Treating psychologically stressed skin with Phyto-endorphins
We all know those times, where our work / home / social lives are ever so demanding, and we seem to be continuously stressed. In these instances, the psychological stress not only affects our overall wellbeing, but importantly, it can also affect our skin.
There are many environmental factors, also known as extrinsic stressors, such as UVA/B, air pollution and lifestyle habits (smoking) that can negatively affect our skin and contribute to skin aging. Apart from these extrinsic stressors we also encounter intrinsic stress factors in our day-to-day life, most commonly psychological stress, but also other factors such as sleep deprivation that can have negative effects on the skin. During this psychological stress, cortisol is produced, which can disrupt our skin barrier with the stress response it causes. Importantly, different stressors (extrinsic and intrinsic) can influence each other, and often it is their combination that causes a cumulative negative effect, stronger than the effect of each stressor on their own (“over-additive effect”).
Let us look at this in terms of an example: We are enduring a rather stressful period at work, whilst at the same time asked to go on a retreat in the mountains with high UV exposure. Our work-stress, coupled with the sun-stress, causes our skin to have a higher sensitivity. Indeed, when our skin is stressed intrinsically, we are often more susceptible to environmental stress such as sun exposure. Therefore, it is important to try and fight the pre-existing intrinsic stress to prevent further damage from the environment. Luckily, our bodies have a good internal defense mechanism to combat internal stress: β-endorphins and other “happy hormones”.
When a stressful situation occurs, specific regions in our brain release β-endorphin, which results in a reduction of the stress-related symptoms. The endorphins are not just important for the brain but are also present in the skin where they for example accelerate skin regeneration and wound healing. Intriguingly, some plants also contain β -endorphin-like substances, so-called “phyto-endorphins”, for example the monk’s pepper. We developed Happybelle-PE, a natural concentrated extract based on the monk’s pepper berries. This active not only has beneficial anti-aging effects on our skin, but our newest studies have also demonstrated, that Happybelle-PE can reduce psychological stress effects on the skin!
In vitro assays have shown that Happybelle-PE:
- Stimulates collagen production
- Reduces cortisone- and UV-induced intrinsic and extrinsic stress
Furthermore, clinical studies demonstrated that Happybelle-PE:
- Increases skin hydration and firmness
- Minimizes fine wrinkles and deeper lines
Therefore, even when times are a little more stressful than we planned (thinking of the upcoming holiday season…), treating our skin with care and supplying enough “happy hormones”, we can look good and feel good from the inside out.
