What does skin & body care mean to us? Allow us to explain why we are so passionate about what we do.

General health and wellness are often attributed to a lack of dis~ease. The logic often follows that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. We agree with this, mostly. 

We also believe that caring for something means to nurture, love, nourish and protect it, and that self~care should be approached with the idea of the body, mind & spirit as a process, rather than a static state that is either broken or unbroken.

The body is our house in which we experience life, and it is something we all have in common. Our skin is our body's largest organ, covering 2 square meters and making up around 15% of our body weight. It is responsible for thermoregulation and for communicating sensory information to our brain and interior body using different types of receptors. Based on this information, our body reacts in response to the perceived environment. Often, we can attribute our immediate feeling of comfort or discomfort to this experiential process.

The skin's architectural framework houses mechanisms which protect our surface from the environment, acting as a barrier against external contaminants. The outer most layer of skin, the epidermis, is resilient, challenging to penetrate and is primarily made up of three types of cells.

Keratinocytes begin at the bottom of the epidermis and work their way up to become what is called the 'Horny layer' on the outermost surface of the Stratum Corneum ( the surface we see and touch ). This layer is replaced every 28 days or more, depending on our age, as new cells populate in the basal layer at the bottom of the epidermis and make their way upward. The cells which are replaced go through a process of desquamation, where they are sloughed off and go on to become dust as new, fresh cells take their place.

The epidermis also contains Melanocytes, which respond to UV light in an effort to protect our skin from UV radiation and DNA damage. There is a lot of controversy regarding how much sun exposure we need, and one thing we stand behind is that we do indeed need a little in order for our body to metabolize cholesterol, which happens through a process of vitamin D synthesis through the skin which can only be performed through exposure to the Sun. We also stand behind the need for adequate sun protection for prolonged exposure of more than 10 ~ 15 minutes, no matter where you are in the world. It's always a good idea to check your local UV index before stepping outside.

Langerhans cells are the third cell of significance in the epidermis. Star~shaped, they use their tentacles to recognize and carry foreign particles such as bacteria and virus away and into the lymphatic system where their destruction takes place through a process of inflammation. A little inflammation is necessary for health, too much can have adverse effects and can also be an indicator of imbalance somewhere in our internal or external environment.

Are we helping you realize how amazing our physical body actually is?

Our skin also keeps our house clean by acting as a waste management system through sweat. We have 2 types of sweat glands, eccrine and apocrine, which perform a little differently. Eccrine glands, found all over our body except in our hands and feet,  secrete sweat, which is made up of 99% water and the remaining 1% is a mix of compounds such as lactic acid, urea, chloride, proteins, sugars, fatty acids, and salts. We like to keep this in mind when considering a detox through the skin, as we primarily deplete hydration levels when we sweat excessively in an effort to cleanse our body. That being said, 20 ~ 30 minutes in a steam sauna 2 ~ 3 times a week is known to rid the surface skin of excess heavy metals, lightning the load on our Langerhans cells and helping to boost the immune system in addition to making us feel pretty good. If sauna access is a no go, not to worry. Regular exercise will keep us sweating healthily.

Apocrine glands activate at puberty and sweat secretions which are responsible for olfactory communication between peoples. They are found in the armpits, groin, and nipple area, and they release a chemical compound called a Pheromone which reveals information about us. It can be related to food, sex, stress or fear, and arouses a behavioral response in the recipient. The use of perfumery and skincare to either reveal or conceal this information is a practice as old as time.

What we find extraordinary is the simultaneous resilience, sensitivity, and nuance of our integumentary system.

We are essentially an ecosystem unto ourselves, that can thrive with the right care and suffer without.

It is reasonable to draw parallels between this system we are born into and the global ecosystem at large, and relate how changes in things like heat, cold, and microorganisms that affect our health can also affect the health of the planet. With proper care, Earth, like us, can thrive and maintain balance and without, suffer detriment.

Skincare and beauty, to us, means taking the best possible care of our physical selves. In this we include spiritual, emotional and mental well being, as all of these aspects have a tangible effect on the way we live and interact with the physical world around us. A strong connection to ourselves extends beyond us and feeds back into our actions here on Earth. As we cultivate our personal garden, Skincare can help us to lovingly nurture ourselves, plant~based living and beauty reminding us of our connection to Nature, reminding us to tend her garden too.

It means the World to us. For as is said, if you don't look after your body, where are you going to live?

References:

The gentle touch receptors of mammalian skin https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4450345/

The Protective Role of Melanin Against UV Damage in Human Skin https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671032/?_escaped_fragment_=po=15.7143