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Cleansing lotions, gels and scrubs, peeling and dermabrasion – it seems that our desire for cleanliness is increasingly in danger of turning into an obsession with sterility. But what are we actually losing by peeling off the skin layer by layer?
The skin is our protection, a reliable barrier separating from the outside world. Its stratum corneum (epidermis), which performs this important barrier function, is subject to endless intrusions, but not only from the environment. He suffers the most… from our good intentions. We refine it, trying to achieve a better complexion, we injure it to cause enhanced regeneration and get rid of wrinkles, we treat it with bactericidal agents to prevent micro-inflammations. Aiming for an impeccable cosmetic effect, are we harming our skin? The experts answer.
Taking off the mantle
The very first outer protective mantle of the skin, which we frivolously get rid of, following our craving for cleanliness, is a hydrolipidic film. Surfactants (surfactants) that form emulsions, related to both water and oil, allow you to remove impurities, sebum (sebum), sweat, makeup … They are in all richly foaming products (shampoos, shower gels, cleansing mousses for face), as well as make-up removers, including formulas designed for sensitive skin. There are several thousand varieties of surfactants used in cosmetics: some of them are softer and better tolerated by the skin, while others completely degrease it, disrupting the barrier function. “All cleansers, including makeup remover milk, require rinsing,” explains cosmetologist-dermatologist Elena Fuflygina. – Ideally, it is better to wash off the remnants of the product with water. Or, thoroughly wipe the skin with a tonic. It is very important that milk particles do not remain on the skin: the surfactants contained in it continue to work, breaking down lipids, destroying the hydrolipid film. This also applies to oily or acne-prone skin: being completely degreased, in response, it begins to intensively produce sebum. Normal skin restores its hydrolipidic film within half an hour after washing with water: the feeling of light tightness disappears, the feeling of comfort is restored.
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How much purity do we need
To maintain the normal natural immunity of the skin, experts recommend using antibacterial soap not every day, as well as …
- use detergent when taking a shower, no more than 1 time per day;
- exfoliate the skin with a sisal mitten or loofah no more than 1 time per week;
- carry out professional cleaning of the skin in the salon no more than 4 times a year;
- to remove makeup, leave cleansing milk on the skin for no longer than 1 minute;
- soap your hands when washing for no more than 30 seconds.
M. L.
Restore the ecosystem
Why is the lipid mantle so important? This is nothing more than a favorable environment for the development of the natural microflora of the skin. On the surface of our skin can be both “good” and “bad” bacteria. The first (resident flora) protect us from the second (accidental, temporary or transient flora, consisting of pathogenic microbes that can become a source of infection). “The resident flora of the skin enhances the body’s defenses – it is part of its immune system. Friendly microorganisms secrete substances that can suppress the reproduction of random microbes and even completely destroy them, like a natural antibiotic,” says Edouard Mauvais-Jarvis, responsible for scientific communications at Vichy Laboratories. Proper skin care, according to the latest scientific ideas, is to maintain a clean, but by no means sterilized environment. The world’s leading cosmetic laboratories began to look for a solution to this problem – and try to develop a cosmetic product that supports the skin microflora. One of the first such innovations was dermobiotic, a special component extracted by Biotherm specialists from thermal plankton. By the strength of its biological effect, it is comparable to food probiotics, which are part of live yoghurts, which improve bowel function and stimulate the immune system. “This component has the ability to increase the synthesis of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD),” explains Lucien Aubert, PhD, head of Biotherm’s research laboratories. – It is a key enzyme that controls the processes of oxidation occurring inside the cells – one of the main causes of skin aging. Experiments have shown that even after prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the skin continues to protect itself, and the number of dead cells “burned” by the sun is significantly reduced – by 67% even without the use of sunscreen. This gives us an idea of how powerful the dermobiotic enhances the protective properties of the skin.”
Cleanliness from the cradle?
A sterile atmosphere and excessive concern for maintaining cleanliness is not at all good for the baby’s immunity, says neonatologist Eleonora Sakhnina.
“The skin of a newborn is covered with primordial lubrication, which is usually removed immediately after birth. But modern research shows that it is a natural skin protection that is best kept for the next 24 hours. You should not bathe a baby every day with baby soap or any other means: very young children have very delicate and fragile skin, the more often it is washed, the drier it becomes. Soap should be used no more than once a week. Also, do not clean the nose and ears of the child every day with cotton swabs – only as needed, for example, if crusts appear in the nose. Just before removing them, it is better to drip Aquamaris drops into the nose or dip a cotton swab into a baby cream, otherwise the mucous membrane is very easy to injure. It is curious that children who grow up in sterile conditions often experience health problems due to an underactive immune system. That is why you should not deprive the immune system of the opportunity to train on trifles so that it is ready for an adequate response to real “enemies”. Otherwise, the child may develop skin or food allergic reactions.
E.S.
strike a balance
The epidermis, the stratum corneum of the skin, is the next line of defense. Its outer layer is made up of dead cells, but are they really something superfluous, unnecessary for our skin, that we can fearlessly remove with peeling and scrub? “The purpose of peeling is to improve the color and texture of the skin, to encourage cells to regenerate – in this case, the top layer of the skin is replaced with a new, young one,” says Elena Fuflygina. “However, everything that thins the stratum corneum makes the skin more vulnerable to external aggression, including ultraviolet radiation and chemical agents. Those who are too fond of peeling for the sake of youthfulness risk achieving the opposite – premature aging of the skin. A chemical peel once a year can be considered safe, as long as the skin has enough time to recover before exposure to the sun.” People with sensitive skin should refrain from using home dermabrasion kits, and those with normal skin should resort to such skin resurfacing no more than four times a year, during the non-sunny season. Facial scrub can be used once a month, body scrub – no more than once a week. This mode allows you to maintain a balance – free the skin from dead cells, without risking weakening its natural defense mechanisms.
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Only tenderness
The skin is closely connected with the limbic center of our brain, which is responsible for emotions, and therefore is very sensitive to our psychological state. She responds to care…as well as casual, hasty, mechanical gestures. Therefore, the best tool for caring for her is our gentle hands. They should rightfully become the main “protagonist” of all beauty rituals. So, make-up remover milk should be applied with (previously washed) hands generously, with the whole palm. And don’t forget to gently massage your face. The more tenderness and goodwill towards ourselves in our gestures, the more the skin will straighten out.
M. L.
Important subtleties
It is worth considering a few more important points – unfortunately, they are not always warned about in beauty clinics and beauty parlors. No peeling (no matter how you are assured of its safety) should not be done in the summer or before traveling to sunny lands – this greatly increases the risk of UV damage and intracellular mutations. This is especially true for those who are prone to the appearance of pigmentation: after peeling, these people should use sunscreen with an index of 30 units or more at any time of the year. Peeling procedures are incompatible with antibiotic therapy and (often) with the use of hormonal agents; they should not be done during pregnancy – both because of the toxicity of some drugs, and because of the risk of pigmentation. In combination with ingestion of retinoids (derivatives of vitamin A), negative consequences are also possible – irritation and dermatitis, since retinoids cause severe dryness of the skin. But taking drugs with polyunsaturated omega fatty acids, on the contrary, has a beneficial effect and accelerates the restoration of the protective functions of the skin.
Those with sensitive skin should avoid any mechanical exfoliation and dermabrasion as it can cause breakouts. For those whose skin does not respond well to chemical peels, a milder, more gentle gas-liquid peel, which is performed using saline, can be offered as an alternative.