Have you ever considered the connection between soil and your skin?
As time goes by, humans spend less and less time outdoors, and this has proven to be detrimental to health. As a result, there has been an increase in the study of how people spend time in certain environments and how the outdoor environment impacts human health. This includes acts such as forest bathing (spending time outdoors under trees) and earthing. Earthing is also known as grounding and refers to the act of practicing skin-to-earth contact. This is a therapeutic technique that connects you to the earth, and several studies support its benefits.
In 2015, the Journal of Inflammation Research reported that contact with the ground by spending time outside barefoot had many benefits, including reducing stress and improving sleep quality. The study even concluded that “earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation,” as important as a healthy diet, sunshine, and adequate hydration.
The great thing about earthing is that you don’t need anything special to do it, just you and the ground. Here are some ideas:
- Walk around outside barefoot
- Hold soil in your hands
- Lay in the grass
- Sit on the ground
- Draw circles in the sand with your fingers
- Crush leaves with your hands
- Meditate at your favorite park
The important part is to simply let your skin be in direct contact with the grass or dirt. This body-earth connection is powerful because the makeup of your body is primarily water and minerals. This makes it an incredible conductor of electricity. Your body makes energy all the time and has the ability to receive it from the earth to encourage balance and tranquility.
When we have direct contact with the earth, we are rejuvenating all parts of our bodies from cells to circulation and, you guessed it, your skin!
When your body comes into contact with the ground, it acts as a sponge and soaks up negatively-charged electrons. This is important for many reasons, particularly because as we go about our daily lives, we are picking up free radicals that disrupt the balance of our cells. Free radicals are highly reactive and unstable because they have unpaired electrons. As a result, they cause many health issues. Earthing helps inhibit this process. According to a study in the Journal of Environmental Public Health, the act of earthing can “neutralize positively charged free radicals.” The same study revealed that earthing resulted in significant changes in minerals in the blood, including essential electrolytes such as calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium.
Earthing has gained attention from spas and salons in the beauty industry for several years for its potential benefits. In 2014, an earthing study in the Online Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications reported that earthing greatly improves blood flow in facial skin by documenting skin changes in thermal images. The study concluded that earthing may “improve blood circulation in the torso and face, facial tissue repair, skin health and vitality and optimize facial appearance.”
Spending time in nature and connecting with the earth has tremendous benefits for the mind, body, and spirit, including your skin. When you seek to choose getting closer to nature by spending more time outdoors, you can increase the balance and health of your skin and well-being.
Written by Mellisa Chichester
Staff writer and researcher
About Mellissa:
Melissa Chichester is a health and wellness writer living in Michigan. She has a passion for skincare and her favorite Navinka product is the Nightly Calibrator.