The Terrain

The connection between aromatherapy and skincare sometimes categorised as beauty therapy has often been controversial. Aromatherapy grew in the Anglo Saxon world partly because it could not be categorised. In France it was definitely cast under a medical umbrella whilst in the UK it sheltered in a grey area of alternative medicine or beauty and spa treatments.

Today sadly the popularity of aromatherapy has declined and the older practitioner pioneers are at retirement age. Aromatherapy has become so common in the beauty world that it has become a standard offering normally cast as a body massage treatment. Health benefits and skincare, have to a degree, been marginalised by Governments and Trades Unions for various reasons such as concerns over safety, training standards or simply the desire of the medical establishment to control anything that suggests health improvement without their intervention or control.

Aromatherapy is not the same as massage. It is not massage with a pretty smell. You could argue that true aromatherapy has few ‘pretty’ smells anyway! Rather the combination of aromatic materials combined with vegetable oils and then applied to the body has quite specific actions.

Skin is certainly more than a bag we live in. We do not always consider our gut to be a skin and yet in fact the gut or lumen could be argued to be ‘outside’ our body. Certainly it has several features in common with skin. Firstly the acidic nature of the surface, which in healthy skin is pH 5.5 and only variable by small amounts corresponds to the gut maintaining acidic conditions. Secondly the gut, as does the skin, has a colony of microflora.

Our stomach has a pH as low as 1.5! It’s clearly understood that this acid plays a key role in the digestion of proteins by activating enzymes which break down long chains of amino acids. In the duodenum however this  gastric acid is neutralized by the production of sodium bicarbonate which blocks gastric enzymes that have their optima in very acidic conditions. The pH further along our digestive tract now becomes around an average pH of 5-6 not so far off from our outer skin.

The enzyme factor
Enzymes are not only found in our gut but throughout our body system and on within and on our skin. These perfectly natural chemicals speed up the rate of, or cause, chemical reactions without being consumed in the reaction themselves, they are catalysts. Every enzyme in the body has a specific function so there is a mass of different enzymes.

While there are many types of enzymes there are two primary uses mentioned in relation to skin care - exfoliation and anti-inflammation. The exfoliant action is considered more gentle and more effective than scrubs or microdermabrasion , especially for oily skin.

The upper layer of skin the corneum is mostly made of dead skin cells containing keratin protein. This barrier layer is protective of the underlying newer active cells.  Certain enzymes work by specifically breaking down the keratin protein, resulting in smoother skin. The cosmetic industry often promotes the idea of enzymatic exfoliation by adding fruit enzymes to their products such as papain from papain. Such an approach ignores the ever present natural enzymes on the skin. The question is whether our natural enzyme or skin cycle is working properly and why should there be a need to use other substances?

Other natural enzymatic activity includes the anti-ageing scavenging of free radicals protecting skin against oxidative damage. Enzymatic action can protect against damage from sun, environmental pollutants and relieve skin conditions such as acne or eczema. This suggests that when skin is not in optimum condition then the balance of our skin environment is not in balance or as it should be.

For enzymes to function certain conditions have to be present for them to work. As we have seen first we have to have an acidic environment and an appropriate micro climate or temperature. This applies inside and outside the skin. The foods we eat eventually produce by enzymatic action our skin and connective tissue. Diet affects skin health and appearance. As we age our production of enzymes slows and this deficiency shows as the lack of cellular reproduction in wrinkling, dryness and supportive tissue loss.

The Terrain

It becomes necessary to consider the optimisation of the skin environment or in Aromatherapy what Franchomme termed the terrain or ground of the skin. As a person who supports the idea of organic growing I can readily understand the principle of the cultivation of the skin. Organic growing is firstly about sustainability not just about the whether certain chemicals have been applied or not.

The impact of chemical applications such as fertilizer or herbicides on sustainability is the primary concern of organic growers. Soil types or structure  such as sandy to heavy clay have a bearing on the potential crop yield and sustainability year after year. Organic farming is often said to feed the soil but in fact it is not the soil particle which is fed but the microflora, the symbiotic fungi, bacteria which provides soil fertility and actions to give a life sustaining environment for green plants which in turn feed all other life. The only addition needed is water and hopefully this should fall from the sky.

