Natural Contact in a Synthetic World: Skin, Anxiety and Botanical Skincare

A scientific reflection on how modern, fully synthetic environments affect the nervous system, and how natural, biologically aligned skincare can maintain a continuous tactile link to the natural world.

Abstract — Human physiology evolved in direct contact with natural materials: soil, plants, water, unprocessed fibers. In contemporary life, many individuals pass entire days without touching a single non-synthetic surface. This article considers the skin as a sensory and immunological interface, summarizes how continuous exposure to processed environments can contribute to dysregulated stress physiology, and proposes naturally derived, biologically compatible skincare as one remaining point of contact with the natural world. OUMERE formulations, composed of plant extracts and non-petrochemical emollients, provide not only barrier support and visible anti-aging benefits, but also sustained somatic contact with materials that originate outside the synthetic loop.

Introduction

The human nervous system was calibrated over millions of years to operate in outdoor, irregular environments: changing light, temperature gradients, soil microbiota, plant volatiles, and physical contact with water, stone, and natural fibers. In contrast, a typical modern day can proceed from synthetic mattress to plastic flooring, processed breakfast, artificial lighting, polymer clothing, climate-controlled car, concrete parking structure, sealed office air, fast food packaging, digital screens, and back again — with almost no direct, tactile contact with anything living.

This mismatch between evolutionary design and daily sensory input is a plausible contributor to chronic low-grade anxiety, sleep disruption, and somatic tension. The organism is running an operating system written for forests and fields inside an architecture of plastic, particleboard, and conditioned air.

Figure 1. Synthetic Daily Exposure Profile

The Skin as a Nervous System Interface

Skin is not passive wrapping. It is a dense sensory and immunological organ containing mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors, and an extensive population of immune cells. Signals arising from the skin inform central nervous system activity, autonomic tone, and endocrine output.

When all tactile input is mediated by synthetic, low-variation materials, the skin is exposed to a narrow band of sensory information. This is very different from natural contact, where small shifts in texture, temperature, and chemistry continuously update the nervous system. The modern environment replaces this dynamic stream with uniform plastics, smooth laminates, and indoor climate neutrality.

Natural vs Synthetic Contact: A Simple Model

Most people exist near the first column for the majority of the day. Even modest, repeated natural contact — walking on soil, touching plants, wearing natural fibers, or applying botanically derived products to the skin — may help restore some of the missing sensory context.

OUMERE: Natural Contact at the Skin Surface

OUMERE was formulated from the outset to be biologically compatible rather than purely synthetic. The core line incorporates plant extracts, oils, and naturally derived acids chosen for their relevance to skin structure and physiology, rather than for trend value.

1. Continuous Plant Interface

Because skincare remains on the skin for hours, it becomes one of the longest-lasting tactile and chemical interfaces of the day. When that interface is composed of petrochemical fillers, strong fragrances, and harsh surfactants, the skin is in continuous contact with materials it did not evolve to encounter at this intensity.

When formulations are built on plant-derived lipid fractions, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and gentle organic acids, the interface shifts. The body is in prolonged contact with materials that originate from living systems and that behave in a way more aligned with the biology of the barrier.

2. Anxiety, Routine and Predictable Input

Anxiety is multifactorial and cannot be reduced to any single product or habit. However, predictable, non-irritating sensory input can be stabilizing. A skincare routine that does not sting, foam aggressively, or produce volatile artificial scents becomes a small, repeatable ritual of neutral or positive sensation.

OUMERE’s non-foaming cleanser, acidic but controlled exfoliant (No. 9), and plant oil and extract serum system are designed to modify the skin’s surface naturally, without the jolts of extreme pH, detergent stripping, or fragrant stimulation that are common in conventional routines.

3. Barrier Biology and Perceived Comfort

From a mechanistic standpoint, a well-functioning barrier maintains water balance and reduces subclinical inflammation. Individuals often describe comfortable skin as “less tight,” “less reactive,” or simply “easier to ignore.” This reduction in peripheral irritation does not treat anxiety, but it can remove a constant low-level source of sensory noise from the system.

Daily Life Example: A Synthetic Day vs a Natural Touchpoint

Consider a typical schedule:

• Insufficient sleep in a synthetic bed environment.
• Processed breakfast and high-sugar drinks.
• Commute through concrete and asphalt into a window-limited building.
• Eight or more hours of artificial light, processed air, and screen focus.
• Return to a building constructed from composite materials, with plastic furniture and more screens.

At no point in this chain is there guaranteed direct contact with something living. Skin, eyes, and lungs interact almost exclusively with synthetic intermediaries. In that context, even a seemingly small variable:  a laboratory-controlled but naturally derived formulation sitting on the skin for most of the day, becomes relevant. It is one of the few biologically rooted materials in continuous proximity to the nervous system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Further Reading & Research

• Barrier Function and Environmental Stress
• Skin Microbiome and Environmental Input
• OUMERE No. 9 Exfoliant
• Explore the OUMERE Collection

Editor’s Lab Note