[Kim Jaeho's Life Story]<184> An Environment That Makes the Skin Feel Excited

Skin diseases experienced by many people do not cause many deaths, but they do cause considerable inconvenience in daily life. The majority of deaths from skin diseases are due to melanoma, a type of skin cancer, with about 500 deaths annually, accounting for less than 0.02% of all deaths. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 900,000 to 950,000 people receive treatment for atopic dermatitis each year, and 6 million to 6.3 million people are treated for contact dermatitis. The number of contact dermatitis patients is similar to that of hypertension patients and twice that of diabetes patients.

Like other diseases, skin diseases would naturally heal if their causes were identified and resolved. However, since there are hundreds of types of skin diseases with very diverse causes, many of which are still unknown, it is not easy to find all the causes and cure them, and many cases do not respond to medication.

Skin cells also have a characteristic called ‘homeostasis,’ which is the ability to maintain internal stability in all aspects in response to changes in the external environment, along with a perfect system necessary for their functions. When this homeostasis and system are damaged, skin diseases occur. It is essential to remember that the best way to prevent and heal skin diseases is to create an environment where the skin feels invigorated, thereby protecting this homeostasis and system.

Among the skin’s environment, immune cells have a very significant influence. Most skin diseases occur because immune cells do not function properly, so it is important to create a good environment for immune cells. Diseases caused by weakened immunity, such as infections from viruses, bacteria, fungi, or melanoma, as well as autoimmune diseases where immune cells attack normal skin cells, and allergies caused by hypersensitive immune responses, all tend to heal easily once immune cells return to normal.

To restore immune cells with functional abnormalities to normal, it is necessary to adopt a life that turns on the life switch by living a pro-life lifestyle (refer to Life Story episode 68), creating a physical, mental, and spiritual environment conducive to immune cell survival. Diet should be healthy, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to supply necessary nutrients appropriately, while reducing intake of sugar, saturated fats, salt, and alcohol. Quitting smoking, engaging in appropriate exercise, getting sufficient rest and sleep, and managing stress well are also important.

Among the skin’s environment, the skin ecosystem, where about one million microorganisms live per 1㎠ (refer to Life Story episode 183), is also important. Most of the approximately 1,000 types of microorganisms maintain a symbiotic relationship with the skin and provide various benefits. When the balance among microorganisms is disrupted, it becomes easy to be infected by harmful bacteria, and various skin diseases such as dermatitis, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema can develop or worsen.

To prevent and heal skin diseases, it is necessary to maintain the balance of beneficial microorganisms. However, modern hygienic lifestyles involving the use of disinfectants, skin care products, preservatives in food, exposure to chemicals, antibiotics, and various medications can disrupt the microbial balance and increase skin diseases. In many countries, as society develops and hygiene improves, there is a tendency for allergies and autoimmune diseases to increase.

Reducing factors that disturb the skin ecosystem in daily life helps skin health and reduces skin diseases. The skin naturally maintains an acidic pH of 4 to 5.5, which is favorable for beneficial microorganisms. Alkaline or toxic chemical substances or products that disrupt the appropriate pH remove most beneficial skin microorganisms and seriously damage the microbial balance of the skin ecosystem.

Cosmetics greatly affect the balance of skin microorganisms, so it is better to use organic or natural products. Microorganisms contained in clothes made of synthetic fibers disturb skin microorganisms, so it is better to use natural fibers such as organic cotton, hemp, linen, silk, wool, and cashmere. Soaps, shampoos, perfumes, and other personal care and cleaning products should not contain synthetic chemicals that disturb skin microorganisms.

Maintaining the proper balance of moisture and oil (sebum) in the skin is also important. When the skin lacks moisture, it produces more sebum to prevent dehydration and dryness. An imbalance between moisture and sebum makes the skin rough, hinders the healing of damaged skin, and causes premature aging. Showering too frequently with hot water removes a lot of sebum, disrupting the balance of moisture and sebum and also removing many beneficial skin microorganisms, which is not good.

Kim Jae-ho, Independent Researcher