Moisturizing our skin is simply necessary, and its importance cannot be overestimated. Moisture provides elasticity and firmness to the skin, giving it fresh look. Ensure maintenance required quantity moisture can be achieved using special means.
It is impossible to restore dehydrated skin with fatty creams, as the manufacturers of Soviet cosmetics offered us in time immemorial, producing creams of such fat content that the excess had to be removed with a napkin, because the absorption of such a cream was quite weak. It must be said that even now not all manufacturers have changed their point of view on the problem of humidification.
But, as they say, raisins smeared with fat will not become grapes. If you throw raisins into water, they will swell and become juicy. A complete analogy with skin.
That’s why, when you feel dry and tight skin, use moisturizing creams rather than nourishing creams.
This is also true for winter and early spring. Contrary to popular belief, moisturizer does not make your skin feel cold in winter. Firstly, because the water in the skin cannot freeze, since it is there in a bound form, something like a gel. And secondly, moisturizer should be applied an hour before going out into the cold, not later.
By using moisturizers wisely, we take care of our skin. And during the period of heated rooms with dry air, this is most relevant.
Ways to moisturize your skin
1. The most obvious and common way to moisturize your skin is wet processing dry skin. But, with a low moisture-holding capacity of the epidermis, water evaporates quickly, and the skin becomes dry again.
2. The next common way to moisturize the skin is to apply fatty compounds to the skin, forming a moisture-proof film on the surface of the skin. Thus, moisture is locked in, but at the same time it prevents the penetration of oxygen molecules into the skin and the release of “toxins” through the surface of the skin.
This technique leads to accelerated aging of the skin, since “waste” destroys new cells, and they also tend to accumulate. And this already turns them into a time bomb for the skin, which will explode at the most unfavorable moment (climate change or stress).
In addition, water that has not evaporated creates a puffy effect, accumulating in the epidermis - it seems that the skin has been smoothed out. However, the skin is deformed, which will become very noticeable with age.
3. The third way to moisturize the skin is to introduce into the upper layer of the skin components that bind water in the skin, which increases the water-holding capacity of the epidermis.
These components can be glycerin, sugars, salts and others, which attract water present in cosmetic preparations, holding it in a bound state.
Hydration creams
By restoring the amount of organic substances, you can increase the water content in the skin and improve it appearance.
In cosmetics, this process is called hydration; accordingly, hydrants are products containing a complex of organic substances.
The moisture-retaining complex is included in various cosmetics– creams, soaps, toilet milk, etc.
Hydration rules
Preparations containing moisture should be applied to the skin no later than one hour before leaving the house.
IN winter period When indoor air becomes very dry and the skin loses a lot of moisture, not only moisturize the skin, but also combat dry air. This can be done using wet radiator towels, water containers, and indoor plants.
Non-alcoholic Eau de Toilette in the form of aerosols, does not harm makeup at all. It is useful and convenient to spray your face with it several times a day.
But it is difficult to solve the problem of hydration with cosmetic products alone. You need to drink about two liters of water daily, mineral water without gas, herbal infusions.
Systematic facial gymnastics also gives good results - it helps improve skin elasticity and improves soft tissues metabolism.
Moisturizing masks for dry skin
1. Two egg yolks, 3 tbsp. l. oat flour, 1 tbsp. l. honey, 0.5 tsp. Mix peach or almond oil and apply to face.
2. One egg yolk, 1 tsp. vegetable oil, 0.5 tsp. honey and 0.5 tsp. beat lemon juice until foam forms, then add 1 tsp to the mixture. oatmeal
3. Egg yolk and 1 tbsp. l. Grind the lemon peel powder and leave in a closed container. After 15 minutes, add 1 tsp. vegetable oil, stir. Apply a thick layer to the face, leaving until dry. Remove the mask with parsley infusion. Finally, wipe your face with a piece of ice.
4. Grate raw potatoes– this mask not only moisturizes well, but also softens and smoothes the skin.
5. Rub one glass of hot boiled beans through a sieve. Pour 2 tsp into the porridge. lemon juice and 2 tsp. vegetable oil.
6. Mix 1 tbsp. l. oatmeal, juice of one peach and 1 tbsp. l. milk.
7. Mix mashed strawberries or raspberries with honey and cream.
8. Mask of chopped green salad leaves, sprinkled lemon juice and sprinkled with vegetable oil.
9. One tbsp. l. Pour two glasses of hot water over flaxseed and cook over low heat until softened. Apply warm to face and neck.
