Let’s Focus On Skin Care

Friday, October 19th, 2018

Keeping your skin healthy and young looking should be an everyday process. Now is the perfect time to take stock of your skin-care routine and update it to one based on scientifically proven methods. Not only will it actually keep your skin young, it may save you a lot of money. If you are looking for things you can do at home to keep your skin hydrated, healthy and youthful, continue reading.

Skin Care Myths

• Moisturizer helps your skin stay hydrated and is an essential part of skin care.  In fact, moisturizers do the opposite and should never be used. They tell your cells that they do not need to produce moisture, so the cells simply stop producing natural moisture. Additionally, they add weight to the skin and, with reduction of the underlying support layer from sun damage, they further cause wrinkles and crinkles.
• You don’t need sunblock if you are not “out in the sun.” This is based on an old belief that it was the UVB rays that cause the damage to the skin. In fact, they contribute little (they cause a burn and the majority of injured cells simply slough [peel] off) and that it is the UVA rays that cause the damage. UVA is present at all latitudes, all day and all year. Protecting only from 10:00 to 2:00 o’clock is, therefore, also false since that time is when UVB is strongest and has nothing to do with UVA. UVA is also present indoors, so you need to protect from it even there.
• Cleansing is the mainstay of skin care. Instead, it is only one small part. See below.

 Basic Skin Care

There are four steps to good basic skin care. This is what you need for skin with minimal sun damage to reduce as much as possible any future sun damage. With any specific damage, the rejuvenative treatments are simply added to the basic care. The steps in basic skin care are:

• Clean your face morning and night. Use of a Clarisonic device improves the cleansing several times.
• Use an alpha or beta hydroxy to remove the outer dead cell layer. This removes a weighty, dry layer that contributes to wrinkles and adds to dryness. This can be combined with the cleansing if you use a cleanser containing either an alpha or beta hydroxy or both.
• After cleansing, apply a pH balancer that is acidic. This returns the skin to its normal function. Many toners will do this, but we like Vitamin-C Serum because it is also an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory and it stabilizes the lipid cell wall. Some other products do likewise.
• Use a sunblock containing at least 8% zinc oxide daily on all exposed skin.  This is now clear and does not have to be reapplied every hour like other sunscreens. Wear hats and sun protective clothing to cover your skin elsewhere. If you do not have clothing that is specifically sun protective, wash your regular clothing with SunGuard from Rit every 6 months to make it sun protective.

Other Important Steps

• Use a gentle touch when applying makeup and avoid pulling too much on your skin, especially around your eyes.
• Wash your pillowcase often.
• Don’t pop pimples or squeeze blackheads. Instead, allow your skin care physician or an aesthetician to care for them.
• Concentrate on your diet. See below.

The Importance of What You Eat

• Vitamin E protects your skin from further damage, so, snack on almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and  cretaceous vegetables to boost your intake of Vitamin E.
• Unsaturated, healthy fats, such as avocados, act as natural moisturizers for your skin.
• Fruits and vegetables, the darker or brighter the better, contain antioxidants that help protect your skin from pollution and damaging free radicals produced by UVA exposure.
• The Vitamin C in oranges or other citrus, broccoli and other similar vegetables and strawberries boosts your immune system, which helps your skin heal any problems.
• Your body needs water to stay healthy and so does your skin. Keeping your skin hydrated starts from the inside, so drink plenty of water every day. If you spend time in the sun, or exercise regularly, you may need to drink more.

As a compliment to your daily skin-care regime, we offer a variety of professional treatments that target specific problems. For example, a chemical peel or an IPL laser treatment can correct scars, blemishes and uneven skin tone, reduce the size of pores, and make your skin look smoother.

Let us help you maintain the youthful look of your skin scientifically. The difference between this and what is generally touted in all the magazines and cosmetic counters is that this actually works to maintain youthful skin and doesn’t waste your money on things that do your skin no good. Call to schedule an appointment, today.