Yoga Is For... Skin
Yoga can have an impact on many aspects of our health, which is the core concept behind our SKY TING series in which the co-founders Krissy and Chloe have designed classes that each focus specifically on different concerns, including bloating, headaches and anxiety.
Yoga’s benefits on skin may not immediately spring to mind when taking a class, however its ability to stimulate circulation encourages healthy blood flow by raising your heart rate—which is particularly relevant considering that skin is the largest organ in the body. Your circulatory system delivers nutrients including oxygen, minerals, vitamins and hormones while removing carbon dioxide and waste products. Krissy and Chloe incorporate headstand practice for this reason; “Whether going into the full variation of this inversion or starting to work into the preparatory positions, this inversion is a wonderful way to shift circulation in the body and increase blood flow through the vital organs up into the head.”
This is how yoga works in harmony with our supplements to benefit skin; encouraging the delivery of nutrients like Vitamin A found in our SKIN FILTER formula (as beta-carotene, commonly found in fruit and vegetables) which works like an ingestible retinol. Vitamin A is the first vitamin approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an anti-wrinkle agent that changes the appearance of the skin surface. It also has anti-aging effects due to its ability to stimulate fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing collagen and developing tissue that keeps skin firm and healthy at the deepest layer.
The energising SKY TING class incorporates backbends like full wheel pose, described as “the epitome of radiance” by Krissy and Chloe for its ability to open the front line of the body, bring fresh breath into the lungs and leave you feeling confident and powerful. Active breathwork is also utilised, specifically Kappalabhati—an energetic, efforted breath that helps clear our stagnation in the lungs: “It translates as a ‘skull shining breath’ and leaves you feeling flush and full of life!”
Throughout the practice, working up a sweat will also have its benefits on your skin by opening up pores and helping to flush out dirt, but ensure you cleanse afterwards so it doesn’t settle back into your skin. “If you're practising in the morning, it's great to take a quick shower or wash your face to wake you up,” advise Krissy and Chloe. “Washing your face after a sweaty yoga session is a great way to reset yourself and feel put together.” Studies have also found that “exercise-induced sweating significantly affected the skin physiological properties of facial region,” including sebum (a combination of lipids that make up our natural skin oil), stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis) hydration and the skin surface pH of facial skin, however it's recommended that “lipid products should be applied locally in order to maintain stability of the barrier function” of the outer layer of skin.
Lipids make up 10-15% of the outer layer of skin, but they play the biggest role in the overall health of the skin, helping protect the structure of the skin and prevent water loss. The essential skin lipids consist primarily of free fatty acids, cholesterol and waxy lipid molecules called ceramides. Research shows ceramides have the biggest impact on the quality of the lipid barrier. While all lipids are important, the absence or an imbalance of ceramides leads to problems with the skin. Conditions associated with an impaired lipid barrier include acne, atopic eczema, psoriasis, dry skin and prematurely aged skin. SKIN HYDRATOR works by hydrating skin from within, containing a clinically-studied blend of ceramides proven to improve skin elasticity, improve moisturization and decrease fine lines to ultimately brighten your post-yoga glow.
