Blog posts of '2022' 'February'

It is no secret that young skin has more spring to it than older skin — the secret is in where that bounciness comes from. Skin's springiness is the result of elastin, and though it occurs naturally in the skin, your elastin production can slow due to a number of different factors.

So, what is elastin's role in your skin's appearance, and how can you lean on it to keep your skin looking firm and healthy for the long haul?

What Is Elastin?

Elastin is a protein in the fiber of the connective tissue of the skin that provides a resilient and elastic quality. It's what gives skin that bouncy, full look and feel so often associated with a youthful, healthy complexion. Elastin depletes naturally with age, leaving skin more prone to visible sagginess, fine lines and wrinkling.

What Causes a Loss of Skin Elastin?

Many factors affect how skin ages. For the most part, the breakdown of collagen and loss of elasticity is perfectly normal — as you age, you may notice your skin becomes more dry, dull and lined, and that's natural. However, these changes may also stem from:

• Sun exposure. The sun's rays can cause UV damage that contributes to the appearance of sagging and wrinkles. Skin exposed to the sun without protection is also at greater risk of DNA and cell damage.
• Pollution. Air pollution is often overlooked when it comes to skincare, but your skin sure feels its effects. Free radicals created by air pollution and other environmental factors can lead to the appearance of premature aging of the skin.
• Lifestyle choices. In many ways, your skin reflects how you treat it — for example, research indicates that free radicals are created by cigarette smoke, which can contribute to early signs of aging.

How to Improve Skin Appearance?

Thankfully, there are ways to address the changes caused by elastin-depletion in your skin.

• Moisturizer. Skin aging is a fact of life, but you can have visibly healthy skin by keeping it moisturized. Use moisture-rich products formulated with ingredients that target the visible effects of elastin depletion in skin, such as peptides, for a visibly firmer appearance.
• Sunscreen. Using a daily sunscreen year-round helps to prevent visible signs of skin aging. Choose a sunscreen made with moisturizers so that your skin feels comfortable enough to wear UV protection every day.
• Antioxidants. Protect skin from the visible signs of aging from UV rays and pollution by including antioxidants in your skincare routine. Vitamin C & E for example are natural ingredients rich in antioxidants with big beauty benefits.
• Diet. OK, it's not all green juice, but a little greenery in your stomach certainly does not hurt. Eating a colorful range of fruits and vegetables is a good foundation for any eating plan — accompany them with whole grains and lean proteins to fill out your macronutrient needs.
• Water. Get plenty of hydration into your daily regimen to keep your skin looking gorgeous and youthful. Aim for between 2.7 and 3.7 liters of water a day. That doesn't just mean water: Biting into a juicy orange contributes to your daily water intake, too.

Elastin is just one tool your skin uses to keep itself in shape. There are plenty of ways in which the skin loses elastin, but fortunately, there are just as many ways to keep skin looking youthful for years to come.

Skin exfoliation is a simple technique that dates back all the way to ancient Egypt — and it is still the key to a vibrant, healthy complexion. It involves sloughing away dirt and dead skin cells to reveal a fresh, radiant layer of new skin underneath. There's no shortage of exfoliating products to choose from, so it's important to consider how different exfoliants can affect your skin. If your skincare routine is looking a little rough around the edges, here is why rounding it out with exfoliation is a great place to start.

So, what is skin exfoliation?

The epidermis, or the outermost layer of your skin, is made up of five sublayers. New skin cells are born in the deepest layer. As these cells mature, they travel up to the top layer. From there, they typically shed away naturally, allowing fresher, plumper and more evenly pigmented skin to emerge.

Healthy skin sheds an incredible 30,000 to 40,000 dead cells per minute, but this is often slowed down by a number of factors such as sun exposure, hormonal fluctuations and aging. When the shedding process is delayed, dead cells start piling up on the skin, leaving it looking rough and dull. If they sit for too long, they may even clog your pores — which can lead to everything from blemishes to fine lines.

Enter exfoliation, which whisks away dead cells and brings fresh skin to the surface. As an added bonus, it also allows other skincare products to work more effectively!

Physical or Chemical: How to choose your exfoliator?

