By SARA ADÃES, PH.D., Senior Research Scientist of Neurohacker Collective / Qualia Skin
You probably don’t think of your brain and your skin as being closely related, but they are.
In fact, the relationship quality between your skin and brain, and vice versa, will determine how you feel about your skin and its actual outward appearance. And with a stronger skin-brain connection, more positive feelings about your skin will arise, which then supports improvements to the skin.
It all starts with the Skin-Brain Axis.
A newer bioscience being pioneered by U.S. based science team Neurohacker Collective, the skin-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system where our skin sends information to the brain, likewise the brain to skin, ultimately influencing the health of both.
For example, mental stressors often lead to negative changes such as breakouts and irritations in our skin. This is because the brain modulates signaling processes (called neuroendocrine and neuroimmune) that contribute to skin balance and homeostasis (any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival). Conversely, sensory inputs from the skin carry information to the brain that has a direct influence on cognitive and emotional well-being, such as the emotionally soothing nature of touch, or healthy skin’s ability to convert sunlight to vitamin D, in turn enhancing mood.
The skin and brain have a relationship worth fostering. To strengthen that connection for better skin, here are top tips to enhance the skin-brain axis:
- Limit UVR Exposure – Daily sun exposure is important for a variety of health reasons, but UVR in sunlight is also one of the main causes of skin aging. Avoiding excessive sun exposure between 10am-4pm can help to prevent skin damage caused by UVR.
- Protect from pollution – Environmental pollutants such as particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds, are able to activate biochemical processes that have a negative impact on the skin. There are several ingredients in Qualia Skin that support the skin’s capacity to respond and protect itself from the effects of pollution and other environmental stressors*.
- Destress – Psychological stress often manifests in the skin in the form of breakouts or other irritations, for example. This is because the signaling pathways through which the brain responds to stress also modulate neuroendocrine and neuroimmune processes that support skin health and homeostasis.
- Try Nootropics for Skin – Nootropics are supplements that can support the brain’s cognitive performance. Neurohacker Collective has developed a nootropic supplement specifically for skin, called Qualia Skin, that is designed to enhance the skin-brain axis. In addition to supporting positive appearance enhancements to the skin, it also supports the full gamut of necessary focuses for robust skin health, such as blood flow and nutrient delivery, epidermal and dermal thickness, skin antioxidant and renewal defenses, ceramide levels, elastin production, and collagen and skin remodeling.
Education about the skin-brain axis is only growing with the work of the neuroscientists in Neurohacker Collective. Whether through Qualia Skin or our science podcast, Collective Insights, the Neurohacker team aims to optimize body systems that directly impact mental and emotional well-being. Academic journals have also published studies specifically on the skin-brain connection with a growing public appreciation of how body systems have interrelated aspects to maintaining human wellness.
What starts with the brain, ends with the skin. All the reasons to improve the skin-brain connection.
About Neurohacker Collective
Neurohacker Collective is a pioneering group of scientists, medical practitioners, biohackers, and health-conscious creators sharing their knowledge and techniques to help optimize the quality of your life—beginning with your mind.
They have made their name through the Qualia line of comprehensive nutritional formulas, as well as the popular science podcast Collective Insights. They first rose to prominence for innovative research in the field of nootropics and all things related to brain health. Now, they are expanding their research and education scope to focus on how the brain and the skin share a deeply interrelated connection known as the skin-brain axis.
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
