Four Keys to Healthier Skin

Causes of Skin Inflammation

Your skin, a fully functional peripheral neuroendocrine organ, is also a part of your integumentary system and is influenced both by the environment outside of your body and by your internal state. (2)

A growing body of evidence indicates the involvement of oxidative stress in chronic skin conditions. (1) Oxidative stress is defined as “an imbalance between increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a low activity of antioxidant mechanisms.” This is of note in regards to skin health because an elevated oxidative stress level can create damage to the cellular structure and potentially destroy tissues. (3)

An important point here, though, is that reactive oxygen species are a necessity for adequate cell function, including the generation of energy by the mitochondria (which initiate energy production in the cell as well as create vital structured water). ROS only become an issue when they are chronically elevated and are sustainably in an imbalance state.

Another way to think of oxidative stress is in a similar light to exercise and inflammation. Exercise offers a source of hormetic stress to the body, but creates a beneficial, healthful outcome. Additionally, acute inflammation within the body is a healing response, an attempt to bring the body back into equilibrium. Thus, oxidative stress similarly has an important role, but when it becomes imbalances, symptoms like skin conditions can manifest.

Hormonal Aspect of Skin Health

Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, etc. play a role in the health of the skin. Too, Vitamin D (more aptly described in the literature as a hormone), contributes to the regulation of skin-related immune responses by counteracting inflammation. (4, 5)

Estrogen actually plays a protective role in skin health - and is commonly found in higher levels in women, combatting inflammation more effectively than in men. (4) In addition, systemic levels of progesterone and estrogens during the menstrual cycle, throughout, pregnancy and surrounding menopause significantly influence the onset & intensity of flares in women. (4)

You essentially want harmony and balance in the body, with the appropriate amount of each respective hormone - not too much and not too little. This is the case for both reproductive hormones (like estrogen and testosterone) and hormones made by the adrenals (like cortisol, and aldosterone). To that point, you can encounter inflammatory skin issues when you have too much estrogen in your system. (6)

According to the National Library of Medicine, “hormones secreted by adrenal gland play an important role in maintaining physiological function of body. Excessive or insufficient secretion of hormones will cause many diseases. These diseases may induce inflammation-mediated skin diseases.”

This 2023 study also states that the inflammation of your skin is also a primary sign of an endocrine disorder. Thus, the thing to understand here is that hormones and skin health are intrinsically connected. (7)

Nutritional Support for Skin Health

As we mentioned at the very beginning of this blog post, low antioxidant status is linked to skin health. Thus, it makes sense for someone to focus on antioxidant rich foods as far as a nutritional aim for skin health.

We see this confirmed in the science, too. A study that hones in on nutritional support for skin highlights polyphenols as an effective skin aid, says, “beyond antioxidant activity, polyphenols (especially flavonoids and isoflavones) exhibit other biochemical properties, acting as enzyme inhibitors or enzyme inducers influencing anti-inflammatory pathways and affecting cell division.” (13) Once again, we see that when we focus on true skin health, we also recieve other systemic benefits.

The same study suggests green tea as an antioxidant rich beverage. (13) Additionally, some examples of other antioxidant rich foods include berries, fruits, nuts, chocolate, and vegetables. (14)

Light for Skin Health

Intentionally and mindfully interfacing with natural sunlight offers skin both superficial (close to the surface of skin) benefits as well as downstream positive impacts. The key is to consider your skin type (knowing your Fitzpatrick skin type is useful information), use the D Minder app (it’s free) to support your mindful sun time, and gradually build up what experts call your “solar callus”, also known in the literature as melanin.

“When you’re exposed to ultraviolet radiation, there’s a repair process that goes on constantly in each one of your exposed cells,” says Dr. Stephen I. Katz, director of NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Furthermore, ultraviolet light elicits cell mitosis & renewal. In addition to the benefits that UV light offers skin, the red light (longer wavelengths) naturally present in sunlight has been demonstrated in the research to be anti-aging and as a skin rejuvenator. (8, 9, 10, 11)

As far as the downstream effects, research suggests that light hitting your skin, not just your eyes, helps reverse seasonal affective disorder (SAD). (12) And encouragingly, getting sufficient natural sunlight also benefits thyroid health, recovery from strenuous exercise, healthy cortisol levels, and a healthy mental state through regulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. (2)

Supplements for Healthy Skin

In addition to an antioxidant-rich nutrition profile and adequate sunlight exposure, seeking additional support through supplementation can help fill any gaps.

Some compounds to try for this purpose are sulforaphane, quercetin, resveratrol, and curcumin (each of these are respectively found in a bioavailable, functional dose in our products, BrocElite, QuercElite, ResverElite, and CurcElite). In the science, we see it proven that sulforaphane aids skin inflammation, quercetin combats aging and itching in skin, resveratrol ameliorates aging, and curcumin effectively targets inflammatory skin conditions. (15, 16, 17, 18).

These uses and applications for each of these beneficial polyphenols is because of their antioxidant capacity, but also because of the additional pathways in the body that they serve. For example, sulforaphane supports all 3 phases of detox, which can help prevent accumulation of excess hormones like estrogen in the body.

Four Keys to Healthier Skin

Causes of Skin Inflammation

Hormonal Aspect of Skin Health

Nutritional Support for Skin Health

Light for Skin Health

Supplements for Healthy Skin

References:

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Four Keys to Healthier Skin

Causes of Skin Inflammation

Hormonal Aspect of Skin Health

Nutritional Support for Skin Health

Light for Skin Health

Supplements for Healthy Skin

References:

0 Comment

Leave a Comment

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