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【 How Sleep Fuels Skin Renewal for Seasonal Hydration 】
Winter may be fading, but your skin still craves deep hydration.
To maintain hydrated and glowing skin during seasonal transitions, in addition to diligent skincare routines and consuming nutrients that support skin health, there's a simple yet effective method you can try: beauty sleep!
TCM Perspective｜The Connection Between Yin Energy and Sleep
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, human life activities follow the natural law of yin and yang fluctuations.
The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine) states: "When yang energy is exhausted, we sleep; when yin energy is exhausted, we wake." This means that as yang energy diminishes and yin energy increases, our physiological activities slow down, leading our body and mind into a state of rest, inducing sleepiness and eventually sleep. Conversely, when yin energy decreases and yang energy rises, we wake up.
This alternation between yin and yang not only affects sleep but also has profound impacts on overall health and skin maintenance.
Yin energy reaches its peak during the night, particularly around midnight (the Zi hour, from 11 PM to 1 AM). During this time, the body enters deep sleep, undergoing repair and regeneration processes including skin renewal, toxin elimination, and energy restoration. Adequate sleep ensures sufficient deep sleep time, helping to generate yang energy and nourish yin energy, thereby regulating the body's yin-yang balance and maintaining health. According to TCM, consistently failing to sleep before midnight or having poor sleep quality can deplete our yin blood, leading to yin-yang imbalance, which may manifest as dullness, dryness, and acne breakouts on the skin.
Deep Sleep | The Golden Period for Collagen Repair
From a Western medical perspective, the essence of beauty sleep lies in hormonal balance, particularly the secretion of growth hormone. When we enter deep sleep, our body releases various hormones, including Growth Hormone and Melatonin, while simultaneously repairing damaged cells, accelerating the metabolism of aging skin, and improving overall health.
Among these, growth hormone plays a crucial role in maintaining skin health, with its primary functions including:
Promoting Cell Regeneration | Helping repair damaged skin cells and maintaining skin elasticity and firmness.
Regulating Fat Metabolism | Assisting in reducing subcutaneous fat accumulation and maintaining skin's firm contours.
Stimulating Collagen Synthesis |
Collagen, being the primary structural protein of the skin, is responsible for maintaining skin's plumpness and elasticity. Growth hormone promotes collagen production, reducing wrinkles and sagging. When growth hormone secretion is sufficient:
Collagen production accelerates, making skin firmer and more elastic.
The skin barrier function strengthens, reducing water loss and increasing skin hydration.
Damaged collagen fibers are repaired, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
Conversely, insufficient growth hormone secretion can negatively impact collagen synthesis, leading to skin laxity, dryness, and aging. To ensure proper growth hormone secretion, it's crucial to take advantage of the golden sleep period between 10 PM and 2 AM, avoid staying up late, and maintain regular sleep patterns and healthy lifestyle habits.
The Stress Hormone - Cortisol's Impact on Skin
In addition to growth hormone and melatonin, another hormone closely related to sleep and skin health is cortisol, commonly known as the "stress hormone." The secretion level of cortisol directly affects the skin's natural barrier function and moisture balance.
Cortisol is released in large quantities during stressful situations. While it helps cope with short-term stress, chronically elevated cortisol levels can negatively impact the skin:
Exacerbating Inflammation | High cortisol levels can suppress the immune system's normal function, leading to uncontrolled inflammatory responses. Although cortisol typically has anti-inflammatory properties, prolonged high concentrations can disrupt immune system balance, ultimately worsening inflammation.
Thinning Skin | When cortisol levels remain elevated for extended periods, the skin becomes fragile and thin, making it more susceptible to bruising and slower wound healing.
Compromising Skin Barrier | Cortisol weakens the skin's natural barrier function, making it more vulnerable and less capable of effectively retaining moisture.
Accelerating Moisture Loss | When the skin barrier is damaged, moisture evaporates more quickly, leading to dryness, flaking, and even increased sensitivity.
Inhibiting Collagen Production | Excessively high cortisol levels suppress collagen synthesis, accelerating skin aging and leading to wrinkles and sagging.
During deep sleep, cortisol secretion significantly decreases. This reduction helps repair the skin barrier, lock in moisture, and promote cell regeneration.
Harnessing Traditional Wisdom and Modern Science to Wake Up with Deeply Hydrated, Radiant Skin
Quality sleep can help improve the problem of dry and itchy skin. When combined with appropriate exercise and dietary adjustments, it can create a well-hydrated and resilient skin that is less affected by seasonal changes.
Achieve your health goals with our focus on holistic health and lifestyle medicine. Our herbal remedies include tasty herbal soups and invigorating herbal teas. Enhance your wellness journey with TCM products featuring ingredients like American ginseng and bird's nest.
