Safeguarding Your Skin

Sensitivity

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and it gets damaged easily. Women's skin is more sensitive and prone to damage than men's, warranting more care. Too much exposure to the sun, (use a moisturiser with a sun protection factor of at least 30), dust or cold weather can damage your skin. Not getting enough quality sleep or not drinking enough water results in the same.

Adequate water consumption is important for the body's functions, including the skin. Water helps expel harmful toxins, including the skin. Using the wrong moisturisers and cleansers, using strong soaps, (if the pH level of the soap is between 8 and 10, it can dry your skin due to the alkaline effect as the pH level of our skin is 5.5). For this reason, using a face wash or cleanser is best.

Going to sleep without removing your makeup has adverse effects as well. Your skin renews itself while you sleep. With makeup clogging your pores, it makes the skin unable to breathe, which causes fatigue and damages your skin, causing breakouts of acne and blackheads. Do not use the same moisturiser that you use on your body on your face as well. Your face skin is thinner than the skin on your body. Use a non-comedogenic moisturiser to prevent clogging your skin.

You being unclean or too clean (excessive washing and exfoliating) can damage your skin, making it dry. This, in turn, causes wrinkles. Using very hot water to shower, frequent long showers, exposing your hands to water for a long time when doing the dishes, positioning your skin close to a strong heat source for long hours, or using whitening creams can seriously damage the skin, causing even skin irritations that can disfigure you.

Purchasing Products

It's best to select creams that nourish your skin rather than whitening it. When purchasing cosmetics of any kind, make sure to check the label for the ingredients and expiry date. Purchase products that don't contain mercury. When you use a new brand, if you feel an itching or tingling sensation, discontinue use right away; even if the cost of the cream was high, you shoudnt use it; think of the cost of your skin instead.

Select face washes and other products according to your skin type and age—yes, age matters too. If you are over 25 years, it's time to start using an anti-ageing cream because regular creams don't do much for your skin as it starts to age. Use a moisturiser with retinol at bedtime; it helps speed up skin cell turnover (the shedding of dead skin cells and birth of new skin cells which occur between 28 to 40 days). Everyone has a different skin type, causing the need for different types of moisturisers and face washes. For example, dry skin, normal skin, combination skin, oily skin, and sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin, you could be allergic to lanolin.

Dry skin needs a rich moisturiser, and if you have combination skin, use a light moisturiser on your face, but use a heavier cream on dry spots. During summer, use a lighter lotion and during winter, use a cream or ointment. If you have oily skin, it's best to use an oil-free moisturiser. Even if you have oily skin, it's no reason to overwash, because that will strip your skin of natural oils, which will cause the skin to dry and in return, overproduce more oil. Any skin type needs to be cleansed and moisturised according to its needs.

• Dry skin: When you have dry skin, you need to use cleansers and moisturisers rich in emollients such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, almond oil, or sesame oil. Beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, Petroleum jelly, lanolin, squalene, paraffin, cetyl alcohol, and triethyexanoin which will prevent your skin from drying, keeping your skin soft and smooth, as well as making it look and feel better.

• Normal skin: normal skin cleansers and moisturisers should contain emollients such as camphor or grapefruit.

• Combination skin: combination skin cleansers and moisturisers should contain emollients such as aloe vera, white tea, vitamin c, and lemon bioflavonoids. 

• Oily skin: oily skin cleansers and moisturisers should contain emollients such as retinol, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, niacinamide, dimethicone, and clay.

Some people have sensitive skin, which means certain ingredients such as lanolin can cause an allergic reaction. Products containing petroleum jelly, glycerine, beeswax, vegetable waxes (plant-based), and hydrogenated oils should be used instead. Opt for moisturisers that are labelled 'hypoallergenic'.

Although people with sensitive skin may be allergic to lanolin, it's a good ingredient which locks in moisture, keeping the skin hydrated and smooth for people who aren't allergic to it. Lanolin is used widely in cosmetic products due to its rich, fatty content. Even though dry skin is one of the types of skin, certain health conditions can aggravate it. They are as follows: eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, and diabetes.

Ageing skin

As you age, your skin ages too. Skin ageing can start early as 25, but it won't be very noticeable until around 40. It may not be noticeable at first, but with time, you will develop age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.

To keep our skin from ageing fast, you need to opt for anti-ageing moisturisers. It is best to use a day cream during the day and a night cream when you go to bed. The latter will help with cell regeneration as you sleep. Always check the ingredients and expiry date. Make sure it's the right kind for your skin type.

When you use anti-ageing creams, the skin will feel smooth, contours will feel firmer, and the fine lines will be reduced. Using it continuously will help slow the ageing process. A person with oily skin can start using anti-ageing moisturisers and eye cream at age of 30. If you have dry skin, it's best to start early as your 20's.

• Ingredients in anti-ageing products: retinol, resveratrol, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and plant-based stem cells. 

But it's best to use different formulas for different times of the day. Your skin doesn't know the time, so it's logical to use day cream during the day, which is when you go out in the sun and use makeup. At night, all you need to do is sleep after you put the night cream and let it correct the damages and heal your skin. It can be a thicker formula than the day cream, which is lighter with less corrective properties.