How Plants Unlock Longevity: The Science Behind Plant-Based Skincare

What if the secret to a longer, healthier life and radiant skin lies in the plants we eat and apply to skin? Two cutting-edge concepts, nutrigenomics and xenohormesis, reveal how plant-based solutions can transform our bodies inside and out. At PHYTO5, we’ve woven this science into our Swiss-made skincare, proving that anti-aging skincare isn’t just about looking good — it’s about living better.

Nutrigenomics: Food as Medicine for Longevity

Nutrigenomics explores how nutrition interacts with our genes to prevent or treat disease.

It’s a game-changer for aging.

In the U.S., life expectancy hovers around 77 years — 73.6 for men, 79.4 for women — but scientists now say we can push past that. Discoveries in molecular biology show that longevity genes exist, and certain nutrients can switch them on, enhancing health and extending life.

Ronald Klatz, M.D., who coined anti-aging medicine, predicts baby boomers and beyond could reach 120–150 years.

How? By fortifying our diets with plants rich in bioactive molecules — compounds that go beyond fuel to tweak hormones, metabolism, and even cellular repair.

Hippocrates nailed it centuries ago:

Let food be your medicine.

Nutrigenomics just gives us the why and how.

Xenohormesis: Plants Pass On Their Survival Secrets

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Xenohormesis (from the Greek xenos for stranger and hormesis meaning mild stress benefits) explains how stressed plants — like those battered by drought or frost — produce compounds that boost our resilience when we consume them.

Think of it as plants sharing their evolutionary grit.

For eons, plants have adapted to harsh conditions, creating molecules that humans and animals can borrow for survival. These xenohormetic compounds don’t just nourish, they activate our cellular stress responses, potentially outdoing modern drugs for longevity.

And it’s not just about eating them. The skin, the body’s largest organ, absorbs over 60% of what you put on it. This makes plant-based skincare a direct line to these benefits.

PHYTO5: Plant-Based Skincare Meets Science

At PHYTO5, we’ve harnessed nutrigenomics and xenohormesis to craft anti-aging skincare that feeds your skin — and vitality. Our Swiss-made products use high-grade essential oils from plants that have thrived against the odds, passing their resilience to you:

• Lingonberry Seed Oil in Extreme Hydrating Cream: Sourced from Arctic berries surviving -50°C, it super-hydrates and protects skin in harsh winters.

• Edelweiss in Face Gel Mask and Perfection Cream: Grown on treacherous Alpine cliffs, it regenerates and fights hyperpigmentation with centuries of stress-hardened power.

• Ginkgo in Water Element Day and Night Creams: An ancient tree’s longevity secrets plump and firm mature skin.

These aren’t just ingredients — they’re living allies.

Like the “face” of a flower nourishing your own, as aromatherapy expert Erich Keller might say,¹ they deliver vital energy straight to your skin and bloodstream.

It’s plant-based skincare with a purpose:

longevity you can see and feel.

From Diet to Dermatology: A Growing Trend

Plants already shape medicine — 40% of Western drugs, including the top 20 U.S. prescriptions, come from them (USDA–Forest Service).

Meanwhile, over 9.7 million Americans now follow plant-based diets, up 9.4 million in 15 years (thebeet.com). Most don’t know xenohormesis, but they feel the health perks.

Why stop at food? Topical application amplifies the effect.

PHYTO5’s quantum-energy approach ensures every drop of our skincare communicates resilience to your cells, proving nutrigenomics isn’t just for your plate — it’s for your face too.

Rewrite Aging with Plants

Nutrigenomics and xenohormesis aren’t buzzwords. They’re blueprints for a longer, vibrant life.

Plants don’t just survive. They thrive under stress, and through PHYTO5’s plant-based skincare, they share that power with you.

From Lingonberry’s icy endurance to Edelweiss’s cliffside tenacity, our anti-aging skincare turns nature’s lessons into your glow.

Ready to let plants rewrite your aging story? With PHYTO5, quality longevity starts now.

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Endnotes and Sources.

¹ Erich Keller reference here and link to other article

Hooper, Philip L et al. “Xenohormesis: health benefits from an eon of plant stress response evolution.” Cell stress & chaperones vol. 15,6 (2010): 761–70. doi:10.1007/s12192–010–0206-x

Konrad T. Howitz, David A. Sinclair, Xenohormesis: Sensing the Chemical Cues of Other Species, Cell, Volume 133, Issue 3, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2008.04.019.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867408005114)

Cayuela Sánchez JA, Elamrani A. Nutrigenomics of essential oils and their potential domestic use for improving health. Nat Prod Commun. 2014 Nov;9(11):1641–8. PMID: 25532301.

Dhanjal, Daljeet Singh et al. “Plant Fortification of the Diet for Anti-Ageing Effects: A Review.” Nutrients vol. 12,10 3008. 30 Sep. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12103008

Phytochemicals of Nutraceutical Importance. United Kingdom, CABI, 2014.

Swann G. The skin is the body’s largest organ. J Vis Commun Med. 2010 Dec;33(4):148–9. doi: 10.3109/17453054.2010.525439. PMID: 21087182.

You Can Live Beyond Your Prescribed Genetics

Among many critical factors influencing the aging process, our genetic heritage is a major one. Genetics escape our control yet twins with an identical genetic imprint can age differently. This proves other factors like lifestyle are in play.

Other factors include our living conditions. We don’t have control over our environmental climate either.

But other factors point to how we choose to consciously live our lives.

