The Connection Between Skin Health & Circulation
One thing I talk about pretty consistently is how everything in our bodies is connected. When it comes to our circulatory system this is no exception. Before we dive into the skin and circulatory system connection, let's briefly touch base on how circulation affects other systems in our bodies.
The Digestive System: Our circulation relies on nutrients pulled from the digestive system after we digest/assimilate our foods. These nutrients are precursors for hormone production as well as healthy skin function and repair.
The Respiratory System: We inhale air via the lungs to provide oxygen for the blood and then the blood brings carbon dioxide waste back for the lungs to exhale. Shallow breathing makes us feel light headed and fatigued, and impacts the nervous system.
The Muscular System: Our muscles require oxygen to move, and that includes the heart muscle, which pumps the blood. The digestive system also uses muscles to transport food through the organs (stomach/intestines).
The Skeletal System: Our bones make new red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
The Nervous System: All of our tissues and organs — including the skin, which is OUR LARGEST ORGAN — require signals from the nervous system to function. Temperature regulation is a good example of the partnership between the nervous system and our circulation.
The Circulatory System and Skin Health
So how does this apply to skin health? I've been learning and connecting more with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practices over the past several months. I've started to grasp the importance of circulation in skin function. I had to expand from thinking about it solely from an anatomical perspective to incorporate their theory around blood and movement quality. The consistency of the blood is what helps define its movement as fast vs. slow, or stagnant vs. efficient.
You see, when the blood in your body is slow, viscous, and efficient, your circulation is healthy; it moves well through your system and flushes/restores/repairs all tissues and organ function. It also calms your nervous system. Whereas when the blood is slippery and quick, the level of benefit it can provide to the entire body decreases, which can result in multiple deficiencies, anxiety and other symptoms of depletion.
“Being deficient in blood (symptomatic, or even anemic) can lead to issues with circulation, and less blood reaching all areas of the body and properly supporting all systems,” says Justine. “Quality and movement of blood can be influenced by many external and internal factors, and our greatest impact on the blood system is nourishment/diet (iron-rich foods, herbs, supplementation) and physical movement (exercise, stimulation).”
If we understand that the skin is a pathway of elimination for the body consisting of blood-rich tissues filled with various receptors that works in close conjunction with other major systems (digestion, immune, hormonal, nervous), then it follows that circulation (and blood consideration) is critical to maintaining optimal body function.
A few examples of how poor circulation leads to symptomatic skin:
When someone has compromised blood flow, the waste removal system and healing process will also be weakened. Therefore there will be an increased risk of inflammation within the skin and an increased vulnerability to unwanted symptoms such as breakouts or eczema. If there is barrier deficiency or even a wound, the lack of proper nutrient delivery to the skin results in an inability to repair itself.
Improper organ function (e.g. stagnation in the gut or lungs) can lead to excess bacteria and other pathogens. These pathogens are then readily absorbed and circulated in the bloodstream and lymphatic channels and can opportunistically migrate out of the blood/lymph vessels and into the tissues, causing symptoms such as breakouts or rashes. Without proper detoxification by the circulatory system, the removal of these pathogens is decreased and risk of infection is increased.
Blood flow also delivers nutrients that include antioxidants to ward off pathogens. Deficient blood lacks crucial nutrients to defend and protect the skin, which can result in premature aging. Additionally, insufficiently oxygenated blood can appear more blue, which leads to dark circles around the eyes. It can also result in compromised kidney function, which leads to puffy eyes or “bags.”
Excess internal heat from poor diet, digestive issues, or overworking/deficient organs can result in “hot blood,” which causes skin flushing and rashes. For example, someone with excess internal heat could appear very red after exercising. This is because not only does our circulatory system cool the body, but it also stimulates the process of sweating and the dilation of the arterioles in the dermis that release excess heat from the blood. Therefore the more heat, the more redness there will be.
Anemia or iron-deficient blood can result in fatigue, anxiety, muscle pain, pale skin tone, loss of appetite, irregularities in heart function, and more. This deficiency is not always from improper diet however, and can be the result of inflammatory conditions in the gut that cause blood loss and malabsorption of nutrients (Crohn's, colitis, celiac disease, etc.) as well as hormonal imbalances (heavy periods or fibroids) and autoimmune conditions (rheumatoid arthritis).
Improved Circulation = Improved Quality of Life
The great thing about promoting healthy circulation is that it always makes you feel better. The correlation between it and our overall sense of wellbeing cannot be underestimated. For example, why does going for a walk when you are stressed make you feel more relaxed and capable? Why does moving when we’re experiencing pain from menstrual cramps, headache, fatigue and other issues often reduce their impact? All of it boils down to circulation.
Here are some ways to promote better circulation:
Increase your water intake. Water makes up a large part of blood volume; because it is constantly being filtered by the kidneys and eliminated, it’s critical to continuously replace it. There is no set recommended amount as it depends on your activity level, diet, build and so forth, but shoot to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces every day.
Move and breathe with regular exercise to stimulate the lymphatic system and get the heart pumping. Note that harder or more intense exercise is not better. Slow, restorative practices such as yoga, stretching, self-massage and walking are great options and can offer even more benefits than high intensity exercise for some. If it feels good, you can add in short spurts of intense exercise such as rebounding, jump roping, or even holding a plank pose to get the benefits without over-exhausting or injuring the body. Along with being mood boosting this is why I'm holding weekly Movement Class!
Make sure to incorporate whole foods with good fats, B vitamins, and iron. Vitamin B3 (niacinamide/niacin) gives the blood a boost, improving circulation along with other B vitamins such as B12 and iron, which provide elements that build “strong” blood. Good fats containing essential fatty acids (EFA’s) can help cool the blood and facilitate healthy flow. Supplements from high quality brands can be very helpful in the short term if dietary restrictions are essential.
Use hot and cold therapy. I love saunas (both Swedish and infrared) and cold plunges (okay I don't love the cold part but it plays an important role!) Saunas increase the internal temperature, stimulating the body to sweat impact biofilms (we'll talk about this in another post), and increasing circulation throughout. (not to mention the impact on biofilms which we will discuss in a future post), After a sauna, or whenever you can, take a cold shower. When you are exposed to a sudden stream (or plunge) of cold water, it causes blood to circulate quickly to maintain ideal body temperature. If you don’t have access to a sauna, a bath or shower works just as well. One trick I recently learned, when you're feeling fatigued just run water over your wrists and switch from hot to cold for a few minutes.