An idiosyncratic fragrance can impact your mood, but what if it could impact your skin simultaneously? Welcome the latest skincare trend – inhalable beauty. We get experts to answer all our questions about this trend.
What Is Inhalable Beauty?
“Inhalable beauty comprises skincare products that are infused with essential minerals and vitamins, purposefully intended for inhalation. These rich, highly integrated products, when inhaled, go straight to the nervous system–improving overall mental, emotional and physical wellbeing,” defines Dr Simal Soin, dermatologist and founder of Aayna Clinic.
How Is It Related To Psychodermatology?
Inhalable beauty is also known as ‘vaping skin care’ and has roots in aromatherapy as well as psychodermatology. Dr Soin explains, “The mind and the skin are intertwined, and one affects another quite evidently through pathways in our vascular, nervous and endocrine systems.”
Dr Jaishree Sharad, cosmetic dermatologist and author of SkinRules, adds, “If you are mentally calm, then automatically the skin is rested and heals better. Whereas if mentally and emotionally stressed, your cortisol levels rise, leading to acne, hair fall, and even psoriasis and eczema.”
Can The Mind And Skin Be Treated With It?
Inhalable beauty is quite potent as it focuses on treating the mind, which sequentially cures the skin. Each nutrient in these products is aligned to work on a specific body part, like in the case of essential oils. “Sometimes breathing in a product works more effectively than topical application,” says Dr Soin.
Low-stress levels promote better sleep which leads to faster repair and restoration of skin. This skin renewal is what gives us fresh, healthy and lustrous skin.
Dr Prerna Kohli, clinical psychologist and founder of MindTribe, adds, “Psychological factors can impact one’s skin in about 25-33 per cent of cases, establishing that inhalable beauty can help us breathe in essential oils or vitamins to aid us in stress management and even boost our mood.”
Which Products Come Under It?
Essential oils, functional perfumes, diffusers and products containing plant extracts like chamomile, green tea, eucalyptus, caffeine, vitamin B-12 and C, minerals and melatonin.
Psychoderma industry’s popular products include “Mood booster lip balms which are made of natural ingredients and help increase serotonin by 2.8 times,” says Dr Kohli. An ingredient called sensityl is being marketed by certain brands to help reduce the impact of stress hormones such as cortisol by calming the mind.
Dr Soin recommends:
Brain balance and stress control: Lavender, jasmine, bergamot and chamomile
Respiration health: Eucalyptus, peppermint, frankincense and geranium
Heart health: Jasmine, basil and clary sage
Digestive health: Rosemary, ginger and lemon
Reproductive health: Sandalwood, lavender, clary sage and ylang-ylang.
Are There Any Concerns To Be Mindful Of?
Dr Soin and Dr Sharad recommend caution as some of the products may cause irritation or burns and even hyper-pigmentation. They must be diluted using carrier oils before usage. Beware of inhaling products that may contain titanium dioxide as breathing in this compound is highly toxic (non-toxic only when applied topically). There is little known about their limitations as proper research is still in situ.
“Products containing parabens, formaldehyde, and refined petroleum must be avoided as research suggests they can be harmful to the reproductive system, thyroid gland and are popular carcinogens,” warns Dr Kohli.
