Love the Skin You’re In
By Betsy
Many people think of the idea of skin care similar to wearing makeup, nail polish or other beauty products. Skin care is actually part of your overall healthcare. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and needs to be kept healthy just like your heart or lungs.
How do you keep your skin healthy? First and foremost is Sunscreen. Sun damage causes 80-90% of the signs of aging, and skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Look for sunscreens that contain titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide with an SPF of 30-50. SPF stands for sun protection factor and means the amount of protection you have from the sun compared to if you wore no sunscreen at all. Once you go above 50 SPF, the protection does not get much stronger and usually the sunscreen will have a lot more chemicals. On a day-to-day basis, applying sunscreen once in the morning is enough. If you are actively outside, you should be reapplying your sunscreen every two hours.
The partner to sunscreen is an antioxidant. Think of sunscreen as the seatbelt and antioxidant as the airbag. You can look for a moisturizer or sunscreen that already contains antioxidants or apply it separately in a serum. Antioxidants give your skin additional protection from sun damage and help to brighten the skin and help minimize dark spots. Some of the most popular antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E and niacinamide. Just like it’s recommended to eat the rainbow of fruits and vegetables to get your antioxidants internally, your skin needs antioxidants topically to protect against free radicals which damage cells.
You may be thinking this sounds like info for my mother or grandmother, but along with anti-aging, sunscreen and antioxidants are crucial for one of the most common skin concerns young women complain about. Have you ever had a pimple and when it clears up your left with a reddish-brown spot? That spot is known as Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH). And guess what the best prevention/correction products are for PIH? Sunscreen and antioxidants!
How do we keep the pimple from happening in the first place? Acne evolves from three triggers: excess oil, excess buildup of dead skin and bacteria. Look for products containing Salicylic Acid which is a Beta Hydroxy Acid so it helps to break down oil. A retinol product will help reduce the buildup of dead skin. Sulfur and Benzoyl Peroxide products help with the overgrowth of bacteria.
It’s important to balance these ingredients with hydration. Light weight oil-free moisturizers are best if you’re prone to acne, with Hyaluronic Acid being a great ingredient. If you tend to be more normal to dry, your moisturizer should contain some Ceramides. Listen to your skin and it will let you know what it needs. If you feel a little tight and dry, cut back on some of your active ingredients. Your skin will also change with the seasons and you may need to adjust your regimen accordingly.
In addition to products that you use at home, it’s helpful to see a skin care specialist for more intensive treatments and specific recommendations. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with skin care for over 30 years and nothing makes me happier than improving the health of a client’s skin. When I first began in the industry, I recommended cleanser, toner and moisturizer for everybody, no matter the skin concern. There were approximately five department store brands and five drugstore brands to choose from. I’ve seen skin care evolve to where now sunscreen is the most important step in any regimen and we have thousands of product lines, available in store and online.
The one thing that has not changed in my 30 years in the skin care industry is that we are all our own worst critic. When I meet a new client, I immediately look for the beauty in their skin and appearance. The client will usually begin telling me everything about their appearance that they’re unhappy with. My goal is to help women learn to love the skin they’re in.
