• A.

  • What are the skin’s vital constituents?

(Why What)

Adulthood

1. Melanin

Skin tone nuances and variations among humans is determined by melanin, a natural pigment which colors the eyes, the skin and the hair. Melanin is produced by melanocyte, a cell that is located in the deepest part of the epidermis. The production of melanin pigmentation -a process known as melanogenesis- takes place as melanocytes transform melanin pigments into a melanosome, an organelle that serves to store and transport the melanin to the outermost layer of the skin, the keratinocyte.

×Melanin pigments can be divided into two distinct categories: eumelanin -which contains black/brown melanin- and pheomelanin -which contains red/yellow melanin-. Ethnicity and genetics are the two primary factors that predetermine the production of melanin pigmentation. The genetic makeup of Europeans, Asians and Africans involves a determined amount of eumelanin and pheomelanin, which explains why they can be so easily distinguished from one another.

The Melanocortin1 Receptor (MC1R) regulates melanin, and is accountable for differences in skin pigmentation among people of the same racial background, The gene controls eumelanin and pheomelanin production levels and affects skin color differences,

Furthermore, the SLC24A5, SLC45A2 and TYR genes regulate the Tyrosinase enzyme activity, which also affects skin tone.

2. Bacteria that affect the skin health

Medical studies have revealed that the human digestive system is home to a thousand different types of bacteria, composed in majority of firmicutes and bacteroidetes.

×A plurality of factors come into play in determining the gut’s bacterial equilibrium, such as a person’s age, diet, antibiotic intake and illness. Available research, for instance, points out the relationship between rashes, acne breakouts and gut dysbiosis.

3. Hyaluronic acid and collagen helps strengthen ECM for beautiful skin

A balanced diet rich in hyaluronic acid and collagen is critical for the body’s extracellular matrix (ECM) to stay strong. Vitamin C levels play an important role of in the stimulation of fibroblast and collagen production in early childhood, as such production decreases in adulthood. Collagen also ensures the elasticity of the outer surface of the body. Since children have higher amounts than adults, their skin is visibly softer and smoother. Adults, by contrast, have a slower skin regeneration cycle which in part also means that their skin takes longer to heal when damaged.

4. Antioxidants that enhance the skin health

The benefits of antioxidants are widely documented in medical literature. They safeguard the body by eliminating free radicals which can cause premature skin damage and cell deterioration. Antioxidants are therefore indispensable to health, and act as an effective “bodyguard” against potential infections.

×Foods high in vitamin A, C and E, omega-3, zinc, and selenium are sources of antioxidants that can be boost one’s health. Vitamin C effectively protects the skin against harmful free radicals and stimulates keratinocytes to strengthen enzymatic defense systems. Typically, the skin is highly concentrated in vitamin C and young children with high antioxidant levels are usually endowed with a fair and supple complexion. When preserved through adulthood, high antioxidant levels have been correlated with high quality skin cells.

B. In the absence of the

elements listed in A,

the following may occur :

1. Defective gene

Defective genes and genetic disorders can negatively impact skin health (tone, firmness) and its deterioration, which can lead to visible and premature forms of skin damage in adulthood.

2. Gut microbiota dysbiosis

When a gut dysbiosis occurs, it typically leads to an imbalance scientifically referred to as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This disrupts the gastrointestinal immune system and triggers an intestinal inflammation caused by noxious chemicals. When these get through to the blood stream and reach the skin cells, this can trigger a range of skin conditions, such as eczema, atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris.

3. Weak ECM (Extracellular Matrix)

The extracellular matrix (ECM) sources its strength from hyaluronic acid and collagen and is essential to healthy skin. A range of deficiencies, notably in magnesium and protein coupled with smoking typically negatively affect hyaluronic acid production, which weakens the effectiveness of the ECM, and makes a person prone to wrinkles.

