The Ecosystem of Our Skin
The Ecosystem of Our Skin
We all know that our skin is the largest organ in the body. With such a large organ comes large responsibilities and our skin certainly doesn’t fall short. It has a responsibility to keep all of our bones and organs inside our bodies, as well as being “water-proof” to hold in all of our veins, blood, lymph and other bodily fluids. It also has to be the opposite of “water-proof”. That is, our skin has to be somewhat permeable and allow nutrients to cross through it.
We also know that our bodies are made up of certain good bacteria’s. In fact, our bodies are mostly made up of bacteria cells than human cells. It is said that if we were to take all the human cells of the body (about 30 trillion) and separate them from the bacterial cells (about 100 trillion), there are only enough human cells to fill up the level of up to one knee. (See cover photo.)
So, just as we have learned that the gut houses many good bacteria that improves digestion and immunity for example, it makes perfect sense that our skin then, would be the home of many beneficial microorganisms as well. But what would this benefit? Well, let’s take a stab at it (not literally).
Have you ever had eczema, rosacea, or recurring rashes or impetigo, dermatitis, cellulitis, furuncles, or other staph infections like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)? You may want to hear me out. All of these skin conditions and infections have everything to do with the microbiome, or the microbiota, of our skin.
Ecosystems contain a community of a unique mix of living things that interact with each other. There are different species of microbes that live in different places all over the human body. The way we live and the sad American diets we eat is causing this ecosystem to be damaged on a global scale. The same processes that cause damage to external ecosystems – like loss of diversity, extinction, and the introduction of invasive species – are happening in our own microbiota. Right under our noses!
Scientists have been studying the microbiota of our closest relatives, from apes and fossils, to modern-day communities who still live the hunter-gatherer way of life. What they found is that there is a steady decline in the “diversity across ancient and recent human history”. There are many reasons that have caused this damage, like heating up our foods and no longer eating raw foods, cesarean section instead of natural child birth, bottle feeding instead of breast feeding, and eating processed foods. Also, the rampant use of antibiotics that are prescribed by doctors are killing off all the good bacteria that live on our bodies, so much so that their abundance never fully grows back.
Scientists once believed the micro-biome of our skin purely existed only on the surface of our skin. In 2013, they began to look much deeper into the subcutaneous fat layer and it is believed our immunity takes place in this layer of our skin. Scientists now know about the relationship between the skin micro-biome and the gut, called the gut-skin axis.
How can you bring back a healthy ecosystem on your skin? Consider everything that touches your skin throughout your day. Choose more natural products and limit chemicals. Eat more greens and salads. Take probiotics. Get off the addiction to sugars and carbs. Use nourishing oils like our Honey Hill Naturals Creamy Salves that are filled with beneficial oils, beeswax and essential oils. I call these products “nutrition for your skin”. Ditch the processed mainstream soaps and detergents for organic goats milk soaps that actually feed the good bacteria on our skin. In the case of infections, I choose to use oil of oregano by Nature’s Answer first before jumping to regular antibiotics. It’s literally nature’s antibiotic! It’s powerful stuff and I find that it works extremely well. (This way, if the natural treatment isn’t strong enough for the cure of the infection, you still have the option of using the antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.)
Resources:
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Soap.html
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-23996/your-skin-microbiome-why-its-essential-for-a-healthy-glow.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/goat-milk-soap-benefits#benefits