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Soy on the Skin?

7/4/2022

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In this blog and in my books, I have written about soy and its use in keeping monks celibate since the ancient days of over 5000 years ago. Well, ingesting soy is different than placing soy on the skin. Recently I learned that the estrogen in soy and its products can create more youthful looking skin. If you have melasma, however, soy may not be a preferable choice. So, let us look at soy on the skin.

Soy and its derivatives are loaded with isoflavones. Rich in amino acids, these flavonoids aid in wound healing and stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis. They have also been known to inhibit trypsin, one of the enzymes responsible for melanin synthesis, which could help brighten skin in cases of hyperpigmentation. Soy mimics estrogen in the body, and this is what can contribute to weight gain in men and women who eat too much soy. There may be an imbalance of hormones. The skin being the largest organ in the body, we can absorb medicines and compounds, both good and bad through the skin. I love what coconut oil does for my skin. I never thought of seeking out soy oil or other soy creams because of the estrogen imbalance it may cause through eating it! Well, this does not make sense. They are 2 different applications. So I am on a journey to experiment with soy oil and creams on my neck and chest.
 
However, in a cruel twist of fate, if one has have melasma, these same isoflavones could have the opposite effect. That’s because unlike hyperpigmentation, which is usually the result of UV exposure or a response to inflammation, injury or irritation, melasma is generally hormone-related and the isoflavones in soy are phytoestrogens, plant compounds the have an estrogenic effect. I have melasma on my cheeks. They are dark streaks caused by hormones, but look look like regular sun spots, also called age spots, or stripes, and usually caused from exposure or sunburn when I was young. The melasma is not the same as hyperpigmentation, although they look the same. Melasma doesn't respond well to laser treatments, which I used for 7 treatments. The streaks came back. Then my doctor determined my darker streaks are from my aging hormones. So I was guided by a physician to use prescription strength hydroquinone cream, custom made by my dermatologist. I currently use 4% for 6 weeks and take 2 weeks off. I was told that a high SPF is mandatory daily when using the hydroquinone (and forever more).
 
Because melasma is generally an estrogenic effect, estrogen is capable of accelerating the synthesis of melanin in the skin by enhancing the activity of tyrosinase leading to a darkening of pigmentation. We don't want to create more darkening if darkening is a problem for you. The effects of estrogen levels on skin are most evident during pregnancy when women’s hormones surge. Melasma is often referred to as “the mask of pregnancy” because so many women experience it for the first time during their term. Studies have even shown that estrogen can even affect the colors of birds' feathers!
 
Soy already has the highest concentration of phytoestrogen isoflavones of any plant, but when used in skin care and cosmetic products, the isoflavones are isolated and concentrated, making them even more potent. In fact, soy isoflavone products are used to aid in estrogen replacement for menopausal women. So, while I will be using the soy creams and pure oil on my aging neck and chest, I will not be using the soy products on my face, where the melasma is.
 
What to avoid when melasma is a consideration:
 
Tocopherol (TCP) is vitamin E that is extracted from sunflower, palm, or soybean. Labels usually don’t say which, but it’s often soybean oil because it’s cheap and plentiful. TCP is found in many foods and cosmetics. It may appear on the label as tocopherol acetate, tocopheryl linoleate or tocopheryl nicotinate.
 
Soy derivatives genistein or daidzein, found in moisturizers and anti-aging compounds.
 
Glycine soja (a soybean seed extract), laurdimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein are other identifiers you may see.
 
While there is disagreement on this topic, it is worth exploring if you are prone to melasma. Try eliminating products and foods with the isoflavone component and see if you see a difference.

I will let you know what my months of experimentation result in, on my neck and chest. I do not have melasma on my neck or chest. 
​
I want to hear from you!
Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf on YouTube

 

3 Comments

Let's Talk About Soy, Baby!

10/12/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​ 
LET’S TALK ABOUT SOY, BABY!
 
There has been a lot of information in the media about soy in recent years. Some paint it as a pretty picture, a vegan’s protein dream. There is a health “halo” surrounding soy. Others look at soy as the body’s own personal nightmare. Let’s first dig into a little bit of the history of soy in the human diet, and then move into the nutritional profile of it, both pros and cons.
 
The soy bean crop originally was used thousands of years ago in Asia as a top crop, like fertilizer. It helped other crops grow because it fixed nitrogen in other crops and assisted in the absorption of oxygen.
 
Soy beans and their products were not even eaten by humans until 2500 years ago. The first form of soy being eaten was fermented soy made into a kind of paste, similar to our modern day miso. The miso paste and salt was utilized to preserve meats longer (as there was no refrigeration in those times). It was also added to soups.
 
In ancient China, monks were given tofu because it reduced their desire for sex. The testosterone hormone levels in the monks reduced and they could focus on their ritual duties much better. The tofu and soy products kept them, for the most part, honoring their vow of celibacy. In addition, the estrogen levels of the monks were elevated.
 
Nowadays the United States of America is the largest grower and exporter of soy in the world. Unfortunately, most of it is genetically modified and the seeds are owned by the giant company Monsanto.
 
Soy beans contain anti-nutrients, which are harmful to humans. In order for them to be non-damaging to us, they must be fermented or soaked. The soy products in our supermarkets are not as healthy as once thought. Soy is found in almost every packaged processed food. Personally, I can only find one brand of organic, wild sprouted, non GMO tofu in my grocery store. After reading and researching the truth about the hormone levels that can be altered by soy, I eat it sparingly.
 
In all of the products that the incredible edible soy is made into, it still is not a high source of protein. It is only about 61 percent protein and not all of that is bioavailable to the body. The rest of the nutrient makeup are carbohydrates and fat.
 
Basically, soy products are highly processed foods. It takes a lot to make soy milk and oil palatable (taste good). We don’t find any soy products in nature, like a fruit, vegetable, flower, seed, or animal.

So if you enjoy soy products as I do, once in a while, just have the knowledge that it mimics estrogen in the body. Try not to have it daily, and read the ingredient labels on processed foods, junk foods, and shelf stable products to see where soy is added. Knowledge is power.

Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorself on Instagram and Twitter
KJ Landis on Linkedin
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