It really doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. Everyone wants healthy skin. After all, it is the largest organ in the human body. At first glance it would seem like an easy subject to deal with. The truth is skin is actually very complicated. We’ve tried to make a short and sweet article in hopes of making skincare more understandable.
Anatomy of skin
Without getting too complicated and putting you to sleep in the process, there are 4-5 layers that make up your skin, but we will be covering the first two layers. The outermost layer is called the epidermis. Ever had a sunburn that pealed in layers? That is your epidermis. Next is your dermis, which is the thicker portion of skin under the epidermis. Make sense?
What it does
Your skin has several functions including keeping out harmful bacteria and viruses, maintaining hydration, and assisting in maintaining body temperature. This is why having healthy skin is so important. Have you seen the skinless bodies at the natural history museum? You would be a “hot mess” without your skin.
Soap
To be fair and try out new things I used a hotel soap on my face a few months ago. It was labeled “French Milled” and had a pleasant smell to it. Like every other soap I lathered it up, rubbed it on my face, rinsed with water, and dried it off. After about a minute I realized it had stripped my face of any level of moisture. My skin was really dry. I immediately put on a hydrating serum with some hyaluronic acid and applied some medical grade moisturizer. It taught me one thing. Cleansers that are formulated for your own skin type are important. Dry, cracked skin is damaged skin that can lead to acne, pigmentation, and premature aging.
Quick tips to try
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should, “avoid strong soaps and moisturize skin to keep it healthy.” One of our favorite cleansers is iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex. It has both salicylic and glycolic acid in it. In English, this means it can help calm skin from over drying and inflammation while still pulling dirt and oil off your face. This is good as it keeps from over exfoliating the epidermis and drying it out. Another favorite of ours is the Renewal Lite Facial Lotion by Epionce. It is light, has a pleasant smell, and is noncomedogenic (won’t clog pores). This company is run by respected Dermatologist Dr. Carl Thornfeldt and all their products are heavily researched. If you want to keep it really simple, you can also try EltaMD’s Broad Spectrum UV 46. It is a sunscreen and moisturizer in one with niacinimide. The Niacinimide (B3) helps reduce inflammation and everyone needs to wear sunscreen.
Moving forward
Make sure you have cleanser that works for you. Hotel soap is okay if that’s all you’ve got. But plan ahead and be prepared. Make sure you use medical grade skincare. The difference is that medical grade is dispensed by licensed physicians. Unlike products bought at the store, these have millions of dollars in real research. If you need help finding a good fit please use our customized skin care quiz- it was designed to make a complex challenge of finding the right skin care simple and easy for you. Click here to try it. You can thank us later.
To your skin health,
Team Reflect
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