Overcome Hair Loss with Hashimoto’s
- Did Your Thyroid Condition Start or Worsen During Perimenopause?
- Estrogen Dominance as a Trigger for Hashimoto’s
- New Skin Care Line Formulated by a Naturopathic Doctor
- The Thyroid and Skin: Getting Your Glow Back
- 5 Toxic Skincare Ingredients You Should Avoid If You Have a Thyroid Condition
- Common Beauty Procedures That Are Compromising Your Health
Get the Full Episode Transcript
Let’s Connect!
- Follow me on Instagram: @izabellawentzpharmd
- Get my FREE weekly thyroid & gut health newsletter: Sign up here
- Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or rate it on Spotify!
Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and Adrenal Transformation Protocol. Her latest book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, will be released on March 17, 2026, and is available for pre-order here.
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About Our Guest
Dr. Trevor Cates is the author of the bestselling books Natural Beauty Reset and Clean Skin From Within, and is founder of The Spa Dr. natural skincare and supplement line. She was the first woman licensed as a naturopathic doctor in the state of California. While living in California, she was appointed by former Governor Schwarzenegger to California’s Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine Advisory Council. Dr. Cates practiced at the Waldorf Astoria Spa in Park City, Utah, in addition to running wellness clinics in California and Utah. For 25 years, she has been helping women from around the world overcome challenges with their skin and hormones and feel at home in their bodies. She has been featured on various TV shows, including The Doctors, PBS, and Extra TV. Dr. Cates has interviewed hundreds of women’s health experts for her Hormones, Health, and Harmony 10-Part Docuseries, The Woman’s Doctor Podcast, and The Spa Dr. Podcast. Since selling The Spa Dr. company, which she founded eight years ago, Dr. Cates has shifted her focus towards advocating for women’s wellness.
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