Main acne skin care factor: normal breathing 24/7
What is the link: breathing and skin health
Small unnoticeable changes in our basal breathing pattern influence blood circulation and oxygenation of the skin and other tissues and organs. Consider the following simple test. When we try heavy breathing voluntarily (severe hyperventilation), we can faint or pass out in about 1-2 minutes. Why? Oxygenation of the blood remains almost unchanged during big breathing since our blood is about 98-99% saturated with oxygen even with small or normal breathing. We pass out due to the properties of CO2, the gas we exhale. Here is the chain of events confirmed by dozens of physiological and medical studies. First, heavy breathing removes too much CO2 from the lungs. Seconds later, CO2 in the arterial blood drops below the medical norm. This causes constriction (or spasm) of arteries and arterioles due to CO2 deficiency. This causes reduction in blood supply to tissues and, hence, reduction in oxygen delivery. Hence, we need to breathe in accordance with physiological norms for great oxygenation and perfusion of all vital organs, including the skin. (See lifestyle lists for better breathing and oxygenation below.)
Curiously, the physiological norm for breathing or normal breathing is very small (only 6 liters or air per minute for a 70-kg man at rest). This standard was established about a century ago. It was an average number for a group of ordinary healthy people. However, modern man overbreathes by about 30-70%. People with various health problems (heart disease, asthma, diabetes, cancer, chronic fatigue, etc.) breathe about 12-18 liters per minute. This is 2-3 times more than the medical norm. You can easily observe and hear their noisy and heavy breathing. But if you check their stress-free breath holding time (index of oxygenation and circulation) after exhalation, it is always short. Instead of 40-60 s, as it should be in health, sick people have about 10-15 s, severely sick even less than that. It may look surprising that sick people breathe deeper and bigger, but their oxygenation and circulation of tissues are compromised.
Another practical observation is that people do not notice when they overbreathe. In fact, if you see that the chest is moving, this person breathes at least 2 times the norm. But if you ask them about their sensations, they will tell you that their breathing is light and easy. It is only when we breathe 4-6 times more air than the norm (e.g., during heart attacks, stroke, asthma attacks, epilepsy seizures, etc.), we acknowledge that our breathing is big.
Check your body oxygenation and circulation using one simple test
Both, circulation and oxygenation can be checked using the stress-free breath holding time test. After exhalation, observe how long the person can hold their breath without any stress or discomfort. How do we do the test? After your usual exhalation, pinch the nose, and close the mouth. Hold your breath, but only till the first distress or discomfort. It will appear at certain moment of time and will start to grow. Release your nose and resume breathing exactly at the beginning of this stress. If you do the test correctly, your breathing after the test will be the same as before it. [Warning. Some, not all, people with heart disease, migraine headaches, and panic attacks may experience negative symptoms minutes later after this light version of the test. If this happens, they should avoid this test.] More details about this DIY test for cell oxygenation, as well as typical results, can be found here: Measure CP.
Normal values for the test are about 40-60 s. If you have less, your skin circulation and oxygenation are compromised. You need to slow down your breathing. Among the methods are the Buteyko technique, traditional Hatha Yoga, DIY breathing device, Frolov respiration device, and some other techniques. Clearly, one has to address oxygenation-related lifestyle factors since only breath-work is not sufficient. You have to have great body oxygenation 24/7.
If you normalize your breathing, your stress-free breath holding time after an exhalation will be about 40-60 s (a lot of oxygen in the body and skin). This will also mean excellent blood circulation and no problems with skin itching, acne, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and other conditions.