by Terri Arucha |
Cleanse, tone and moisturize. It is a process that skin care companies have ingrained in our minds. While most people simply accept this three-step formula as gospel, others seek a regimen that fits their specific needs. With an emphasis on correction, skin care professionals and their products work with the skin’s natural physiology to restore balance and encourage healthy, normal hydration, free of unnecessary assistance. After all, if everyone’s skin is different, how could one method fit all?
It all begins with moisture balance. In normal skin, the sebaceous glands, which are oil-producing glands that naturally lubricate the skin, maintain a healthy level of sebum, or natural oil. This serves to keep the skin properly hydrated by preventing excessive water loss or absorption. Marked by a supple feel and moist (but not greasy) appearance, normal skin gains little, if anything, from added moisture.
But what about other skin types? While oily, dry and sensitive skin types can and do benefit from topical hydrators, a moisturizer can only do so much and is not a solution to any condition by itself. If your skin is properly balanced, it really shouldn’t need a regular moisturizer.
Moisturizers generally work in two ways. Many prevent water loss by coating the skin with an oil-based substance to trap moisture in; essentially replicating what a healthy sebum balance already does. Common among store-bought brands, staple ingredients include petroleum, mineral oil and lanolin. While somewhat effective, such products run the risk of clogged pores and contact irritation due to their oil content. Other products attract moisture to the skin using hydrophilic (water-friendly) substances like glycerin, lactic acid and certain vitamins. In addition to replacing moisture already lost, products containing these ingredients are enjoyed by more skin types for their non-greasy, non-irritating properties.
Topical hydrators should support the skin’s natural hydration process rather than supplementing moisture, which sidesteps the real issue at hand, the condition. A moisturizer is only useful if it effectively targets the source of a skin condition. If you’re constantly applying and reapplying moisture, you’re only covering up your skin condition, not working toward correcting it.
Consider chronically dry skin. When combined with a condition-specific skin care plan, a moisturizer can play an invaluable role in restoring epidermal equilibrium. By helping your skin return to normal sebaceous activity, a moisturizer can help restore past damage, soothe inflammation and encourage healthy hydration in budding, new skin cells. However, it can only help alleviate the skin condition if it works with other elements of the program, effectively as a whole. Used alone or as part of a one-size-fits-all regimen, moisturizers do little more than mask a symptom of a much bigger problem.
That bigger problem could stem from a number of things. From poor dietary and lifestyle choices to infrequent exfoliation and UV over-exposure, skin conditions arise in different people for different reasons. Dry skin arises from distress or damage to the skin’s lipid barrier, a permeable outer layer of fatty substances that shields skin cells from harmful elements while allowing in moisture and nutrients. Combined with a decrease in sebum production, this structural deterioration exposes skin cells to external threats and contributes to what is known as trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), as cells become dehydrated and the skin visibly starts to suffer. While a moisturizer may offer temporary relief, until the source of the cell disruption is isolated and corrected, dry skin will continue to be a problem.
Therefore, the goal should not be to replace the skin’s natural hydration process, but to regain balance. A skin care program should focus on correcting the problem at hand. Moisturizers play a part, just as cleansers and balancers do. Together, their goal is to correct the core of a condition and return the skin to a normal state.
It is important to consult with a skin care professional. They will help determine the source of your skin condition and also create a treatment strategy customized for your skin. Do not self-diagnose, as it generally leads to a trial-and-error approach for many consumers, often at the expense of time, money and skin health. Skin care professionals know the skin best and determine skin conditions on a case-by-case basis. They know which steps are necessary to improve the overall health of your skin.
Reference:
- Dana Perdu, National Director of Education for CosMedix
For more information, contact Terri Arucha at (775) 232–1497.