10. Mix honey, yolk, lemon, vegetable oil and rowan juice.
11. Mix the pulp of sorrel or spinach leaves with kefir.
12. Boil chopped cabbage in milk, grind into pulp.
13. Dilute wheat flour with herbal infusion.
14. Mix one tablespoon of gruel from a mixture of fresh chamomile, mint, dandelion or nettle leaves with 1 tbsp. l. cottage cheese and honey.
15. Grind chamomile, mint, young birch leaves, and valerian taken in equal parts. Pour boiling water over and stir in cottage cheese.
16. 1 tsp. dry mustard dilute 1 tsp. water, add 2 tsp. vegetable oil. Keep on face for 5 minutes. The mask is good for aging dry skin.
17. To 1 tbsp. l. wheat flour add 1 tsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. l. strong tea.
18. Mix 1 tbsp. l. honey, 2 tbsp. l. olive oil, 1 tbsp. l. aloe juice and 1 tbsp. boiling water
19. Dilute 1 tbsp with water or milk. l. flour to the consistency of sour cream, add egg yolk.
Lilia Yurkanis
For women's magazine website
When using and reprinting material, active link to women's online magazine required
1. Well-hydrated skin always feels comfortable. Our skin is almost two-thirds water. Its main amount is concentrated in the dermis (about 80%), and very little water is in the upper layer, the stratum corneum of the epidermis. When we feel an unpleasant feeling of tightness and dehydration of the skin, this indicates that the moisture reserves in the dermis have reached a critical level (ideally, the dermis acts as a kind of “sponge” that replenishes the epidermis with moisture). And if using a moisturizing cream brings only temporary relief, you need to urgently take action: in natural moisturizing factor (NMF, or Natural Moisturizing Factor - this is what scientists call a complex of amino acids, fats, proteins, minerals and other molecules, which is responsible for the skin’s ability to preserve and retain moisture ) there are serious gaps. To restore the moisture-retaining functions of the skin, thermal sprays and light moisturizing lotions and gels with hyaluronic acid, algae or aloe extracts, glycerin, collagen and other popular moisturizers may no longer be enough. To restore NMF and the protective barrier of the skin, dermatocosmetologists usually recommend products that are richer and denser in texture with vegetable oils, fatty acids, ceramides, and proteins: figuratively speaking, these components will help “patch the gaps.”
6 important facts you need to know about skin hydration
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6 important facts you need to know about skin hydration
Intense moisturizing mask Hydra Floral Multi-Protection, Decleor with hyaluronic acid and essential oils
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Protective moisturizer to restore natural skin functions Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, Elizabeth Arden
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Intensive cream-hydroconcentrate for moisturizing and restoring the skin Hyalyron, Devee with increased content of hyaluronic acid, squalane and lipids
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6 important facts you need to know about skin hydration
New moisturizing line of creams for different types skin "Life-giving hydration", Garnier with 24-hour formula
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Moisturizing mattifying emulsion for oily skin Effaclar Mat, La Roche-Posay
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A mattifying hydrating facial fluid Vinosource Fluide Matifiant Hydratant, Caudalie
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Intense moisturizing night cream for face L'Hydro-Active 24 Heures, Methode Jeanne Piaubert 24 hour action
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Multivitamin Moisturizer Nourifusion, Herbalif e with vitamins and vegetable oils
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Easy daily cream for oily and mixed skin "Maximum hydration", Avon
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2. According to statistics, in 50% of cases, dehydrated skin becomes dehydrated due to improper care. And first of all, due to improper cleansing - too often (more than twice a day), using cleansers with aggressive surfactants, large amounts of alcohol, etc. Moreover, it especially often suffers from a lack of moisture oily skin: sebum-regulating and antiseptic cosmetics can have a dehydrating effect and disrupt the NMF of the skin, especially if used haphazardly or incorrectly (for example, apply a gel for local correction of inflammation over large areas, use a scrub on skin with a damaged protective barrier).
3. After tanning, the skin always needs additional hydration. Solar radiation is one of the main factors causing its dehydration (in summer, other serious factors are also added to it - heat and air conditioning: in air-conditioned rooms, the skin loses moisture reserves two to three times faster). Hence the unpleasant feeling of dry skin and extra wrinkles, which we often bring back from vacation along with a tan.