Hence we should see correspondences to our skin. It too requires in effect cultivation and an appreciation of the processes taking place at the surface. The skin terrain needs optimum conditions and nutrition provided by microfloral activity and a healthy dose of ever present enzymes to insure conversion of materials available by application or recycling.

The Forest of the Skin

The skin is a microbiome which under a microscope could be compared to a forest of microorganisms which are ‘part’ of who we are. It is this microbiome which largely contributes to our health and appearance. Just as with agriculture certain species inhabit different parts of the body; some favour moist areas others dry and still others more oil prone areas.

The bacteria which are generally beneficial to our skin rely upon an acidic environment ideally  pH 4-5.5. Under these conditions they thrive but not so pathogenic bacteria which thrive under alkaline conditions. In alkaline conditions, friendly bacteria cannot thrive and are readily lost. The skin reacts to alkaline conditions by swelling slightly, feeling tight, so opening to invasion by foreign bacteria. The outer skin cells are made of keratin, a very hard protein. Keratin must be kept at an acid pH to maintain its hardness and so to keep the protective proteins intact. Alkaline environments or substances soften and loosen the fibres of keratin and create gaps in the protective covering. This allows more allergens, irritants, bacteria and viruses to penetrate into the skin. Acne, skin allergies and other skin problems become more severe when the skin becomes more alkaline.

A good illustration is to think of the skin as a set of roof tiles set tightly together. Any disruption to the skin pH, interferes with this protective barrier, the ‘tiles’ move apart, opening up and intracellular cement is dissolved,  resulting in dehydration, roughness, irritation and noticeable flaking. Skin is left defenceless and susceptible to further environmental damage and above all dry! The pathogenis bacteria can move in and the beneficial are lost.

Assuming that the average human has a colony of 1 trillion bacteria plus a good supply of fungi this colonisation can get out of hand for a variety of reasons. Good bacteria can under certain circumstances do more harm than good. Certainly pathogenic bacteria are plentiful but the immune system skin cells interacting with  and stimulated by bacteria usually deals with these. Desirable bacteria also secrete anti microbial chemicals to kill rival pathogenic bacteria as well as simply competing for the material we supply in the debris of our secretions and dead and dying cells.  Bacteria are great recyclers.

Bathing in our sweat containing natural lactic acid, our personal bacterial colony, the makeup of which is individual like a finger print, will supply skin nutrients and condition our skin to its optimum.   

The Aromatherapy Connection

Often this whole system is referred to as the skin acid mantle or hydrolipid film. The connection with aromatherapy begins to emerge. Hydrolats are well known for their use on inflamed skin and are generally weakly acidic making them an ideal replacement in skincare for neutral or hard water. Likewise the term lipid refers to oils and fats which are the basis of many Aromatherapy treatments.

The skin acid mantle consists of lactic acid and various amino acids from eccrine glands, free fatty acids from sebum, amino acids, pyrrolidine carboxylic acid and urocanic acid from the cornification of dead cells and process water from the deepest layers that has reached the skin. This covering with its contingent bacteria makes for the maintenance of enzymatic activity especially  the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of epidermal lipids. It could be argued that the skin is now self-disinfecting. 

Certainly we can see why cleansing whether face, makeup removing, bathing or showering using soaps and synthetic detergents is not necessarily as beneficial as we have been led to believe! Swiss studies suggest that too much cleanliness can weaken the body's immune system and cause allergies to develop.

The study of essential oil pH has not greatly featured in literature but is generally regarded as acidic. This refers back to the view that the antimicrobial activity of essential oils may not be simply a question of antibiotic action but rather the complementing of the skin acid mantle. In effect pathogenic bacteria may be starved out and so the terrain altered in favour of friendly bacteria rebalancing the microbiome.

Care of the ‘Environment’

The combination of essential oils, hydrolats and vegetable oils can surely be considered superior to many proprietary creams and lotions for general skincare as the objective is not to add substances to the skin but rather to enhance and promote natural skin activity.