Back
【 How Sleep Fuels Skin Renewal for Seasonal Hydration 】
Winter may be fading, but your skin still craves deep hydration.
To maintain hydrated and glowing skin during seasonal transitions, in addition to diligent skincare routines and consuming nutrients that support skin health, there's a simple yet effective method you can try: beauty sleep!
TCM Perspective｜The Connection Between Yin Energy and Sleep
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, human life activities follow the natural law of yin and yang fluctuations.
The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine) states: "When yang energy is exhausted, we sleep; when yin energy is exhausted, we wake." This means that as yang energy diminishes and yin energy increases, our physiological activities slow down, leading our body and mind into a state of rest, inducing sleepiness and eventually sleep. Conversely, when yin energy decreases and yang energy rises, we wake up.
This alternation between yin and yang not only affects sleep but also has profound impacts on overall health and skin maintenance.
Yin energy reaches its peak during the night, particularly around midnight (the Zi hour, from 11 PM to 1 AM). During this time, the body enters deep sleep, undergoing repair and regeneration processes including skin renewal, toxin elimination, and energy restoration. Adequate sleep ensures sufficient deep sleep time, helping to generate yang energy and nourish yin energy, thereby regulating the body's yin-yang balance and maintaining health. According to TCM, consistently failing to sleep before midnight or having poor sleep quality can deplete our yin blood, leading to yin-yang imbalance, which may manifest as dullness, dryness, and acne breakouts on the skin.
Deep Sleep | The Golden Period for Collagen Repair
From a Western medical perspective, the essence of beauty sleep lies in hormonal balance, particularly the secretion of growth hormone. When we enter deep sleep, our body releases various hormones, including Growth Hormone and Melatonin, while simultaneously repairing damaged cells, accelerating the metabolism of aging skin, and improving overall health.
Among these, growth hormone plays a crucial role in maintaining skin health, with its primary functions including:
Promoting Cell Regeneration | Helping repair damaged skin cells and maintaining skin elasticity and firmness.
Regulating Fat Metabolism | Assisting in reducing subcutaneous fat accumulation and maintaining skin's firm contours.
Stimulating Collagen Synthesis |
Collagen, being the primary structural protein of the skin, is responsible for maintaining skin's plumpness and elasticity. Growth hormone promotes collagen production, reducing wrinkles and sagging. When growth hormone secretion is sufficient:
Collagen production accelerates, making skin firmer and more elastic.
The skin barrier function strengthens, reducing water loss and increasing skin hydration.
Damaged collagen fibers are repaired, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
Conversely, insufficient growth hormone secretion can negatively impact collagen synthesis, leading to skin laxity, dryness, and aging. To ensure proper growth hormone secretion, it's crucial to take advantage of the golden sleep period between 10 PM and 2 AM, avoid staying up late, and maintain regular sleep patterns and healthy lifestyle habits.
The Stress Hormone - Cortisol's Impact on Skin
In addition to growth hormone and melatonin, another hormone closely related to sleep and skin health is cortisol, commonly known as the "stress hormone." The secretion level of cortisol directly affects the skin's natural barrier function and moisture balance.
Cortisol is released in large quantities during stressful situations. While it helps cope with short-term stress, chronically elevated cortisol levels can negatively impact the skin:
Exacerbating Inflammation | High cortisol levels can suppress the immune system's normal function, leading to uncontrolled inflammatory responses. Although cortisol typically has anti-inflammatory properties, prolonged high concentrations can disrupt immune system balance, ultimately worsening inflammation.
Thinning Skin | When cortisol levels remain elevated for extended periods, the skin becomes fragile and thin, making it more susceptible to bruising and slower wound healing.
Compromising Skin Barrier | Cortisol weakens the skin's natural barrier function, making it more vulnerable and less capable of effectively retaining moisture.
Accelerating Moisture Loss | When the skin barrier is damaged, moisture evaporates more quickly, leading to dryness, flaking, and even increased sensitivity.
Inhibiting Collagen Production | Excessively high cortisol levels suppress collagen synthesis, accelerating skin aging and leading to wrinkles and sagging.
During deep sleep, cortisol secretion significantly decreases. This reduction helps repair the skin barrier, lock in moisture, and promote cell regeneration.
Harnessing Traditional Wisdom and Modern Science to Wake Up with Deeply Hydrated, Radiant Skin
Quality sleep can help improve the problem of dry and itchy skin. When combined with appropriate exercise and dietary adjustments, it can create a well-hydrated and resilient skin that is less affected by seasonal changes.
Achieve your health goals with our focus on holistic health and lifestyle medicine. Our herbal remedies include tasty herbal soups and invigorating herbal teas. Enhance your wellness journey with TCM products featuring ingredients like American ginseng and bird's nest.
