Be Educated About Your Skincare
It’s astonishing how many smart, thoughtful women don’t apply the same level of critical thinking and education to their skincare as they do in other areas of their lives. Now is a good time to wise up, ladies! Your skin is an important part of your first impression, your body’s largest organ and your first line of defense against infection. It deserves as much thoughtful care as the rest of your health and wellness. Here are a few simple tips to get the ball rolling with your own skincare education.
Know Your Skin
Skin is intensely personal. A skincare product that works wonders for your friend might spell absolute disaster for you. Because your skin is so specific to you, knowing and understanding what works for it and what doesn’t is the best possible education you can give yourself when it comes to skincare.
Of course there are the classic skin types. Are you oily? Dry? Normal? Combination? These classifications mostly have to do with the amount of sebum your skin produces, but by determining where you fall on the skin type spectrum, you can use your skin type as one indicator for skincare needs.
Bear in mind that your skin is a living organ and is constantly changing. The moisture level and collagen content of your skin, in particular, can change with age. One study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology investigated the moisture content of skin on the hands of men from ages 24 to 63. Researchers found that the older the skin, the less moisture it retained. So you might start out with supple, well-hydrated skin and, as you age, require more intense moisturizing products.
Learn What You Need
Once you’ve nailed down which general type of skin you’re dealing with, you can learn which ingredients, products and treatments will most likely benefit your skin. Of course, what’s good for one person might not be good for another, so always take recommendations with a grain of salt. It’s important to try a product for yourself to see how your skin will react. Look for products recommended or tested by dermatologists. That way, even before you can gauge your skin’s reaction, you can garner an understanding of a product’s safety and efficacy.
Dermatological specialists weigh in with their own treatment experiences and products that meet their criteria as well. Carolyn Jacob, director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology suggests a cleanser with glycolic acid for combination skin. “It helps dry up excess oil, exfoliates by speeding up cell turnover and encourages new cell growth to create smooth, radiant skin.”
When dealing with oily skin and acne, dermatologist Amber Kyle says, don’t just focus on spots as they arise. She suggests treating the entire face with a benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid cream to treat and prevent breakouts. Acne’s not just for teenagers either. A study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that acne can be a common skin problem even after age 20, especially for women.
Dermatologist Jennifer Linder likes the feel of a lighter moisturizer on normal skin. Heavier doses of thick moisturizing creams may be necessary for dry, sensitive skin. She says a lighter regimen keeps normal skin calm and healthy. And Dr. Leslie Baumann, director of the Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute at the University of Miami, looks for products with skin soothing ingredients like vitamin C and feverfew extract to soothe irritated, dry, sensitive, skin.
Be Savvy
It seems as if a new, flashy skincare product bursts onto the market every few days. This one has snail mucus secretions! This one is made from only the rarest ingredients and has to be applied gingerly with a glove made of pure silk! All of them make dramatic marketing claims about what miracles they’re going to work on your skin, but in a lot of cases, that’s all they are – unsubstantiated marketing claims.
Don’t fall for a flashy package or beautiful bottle. Trying new products is fun and exciting, but if your specific skin needs aren’t being addressed, at best you’re wasting your money. At worst, you could be doing serious harm to your skin.