Among all of the causes of the skin’s aging, stress is probably the least considered by most people. The fact is, though, that psychology, the brain, and the skin’s health are intricately linked and maintaining a stress-free (or at least reduced) life will help you maintain a wrinkle free face. In the event, however, that you are like most people you will find yourself needing to manage stress inflammation and mitigate its effects. When that happens there is Delta-5TM to help you.
Stress and Your Skin
The National Institutes of Health republished a 2014 study entitled Brain-Skin Connection: Stress, Inflammation and Skin Aging, in which there is clear evidence presented of a positive correlation between stress and inflammation and the aging rate of skin. This is a relatively cutting edge field of science in which the fact that there is a link has long been accepted, but the exact mechanism was unknown until this study emerged. Apparently, it goes like this:
Psychological stress arises when people are under mental, physical, or emotional pressure. It develops when the individual perceives that the pressure exceeds his adaptive power. It is perceived by the brain and stress hormones such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), glucocorticoids, and epinephrine are released. This triggers a wide range of physiological and behavior changes and responses that try to adapt the body to the stress. However, if the stress responses are inadequate or excess, they may trigger adverse physiological events…
Recent research has confirmed skin both as an immediate stress perceiver and as a target of stress responses. As the largest organ of the body, skin plays important barrier and immune functions, maintaining homeostasis between external environment and internal tissues. It is composed of two major layers: epidermis and dermis. The epidermis is a continuously renewing layer where basal proliferating keratinocytes gradually differentiate, move up and eventually slough off the surface. The outermost layer of the skin epidermis, the stratum corneum (SC), is composed of dead and flattened corneocytes embedded in a matrix of lipids. Corneocytes contain numerous keratin filaments bound to a peripheral cornified envelope composed of cross-linked proteins. While the flattening of the secreted lipids vesicles form intercellular lamellar disks, which then disperse and join together to form multiple, continuous membrane sheets. The dermis is composed of fibroblasts and extracellular matrix which provides elasticity and tensile strength…
Recent findings on how brain and skin communicate with each other, how the skin reacts to the stress by activating the endocrine and immune systems, and the negative impact of chronic stress on skin health….
Stress is known to affect various diseases and conditions, for example, asthma, arthritis, migraines, and multiple sclerosis. Specifically in skin, multiple neuroinflammatory conditions can be triggered or aggravated by stress, such as: psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, contact dermatitis, alopecia areata, itch or Pruritus, and erythema….The stratum corneum (SC) plays important barrier functions by regulating epidermal permeability and homeostasis. This protein/lipid barrier creates a surface seal essential for maintenance of hydration and protection against microbial infection. Disruption of the skin barrier function can lead to flaky or dry skin. Alternation of the lipids composition has also been linked to skin diseases like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
Stress can cause detrimental physiological and functional consequences in the skin. In contrast to acute stress, which may augment innate and adaptive immune responses, chronic stress usually suppresses immunoprotection, increases susceptibility to infections, and exacerbates some allergic and inflammatory diseases. This is due to altered stress responses after repeated or prolonged stress termed stress habituation, which reduces HPA axis activation, but also sensitizes reactivity to new stimuli. Aging also has a negative effect on the feedback system, as shown in both rats and human…
Skin aging is characterized by formation of lines and wrinkles, increased pigmentation, loss of elasticity and firmness, and dull skin. It is a consequence of both intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors. There are two major theories for aging: the programmatic theory which focuses on reduced cellular life span, decreased responsiveness and functionality, and dysfunctional immune responses; while the stochastic theory points towards environmental damages, focusing on DNA damage, inflammation and free radical formation.
De-Stressing for Your Skin
This should leave no doubt that stress, especially chronic stress, can do significant damage to your skin and that the damage is exacerbated as you age.
If this doesn’t convince you to stop and smell the roses, nothing will. By the way, there is some science behind the impact that smelling roses has on your ability to relax. WebMD has some great tips for relaxation, that reduce stress pretty quickly and therefore reduce the stress related impacts on your skin. These include:
- Meditation
- Deep breathing
- Presence and Mindfulness
- Talking to others about what is bothering you
- Decompressing
- Laughing
- Listening to music
- Practicing gratitude
- Exercise
Delta-5 Is the Best Way to Treat Stressed Skin
For extra help taming the inflammation that stress is causing, which is leading to skin damage you can use Delta-5 by SciaEssentials is an oil derived from the seeds of conifer trees. Seeds are the richest source of oil, storing oils as triglycerides in special structures known as oil bodies. Delta-5 oil is pressed out from these oil bodies. Using just a few drops of this oil on your face per day can make a remarkable difference in a very short period of time.
