Neurocosmetics: skincare products that talk to our brain

 

When the connection between skin and brain fails our skin needs the help of Neurocosmetics. These  are non-toxic, bio-active topical products which contain special ingredients designed to work on a neurological  level.

The skin, a wonderful and complex organ, manages the relationships between your inner health and the outside world. Wouldn't be wrong to say; the skin is like a canvas for the exterior world on which a large part of your interior world is painted.

Obviously, cosmetics pamper your skin and make you feel better about yourself. But you may not know that; the skin and the nervous system [neurocosmetics] play a significant role to keep your skin beautiful and balanced as neurocosmetics targets your brain for better skin.

Nowadays, consumers are looking for technological skincare products. That’s why many beauty and cosmetic companies revolutionised in every aspect of their functioning and have started to formulate neurocosmetic products that exhibit their activity on the cutaneous nervous system by affecting the skin’s neuromediators through different mechanisms of action. These neurocosmetic products are based on consumers emotions and the heart of sensory experience.

Neurocosmetics are non-toxic, bio-active topical products which contain special ingredients designed to work on a neurological and emotional level.

What is Neurocosmetics?

Traditional cosmetic ingredients focus exclusively on the skin; Neurocosmetics (sometimes known as psychocosmetics) refers to traditional cosmetics with added benefits of the latest developments in the psychological sector; it shows a deep and clear relationship between your skin and your brain. It looks for mechanisms and pathways that trigger the nervous system to activate the skin and have an impact on our wellbeing. Overall the goal is to help reach the brain. While neurocosmetic products are cosmetics, they are also intended to be therapeutic.

According to Roshini Sanah Jaiswal, Promoter & CEO at Swanrose Inc (USA) & Swanrose India Pvt. Ltd.- “It has been observed that products based on neurocosmetics reduce skin redness and inflammation, which can cause redness or dullness, premature ageing and acne. Neurocosmetics is being used to produce natural products that aim to interact with the skin microbiome, maintaining skin’s health and nourishment. Neurocosmetics facilitate interaction between skin and ingredients by removing anything that causes imbalance in it, adding a barrier for protection, which enhances and supports its strength and diversity, leading to a far more holistic beauty experience for the user.  Neurocosmetics have also proven to reduce rapid aging giving the skin a natural glow and healthy look."

“The added element of neurocosmetic products have enabled the user to explore a new dimension in attaining radiant skin without having to compromise or experiment with chemical-based products,” says Roshini. (Source: Femina)

Neurocosmetics: the true saviors of your skin,

As we all know, the nervous physiology of the skin, very complex, is still far from having revealed all its secrets. The skin possibly contains no less than 800,000 neurons, 11 meters of nerves and around 200 sensory receptors per cm² that send stimuli or signals to the brain.

The nerve endings are the neuroreceptors in the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. Consequently, these receptors influence the nervous system.

Communication between the skin and brain damages due to external factors, such as stress and pollutants. Furthermore, the nerve connections weaken that minimizes the communication capacity, leading to skin disorders.

Additionally, the number of receptors decreases as we age, and the nerve fibers connected to the receptors weaken. Consequently, the communication between the skin cells and the brain is affected as we are on that age when the skin is more dehydrated, with lack of luminosity and fatigue. Therefore, from this age we need a treatment that goes beyond conventional cosmetics.

Here neurocosmetics come to restore or rescue the connection between the skin and brain.

The potential of the skin for applications in neuroscience and in neurocosmetics opens up a wide field of possible applications. That’s why researchers have been working on different cosmetic ingredients that stimulate the nerve ending when you apply on your skin topically.

Scientific progress in neuroscience makes it possible to better understand the links between the nervous system, the brain and skin health. These active ingredients, which communicate with the brain, are fascinating research and development teams in the cosmetics industry, which, beyond skin care, seek to better define its synergistic role with conventional medical treatments.

What experts say on Neurocosmetics,

Some mental health experts claim that there’s a real connection between your skin and your brain and that these organs go hand in hand. For this reason, emotions could well have an impact on your skin; that's why neurocosmetics are important for skin routine.

However, some psychologists warn that positive emotions involve far more than the mere sensations of pleasure provided by cosmetics. Furthermore, they claim that the term “neuro” or “psycho” shouldn’t be applied to cosmetics. They argue that, in this way, anything remotely related to emotions or hormones could use the same terms. Then, the terms start to become little more than marketing strategies. Furthermore, they don’t reflect reality at all. For this reason, many experts suggest such terms should be used with caution.

Conclusion,

The concept of neurocosmetics is still very new, that's why the modern cosmetology industry is currently focusing on 'out of the lab' neuroscience research to improve the interactions between the skin and the nervous system.

With the latest advances in neurotechnology and from consumers’ cerebral signals, it is now possible to measure individuals’ emotions evoked by the application of a cosmetic product to assess its beneficial effects on overall well-being, to analyze its attractiveness or to precisely determine the lived brand experience.

In India, as the study of neurocosmetics is relatively new, only a few promising brands have adopted it as a way of maintaining clean beauty.