Exfoliating products currently fall into two categories: physical and chemical. Physical exfoliators manually scrub away dead skin from the skin's topmost layer using abrasive ingredients like sugar, microbeads, rice bran powder or jojoba seeds. The scrubbing action boosts microcirculation and lymphatic drainage, leaving you with a fresh, glowing complexion.

While the treatment offers a dose of instant gratification, it does come with a caveat: If your product's exfoliant is made up of jagged particles or you scrub too vigorously while exfoliating, a physical exfoliator might leave your skin with microtears rather than a glowing complexion. You can avoid these issues by choosing products with smooth, round granules and treating your skin gently as you exfoliate.

Chemical exfoliators, on the other hand, work by breaking down the intercellular "glue" that holds dead skin cells together. Once these bonds dissolve, the dead cells fall away, allowing newer skin to surface.

While they may sound daunting, chemical exfoliators can be surprisingly gentle — they often feature low levels of natural, food-derived acids and enzymes. Keep an eye out for alpha-hydroxy acid exfoliants like lactic acid (found in sour milk), glycolic acid (from sugar cane) and tartaric acid (from grapes). Skin that's oily or prone to enlarged pores or blemishes will do well with salicylic acid — an oil-soluble beta hydroxy acid that can penetrate through pore-clogging debris. For boosted cell turnover and resurfacing, Neoglucosamine is a chemical exfoliant that hydrates skin while reducing hyperpigmentation — a two-for-one ingredient.

As an added bonus, chemical exfoliants do not require any scrubbing on your part, which allows it to penetrate into skin's deeper layers and boost cellular turnover without requiring the friction that could upset sensitive skin.

Mapping the Zones of Your Face

Do you have an oily T-zone or enlarged pores? Do you experience chronic spots on the sides of your nose? More powerful exfoliating products can come in handy when it comes to problem zones — or you can simply exfoliate those areas more often!

On the other hand, eyes and lips have extremely fragile skin. It's a good idea to skip exfoliating these areas unless you are using a product that's specifically made for this delicate tissue.

It is possible to over-exfoliate

As with most things in life, moderation is key. After all, there are only so many dead cells to slough away! Going overboard and overexfoliating can disrupt your skin's natural barrier, causing irritation, inflammation and breakouts. It could also make you more vulnerable to sun damage and moisture loss. So, start slowly and gradually work your way up to exfoliating two or three times a week. The key is to watch how your skin reacts and go from there. Finally, remember that freshly exfoliated skin is more fragile and needs to be protected with a good moisturizer and sunscreen.

When it comes to the best ingredients for fighting acne, two stand out from the crowd: benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. These tried-and-true skincare staples both help to reduce acne-causing bacteria. What is more, you are likely to find them in many of the same types of products — mainly cleansers, spot treatments and exfoliators. However, that does not mean these two ingredients are the same.

Here's a look at the difference between benzoyl peroxide vs salicylic acid:

What is Salicylic Acid?

Salicylic acid has been used some 2,000 years — even longer than benzoyl peroxide — to target pimples and breakouts on the face. It is a beta hydroxy acid that works by penetrating deep into the skin and dissolving whatever is clogging your pores before it can cause breakouts, whether it is excess oil and dead cells or irritants from the environment, such as dirt and particles from air pollution.

The result? Fewer and less extreme breakouts, thanks to the removal of acne-causing bacteria, as well as the ingredient's natural exfoliating abilities. It is also anti-inflammatory, which makes it less likely to contribute to redness on the skin. Over-the-counter salicylic acid is limited at 2% for products that are designed to be left on your face and 3% for products that are meant to be washed off, such as cleansers or shampoo.

What Is Benzoyl Peroxide?

Benzoyl peroxide, on the other hand, is an organic acid in the peroxide family that is been used to treat acne for more than 60 years. Its antimicrobial properties lower the levels of the acne-causing bacteria known as P. acnes in and on the skin while also calming inflammation. However, this ingredient is more likely to cause skin irritation than salicylic acid, which is why it is available over the counter in various concentrations ranging from 2.5% to 10%. The higher the formula's concentration, the more likely it is to lead to red or peeling skin.

