Summer 2020 is approaching! In attempt to protect my skin from aging, most of my life I’ve avoided the sun, wearing hats, plenty of sunscreen, and staying indoors. I still feel the same way about wearing sunscreen; I wear it to keep from wrinkling prematurely, freckling, and to guard against the formation of skin cancers. However, I don’t shy away from being in the sun quite as religiously as before.
Here are a few reasons why you should get in the sun:
1 - Sunlight triggers the release of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is the hormone responsible for boosting mood, and generally has the causative affect of making you feel good.
2 - The ultraviolet-B radiation in sunlight causes the skin to create vitamin D, which is necessary for a host of functions; including bone strength, immune function, and muscle growth.
3 - As our level of vitamin D increases with sun exposure, science seems to indicate, it also boosts the health of our microbiome.
This last reason, is why I’ve changed my mind about being in the sun. I became obsessed with the notion of the microbiome, in regard to my general health, and in regard to the health of my skin, when I began to suffer from mysterious rashes. Through some research and a little trial and error, I discovered my microbiome was off.
Discovering the link between the health of the microbiome, (which, for those who may not know, is the balance of good and bad bacteria living in your digestive system. A healthy person should have about four pounds of bacteria in their gut) and the vibrancy of our largest organ - the skin - was encouraging because I had a direction to research in regard to my skin irritations.
I discovered quite a few things, like your gut is responsible for more than 80% of serotonin production, 80-90% of immunoglobulin production, and very obviously is responsible for breaking down food to be used as energy and nourishment. When the toxic bacteria begins to overgrow in your digestive system, stress is put on the liver, which is responsible for filtering out waste. When the liver is not able to filter out the toxins fast enough, they are whisked away from our vital organs, to be stored in fat cells. Any additional toxins that are left, are expelled through the skin.
If you are experiencing rashes, new food sensitivities, scaly, dry skin, or a dull complexion, you may want to explore the possibility of an imbalance in your microbiome. An imbalance can affect your mood, the strength of your immune system and your ability to absorb nutrients, which affects every bodily system, including the appearance of your skin. One of the first things you can do, is put on some mineral sunscreen and go read a book in the sunlight. Not too much, just enough, every few days, to experience an increase in serotonin levels, the production of vitamin D, and an increase of good bacteria in your microbiome. Your mood, your health, and your skin, will benefit. So be safe but get out and get some sun in a healthy way to also keep your skin protected and beautiful.
Amber is our resident skin expert at the VT Salon. She gives great advice and can get your skin looking healthy. Feel free to drop in and consult with her.