Such an approach may be considered a more organic pathway than products labelled as such. True ingredients grown from an organic source are preferred by some consumers but consideration should be given primarily to activity. If we view the skin as a self-sustaining system then any cosmetic should be  supportive rather than active within the medical context. The addition of trained physical techniques such as certain massage movements and frictions also support the function of body systems.

Relaxation or stimulation, fundamental to Aromatherapy massage treatment also, as every therapist knows, contributes to the ‘look’ of the skin following treatment. Additionally we can add in the idea of the bioelectric field of the body and skin which is affected by the frequency of essential oils. When essential oils come into contact with our bodies, the frequency of our bodies becomes raised so that we become inhospitable hosts to pathogenic microorganisms but promoting a desirable and mutually beneficial environment for friendly organisms.

Those associated with the Health & Beauty sector would do well to consider the possibility of providing better product under their own aegis rather than buying in the well known brands of skincare. Whilst the Industry spends vast amounts of money on researching new ingredients and the science behind the biological pathways of various substances, little attention is paid to the fundamental activity to the surface of the skin itself. Aromatherapy is much more than relaxing massage treatments and I hope the fashion wheel will turn again to the use of essential oils. We already see a trend to small volume bottles of very expensive treatment oils. Surely Aromatherapists can better, through their education and hands on experience better such mass produced products to the benefit of individual clients.    

Jan Kusmirek©

Natural Cosmetics a bit of a Joke?

Natural Cosmetics a bit of a Joke?

So having been yet again asked a lot of very silly questions about ‘natural’ ingredients I decided to put fingers to keyboard and have a rant.

Where do these journalists and consumers get these crazy ideas of what natural cosmetics are? Today I have been asked is polyglyceryl-4 oleate natural and is the alcohol used in perfume natural and what about PEG 40 castor oil etc etc.

First let’s be clear about one thing, if you want the Rope sandal and Mung Bean approach, then you are going to be limited to crude vegetable oil and a few essential oils, fats glycerine and alcohol. And whilst on the subject of ethanol or alcohol if you want to use ‘food grade alcohol’ you will end up selling a liqueur needing a licence!

Don’t forget crude vegetable oils may well carry certain proteins and even some moulds that give strong allergic reactions and nibble away at skin cells. So be warned nature is not safe! As for essential oils, in the wrong hands they can be pretty damaging too and look at the list of allergens the law requires to be printed on the pack.

The problem is no one can agree what natural means. That is why the term is not seen on TV adverts for cosmetics. The Noble EU is trying to define the word, God help us.

Look here, let’s accept there is an aversion to Chemistry amongst consumers, so let’s get real and ask consumers what they mean.

Is an egg natural? Answer - yes! Is an omelette natural? Answer - no! Why? because it is not found in nature and all sorts of nasty chemical reactions have taken place when the yolk is mixed with the white and the natural proteins etc are screwed up by the heat and the trace of oil used might get incorporated and the heat might have changed that form and if the pan was non stick coated well we can be sure some trace of some poison got into the omelette. Get the point? Not all chemistry is bad. WE need to be realistic in our appraisal.

Let’s ask another question; is an omelette nature derived? Answer - yes. And here we are again with, from the consumer use of the word, a natural product.

There are all sorts of pundits out there all saving the world by scaring the pants off us about damaging cosmetics. Mostly such sites are trying to sell us a product or a political philosophy. Fear sells. Fact is boring.

The INCI list on the pack may look like a chemical minefield but it is just a list of ingredients using the nomenclature of the specialist scientist for quite common substances especially now when international markets require common labelling. Hence water becomes Aqua for example.

The trouble with the INCI listing is it tells you nothing about the quality of the ingredient. Was an oil made from rotten nuts or an essential oil distilled fresh or from old material? You will not find this from the INCI list. In fact you cannot find out at all about quality yet this is the crucial point for a real natural product and a point of difference between brands.

Natural products have a name for being cheap and come often in minimal packaging. Any vegetable and fruit shopper knows this does not hold water. Nature is not cheap.

Natural Cosmetics have had an easy ride on the back of consumer fears. It’s time consumers woke up and started asking questions about EFFECT not what a product does not contain.

 

 

 

© Jan Kuśmirek