David Grishkyan
plastic surgeon, MD
Of course, we love to sunbathe. But, unfortunately, this is not very useful. Therefore, try not to dry out your skin, and do not forget that after sunbathing, your skin needs to be actively moisturized. To prevent photoaging and combat it, there is a procedure called biorevitalization: used for it hyaluronic acid It has a powerful hydrophilic effect, attracts water and because of this, the skin is actively moisturized.
4. Skin suffering from a chronic lack of moisture becomes more sensitive, its protective functions are sharply reduced. When the balance of moisture in the dermis and epidermis and NMF are disturbed, the skin immediately becomes defenseless against aggressive environmental influences and becomes prone to irritation.
5. Proper moisturizing is also always the prevention of skin aging. The first wrinkles on the face most often indicate a decrease in the natural level of skin moisture and the content of hyaluronic acid in it, the production of which by skin cells begins to slow down after 25-27 years. Accordingly, with age, the skin requires more intensive hydration. Please note: many moisturizers and anti-age products contain acid molecules different sizes- so that they can work in the skin at different depths.
6. If the body suffers from dehydration, the skin will inevitably suffer from it. And while this happens - any beauty care will be powerless. So in the summer, in the heat, if you are engaged in fitness or active physical labor, and in all other cases when the body quickly loses moisture, the necessary and minimum two liters of fluid per day will also be the key to beautiful skin.
What do women usually do if they feel that their skin is tight, if they are bothered by a feeling of tightness and dryness? That's right, 90% of them are trying to make it fresher and firmer by spreading it with thick cream. However, a reasonable analogy question arises: if you try to put fat on a raisin, will it become a grape? Alas. What if you throw it into the water? Will not become grapes, but at least, will swell and become more juicy. Here is the answer to your question. But if only it were that simple
Oily cream is not the way to moisturize
The problem of skin hydration has not yet been fully studied. Perhaps this was the reason that for a long time there have been many established and, often, not entirely correct opinions on this matter, such as, for example, the restoration of dehydrated skin with fatty creams and its freezing in winter after applying moisturizers.In reality, everything is far from so simple. Take the last point of view, for example. For many years, most women in our country were convinced that in winter they should only use fatty creams. Therefore, many domestic creams were and remain so greasy that the excess was removed only with a napkin, and there was no talk of rapid absorption.
As for moisturizers, using them in winter is more important than in summer, because we stay in heated rooms for a long time, and the skin simply dries out. Naturally, it needs to be moistened somehow. The only thing we can agree with the established opinion on is the need to apply such creams in advance, about an hour before going out into the cold.
Now let's pay attention to the argument that the skin freezes after applying moisturizers. Yes, this could happen if water were splashed on your face in the cold, or if you applied an oil-in-water product a minute before going out. But when used correctly, the water in the skin itself cannot freeze, because it is in a bound form and, rather, resembles a gel, a paste, if you like. This is very well and clearly described in the book. "New Cosmetology" publishing house "Cosmetics and Medicine".
Where is the moisture located?
To make it easier to understand, imagine the skin as a rubber mattress filled with water and upholstered on the outside with durable material. What will be responsible for the elasticity of the mattress? The amount of water in it, right? And the safety of the mattress itself, protection from cuts and minor damage is ensured top layer protective matter. The same is true for skin. The main moisture (and even then in bound form) is located precisely inside - in dermis(middle layer of skin). Moreover, the amount of this “water” depends on how many special compounds that bind water are in the dermis. It is clear that the more there are, the more water they can lasso.In the upper layer of the skin - in epidermis, very little moisture. But so that it does not leave the skin, the latter is protected by a protective layer, which can be compared to a brick wall, in which the bricks are dead cells, and the cement is fat ( lipids).
Now you see that the elasticity of the skin depends on how much water we have inside the skin, and how strong protective wall.
