Taking care of your skin is a series of habits that help keep it in good condition. Unfortunately, when these habits are inappropriate, the skin becomes dry, irritated and contaminated. How to change it? Aneta Suchowierska, an expert at Cetaphil, suggests.
What care mistakes do Polish women make?
First of all, we often forget to wash and cleanse the skin of the face, not only in the evening but also in the morning. Additionally, we use cleansing cosmetics that are not of good quality. We also unskilfully choose care preparations. We follow fashion, not what is good for our skin type. Another mistake is not using sunscreen.
What does the lack of make-up removal or make-up during physical exertion result?
Exercising and sleeping with makeup on is a very bad idea. The facial skin has a lot of sebaceous glands that secrete sebum. These glands are also the pathway that allows the active ingredients contained in creams to permeate. If the gland orifices (pores) are blocked, the skin will not be able to absorb the moisturizing or nourishing ingredients.
This is especially important at night, during sleep, when the skin is the most active and should benefit from extensive care – I recommend, for example, Cetaphil moisturizing face cream for the night. Make-up is a layer on the skin that prevents it from working properly – also during exercise, when we sweat. If we do not cleanse the skin of make-up, the sebaceous glands clog and consequently impurities / blackheads form.
How should you not cleanse your skin?
I advise against washing the skin with soap and body cosmetics (shower and bath gels). Such preparations have a very aggressive effect on the facial skin and change its pH – it leads to dryness and other abnormalities. After washing, do not rub the skin with a towel, just press it gently against your face.
We also use peeling for cleansing. Can it be used in excess?
Of course. Do not perform strong granular or acid peels too often. Our skin has limited regenerative abilities and can react with severe irritation, dryness and flaking. So we get the opposite effect to the intended one. It is worth remembering, however, that the delicate particles contained in washing gels (Cetaphil a gentle cleansing gel with peeling) help to remove impurities and callous epidermis cells without irritating the skin.
It is a mistake to use too much cosmetics. Which should be used in the less is more convention?
The excess of stimuli related to the amount of preparations is certainly not good for the skin. As a consequence, it reacts with redness and hypersensitivity. What should our cosmetic base be like? First of all, we should obtain cleansing preparations, such as a washing gel for morning face washing. In the evening cleansing, we use a micellar emulsion in the first step, and a washing gel – in the second step.
The care cream should meet the expectations of our skin in terms of action and formula. We can use the same day and night cream. If, on the other hand, we want to use light care during the day (eg Cetaphil DA Ultra intensive moisturizing cream), then for the night I would recommend a cream with a richer texture (eg Cetaphil moisturizing face cream at night).
Does the order of cosmetics application matter? How should it be done correctly?
The order in which the cosmetics are applied is of great importance for their penetration. First, we apply products with a light formula. The first phase is cleansing the skin with an emulsion, micellar fluid, oil or milk. Then we apply a washing gel or foam and tone the skin. Next, we apply the serum (if we use it) and the cream. Finally, we apply preparations with a UV filter.
What happens to the skin when we don’t use sunscreen?
The sun’s rays have a very destructive effect on our skin. They accelerate the aging processes, contribute to the formation of discoloration, and damage the skin structure for many years. The sunscreen cream protects the skin like an invisible mirror that reflects the sun’s rays so that they do not get into it and destroy it.
How to prevent skin dryness?
You should take care of it regularly. Morning and evening. If the skin is dry, and we have such a possibility, during the day you can additionally cleanse the skin and massage the cream in. The skin should be cleaned according to its needs, and moisturizing and regenerating preparations should be applied. You can use stronger home scrub once a week or cleanse the skin with a gel with delicate particles. Do not forget to hydrate the skin from the inside and drink plenty of water. 2 liters a day are recommended, spread over the course of the day into small portions.
What habits can be harmful to the skin – touching the face frequently, removing blemishes yourself?
Self-squeezing and scratching the skin is a habit that causes great harm to the skin. As a result, post-inflammatory discoloration, scars and re-infection of the skin are most often formed. The use of dirty make-up brushes can also contaminate the skin. They should be cleaned regularly or replaced with new ones. It’s also a good idea to control the habit of touching your face excessively, which can result in breakouts.
Does lifestyle harm our skin?
The lifestyle has a huge impact on how our skin looks. Too little water, alcohol, drinking a lot of coffee and black tea, lack of sleep – all this dehydrates the body. As a result, the skin becomes flaccid, sallow and tired.