How Are Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide Different?

The major difference between benzoyl peroxide vs salicylic acid is in their approach: Salicylic acid clears out whatever is lurking in your pores, while benzoyl peroxide actually kills the acne-causing bacteria itself. It is quite possible that both acne-fighters will work well with your skin, but it is smart to consider your skin type before you reach for a new product.

How to use Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide in your skincare regimen?

Dermatologists generally don't recommend using these ingredients together. Combining the two is a quick way to dry out your skin and cause irritation. Rather than using them together and hoping for the best, try picking one that targets your skin's specific needs.

If you have blackheads and whiteheads, salicylic acid alone should work well to clear out your pores. If your acne tends to be inflammatory, such as papules and pustules, opt for benzoyl peroxide to stop outbreaks at the source.

For sensitive skin, start with salicylic acid, since it is less likely to cause irritation. If you are already using an oral or topical treatment for acne, benzoyl peroxide might be a more effective option — but start with a lower concentration and gradually move up from there to see what your skin can tolerate. This is doubly important if you use benzoyl peroxide products that you leave on your skin.

If your skin is dry, you can still use one or both products. However, you may want to use them in a cleanser so the ingredients do not sit on your skin for too long and cause dryness. Also, make sure to apply a moisturizer along with your acne products to help maintain skin barrier function and minimize the risk of irritation.

Starting an anti-aging skincare routine introduces your skin to some power-packed ingredients. Some minimalist skincare enthusiasts opt to draw on the benefits of just one wrinkle fighter at a time — but, while that keeps things simple, it does not take full advantage of what is out there. Combining certain ingredients can bring out the best of both and makes for a truly effective anti-aging regimen.

Enter vitamin C benefits for skin. When paired with the revitalizing skin benefits of retinol, this duo can help promote a youthful complexion.

What Are Vitamin C and Retinol?

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a strong antioxidant. Smoke, pollution and the sun's UV rays are all factors that can contribute to visible signs of aging.

When applied topically, some of the most noticeable vitamin C benefits for skin include:

• Help improve the look of dark spots: Using vitamin C helps inhibit melanin formation, which means it may work to improve the look of dark spots and even out skin tone.
• Improve the look of sagging skin: Applying vitamin C topically may help fight signs of aging caused by the sun. Free radicals can cause skin to loosen and sag, so giving your routine an antioxidant boost is a path to a complexion that looks and feels younger.
• Brightening complexions: Free radicals can also cause skin to look dull, tired and lifeless. Applying vitamin C complements the skin's natural turnover process for healthier-looking skin.

Retinol is just one of several kinds of retinoids — a group of powerful vitamin A derivatives that can help fights signs of aging. Retinol and retinoids are often considered a holy grail wrinkle treatment, especially if you start using them in your 30s to help improve the appearance of wrinkles.

Why Use Vitamin C and Retinol Together?

With all those benefits, why would these wrinkle fighters need a partner? It is because those perks get even better with a little company — when these two ingredients team up, skin glows.

First, vitamin C works to help improve the look of dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. Then, retinol steps in to help improve skin's elasticity. The result is that retinol and other retinoids may help improve skin's texture while helping to minimize the look of fine lines. Like vitamin C, retinol may also help even out skin tone and texture.

What's the Best Way to Get Vitamin C and Retinols?

Vitamin C is at its most potent when it's stable — packaging it in serum capsules protects it from exposure to light and air that would make it less effective. Retinols seem to be most effective when found in creams and serums — just make sure the ingredient in the formula says retinol.

To give your routine an anti-aging one-two punch, try first applying a vitamin C serum in the morning. In your night-time routine, use a layer of a hydrating, retinol-based cream or a lightweight retinol oil. One study found that subjects using stabilized vitamin C in a moisturizer and a retinol as part of their face regimen saw improvements in the look of discolorations in as little as four weeks.

Unfortunately, there's no real-life fountain of youth — but that does not mean you can't keep your skin feeling fresh and new.

