What Enzymes Mean to Us
It is time to shed some light on one category of ingredients that I have fallen in love with. Please put your hands together for enzymes! You will often hear that enzymes act as mini little pacmans that digest spent cells & protein in our skin, which is very true! However, these little enzymes also perform miraculous feats that our bodies could not live without & deserve to steal the spotlight for a minute! At their core, enzymes are catalysts for reactions that happen in our entire body and in our case, our skin!
Enzymes are typically extracted from fermented fruits (pineapple, papaya, cranberry, pumpkin, etc.) & pretty much exclusively fall under the category of exfoliation. Enzymes have epidermal functions which consist of dissolving desmosomes that hold skin cells together & breaking down keratin. Both of which appear on the top layer of our skin & need to be removed in order to prevent undesired textures, conditions & to have that supple dewey glow that we all love. Similar to this function, in our dermis we can also experience the same type of build up of compromised old cells, fibers, & proteins. If these proteins are equally not digested, that can prevent new collagen & elastin from forming, weakening the integrity of our dermal structure.
The enzymes that are responsible for this breakdown of old, no good cells & proteins are called MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) and are what serve as our exfoliators. However, healthy enzymatic activity in our skin also knows when to STOP this removal/breakdown process to not start eating away at our active, functioning cells. To be honest, this is what makes enzymes magic in my opinion! We call these enzymes TIMPs (tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases) and they are the off switch to our proteolytic digestive enzymes that want to eat everything! So like all things, enzymes require a sort of balance and it is up to us to maintain healthy habits for our skin to uphold this.
It is not always our fault, typical daily life things that we are constantly working on can throw off our balance. Some things we have control over & some things we don’t. These include having to take medications, getting unprotected & overexposure to UV radiation, not getting enough water/vitamins/minerals, and even just getting older! As we age, the production of our TIMPs decrease leaving us more vulnerable. This inevitable fate that our skin endures can be a contributing factor to skin conditions that we often seek help for.
Are you curious if improper enzyme activity could be the reason for some of your skin concerns? Here is a quick guide for things you can look for within your skin that could be clues that your enzymatic activity could use a revamp.
Dry Skin: our secretion activity typically decreases if our enzymes are not balanced & functioning properly.
Diffused Redness: our skin can easily get irritated & will take a longer time to heal
Texture: we can experience that build up of dead skin cells & have a non-pliable, thick texture. We can experience more fine lines & wrinkles & be dealing with acne
The primary thing that will support healthy enzymatic activity is water! It is due to lack of free water in our skin that compromises enzymatic activity and manifests as some of the conditions listed above! Let's say this one more time. Water is what activates enzyme activity in our skin! Because of this, we are constantly looking at ways to hydrate & bring moisture back into the skin. Here are some quick tips on how to have happy enzymes :)
Drink water! A simple yet immensely powerful resource
Supplement/eat your essential fatty acids: this will help add some sustenance to your lipid barrier to make sure that water isn’t escaping from your skin, it is especially important if you are experiencing dryness
Wear SPF & reapply: you probably get tired of hearing this but sun exposure can stimulate the production of more MMPs & we don’t want that!
When using products with enzymes in them, make sure your skin has exposure to steam/water: if it is a mask or a cleanser, try using it in the shower where there is steam & a humid environment because why….water activates healthy enzyme activity :)
In addition to helping the skin maintain healthy function, enzymes can help treat aging, acne, hyperpigmentation, scarring, & can prepare your skin for more advanced treatments as well. If you plan on using chemical peels, retinol, or even sometimes glycolic acid, incorporating an enzyme mask (for example) a couple times a week can work your skin up to achieve the best results with these more intense ingredients or treatments. This is just a tiny glimpse into the enzymatic activity that is happening within our bodies all the time! From assisting in skin health, respiration, digestion, reproduction, and so much more, we have our little enzymes to thank :)
