How an allergy to all daylight led to the incredible power of silk for our skin
“When I was 18, I was diagnosed with Chronic Actinic Dermatitis. This is a very rare allergy to UVA and UVB light - in other words, daylight. It came out of nowhere, and was quite the surprise to everyone, not least because as someone with darker skin, I thought I would have more protection from the sun…
I had experienced very serious eczema as a child, so I was used to very painful skin, but this was different. The skin that was exposed (mostly my face and neck) was where I was blistering, and after a series of tests as an inpatient, I was diagnosed by a Photodermatologist.
As no one suspected an allergy to light, it took a long time to be diagnosed. I instinctively began draping the silk scarf I used around my neck during the day over my pillow by night. It brought relief and it felt right.
Gradually, I brought the condition under control, but it flared back up 15 years later. This time, I reached for the silk again but by now I had spent many years as a criminal barrister, researching and reading medical literature, so I decided to try and find out why the silk was helping my skin, as I knew it certainly was.
SILK AS REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
I spent many happy hours in the British Library in London researching the science of silk and what I found was extraordinary and a fascinating example of how human intuition about the natural world around us often predates scientific discovery.
I read that physicians in Ancient Greece used to apply silk to gladiators’ wounds to help them heal faster, and then I read that silk is used today in cutting-edge regenerative medicine.
I read about silk being used in cardiac tissue repair surgery, and how silk has such a high affinity to our cells that heart cells grow very happily on silk. I read about how silk has been shown to help the body regenerate nerves which have been severed following paralysis.
And of course, I read what happens when silk is applied to our skin.
SILK AS REGENERATIVE SKINCARE
(And Why Silk works so well on our skin)
Wounds are not the most glamorous topic, but the wound healing process is of direct relevance to skincare, and there is a very simple reason for that.
A break in the skin is treated as an emergency by the body, because our skin is a barrier protecting everything within. A wound sets off a complex cascade of processes to repair the skin. Broadly speaking, there are three stages of wound healing, and the scientific evidence shows that each of these three stages is significantly accelerated when silk is applied to skin.
I am always in awe of this fact. Our bodies are incredibly complex machines, and the fact that silk has been shown to enhance the healing process inside the body in this way gives an indication about its power to enhance our skin.
SILK AND OUR SKIN: SUPERLATIVE BARRIER FUNCTION
Our skin and silk have 90% of the same amino acids in common, and in addition to this chemical affinity, there is a direct overlap of function.
In nature, silk, like our skin, is a barrier. Every barrier in nature has to perform a number of highly complex functions - broadly speaking, every barrier has to be able to protect, repair and regenerate itself. When we apply silk to our skin, we borrow this functionality from silk, with profound effects for skin health and barrier function.
Protection
Sunlight is essential for whole body health, but it is also the biggest cause of extrinsic skin ageing. Solar radiation from UVA and UVB destroys skin’s collagen fibres, leading to signs of skin ageing such as loss of firmness, density and elasticity. Our skin is also exposed to oxidative stress from pollution, and inflammation caused by harsh ingredients in skincare.
When barrier function is impaired, skin integrity is compromised, which can lead to skin that is more easily sensitised and drier.
Silk is highly antioxidant, and when it is applied to our skin, it forms a protective barrier that is described as a ‘second skin’ in some of the literature. This ‘second skin’ is what you feel as an intense softness after applying silk. It feels wonderful, but is actually a protective film full of antioxidant protection.
Repair
Every barrier must be able to repair and heal itself when it is breached or damaged, to protect what is within. Damage is an unavoidable fact of life - what matters is what we do to limit and repair it.
As we grow older, and in circumstances such as stress, illness, hormonal changes or skin damaged by harsh ingredients, our skin’s natural ability to repair skin is slowed down and compromised.
As above, the reparative/healing qualities of silk is something humans have intuited since Ancient Greek times. Science today has proven what physicians observed in Ancient Greece - that silk applied to wounds significantly accelerates their healing.
Silk obviously is not able to ascertain the age of skin, but it does see aged skin as damaged skin, and once applied, it accelerates the body’s own repair processes, which involve the rebuilding of collagen and improved elasticity and density.
Regeneration
All skin cells have a lifespan, so the regenerative process is integral to skin good barrier condition. The regeneration cycle naturally slows down as we age, so newer skin cells are slower to come to the surface.
The key to regeneration is collagen synthesis, and this is exactly what SF–VII® silk peptide technology is proven to enhance and accelerate.
Peptides are nature’s signalling molecules, and SF–VII® silk has been proven, in in-vitro skin cell analysis, to significantly accelerate fibroblast and keratinocyte production, the precursors to collagen synthesis.
When collagen levels are higher in the skin, skin is denser, firmer, more elastic and capable of holding more hydration.
As a direct result of this, skin looks healthier, is healthier, is more resilient and much more hydrated.
