A fresh skin thanks to a strong immune system
Doing sports, meditating, eating healthy, getting information: More and more especially young people are deliberately taking care of their health. "Healthy is the new sexy," is the new message, and so is the skin. Fashions such as deep tan or artificial paleness with shaded eyes like the "heroin style" of the late 90s are no longer fashionable, as they suggest a destructive lifestyle. "Being beautiful today has a lot to do with type and a healthy, natural look," confirms Betty Siegel from the Hamburg trend office Sturm & Drang. The aim is therefore to look fresh and vital at first glance, with a skin that also looks great in its no-make-up look. After all, it is our most representative organ and shows what we do for ourselves. Although this attitude may still be relatively new in Germany, it is self-evident in many Asian countries and deeply rooted in Japanese culture, for example. "Health and beauty are ours," says Noriko Okubo, beauty blogger and consultant at the Shiseido Beauty Center in Tokyo. "Even if a woman does her own cream, she does not just do it in Japan, as she's always massaging acupressure points to relax the face and make her feel good." No wonder that cosmetic companies have been researching the skin's immune system for years to come up with new care approaches.
The most important questions about the immune system of the skin
How do you recognize healthy skin?
While women cling to a smooth and rosy peach skin, dermatologists and scientists are stricter in their assessment. They pay attention to wrinkles, pigmentation, fatigue, blood circulation, firmness, pores and irritation. "Healthy skin" Junichi Hosoi, a scientist at Shiseido in Tokyo, says, "can better ward off environmental irritation and stay calm longer when exposed to stress such as air pollution, drought, allergens, ultraviolet radiation or emotional stress." The prerequisite for this serenity in turn is a strong immune system.
What is the skin's immune system?
As a so-called border organ, the skin is the outer barrier of our immune system. It is the first contact with viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and environmental stimuli. To protect herself, she has an innate immune system and an acquired, which constantly learns through new germs. Basically, the skin has several defense strategies: mechanical (extremely impermeable, nested horny cells), microbiological (good bacteria and fungi of the skin flora that inhibit dangerous germs) and chemical (the acid mantle, which has an ideal pH of 5.5 Foreign substances weakens). In addition to these three functions, the fourth, the immunological protection, attacks, especially if the pathogens have already penetrated into the skin. Then different special cells, such as helper, memory and killer cells, must work together optimally.
Calm or upset: How does the skin's immune system work?
Chiefs of the defense force in the skin are the Langerhans cells, whose tasks include telling other immune cells how they should behave in an emergency. Especially in the smog-endangered cities of the world, these small task leaders have to do all - for the cell shape typical ramified - arms full, in addition to germs and the fine dust and the exhaust fumes. Diesel particles, for example, can be so irritating to the skin that they cause tiny cell damage. If the cell is even destroyed, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is released. If this molecule in the cell still provides vital energy, it acts like a smoldering fire outside and activates the immune system. Because ATP outside the cell is a so-called "Danger signal", a danger message to which, among other things, the Langerhans cells react, which have several options: they sound the alarm and fight the intruder by inflammation - or they defuse the ATP. Thanks to special enzymes (CD39 and CD73), the Langerhans cell has this ability on its surface, which act like fire extinguishers and are able to convert the dangerous ATP into soothing ADP (adenosine diphosphate). This means that the skin can tolerate foreign substances and does not always have to react with inflammation. "In this way, the body keeps its integrity in balance," said Prof. Bernhard Homey, Director of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Dusseldorf.
And what happens when the skin gets old?
Unfortunately, their immune protection works worse over time: "In old age, the skin is more irritable," explains Professor Bernhard Homey of the University Hospital of Dusseldorf. "The skin barrier is often damaged, the skin opens and becomes thinner, so that more foreign substances such as fine dust can penetrate.At the same time, the soothing enzymes are decreasing, so that the fire extinguisher function is weakened. When the calming systems work worse, there is a subliminal chronic inflammation that damages the organ over the long term. "
Can the immune system be strengthened with special care ingredients?
"We were able to show that the enzymes CD39 and CD73 of Langerhans cells become less in old age and under stress," said Junichi Hosoi from Shiseido research. And on the basis of this knowledge finally "Ultimune" was developed, a concentrate for every age that is applied daily under the cream and with its active ingredient complex of ginkgo, thyme and the Asian medicinal plant Perilla to positively stimulate the important fire-fighting enzymes, so that hold on longer.
What else can you do for a healthy skin?
Even if there are more and more opportunities to support them from the outside, what matters is a healthy lifestyle. Nicotine, too little sleep, too much alcohol - all this has a negative effect on the sensitive layer of fat of the skin, weakens their performance, so that they can no longer optimally defend against age and environmental stress. The antibiotic or pesticide contamination of food can also upset the skin's own safety system. After all, such substances poison the skin's flora with their "healthy" bacteria and fungi. A simple trick is to reach out to the Langerhans cell and, when it comes to creaming, to petting and scenting. The Immunchef of the skin is namely a esthete - and reacts wonderfully relaxed.
