Page 82 - Retail Pharmacy November/Decemeber 2020

TRANSLUCENT SKIN IBy Nerine Zoio. t’s well known that many variables contribute to good or poor skin, or something in between. Factors such as environment, diet, air, water, sun exposure, health, illness, stress, exercise, mindset, cleansing/creaming and procedures affect skin differently. That’s not to say that there aren’t certain universal keepers for good skin. Pharmacist Lia Mahony of Tamworth Discount Drugstore in the New England region of NSW tells Retail Pharmacy that pharmacists have an important role to play in talking up the skin benefits of exercise, diet and a healthy lifestyle/ mindset when people seek advice on creams, lotions, a regime or a procedure as a panacea for all skin ills, “which people tend to do”. “I always use myself as an example, as I have noticeably fair skin, which makes for a conversation starting point,” she said. “I then try to maintain a conversation and ask questions, rather than saying ‘that’s the problem and this is the solution’, a habit that pharmacists tend to fall into. I think more of a conversational approach would go a long way to growing the profession.” She adds that the “impact of the environment on the skin shouldn’t be underestimated”. “The impact of a hot and humid environment on the skin can be very different to a drought environment, and the environment at hand can also affect the skin whether indoors, outdoors, during or after exercise,” Ms Mahoney said. “This extends to the quality of water and quantity of water drunk, which also affects the skin, either to the positive or the negative.” Nutritionist, health expert and author Lee Holmes of superchargedfood.com tells Retail Pharmacy that hydration regulates body temperature and, to benefit the skin optimally, should take place before, during and after exercise in amounts appropriate to the age and gender of a person, as well as the type of exercise they’re undertaking. “The point is that there are many variables at play in terms of the state of one’s skin, and it isn’t that easy to attribute good or bad skin to any one or a variety of external factors,” Ms Mahoney said. She adds that different types of skin will also respond differently “to exercise, the environment and other external conditions”. “I mean, even in my family, our different skin types show up so differently in different environments and under different conditions – from the fair skin that my son and I share, to my husband’s bulletproof olive skin.” Exercise cuts stress impact Exercise has been extensively documented for reducing stress and anxiety linked to skin conditions such as eczema and acne, Ms Mahoney says. Specifically, it levels out the stress hormone cortisol, which makes for more peace of mind and fewer skin flare-ups. She emphasises, though, that stress and anxiety reduction is “multifactorial” and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for the next one. “People have a tendency to realise something is helping their skin in a certain way and then to overdo it, like over-exercising or overdoing it with a type of diet as a form of therapy, while others might say, ‘Oh blow it, I’m not doing anything again’,” Ms Mahoney said. “Broadly speaking, it’s important for people not to get hooked on anything, and to maintain a balanced lifestyle that includes healthy eating and balanced exercise, exposure to the sun, and social activity, etc. “Yes, anything extreme, from exercise to diet, should be avoided, even if the activity seems to bring good results initially.” What about collagen? Essential in connective tissue development and repair, collagen is the most abundant extracellular matrix protein in vertebrates. One of the many functions of collagen is to provide the skin with structure and keep it firm. This decreases with age because collagen levels start dropping, causing the skin to sag. Ms Holmes highlights that foods such as bone broth and chicken contain a bioavailable form of collagen the body can “access right away”. “However, this can pose a problem for those who are vegetarian or who have histamine issues,” she said. She adds that fish have bones and ligaments made of marine collagen that would not be beneficial for people suffering from allergies. Collagen is also found in powder or capsule form, in yoghurt, coffee creamers and gummies, and even in matcha green tea powder and recently in collagen-infused milk. Ms Mahoney says many believe that when people exercise, fibroblasts, or cells that produce collagen, become more active and raise the collagen level. “There is a link, but what has to be kept in mind, though, is that the building blocks of bone density and growth can only be worked on, which can extrapolate to good skin,” she said. “People are the sum of what they’ve been up to. Someone can’t neglect themselves for 50 years and then say, ‘I’ll exercise or eat my way to better skin and health’.” Ms Mahoney says research can lead people in all sorts of directions, and while studies may have valid points, they must be viewed in context. “The best way to see it is that, overall, an active lifestyle has many benefits, which usually include an improved complexion and general health, including mental health,” she said. TO PAGE 82 HEALTH SKIN CARE 81 a tricky business RETAIL PHARMACY • NOV/DEC 2020