×A study has suggested that a zinc deficiency can play a role in depleting collagen and hyaluronic acid levels. The consequences are tangible in the way that this deficiency fragilizes the skin’s defense system, resulting in noticeable symptoms such as skin dryness, soreness, roughness and wrinkles.

4. Premature skin cell degeneration

When the adult’s antioxidant defense system is weakened, free radicals typically “attack” skin cells, which harms their efficiency as well as that of the extracellular matrix. Premature ageing, skin cell deterioration and a breakdown of the ECM structure may all be symptomatic of the damage caused by free radicals.

C. Developing effective solutions

1. Further research

To this date, there is no comprehensive scientific formula that addresses genetic skin conditions and disorders. Research, however, is actively investigating and developing potential solutions towards that goal.

2. Providing probiotics

Prebiotics and non-digestible polysaccharides can harmonize and even out gut bacteria to optimize and prevent imbalances in the gut microbiota. Prebiotics should not be confused with probiotics, live bacteria of which the properties are beneficial to both the digestive system and gut flora.

×A study conducted with acne-prone participants published in the Beneficial Microbes journal demonstrated the positive effects of probiotics on skin health. Every day, for twelve weeks, the participants took 75 mg of probiotics, a total of 3 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus SP1 (LSP1), while another group took a placebo. 28% of those who took the probiotics saw their acne improve, and 32% of the same cohort saw a reduction in IGF1 gene activity, resulting in a quantitative decline in the acne-prone cells, and a stronger expression of the FOXO1 gene, which stimulates protein and muscle production. The major thesis of the experiment was to show that the correction of an imbalance in the gut flora can lead to an optimizing of certain genes and skin cells.

3. Receiving sufficient amount of nutritions

A safe and lasting house can only be made from high-quality materials; the same applies to the human body. Indeed, a varied and balanced nutrition is the foundation for good health. The soy protein is a powerful nutrient given its multiple benefits, from vitamins essential (for skin collagen), hyaluronic acid (for skin reparation), to zinc and magnesium.

×Another experiment provided two different sample groups with supplements containing 120 mg of hyaluronic acid (2k in molecular size for one group 300k for the other) for a total of twelve weeks. A third group was administered a placebo. At the end of the trial, the skin of the participants in both sample groups had improved. This because the actual difference between a molecular size of 2k and 300k in hyaluronic acid is in fact minimal given that the human body is endowed with a capacity to break it down to a microscopic size. The placebo group, furthermore, which had not been administered any hyaluronic acid did not exhibit skin improvements.

The collagen protein plays a primary role in the well-functioning of muscles and skin cells. Fish found in deep seas usually contains high quality collagen, and its consumption therefore greatly benefits the ECM as well as skin cells.

4. Providing active substances that prevent free radicals

Aside of nourishing the body with minerals and vitamins, taking adequate measures to avert endogenous and exogeneous free radicals is a necessary preventive step to ensure good health. Anti-free radical agents can be incorporated as part of a balanced diet to prevent chronic inflammation as well as cell and chromosome damage.

×Antioxidants serve to inhibit oxidative stress, in other words, a chain reaction in which an imbalance is caused by an excessive number of ROS/RNS free radicals, which stimulate the cells.

Antioxidants

There are in total two different types of antioxidants :

1. Enzymatic antioxidants

Enzymatic antioxidants, on the one hand, transform themselves into enzymes such as superoxide dismutases (SODs), catalase, and others that form the glutathione system.

2. Non Enzymatic antioxidants

Non-enzymatic antioxidants consist of the following: ascorbic acid (i.e., vitamin C), glutathione, melatonin, tocopherols and tocotrienols (i.e., Vitamin E), as well as carotenoids, flavonoids and uric acid.

Consuming foods on a regular basis that are rich in antioxidants will facilitate the elimination of excessive of free radicals that typically harm the DNA and cell structures.

A few antioxidant-rich substances include green tea, resveratrol, grape seed, niacinamide (vitamin B3).

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