The Skin Touching the Mind
“Skin is the cape of a continent, where we can look out at the blurry boundary where the oceans of mind and body meet”
Monty Lyman
The brain and skin develop from the same layer of cells in the embryo called the ectoderm. These two amazing organs are forever linked, but the effects they have on each other are often overlooked or approached with trepidation. The field of psycho-dermatology however is creating a science backed space supporting the importance of these interactions.
We all know that our mental health can affect the physical state of our skin, for example stress plays a huge role in the worsening of symptoms in conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, dermatitis and eczema. On the reverse living with a visible skin condition can too often have emotional and psychological effects such as depression which commonly accompanies acne.
Its mental awareness month and as the owner of Kyushi predominantly a skincare brand I feel it is my duty to not only support you in caring for the magnificent organ - the skin, but to also support you in caring for everything else it is intrinsically linked to. Your mental health is one of those, as a certified Mental Health First Aider I wanted to share with you my journey, tools and mechanisms for supporting both physical and mental health to give you healthy, balanced radiant skin.
Before Kyushi was even a sparkle in my eye I was working in an industry that impaired both my mental and physical health. Stress, overwhelm and anxiety were my overriding emotions behind a cheery smiley face. Like most people I relied heavily on over the counter painkillers, sugar, caffeine and alcohol, as my physical health deteriorated my skin condition (peri-oral dermatitis) reared its ugly head, so first hand I have felt the effects of the body on the mind and then the mind on the skin.
The best way I have found to describe this feeling is being stuck on a merry go round, going so fast you just cant seem to find a way of jumping off. Each cause and symptom keeps perpetuating the other and the spinning carries on. Like most of us, I couldn’t quit my job, change my life and move to a desert island, and there was actually still lots of things I loved about the industry too, so I had to find a way to support my health on all levels.
It was then I found moments of stillness, of calm, in those moments the knot in my stomach would start to relax and it’s in these times the magic of recovery begins to happen. Imagine a pyramid this is your simple foundation where you begin.
The next layer I added was going back to the basics of nature, plants, essential oils. I would burn essential oil candles or fill my diffuser with energising oils in the morning and relaxing ones at night. I carried around a pharmacy of essential oil rollers to apply in moments of overwhelm, when I could feel a stress headache approaching, even one for that after lunch bloat when my stressed body just couldn’t digest my food. I barely recognised myself I left behind my usual coping mechanisms (don’t get me wrong I still love a treat) and had a toolkit of essential oils, breathing techniques, self facial reflexology, light therapy and a LOT of vegetables. No my stress did not disappear but over time my body & mind became stronger. 3 years later I cant remember the last time I took over the counter or prescribes medication, my constant cold has vanished, and now when life happens and my skin flares I know the best way to support it in its healing that works for me.
For those of you that don’t know, the Kyūshi ritual and all of the kyushi products are designed to help you balance both mind and body. They are carefully formulated with both in mind, for example Chamomile & Helichrysum was designed to help with struggling skin knowing myself the effects a visible skin condition can have on mental health I ensured I put essential oils in the blend to help alleviate the feelings of anxiety and depression whilst also helping to rebalance your skin. The products run so much deeper than just skincare and I am always here to support you in your journey.
I have created a free E book full of ways to help combat stress to help support healthy radiant skin. You can download it here
My story is so mild in comparison to so many of you out there who have gone through so much in your lives, but unfortunately my story is so common amongst my peers, friends and family. My advice is reach out to someone and give your feelings the air to breathe, although you may not be able to stop the merry go round spinning straight away that action alone is the most important and will slow it down. Its a journey, mental health and physical health are both important for a healthy happy life, we place so much emphasis on the importance of physical health that mental health has been placed in a box of weakness and shame. Here I am behind a shiny instagram square sharing that I too have struggled, I have an endless list of of people who have or are struggling now by talking about it freely you may just start a conversation that saves someones life.
If talking to friends and family is a step too far for you right now here is a list of phone numbers and organisations that can help.
I love this interactive Stress Container too to assess where your might be overflowing Click here to take a look
Sending Love,
Alice x