No one wants to intentionally make their skin age faster. That would be nuts!
What I've noticed when discussing skin health with clients is that often times we unintentionally do things that cause our skin to age faster simply because we are either misinformed or just don't know what the heck were doing because we don't understand how our skin actually works. No shame! This is a judgement-free space and I'm here to help.
I hope this blog will always serve as a place for you to find helpful and educational advise on skincare and overall health. I'm totally a skin nerd. I love studying the skin and I'm completely obsessed with how fascinating this incredible organ is.
I'm not going to preach about how smoking, going in the sun and having a poor diet will affect your skin. Hopefully, by now, you are already know about how those obvious factors contribute to your health and overall skin.
Today I want to talk about 3 *little* skincare acts that you might not even think twice about doing but are actually doing more harm than good.
Here we go.....
#1: Hands up if you have MAKEUP WIPES in your bathroom? Tell the truth.......
It's time to take a closer look at what is really happening inside that seemingly innocent packet of convenience.
Environmental hazard aside (we'll talk about that another day), make-up wipes are filled with bacteria annihilating preservatives and awful ingredients that don't belong in your bathroom let alone on your skin.
Yes, Preservatives.
Great for stopping the growth of mould in the packet, that would spread like wildfire given we can put dirty fingers straight in every time we pull out a tissue.
BUT such a highly concentrated cocktail of preservatives are like kryptonite to our skins delicate microbiome, the invisible protective shield that covers the entire surface of our skin and bodies.
I've said this before....I'll say it again. This microbiome is vital to healthy skin.
Remove this and we open our skin up to all kinds of pathogens and harmful things that would normally be neutralized by our microbiome.
And if we are honest, the times we use a make up wipe, we either fall straight into bed (hello too many glasses of wine) or tiredly throw our skin care serums and creams over the top, thinking we're applying to clean skin. (Yipes!)
But what we've done is allowed these very unfriendly ingredients to sit on our skin and go to town breaking down our skins barrier as we sleep (insert cringey emoji face).
And no, I still don't approve of make up wipes even if you wash your face after!
They are a solid, uncompromising NO from me!
Over time, the invisible inflammatory response that happens each time we use these ingredients is compounding.
Redness, irritation, dryness, acne and a whole host of other skin issues can be linked back to make up wipes. I see it often in my treatment room. Once I piece together the skin jigsaw puzzle, bingo! The make up wipes are usually the culprit.
So, please-- ditch the wipes and ask a skincare expert for a good cleanser for your skin type.
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#2: Are you addicted to EXFOLIATING? Come on....be honest. You love that burning, tingly sensation that makes you feel so tight and clean afterwards, right? (oh man, when I hear this is make me cringe-- but, I try to keep calm, smile and inform!)
Exfoliating is an important step in our skin care routine -- no doubt. Sometimes we can go overboard. Raise your hand, if this is you?
Alert: Daily exfoliating is too much for our skin!!
Exfoliating and scrubbing away at our skin cells means that we are not letting our cells go through this growth process they need to create beautiful, happy, healthy skin.
Every skin care brand has an exfoliant, some of them even have multiple options. But how do you know which is right for you. Well…as I always say, you need to speak with an expert skin therapist who will prescribe the right product for your skin.
Using a scrub that contains crushed nut shell, coffee grounds, salt, sugar or plastic beads is on my no-go list as they are too harsh for our precious skin cells. Stick to exfoliating products that contain jojoba wax beads or an enzyme based exfoliant. They are smooth round beads and help polish away adult skin cells that are past their prime. And, don't get me going on those mechanic brushes. Throw them out now (or use them on your butt and thighs-- sheesh, they are too much for your face).
Are your skin care products laced with glycolic, salicylic and resurfacing Vitamin A? These ingredients are designed for skin in moderation- sometimes not even at all. These ingredients may be helpful for exfoliating yes, but not great if you are using them every day, several times a day across several products. Again, if you're not sure--- ask a skincare expert. I can't tell you how many times I help someone with a new skincare program after learning that they are unknowingly using a multitude of active ingredients every. single. day....destroying their skin barrier. This will absolutely make your skin age FASTER!
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#3 Ok, so who's the evil genius who convinced people that shaving their skin with a surgical blade -hello DERMAPLANING-- is totally ‘different’ to using a razor to shave hair? Oh my gosh-- this one really eerks me. Let me break down why this is NOT a good idea.
Simply put, it shaves down the skins first three lines of skin barrier defense.
1: It shaves off your Microbiome- the invisible ecosystem that lives on the surface of our skin. straight away, we are left without our bacterial bio security system and our first layer of 'protection' is quite literally scraped off. This microbiome is vital to a healthy skin and disruption to this bacterial imbalance can lead to congestion, breakouts and an irritated skin (so many of my guests think they have Rosacea but in reality they have a disrupted barrier).
2: It shaves off the Stratum Corneum- the surface layers of our epidermis, taking with it the natural hydrating factors and the lipids that sit between our skin cells. Our skin instantly is devoid of its ability to retain moisture, leading to dehydration. Sound familiar?
3: By Shaving off the Stratum Corneum, we expose fresh young cells but these cells aren’t mature and able to protect us yet- they’re too young for the task of barrier protection and haven’t matured into corneocytes. They don’t yet have the right combination of ingredients to make the glue and building blocks that make our skin barrier. Basically, now we have a house without a roof, is the analogy I like to use.
But I can assure that a skin with a disrupted barrier (like the one derma planing can give you) in the long run you’ll be rewarded with more congestion, more textural issues (wrinkles) and a side of inflammation as your skin’s microbiome struggles to find balance.
I hope this was informative for you. As always, I'm here to help. Just shoot me an email at jennie@jenniefresa.com or book an appointments at my skincare studio. (NEW clients can join my waitlist!). Until next time....
Step away from the blade, throw out the wipes and make sure you're using the the right program in skincare products!
Xo, Jennie
