5 Common Skincare Mistakes

Did you know that you might be unintentionally damaging your skin? Here are five mistakes we commonly see at our boutique.

When we think of our skin (and God knows we do) we want to think of “radiant”, “glowing”, and “luminous”. We don’t think of it as a beefy bouncer at a night club but in fact, that’s what our skin does. Our skin is our defense against bacteria and viruses. It keeps the undesirables out (foreign chemicals and irritants) and the good guys in (water, nourishment).

That is what our skin is supposed to do. When this system breaks down, it’s not only our looks that suffer; it’s actually our health, too. That’s why the recent explosion of “skin-barrier function” – the capability of the skin to perform its gatekeeping services effectively. There is increasing evidence, too, that a healthy barrier is essential for ageing well.

It’s not just people with skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema who have to deal with a screwed-up skin barrier. Normal skin is subject to barrier disruption all the time: dryness in the winter; sun and irritation from pollutants in the summer. When the barrier is damaged, we become more susceptible to a whole host of problems. More bacteria get in. Chronic inflammation can ensue. That can lead to impaired antioxidant defense and higher levels of free radicals, which can result in premature aging. And overall, when the skin is in a weakened state, many products will irritate it, precluding the use of some more powerful ingredients.

“Moreover the simple fact of getting older makes the skin barrier slower at recovering from assault”, says Peter M. Elias, a professor of dermatology at the University of California and author of Skin Barrier. Add to that a lifetime of sun damage, if you’re a tanner or a burner, and you’ve really got yourself a situation.

Here’s the unfortunate thing about damaging the skin barrier: we often do it ourselves. Just watch out for these five common ways of preventing the skin barrier from doing its job.

ONE: Cleaning Frenzy

Ah, exfoliation. Haven’t we all enjoyed that smooth-as-a-babies-skin feel after a grainy exfoliant and a nice washcloth? The outermost layers of this skin (or stratum corneum) essentially are a permeable grid of proteins and lipids, important for skin-barrier function. When exfoliated properly and with the proper tools or ingredients, can make your skin look great but too much can lead to inflammation by disrupting the connections between skin cells.

If your skin looks dull, you can slough off dead cells gently and round natural spheres are preferred as not to damage the delicateness of our protective layer.  I recommend also a gentle in-house enzyme peel, delicately tightening pores, removing impurities leaving the skin smooth and luminous. For daily cleansing, avoid anything with emulsifiers, mineral oils, colorants, dyes or fragrances, maintaining the proper skin balance yet removing dirt and makeup. One that is pH balanced (means the product mimics the acidity of the skin, thereby not disrupting it.)

TWO: Under Moisturizing

Fat is your friend. No really. We may not love fat but our skin does. Fats or lipids in the outer layer of the skin help protect the skin cells. Think of our skin cells as the bricks and the fats (bi-layer or protective layer) as mortar. They also help retain moisture in the skin, making it plump. Yet what makes a good moisturizer is more complex than just throwing in random fatty molecules.  Ingredients like paraffin or petroleum can actually damage the skin (removing the mortar) and increase water loss. Moisturizing ingredients that mimic and are bio-identical to our cellular structure are the best and several ingredients together are required to optimize barrier recovery.

I love the fact that we can costumize each moisturizer for you, giving you what your skin is asking for as each of us is as unique as our finger print.  We can add actives that target, blemishes, wrinkles, brown spots, tightening the skin, redness, irritations, sensitivities. disordered or compromised skin.  With the proper ingredients you can plump up the skin, speed up the healing process, minimize cancer cells, helpful with scarring and pigmentation.

THREE: Product Overload

Buying a boatload of skin-care products and hope one of them works is a bad idea. Some women feel that more ingredients are better, when in fact some ingredients can cause excess irritation when combined. Emulsifiers (what mixes water and oil), alcohol, fragrances and D&C colorants from a multiple of products (makeup included) also have the potential to hurt the skin barrier. For those experiencing irritations, work with a knowledgeable skin care specialist and try one or two products at a time. I have also commonly seen clients who have overused at-home peels and products and destroyed the barrier of their skin. They want to resurface the skin, but they end up over-stripping it. Finding a skin care specialist who you trust and will consult and work together for your best looking skin is the best way to go.

FOUR: In Hot Water

A long, hot bath or steamy 20 minute shower leaves you relaxed but it also leaves your skin parched. Hot water can strip some of the lipids from the skin – similar to the way it extracts grease from a frying pan. And this prevents the skin from holding in moisture and keeping irritants out. Some of you are dry or sensitive skin to start with, making it that much more of an issue.

FIVE: Stressed Skin

In a study by Theodore Robles, an assistant professor of psychology at UCLA, participants who were exposed to a brief stressful experience – giving a speech or performing hard math problems in front of an unfriendly audience – exhibited slower skin repair than relatively unstressed participants. (This was demonstrated by a greater moisture loss from the skin after having a piece of tape ripped off it.) Stress hormones send signals to the immune system and the skin that can slow the skin barrier’s natural self- repair. Psoriasis often falls into this category. There are actives that will help speed the healing process and protect the skin from the assaults of stress in our lives.

Our skin barrier is constantly compromised with our weather and our lifestyles. Hopefully this gives you another reason to take good care of your skin with thorough daily products and regular quality facials.

Enjoy being beautiful!