Bohr Effect: A scientific explanation of why carbonated CO2 cosmetics oxygenate the skin
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A paradox that makes perfect sense
Oxygen is essential for the skin. It is a substrate for countless metabolic and energy-intensive processes and is required for skin repair and regeneration. It is therefore no surprise that skin oxygenation has become one of the key topics in modern skincare.
But here comes the apparent paradox. One of the most effective ways to supply oxygen to the skin is not by applying oxygen itself, but by applying carbon dioxide. It sounds illogical until you understand the mechanism behind it. And that mechanism is nothing new. It has been described and scientifically documented for over a hundred years.
Who was Christian Bohr and what did he discover
In 1904, the Danish physiologist Christian Bohr, together with his colleagues Karl Hasselbalch and August Krogh, published a seminal paper on the relationship between the carbon dioxide content in the blood and the blood's ability to bind oxygen. This discovery became known in science as the Bohr effect and remains one of the cornerstones of respiratory physiology to this day.
An interesting side note: Christian Bohr was the father of Niels Bohr, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the fathers of modern quantum physics. Scientific precision was clearly hereditary in this family.
How the Bohr effect works
Oxygen is transported in the blood bound to hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells. The key question is how tightly the oxygen binds to hemoglobin, because this determines where and when oxygen is released into the tissues.
And this is where carbon dioxide comes into play. Carbon dioxide has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen, so an increase in the amount of CO2 in the tissue reduces the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. Simply put: where there is a higher concentration of carbon dioxide, hemoglobin more readily lets go of oxygen and releases it into the surrounding tissue.
From a biological perspective, this makes perfect sense. Tissues that are working intensively produce more carbon dioxide as a byproduct of metabolism. And these are the very tissues that need the most oxygen. The Bohr effect is therefore an elegant automatic system: a high concentration of CO2 signals the blood to release more oxygen exactly at that spot.
How cosmetics use the Bohr effect
Modern cosmetology has turned this principle to its advantage. When carbon dioxide is applied to the skin, the body reacts physiologically.
In the skin, CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which lowers the skin's pH. This lower pH weakens the binding of oxygen to hemoglobin, which leads to the release of oxygen from hemoglobin and causes vasodilation with microcirculation and increased peripheral blood flow. In other words: carbon dioxide on the skin's surface triggers exactly the same mechanism that Bohr described in the blood.
The result is twofold. The microcirculatory changes caused by the temporary supply of CO2 improve blood flow to the skin and facilitate the delivery of nutrients and the removal of waste products. The subsequent supply of oxygen stimulates collagen production and accelerates cellular metabolism. The skin therefore gains better blood circulation, more oxygen, more efficient nutrient supply, and faster removal of metabolic waste.
A scientific study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology directly measured and confirmed this effect. The study concluded that carbon dioxide applied to the face improves skin oxygenation immediately after treatment, which can be attributed to the creation of an artificial Bohr effect.
Why it is particularly suitable for sensitive skin
One of the most valuable qualities of this mechanism is its gentleness. Unlike more aggressive oxygenation methods, carbonated cosmetics work with the body's natural physiology, not against it.
Because this mechanism works through the skin's own physiology, it is gentle, non-invasive, and particularly suitable for sensitive, stressed, or weakened skin. Carbonated foam does not force oxygen into the skin and does not disrupt the skin barrier. It merely activates a mechanism that the body already uses naturally.
How it relates to the Kyashamie Sparkle Lotion
The carbonated CO2 foam Kyashamie Sparkle Lotion is based on exactly this scientific principle.
This foam works with a carbon dioxide concentration of up to 12,000 ppm. This high concentration is key in terms of the Bohr effect: the higher the concentration of CO2 on the skin surface, the more pronounced the release of oxygen from hemoglobin, and the stronger the subsequent support of microcirculation. A higher concentration simply means a more intense physiological response.
When you apply Kyashamie Sparkle Lotion to your skin, the gently carbonated texture creates a bubble effect that triggers exactly the chain reaction described above on the skin's surface. Carbon dioxide reacts with water in the skin, slightly lowers the local pH, triggers the release of oxygen from hemoglobin, and supports vasodilation and microcirculation. As a result, the skin looks fresher, brighter, and more awake after application, and the impression of fatigue subsides.
What you see and feel on your skin as immediate freshness and a lifting-like effect is, therefore, not a cosmetic illusion. It is a visible manifestation of a physiological mechanism described over a hundred years ago.
Why the scientific basis makes a difference
In the world of cosmetics, we often encounter claims that sound good but lack an actual mechanism. The Bohr effect is the opposite of this approach. It is one of the best-documented physiological phenomena in medicine, described in physiology textbooks and confirmed by dozens of studies in peer-reviewed dermatological journals.
Carbonated cosmetics like Kyashamie Sparkle Lotion therefore do not rely on a marketing promise, but on real science. And that is precisely the approach that byFEMME advocates: beauty backed by a mechanism, not just attractive packaging.
How to make the most of the Bohr effect
The effect of the carbonated foam can be further enhanced by the correct application technique. The vasodilation and microcirculation triggered by CO2 naturally complement manual massage that promotes lymphatic flow.
This is precisely why Kyashamie Sparkle Lotion complements the terahertz Casha Gua Sha massage stone so well. The foam triggers the Bohr effect and prepares the skin, while the stone, with its high thermal conductivity, adds a warming effect and allows for a precise, lifting-oriented massage of facial contours. The heat from the stone further supports vasodilation, following the same direction of action as the Bohr effect itself. Both principles thus work in parallel toward the same goal: better blood circulation, more oxygen, and a fresher, more defined skin appearance.
Kyashamie Sparkle Lotion 150 ml