Finding it hard to maintain healthy skin this season? Changes to colder, dryer weather and busy holiday schedules can cause dull, red, lacklustre skin. Dermoi’s chief scientific officer, Eve, MSc Pharmaceutical Formulation, has outlined her top five tips to revive a stressed complexion for the quick glow.
Fight inflammation with active ingredients
Stress, poor sleep, poor diets, cigarettes, UV radiation, pollution, allergy, and weather changes can all cause inflammatory reactions within the skin. This tends to develop into excess redness and blotchiness. It adopts powerful anti-inflammatory active ingredients that can calm inflammation at a cellular level to soothe the skin instantly. Some examples include actives such as Ginkgo biloba. It has anti-redness, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties or Endothelyol as it will reduce inflammation, blood vessel dilation, and histamine release.
Repair skin barrier with occlusive agents
The skin barrier comprises dead cells (anucleate corneocytes) surrounded by a lipid matrix. It is very easy to disturb this barrier with harsh weather, alcohol, stress, cigarettes, and poor diets. This not only leads to inflammation but also causes increases in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), leading to dullness and dryness. Moisturisers containing effective occlusive agents that will form a water-resistant layer over the skin can repair skin barrier function. This will restore suppleness and glow.
Exfoliate but not too much
Even if the skin is in optimal health, an accumulation of dead skin cells on the surface can give a rough, flaky, dull finish. Exfoliation will remove dead cells to reveal smoother, younger-looking skin; however, exfoliating too frequently or with aggressive exfoliants will have the opposite effect. It will dehydrate and thin the skin barrier, increasing TEWL.
Try exfoliating only once per week with enzymatic or chemical exfoliators to see how skin reacts. Products containing lactic acid at a 10% or less concentration can be helpful as that is also a natural moisturising factor in the skin. Always balance exfoliation with occlusive moisturisers.
Add water back into skin with humectants
The skin is naturally structured to bind and store water molecules; however, this water can easily be lost through the epidermis depending on skin health. Humectants are ingredients that bind water and draw them into the skin. For example, hyaluronic acid is a well-established cosmeceutical active that can bind 1000x its weight in water, but other humectants such as sodium PCA or glycerin will work. The trick is always to combine humectants with occlusive agents to lock in hydration; otherwise, TEWL can increase.
Supplement antioxidants topically and orally
We are constantly exposed to free radicals (highly reactive molecules in pollution & UV radiation) that change gene expression and damage our lipids, proteins, and DNA. While our body naturally produces protective antioxidants, it’s easy for our natural defences to become overwhelmed during the holiday season.
Daily supplementation with bioavailable nutraceutical supplements, topical use of stable antioxidant serums, and investing in antioxidant-rich facial treatments will support our bodies’ defence mechanisms, preventing dullness and premature ageing.
The skincare industry is one in which the price of a product does not reflect its quality. As scientific knowledge and innovation progress, genuine scientific expertise is essential to fully understand and analyse skincare products to ensure their performance matches their claims. Dermoi’s primary commitment is to provide a skincare platform in which every offer is selected and endorsed by in-house scientists for long-term skin health and wellness.
