Feeding your Skin

Allergies: Ingestion is Vastly Different than the Topical use of Soy

Soy allergies are common and are often a concern to those who want to use soy skincare. Although, a soy allergy is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from soy causing an overreaction of the immune system, which can lead to severe physical symptoms. It is usually treated with an exclusion diet and vigilant avoidance of foods that may contain soy ingredients. This common allergy usually refers to an intolerance to soy, as a food, and therefore requires one to actually ingest soy to arouse symptoms. Topical applications of soy can be successful in results without the consequences of allergic symptoms for those without dietary allergies to soy. The ingestion of soy is vastly different to the topical use of soy.

Although individuals with a known allergy to topical soy are urged to refrain from using products with soy ingredients, those not faced with such an allergy may discover the safe and extreme benefits of soy skin care. Recent research has shown that soy possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on skin. The component in soy that is responsible for these effects are isoflavones, a class of plant compounds abundant in soybeans. Isoflavones have been shown to work in two important ways in regards to skin:

1. stimulate collagen – which helps to increase the skin’s supporting structure, thereby increasing its thickness and elasticity


2. inhibit matrix metallo-proteinases, enzymes that break down the network of protein that make up the skin’s support layer.

Numerous studies have also shown that Soy has the
reputation for improving hyper-pigmentation, elasticity and moisture in the skin due to estrogen-type and antioxidant effects of its metabolites: genistein and daidzein. They are phytoestrogens with a weak estrogenic effect. Genistein significantly inhibits carcinogen-induced reactive oxygen species and oxidative DNA damage. Postmenopausal women have measurably thinner skin and less collagen as compared to younger women. Topical application of estrogen (derived from soy) diminishes the thinning of skin and collagen loss significantly.

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Happy Earth Day!

The Soya Boutique Team