Skin Immunity: Your Guide to Understanding & Nurturing It
If you’re drinking your green smoothies, loading your plate with veggies, and following a healthy lifestyle, you’re already boosting your immune system. We know how important it is to keep our immune system healthy to ward off illness, but did you know that the skin has its own immune system and nurturing it is vital if you want healthy, glowing skin?
The skincare industry is abuzz with the topic of skin immunity as research is proving that it is at the heart of understanding how to best treat the skin for long-term health.
But what exactly is skin immunity? And what can we do to protect it?
The Skin
Your skin is your largest organ and is your bodyguard! Your skin protects you from daily aggressors such as pollution, UV rays of the sun, toxins and stress. It harbours us from the elements, regulates our body temperature and enables the sensations of touch, heat and cold. The skin is a complex organ made up of 3 layers, the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis. The skin’s colour is created by melanocyte cells which produce the pigment melanin. The skin has its own unique and very diverse microbiome that contributes to the immunity of the skin and impacts how healthy it is.
The skin can be subject to any number of skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne or pigmentation, to name a few. Whether you are battling a chronic skin condition or are concerned about ageing, or just want a smooth, even complexion, then understanding how to protect your skin immunity could be the key.
What is Skin Immunity?
Within the epidermis and the dermis, there are special cells responsible for shielding and repairing the skin. The cells at the forefront of this process are the Langerhans cells. These clever cells are your security guards and are located in the upper layer of the epidermis, ready to detect any foreign invaders, think germs, pollution, UV. They then send out a message to other cells to fire up the immune functions.
Other key immune cells include keratinocytes, dermal dendritic cells, lymphocytes and mast cells, all of which play a role in protecting the skin against pathogens. When this complex immune system is functioning well, skin is calm and thriving.
Unfortunately, as we age, the powers of these protective cells decrease. Years of stress, poor diet and external aggressors such as radiation, pollution, dryness, and heat have a cumulative effect that diminishes the immunity cells’ ability. The skin barrier becomes compromised, which means the skin may experience water loss, is unable to repair itself and loses elasticity. Irritants can penetrate your skin more easily, and in turn, your complexion suffers. And let’s not forget that overall health is also compromised when the skin barrier is unable to protect us fully.
Not sounding too good, is it?
How to improve Skin Immunity
So, what can we do to boost the skin immunity?
All is not lost! There are things we can do to protect and nurture our skin’s immunity. Firstly, we need to look at lifestyle factors because, like it or not, the skin reflects your inner health. A diet rich in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats is vital to healthy skin. Exercising, sleeping and managing stress are equally important. Imbalance and inflammation are linked to diet and lifestyle, so your skincare routine needs to be holistic if you want real, long-lasting results.
Skincare and Skin Immunity
We know that using skincare products with harsh ingredients and overloading your skin with too many products will damage the delicate skin microbiome, which plays a significant role in skin immunity. Certain skincare ingredients can boost the skin’s defence system, so choosing products packed with immune-boosting, active ingredients will encourage strong, healthy skin.
GERnetic is an innovative skincare brand based on cellular biology – the study of cells that encompasses the understanding of how they function, what they need and don’t need, their properties and their structure. GERnetic is designed to address the cause, not just the symptom and takes a holistic approach.
When it comes to skin immunity, we recommend Cytobi, one of our most loved creams – and for excellent reason!
Cytobi Regenerating Cream
Imagine being in the middle of Winter when you or your loved ones are unwell.
What food or soup are you likely to make or recommend for them to eat to help them heal, get their strength back and build their immune system?
Good old chicken soup is often the answer! But why?
It is:
- Rich in Nutrients for healing
- Protein – essential and nonessential amino acids
- Vitamins – just about all of them
- Minerals – just about all of them
- Helps boost the immune system
- Soothing
- Hydrating
Well, think of Cytobi as nourishing chicken soup plus all this:
- + A 30-minute meditation
- + A yin yoga session
- + A super green power juice
- + A multivitamin with added minerals
- + A reiki session
Yes, Cytobi is seriously special!
How Does Cytobi Work?
It is a regenerating and soothing cream with unique immunity building properties – let’s take a look at some of the immunity-boosting ingredients and how they work:
- Peptides rich in amino acids to:
- The correct balance of proteins to feed the basal cells, this, in turn, gives the cells the building blocks it needs function and grow correctly
- Regulate the skin’s function
- Help restore its natural defence system
- Keeps skin healthy by supplying a synergy of super nutrition.
- Fermented brewers yeast extract for its powerful ability to enhance the skin immunity with its immune-modulating and stimulating activities
- Vitamins A, E, C and B plus anti-oxidants to stimulate skin regeneration and repair damaged skin cells.
Cytobi benefits the skin in so many ways by:
- Feeding nutrition to the skin cells
- Soothing and calming the skin
- Healing and repairing the skin
- Reducing the inflammation and stress to the cells
- Improving the skin barrier and therefore assisting microbiome balance.
- Nourishing and hydrating the skin
- Regulating the skin’s function
- Restoring the natural defence system
- Reducing inflammation
- Antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-microbial
Skin immunity is vital for skin health, not to mention overall health. Nourishing the body from the inside out will boost the skin’s immunity, giving you healthy, protected and vibrant skin for the long haul.
This July and August, receive up to 20% off the incredible Cytobi at a Salon Near You.