Picture this: a team of archaeologists, deep in a stone-age cave in Germany uncover something incredible – the world’s oldest musical instrument. It’s a flute, carved from the bone of a griffon vulture. With five finger holes and a V-shaped mouthpiece, it's a window into our ancient musical past, dating back over 40,000 years.
Listening to music isn't just enjoyable; it's good for us too. It's been part of our human story for as long as we can remember, from anthems to lullabies, mantras and love songs. Our brains are wired to pick up on rhythm, repetition and melody, and it can do wonders for our mood and creativity. Ever felt your heart skip a beat when a favourite song comes on? That's the power of music – it speaks to us on a deep, soulful level.
Influences on Our Skin – Environment & Stress
Our skin deals with more than just outside forces like pollution and UV rays; everyday stress plays a big role too. When our skin faces these challenges, it can lose the natural protection provided by antioxidants. Stress triggers our brain to release chemicals and hormones, which mess with both our body and skin. This can lead to inflammation, showing up as redness, flushing and sweating. Stress can also worsen skin issues, causing itchiness, flakiness or dryness. And it doesn't stop there; stress can amp up oiliness too by releasing cortisol, a stress hormone that makes our skin produce more oil, making breakouts more likely.
But it doesn't end there. Long-term stress can put our bodies in a perpetual "stress-response" mode, worsening existing skin issues. This affects our skin's ability to produce and maintain collagen, elastin and other essential building blocks. Without these, our skin loses its elasticity and firmness. Stress can also mess with hyaluronic acid production, leading to dehydration and accelerating skin aging through cell DNA damage and poor repair. So in a nutshell, this is not good for our skin or body.
Psychodermatology Unites the Mind & Skin
Nurturing your skin with Simply Better Barrier™ cream is a crucial step in laying a strong foundation for your skincare routine. However, true skin resilience requires a holistic approach. We must consider various factors that contribute to overall well-being.
By managing our environment wisely, we can enhance our skin's ability to thrive. This may involve taking breaks to enjoy fresh air, engaging in meaningful conversations and unwinding with soothing music before bed. Prioritising quality sleep is especially important, as it allows our body to repair daily damage by lowering cortisol levels and reducing inflammation.
Remember, our skin reflects not only our physical health but also our emotional state. Pay attention to how your skin reacts to stress and identify your own personal triggers. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but establishing a regular sleep schedule, staying active, and practicing mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing can greatly contribute to overall well-being.
In essence, by caring for your skin from both the inside and out, you're nurturing not just your appearance but also your mood and vitality. It's all about finding what works best for you and embracing a holistic approach to skincare and self-care.
Unlocking the Power of Music
Music has a remarkable ability to rejuvenate the skin by stimulating our body's natural happiness hormones like serotonin and dopamine.
When we listen to music, our bodies respond by opening energy pathways and enhancing circulation. This releases feel-good endorphins and improves our mood, which can have healing effects on both our skin and body. Dopamine, in particular, has been found to boost skin microcirculation, resulting in improved skin tone and radiance without causing irritation. The benefits of these happiness chemicals extend beyond positive emotions—they contribute to happier, healthier skin and enhance the skin's ability to withstand environmental stressors.
For thousands of years, sound healing has been used to promote vitality, relaxation and overall well-being. Based on the belief that each individual has a distinct vibration, which can be influenced by sound, shifts in our body's energy impact our emotions and ability to unwind. Through techniques such as guided meditation, chanting, tuning forks, singing bowls and binaural beats, sound therapy helps untangle energy blockages and bring the body into harmony.
Harmonise Music with Skin-Body-Soul
Imagine the symphony of sounds shaping not just our surroundings, but also our skin's vitality. Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, noise pollution from traffic or construction can disrupt our skin's harmony. Elevated cortisol levels triggered by such noise can ignite inflammation within, potentially leading to skin irritations and barrier impairments.
