Two people, the same age – yet their skin tells two different stories The reason lies not in their genes, but in their exposome.
The exposome redefines skincare – from correction to strengthening the skin’s adaptive capacity.
Daily exposure to environmental stressors, digital radiation, and psychological stress influences the skin more deeply than genetics ever could.
External and internal influences – a new dimension of skin health
The skin remembers – every light exposure, every shift in air, every form of stress.
How it evolves over time depends not only on its genetic code, but on what it encounters each day – and how effectively it responds. In dermatological science, this sum of environmental and lifestyle factors is known as the exposome – a concept that defines how modern skin aging is understood.
What is the exposome?
The exposome describes the totality of all external and internal influences the skin is exposed to throughout life – everything beyond genetic predisposition.
It includes UV radiation, urban pollution, ozone, digital light, sleep patterns, nutrition, and psychological stress. These factors act individually or in synergy on skin cells, altering biochemical processes and influencing the skin's ability to regenerate.
The exposome impacts skin at every age – accelerating premature aging and intensifying existing processes.
Environmental stressors – where the exposome begins
The exposome begins where skin meets the environment. UV radiation, urban pollution, ozone, and temperature fluctuations generate oxidative stress – free radicals that weaken cellular structures and stimulate enzymes responsible for collagen degradation.
Digital light – high-energy visible light (HEV) from screens – also exerts a subtle but measurable effect on deeper skin layers, amplifying oxidative processes.
These daily burdens challenge the skin. What matters is how well it balances these stressors and activates repair mechanisms.
Internal processes and their role
The exposome does not end at the skin’s surface. Internal mechanisms – especially the stress hormone cortisol – play a defining role.
Sustained high cortisol levels compromise barrier integrity, promote low-grade inflammation, and slow down cellular turnover.
These underlying mechanisms are closely linked to inflammaging – the chronic, low-grade inflammatory processes that progressively alter skin structure and elasticity.
The microbiome's role in the exposome context
How strongly external and internal influences affect the skin depends largely on the state of the skin microbiome. This microbial ecosystem regulates pH, lipid balance, and immune defense – determining whether stressors are buffered or amplified.
A stable microbiome is key to skin cell resilience – the ability to fend off irritants, repair damage, and maintain stability.
Conclusion – Skincare in the age of the exposome
The exposome shows that aging is not predetermined, but shaped by dynamic interactions.
Effective skincare must therefore go beyond surface protection: it should enhance the skin’s adaptive strength, regulate stress responses, and support its natural defense potential – even under the demands of an urban, digital environment.
