There are thousands of skincare products that are available all around us today- both offline as well as online.
It can often be overwhelming to choose the right one that are exclusive to your skin type.
Here in this article, we will help you make an informed decision about 'your' kind of skin products.
Let us first find some answers:
1- What is your skin barrier?
It is your body's outermost layer, the first 'wall' of defence, a wall (stratum corneum, as it's called) that's made of tough skin cells called corneocytes. These corneocytes or skin cells are bound together by lipids and together they constitutes our skin barrier. The lipid cells contains ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol too.
The skin cells also contain natural moisturisers and keratin inside them.
All this together constitute our 'Moisture Barrier' and it literally keeps us alive by disallowing all the harmful pathogens and environmental toxins from entering our body. Not only that, it also maintains our water balance, keeping us hydrated and healthy all the time
In short, a healthy and well maintained moisture barrier is essential for our good health.
2- How our moisture barrier get compromised?
It gets compromised due to various reason- many of them are external but few are internal as well.
External reason include-
- too humid or dry environmental conditions
- increased exposure to Sun
- excessive use of soaps and detergents that are too alkaline in nature
- exposure to allergens and pollutants
- over exfoliating (over washing, over using chemical exfoliants)
- psychological reasons such as anxiety & stress
- use of steroids and certain genetic conditions.
All or any one of these conditions can lead to a broken skin barrier.
3- Acidity v/s Alkalinity
Our skin is slightly acidic in nature. This tendency of our skin is known as our 'acid mantle' and it is there to protect our skin from the attack and growth of bacteria, viruses etc. It also helps in quick healing of our wounds in case of injuries. It's precisely because of this reason that diabetic people with compromised skin mantle (and alkaline skin) have difficulty in healing of the same.
Therefore people suffering from diabetes are recommended the use of skin products that are slightly more acidic than the normal ones.
How to know if your skin barrier is damaged?
Here are the signs and symptoms:
-dry/scaly skin
-increased sensitivity
-itchiness in the skin
-acne
-discoloured or rough patches in the skin
-some bacterial, viral or fungal infection.
4- How to reclaim your healthy moisture barrier?
Here are the ways:
A) Simplify your skincare routine. Stop using too many Skincare products.
B) Pay attention while exfoliating. See if you are exfoliating too much and how it's affecting your skin. Also try using soft clothes to dry up in addition to using only mild products. Avoid the use of scrubs.
C) Pay attention to pH. Our skin generally has a pH of 5.7 but there are numerous skincare products with pH value ranging from 3.5 to 8. Therefore try to use a product that has a pH value that's closest to your skin's natural pH levels. Remember not all companies announce the pH value of their products on the cover.
D) Use a plant based oil to replenish your skin barrier. Some examples of good plant based oils are:
- Jajoba Oil
- Almond Oil
- CBD Oil
- Sunflower Oil
You can directly apply these oils gently on to your skin in small quantities or you can use the products that contain these oils.
-If because of your compromised moisture barrier you are facing the onset of acne, dry, itchy or scaly skin,try using ceramide- rich moisturisers. This is specially recommend in case of acne prone skin.
According to some studies, skin types that are darker in colour generally have lower levels of ceramides, therefore a ceramide- moisturiser is highly recommended for people with darker skin colour.
Here you can choose from the best moisturisers that are available at Decoris.
E) If dry skin is your problem, try using a moisturiser that contains Hyaluronic acid, petroleum or glycerine. In addition, occlusive moisturisers helps is reducing the water loss to as much as 99% from our skin by forming a thin coating over the skin. You can buy one such moisturiser right here at Decoris.
Additionally, humectants such as Hyaluronic Acid can repair our moisture barrier by either drawing water from the environment and binding it to our skin or by drawing the same from inside our body and binding it inside our skin barrier. One of the best Hyaluronic Acid available in the market today is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid by Deciem. You can buy it from here in Decoris at a special discount price.
Guide to use: Gently apply Hyaluronic acid while your skin is still wet after a shower or wash.
In the end, it will be good to remember that not all products are going to fit your skin type. It is always wise to make an informed decision about your Skincare products that will help you maintain a healthy and well moisturised skin.
We at Decoris are committed to help you with all of your beauty, skincare and wellness needs for sure.