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The physical effects of aging may accelerate as a result of:

• where you live (dry or humid, hot or cold, temperate or extreme climates)

• your socioeconomic conditions (depening on the time and resources you have to take care of yourself)

• your relationships (family and friends)

• your psychological frame of mind (tendency to worry, embrace fear and anger, or to laugh and be merry)

• your diet

• your exercise routine

• your socializing habits

• various personal disciplines you might or might not have, including how you handle stress (at work and in your private life) your spiritual life.

Some factors have little to do with the amount of free time or disposable income you have.

• Do you drive when you could walk instead?

• Do you take the escalator rather than the stairs?

• Do you take every opportunity you have to stretch, exercise, and breathe deeply?

• Do you take a few minutes, even a few seconds, throughout the day to meditate and to manage your negative emotions when they appear?

• Do you find reasons to smile and to laugh?

• Can you stay clear of smoking and alcohol (beyond an occasional beer or glass of wine) and recreational drugs?

Exercise, nutrition and diet (including the choice for energetic foods and phytochemicals in our diet), colon therapy and inner cleansing, and mindfulness practice are all key elements of a lifestyle designed to slow the aging process as much as possible.

In this post, we’ll focus on exercise, so pertinent for this time of year, and we’ll discuss food, inner cleansing and mindfulness practices in soon upcoming posts.

Exercise does not need to be strenuous, but we do need two types of exercises: stretching and cardiovascular.  Exercising in general, and stretching in particular, sponsors the movement of vital energy throughout the body, accelerating the flow of blood that brings necessary nutrients to all cells. It also stimulates the process of elimination of waste within cells and tissues.

It is good to remember that we generate more internal energy as we exercise, but depending on the type of exercise, we might also expend a large amount of energy, leaving us depleted at the end of our session. The goal is to build up energy while expending as little of it as possible. In that respect, low impact and moderately intensive cardiovascular exercises are superior forms of wellness enhancement.

Mindful exercising connects intention to action. It is important because energy follows our intention, therefore we can redirect it. Yoga, qi gong, and tai chi are known for their focus on the coordination of movement and breath with intention and awareness. There are many other activities that can be performed with conscious focus, from golf to simply walking upstairs.

All this is contrary to the frequent practice of mechanically performing exercises while listening to music or watching television in an attempt to distract the mind from repetitive and boring movements.

Conscious breathing should also be considered part of our exercise regimen. For most people, twenty to thirty minutes of accelerated breathing three times a week is quite sufficient.  Experts point to the need of breathing from the abdomen and not simply from the top of the lungs. This action helps the movement of the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body that acts as a major pump for the movement of lymph and of water throughout the body.

Skin Is Your Third Lung

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views skin with great reverence. It’s more than a barrier between the inside of the body and the outside environment. Skin is linked to the organ function of Lung—a breathing and eliminating function. Consequently, TCM links Lung to the energy of the Metal element.

But there’s more: Your skin is particularly important because it is a reflexive organ that provides important telltale signs of what is going on within your body. Any recurring skin problem in the same area is an indicator of your health condition. Your skin’s role as a provider of natural early warning signs can help you maintain or achieve an improved state of wellness.

We all know that smoking is very bad for our health, but few realize the particularly dreadful cumulative effect smoking has on skin health and quality. This is because the lungs and skin have a very specific and direct connections and is why Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to the skin as the third lung.

For most people, twenty to thirty minutes of accelerated breathing three times a week is quite sufficient for the health of their skin and body. During these sessions, the breathing should be deep enough to completely empty out the lungs and then fully renew the oxygen content of the lungs. Lack of frequent and deep breathing causes parts of the lungs and a significant portion of the lung alveolus to remain collapsed.

Experts point to the necessity of breathing from the abdomen and not simply from the top of the lungs. This action helps the movement of the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body that acts as a major pump for the movement of lymph and of water throughout the body.

The lungs (along with skin, kidneys, and colon) are one of four major organs for eliminating bodily waste (gas, fluids and solids). Poor lung energy manifests as disorders of skin and mucous membranes as well as poor venous and lymph circulation. Lungs and the large intestine are responsible for separation, distillation and elimination.

The reflex zone for lungs is found on the face, namely on the cheeks extended from the corner of the mouth, alongside the jawbone to the ear, on both sides.

Lungs are paired with the large intestine in TCM (lungs: yin and large intestine: yang). They belong to Metal element/Fall season. Lungs are where internal energy from nutrients in the blood mixes with external energy of air to provide vital energy.

Skin is called the third lung in TCM because it is the limit between the internal and the external. For this reason, skin is regulated by Metal energy. Breathing (lungs) affects the movement of vital energy through the body.

It is said, “Where chi goes, energy flows.” Body-mind exercises such as yoga demonstrate how intent and breathing can direct energy with its attendant therapeutic benefits.

“As the interface between our inner and outer world, the Lung manages external security. Sometimes referred to as the “third lung,” the skin is the outermost surface of the self, providing an elastic envelope that contains us, shielding against intrusion. The Lung transpires across the dermal layer: through perspiration, plus opening and closing the pores, it constantly adjusts the moisture and temperature of the body. Like a screen of variable porosity, the Lung tightens and thickens the skin to ward off undesirable influences and seal in valuable internal resources, or it loosens and thins the skin to release unwanted internal substances or feelings and permit penetration of desirable influences.”

— Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

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Source:

Canas, Jon. Energetic Skincare, Naturally. Eustis, FL: Phyto Distribution, 2010. Print.