Maskne is popping up as a common side effect of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) or face masks. It is a combination of acne and irritation from prolonged face mask wear, especially among those who are working tirelessly on the frontlines of this ongoing pandemic. The reason maskne happens is because wearing a mask can increase moisture build-up, which may cause bacteria to grow and spread.

If your skin is experiencing irritation and breakouts, do not fret. Here are three simple ways to treat maskne.

Wash your face and your mask

Now is the time to take care of your skin with a cleanser that is not irritating or drying. Your face wash should cleanse away dirt, oil and bacteria to help treat and prevent breakouts. Look for cleansers that say “oil-free” on the label. Our recommendation is Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Acne Wash. It is gentle enough to use every day yet powerful enough to help you see clearer skin in as little as one week.

If you work in a doctor’s office or hospital and have limited time, grab an allergy-tested Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Cleansing Wipe. Just one wipe sweeps away dirt, oil and impurities that could be causing maskne. There is no need to rinse, which is perfect when you are constantly on the go.

Do not forget to treat your face mask just like you do your very own precious face. For those of you who opt for reusable cloth face masks, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) urges you to wash it after every wear using hot water (unless otherwise recommended) and a gentle detergent. Harsh detergents have the potential to make maskne worse. You can toss it in the washing machine or wash it by hand.

Wear an oil-free moisturizer

This one may seem a little counterintuitive, especially if face masks are causing the production of extra moisture. But, hear us out. Oil-free moisturizers give your skin the good kind of hydrating moisture that can serve as a protective barrier. Keep an eye out for ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Our pick? Hydro Boost Gel Cream made especially for extra-dry skin.

Skip the Makeup

It can be tempting to reach for the foundation and concealer to cover up your maskne. But, this could actually cause further irritation. Let your skin breathe and give it time to heal by flaunting your natural beauty whenever possible. If you absolutely cannot get away without wearing a bit of makeup, the AAD suggests that you apply non-comedogenic or oil-free makeup that will not clog pores.  

Your skin is unique. Just because a product works for someone else is no guarantee you will see the same results. Customizing your skincare routine for your particular needs will offer the biggest benefits to your skin, but that process starts with one simple question: What is my skin type?

What Is My Skin Type? Choose the Right Care for Your Skin

Crafting a routine that brings you your happiest skin will inherently take some trial and error. However, if you have tried a variety of products only to be left with skin that feels irritated, shows visible signs of breakouts or just looks less than healthy, it's time to take a closer look at your skin type.

Here's how to recognize your skin type and choose the best products to fit it.

Dry Skin

All skin types can experience dryness. Regardless of your skin type, skin can also become more dry as you age. The difference is that while other skin types might feel dry due to seasonal changes, low humidity or certain products, those with a dry skin type deal with it all the time.

If you have been piling on the moisturizer to no avail, try taking a closer look at the ingredients in your routine as a whole. Avoid drying ingredients or harsh formulations that strip the skin of oil, as they run the risk of further drying out already parched skin. Instead, try formulations designed for sensitive and dry skin, such as a milk cleanser made with moisturizing oils, to leave your skin feeling clean, soft and comfortable.

Oily Skin

This skin type tends to look shiny, and you might see more breakouts than those with dry skin. Climate, genetics, age and diet may all increase the oil content of skin, but oily skin types in particular struggle to stay matte. One common mistake many make when dealing with oily skin is attempting to strip the skin of its natural oils. This causes the skin to ramp up oil production in response — resulting in even oilier skin and more opportunities for breakouts to form.

Even oily skin needs proper moisture. It's all about balance: A facial cleanser that combines oil-absorbing clay with lightly hydrating ingredients will clear away dirt, makeup and debris without stripping the skin. It is also recommended to regularly do face masks to control the sebum level.

Combination Skin

This skin type can be a bit trickier, as this skin type is a patchwork of both dry and oily areas. Usually, combination skin is oily in the T-zone (the forehead, nose and chin) and driest on the cheeks. Try using different skincare products on different areas of the face — such as a richer, more moisturizing cream on the cheeks and a lighter moisturizer in the T-zone. Skincare for combination skin should also start with a nourishing cleanser that exfoliates the skin while still leaving it feeling comfortable. Look for product formulations that balance pH to condition the skin.