Co Your Skin Isn’t a Problem to Fix—It’s an Ecosystem to Steward

by Dr. LaSonya Lopez, MD

April 25, 2025

The modern skincare industry is obsessed with control. We exfoliate, medicate, peel, retinol, laser, and strip—often in the name of “clarity.” But this obsession with fixing our skin stems from a flawed belief: that skin is a stubborn surface we need to dominate. That every blemish is a flaw. That every oil slick is a failure. But skin isn’t a battleground. It’s an ecosystem.

One that thrives on balance, diversity, and intelligent communication—much like a forest or a coral reef. And when we shift from domination to stewardship, we stop trying to force our skin to behave and start helping it remember how to heal.

The Skin Microbiome: More Than Bacteria

Your skin isn’t just covered in microbes. It is a microbiome. With more than 1,000 species of bacteria, fungi, and viruses coexisting across your epidermis, your skin acts as a living, breathing interface between your body and the world. These microbes are not invaders—they are co-regulators, educators, and protectors.

They:

• Regulate inflammation

• Defend against pathogens

• Train your immune system

• Maintain pH and moisture balance

• Communicate with your nervous and endocrine systems

• Affect your skin’s lipid production and immune signaling

When the skin barrier is respected, the microbiome flourishes. When it’s stripped with harsh cleansers, over-exfoliated, or bombarded with synthetic ingredients, the microbial diversity collapses. This isn’t just bad for beauty—it’s bad for biology.

Scientific studies show that microbiome diversity is linked to lower rates of skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and acne. Loss of diversity leads to barrier dysfunction, increased transepidermal water loss, and inflammation (Byrd et al., 2018).

Barrier Over Beauty: The Forgotten Foundation

The stratum corneum—your skin’s outermost layer—is often seen as cosmetic. But it’s immunological. It keeps irritants out, moisture in, and signals to your entire immune system what’s safe and what’s not.

A compromised barrier (from over-washing, chemical abuse, or chronic inflammation) is now linked to:

• Eczema

• Acne

• Rosacea

• Contact dermatitis

• Premature aging

• Increased sensitivity and allergic response

Our skincare obsession with “clean” has led to the exact opposite—barrier breakdown. Even so-called “gentle” products can strip the lipids, ceramides, and acid mantle necessary for barrier resilience. Instead of blaming our skin, it’s time to protect the terrain it lives on.

Your Skin, Your Story: Why Skin Is Personal and Political

Skincare is not just scientific—it’s deeply emotional, social, and cultural. Many women, especially women of color, have been conditioned to associate “good skin” with flawlessness, fairness, or filters. This colonization of beauty fuels fear-driven overconsumption.

But what if clear skin wasn’t about compliance, but communication?

Your skin tells a story:

• Of your hormones

• Your immune function

• Your food and nutrient absorption

• Your stress, trauma, and nervous system state

When you shift from seeing your skin as a reflection of failure to a mirror of deeper processes, your approach becomes more rooted in respect than in shame.

Stewardship begins when you stop asking: How do I fix this? and start asking: What does this ecosystem need to restore balance?

That shift changes everything:

• From scrubbing → to soothing

• From drying out → to feeding and hydrating

• From daily peels → to cyclical repair

• From over-cleansing → to oil-based rituals

It’s not passive. It’s intelligent. Like a gardener tending the soil, you begin to notice your skin’s seasons. Its microclimates. It's stress responses. You realize that breakouts are conversations, not condemnations. And you respond with tools—not weapons.

Stewardship includes:

• Seasonal product cycling

• Skin fasting to reduce overwhelm

• Layering in microbiome-friendly ingredients like prebiotics, postbiotics, and ferments

• Prioritizing food, sleep, breath, and touch as equal parts of skin care

Oil Cleansing: A Microbiome-Friendly Ritual

Traditional surfactant cleansers (even “gentle” ones) can disrupt your acid mantle and strip the lipids that your microbiome relies on.

Oil cleansing, on the other hand:

• Preserves beneficial bacteria

• Dissolves excess sebum without over-drying

• Respects your skin’s pH and structure

• Encourages lymphatic movement and nervous system regulation

• Restores lipid integrity for better barrier function

The practice is simple:

1. Choose a nourishing oil (like jojoba, sunflower, or squalane)

2. Apply with dry hands to a dry face, massaging gently for 1–2 minutes

3. Place a warm, damp cloth over your face and hold for 20 seconds

4. Gently wipe off, rinse cloth, and repeat if needed

Oil cleansing is not a “hack.” It’s a reminder—to slow down, connect with your skin, and cleanse in a way that honors the biome.

The Nervous System & Skin Communication Loop

Your skin isn’t just a barrier. It’s a sensory interface. It’s wired with nerve endings that communicate with your brain through the vagus nerve, limbic system, and interoceptive pathways. When you cleanse with aggression or distraction, your nervous system receives that input as stress.

But when you slow down, apply pressure intentionally, and breathe—it responds with:

• Lower cortisol

• Improved skin oxygenation

• Balanced sebum production

• Increased vagal tone

• Enhanced wound healing and tissue resilience

Touch becomes therapy. Skincare becomes nervous system care.

Food, Fascia, and the Forgotten Skin Connections

Let’s expand further. Skin isn’t just a reflection of your outer routine—it’s a downstream result of:

• Gut health and microbial resilience

• Lymphatic flow and stagnation

• Fascia tension and craniofacial mobility

• Hormonal rhythms and sleep cycles

Stewarding your skin means asking:

• How is my digestion?

• How is my breath?

• Am I sleeping deeply?

• Have I stretched, walked, or gently moved lymph today?

Your face reflects your whole life—not just your skincare routine.

Final Word: From Enemy to Ecosystem

The next time you see a blemish, pause before you reach for the acid. Ask what your skin might be telling you. Because healing doesn’t happen when you fight your face—it happens when you finally listen to it. Your skin is not broken. It's communicating. It’s not fragile. It’s responsive. It’s not ugly. It’s alive.

And like any thriving ecosystem, it flourishes under tender, intentional stewardship.

Let your hands be gentle. Let your rituals be restorative. Let your beauty be biological.

Citations:

1. Byrd, A. L., Belkaid, Y., & Segre, J. A. (2018). The human skin microbiome. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 16(3), 143–155.

2. Sanford, J. A., & Gallo, R. L. (2013). Functions of the skin microbiota in health and disease. Seminars in Immunology, 25(5), 370–377.

3. Kong, H. H., & Segre, J. A. (2017). Skin microbiome: Looking back to move forward. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(5), 931–938.

4. Craig, A. D. (2002). How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(8), 655–666.