Yet, amidst this urban hustle and bustle, there lies a counterbalance—nature's serene melodies or the soothing repetition of mantras. These harmonious sounds have a profound effect on our well-being, quieting the mind and inducing a tranquil state. As our brain activity subsides, our body enters a restorative mode, calming the heart rate, easing blood pressure, and lowering cortisol levels. In this tranquil refuge, our skin finds solace, basking in the serenity that fosters rejuvenation and renewal.
Let's explore the main benefits of music:
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Music Boosts Your Mood
Music has a profound impact on our mood, releasing dopamine—the "feel happy" hormone—within seconds, leaving us feeling joyful, happy and excited. The Iso-principle matches music to our current emotions and gradually shifts to music that reflects our desired mood, serving as a healthy coping strategy for a positive mood change. Understanding which music resonates with our emotions improves self-regulation and enhances our ability to "feel our feelings."
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Music Relaxes Your Mind & Body
Listening to music has a calming effect on both your body and mind, helping you relax, de-stress and unwind. A tranquil playlist can soothe your mind, leading to lower blood pressure and heart rate. This happens as it reduces stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in your body.
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Music Helps Us Sleep Better
Listening to music has the added benefit of soothing the autonomic nervous system, which plays a vital role in regulating automatic bodily processes such as heart rate, breathing and digestion.
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Music Increases Focus & Concentration
Music engages both the left and right brain simultaneously, boosting learning and memory retention.
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Music Improves Creativity
Research indicates that listening to music can activate the right side of our brain, known for its role in creativity and imagination. Music's capacity to evoke emotions and memories makes it a tool for inspiring creativity.
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Music Boosts Energy
Have you ever wondered why some types of music are always playing in the gym or at a spa? Or why people play music when working out? The beats and catchy melodies can revitalise our senses and amp our energy levels.
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Music Helps Us Deal With Stress & Anxiety
Music has a proven calming effect on both the body and mind. Whether it's classical melodies, meditation tracks or just your favourite tune, listening to music can alleviate stress, anxiety and depression, allowing us to unwind and relax after a hectic day. It serves as a soothing escape from the pressures of everyday life, helping to soothe our nervous system and reconnect us with our inner selves.
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Music Connects People
Music unites diverse individuals at clubs, parties, concerts, and festivals. Across various cultures and traditions, people come together, forming new friendships over music.
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Music Helps People Bond
Listening to music together boosts oxytocin levels, a neuropeptide that fosters bonding and trust among individuals.
Blending Music with Your Skincare Routine
Music is good for the soul and our overall well-being.
Incorporating soothing sounds into your nighttime skincare ritual can be particularly beneficial. Simply select sounds or music that personally resonate with you, aiding in relaxation and preparing your body for its nightly restoration. Just by listening and tuning in to these calming melodies, you can soothe your emotions and unwind your body, effortlessly transitioning into a state of rejuvenation.
Some sounds to feel good are…
- Nature sounds – Sounds of rain, thunder, waves crashing
- Classical music – Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Brahams, Tchaikovsky
- Cinematic music – Film music
- Music that rocks your soul – You do you
Feed Your Soul with Music
Music holds a significant place in our physical and emotional well-being, tracing back to our earliest days in the womb, where we first tuned into the comforting rhythms of our mother's heartbeat and breath. Sometimes, people see the connection between skin, body and soul as just another item on their self-care checklist—a task like meditating for clearer skin. But in reality, nurturing the skin, body and soul means embracing life to the fullest in the skin we're in.
Ever wondered why music holds such power? Harvard Medical School reveals groundbreaking studies in cognitive neuroscience demonstrating that music engages nearly all areas of the brain. While it naturally elicits responses from the auditory cortex near our ears, it also activates some of the brain's most extensive and varied networks.
Music isn't just a collection of sounds—it's structured, mathematical and architectural. It relies on the relationships between notes, requiring our brains to perform intricate computations to make sense of it all.
Understanding the mind-body connection can shed light on our skin's unique cycles and challenges, helping us find the right approach for our individual needs. The principles of kanso encourage simplicity and mindfulness, emphasising quality over quantity. By practicing kanso, we aim for balance and harmony, fostering a sense of calm and clarity—both in our skin and our minds.
