Holistic Skin Health

WHAT IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SKIN CARE?

‘The term holistic, sometimes referred to as wholistic, is the philosophy and practice of healing that has to do with constantly keeping the whole body (meaning the physical body, the mind and the spirit) at the highest level of total wellness.’

(Source: Dermascope).

Our skin is our largest organ. It keeps our body temperature regulated, helps to prevent dehydration and infections and protects us from the elements. It’s so important to our wellbeing, yet sometimes we forget to give it the respect it deserves.

Our skin is made up of three layers:

The epidermis is the skin’s thin outer layer

It continually renews itself by shedding dead skin cells and contains melanin, which gives colour or pigment to our skin.

The dermis is the thicker middle layer

It’s the layer that contains those somewhat magical substances collagen and elastin. It also contains sweat glands, nerves, blood vessels and the glands that produce oil.

The hypodermis sits underneath and is made up of subcutaneous tissue

This is the layer that lies above the muscles and protects our vital organs.

(Source: WebMD)

The saying ‘it’s only skin deep’ is a bit misleading – our skin is deeply connected to the rest of our body. So, it makes sense that it will be affected by what’s happening throughout our bodies, not just on the surface. Many people, including our founder Kiri, have found great benefits from taking a ‘holistic’ or whole body approach to skin health.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF HOLISTIC SKINCARE

A holistic approach to skincare is based on treating your whole body well – including your mind.

Ways that you can take a holistic approach to your skincare (and overall wellbeing) include:

- Exercise

- Hydration

- Mindfulness

- A good diet

As well as the right regime of products with only the right ingredients.

‘There’s a growing body of research showing that diet really does affect your complexion,’ says dermatologist Jessica Wu, MD, in an interview for Prevention.

DIET AND SKIN HEALTH

At AMPERNA®, we believe that the best way for your skin to look and feel its best, is to take a holistic approach. We’re not alone. A growing number of dermatologists and skin experts attest to the benefits that a holistic approach can have on skin health.

‘For ultimate skin health you need to help your skin from the inside out.’
Kiri Yanchenko, AMPERNA® founder.

A growing body of research has explored the relationship between diet and the appearance of skin. For example, in the article “The Role of Dietary Intervention in Skin Disease” by Rajani Katta, MD, and Samir P. Desai, MD, the authors discuss studies that suggest certain dietary patterns—such as those with high glycaemic loads or dairy—may be associated with the way the skin presents. While individual responses may vary, these discussions offer insight into how nutrition can play a role in general skin wellness.

AMPERNA® founder Kiri Yanchenko shares that her personal skincare journey involved looking at how food made her skin feel and appear. She found that adjusting her eating habits helped her feel more balanced overall and influenced her skincare choices:

“I learned what foods I felt better on and focused on those. For example, I chose to avoid certain ingredients like chilli or dairy when I noticed they made my skin feel more reactive. This experience also guided how I thought about formulating AMPERNA® products—keeping things gentle and minimal.”

Some experts advocate for what’s known as an anti-inflammatory diet, which can be aligned with general wellness goals. In his overview, Dr. Gary Kaplan from the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine outlines some commonly recommended food choices, including:

High-fibre intake (e.g., fruits, vegetables, whole grains)
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like walnuts and cold-water fish)
Minimising intake of refined sugars and trans fats
Choosing nourishing snacks and hydration-supportive foods

If you're curious to learn more, publications like Prevention (“25 Best Foods for Your Skin”) and Byrdie (“7-Day Meal Plan”) provide food-for-thought about how everyday choices might support a healthy appearance.

As always, what works for one person might not suit another. We encourage you to explore what feels right for your body, and when needed, consult a health professional before making major dietary changes.

HYDRATION AND SKIN HEALTH

It’s ‘the combination of eating a well-balanced diet in lean, adequate protein and healthy fats along with staying hydrated’ that’s the key to nourished skin, says Dr. Caroline Cederquist, M.D in an interview for Byrdie magazine.

While we don’t know of any scientific studies that have found a concrete link between drinking water and skin hydration, we all know that adequate consumption of water is a key component of overall health, so you’ve got nothing to lose!

Many of us think about hydrating our skin in terms of using topical moisturisers, but some experts maintain that it’s just as important to drink adequate amounts of water to keep the skin moist (there are conflicting views on this).

The benefits of exercise on heart health and general fitness are well known, but did you know that exercise can also benefit your skin?

EXERCISE AND SKIN HEALTH

Exercise increases blood flow, which in turn nourishes skin cells and helps to carry away waste products.

‘By increasing blood flow, a bout of exercise helps flush cellular debris out of the system," says dermatologist Ellen Marmur in an article for WebMd. "You can think of it as cleansing your skin from the inside.’

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness can be described as a state of focussed awareness or consciousness, or ‘being present’. It’s a way of being able to accept feelings, thoughts and sensations and can be used as a therapeutic technique for mental health.

If you’re interested in learning more about holistic lifestyles in general, you may find the links in this article ‘top 100 blogs and websites to follow a holistic lifestyle’ helpful.

Have you benefited from changes to diet, exercise or mindfulness in terms of our skin health? If so, we’d love to hear about it.

AMPERNA®s approach to holistic skincare also includes our stance against animal testing and our choice to leave potentially harmful ingredients out of our products.

A BROADER APPROACH TO HOLISTIC SKINCARE

We never use sulfates, parabens, PEG, vinyls, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, synthetic colours or bleaches, PPG, DEAS, TEA, aluminium or alumina. Many of these ingredients can irritate already sensitive skin and let’s face it, who wants to put a product onto their face that does more damage than good?

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS IN OUR RANGE

Shop Now