Types of Moisturizers
It’s easier to argue further. Based on the above, it turns out that moisturizers can be different: some deliver substances inside the skin (into the dermis) that capture more water (the same hyaluronic acid); others strengthen the top protective layer so that water is simply not lost by the skin and is retained in it. Moreover, the latter may be more important, because it has long been proven that it is almost impossible to moisturize the skin well from the outside for a long time, the main thing is to do it from the inside. It’s not for nothing that all books on beauty recommend drinking more water. Of course, if there are not enough skin-binding substances, you can drink water even in buckets, but there will be no more of it in the skin - it will simply be excreted by the body. But this only applies to older women. They, of course, need to provide comprehensive hydration with a serious supply of active substances inside the skin from the outside. By the way, this is why young girls are not recommended to use creams with hyaluronic acid and other strong moisturizers. Light moisturizers are enough for them. A competent specialist will always tell you which ones are best to use. In particular, consultants of the famous Internet magazine Beautytime.ru, responding to similar questions, it is not recommended to use products containing immunomodulators (for example, coenzyme Q10), phytohormones (or phytoestrogens), amniotic components, nucleic acids, enzymes, collagen, collagenase, hyaluronic acid, arachidonic acid, placenta and its components.So what conclusion can we draw? To keep skin elastic for as long as possible, or restore freshness to dehydrated skin mature skin, we must remember:
- Each age has its own approach, its own cosmetics.
- To understand the first, you need to at least generally study the effect of the most well-known moisturizing ingredients and choose creams with those that best suit individual characteristics your skin.
All that remains is to wish you good luck and patience :).
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Moisturizing creams are a cosmetologist's magic wand.
A lot depends on the moisture content of the skin - its elasticity, firmness, even color. Just by moisturizing the skin, you can completely smooth out fine wrinkles and disappear dark circles under the eyes, giving the skin a lighter shade. It’s no wonder that cosmetic companies are actively using this optical effect. Many anti-wrinkle products are nothing more than well-formulated moisturizers. There would be nothing wrong with all this if cosmetics manufacturers sometimes did not use prohibited techniques, namely, they did not simultaneously include in cosmetic products substances that increase skin permeability (the simplest is sodium lauryl sulfate) and substances that slow down the evaporation of water.
On the one hand, due to the slight swelling that occurs after such products, wrinkles magically disappear, the face brightens and acquires youthful swelling. However, systematic use of such products over a long period of time can cause harm to the epidermal barrier. Therefore, if the product produces instant effect, transforming your face literally before your eyes, it is better not to use it every day, but to put it aside for those occasions when you need to look good.
On the other hand, by maintaining the required level of moisture in the skin, we prevent aging changes, create conditions for the normal functioning of all skin structures, and strengthen its protective properties. And this is no less (if not more) important than periodic “stimulation” of the skin and active interference in its vital functions.
Ways to increase skin moisture.
Slowing down evaporation (occlusion).
Water continuously rises from the depths of the skin to its surface and then evaporates. Therefore, if you slow down its evaporation by covering the skin with something gas-tight, the water content in the epidermis will increase quite quickly. This method is called occlusal(from the English occlusion - barrier, barrier).
If the film is completely impermeable (for example, plastic film), then the epidermis will become too wet, which will lead to swelling of the stratum corneum and destruction of the barrier. Rubber gloves and breathable clothing also lead to overhydration. In such cases they say that “the clothes don’t breathe.”
Semi-permeable film, which only slows down but does not completely stop the evaporation of water, will also eliminate the symptoms of dryness without damaging the skin.
Ingredients that slow down water evaporation include:
- Mineral oils, petroleum jelly, liquid paraffin, cesarine - all these are hydrocarbons, petroleum products;
- Lanolin (from Latin lana - wool, oleum - oil) is an animal wax obtained by purifying wool wax (it is extracted with organic solvents from sheep wool);
- Animal fats – goose fat, whale oil (spermaceti), pork fat;
- Squalene and its derivative squalane (from the Latin Squalus - shark) are a natural component of human sebum; sources of production are different (for example, shark liver, some plants);
- Vegetable oils– mostly solid, for example, shea butter (shea butter);
- Natural waxes and their esters – beeswax, vegetable waxes (coniferous reed, etc.).
The above components vary in occlusion strength. Vaseline is considered the most reliable proven moisturizing component. In dermatology, it is used to moisturize the skin for eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other diseases. Disadvantages of Vaseline and other derivatives mineral oil is an unpleasant feeling of heaviness and fatness.
Because Vaseline is too moisturizing, it can slow down the repair of the epidermal barrier - the cells will not receive a signal in time that the barrier needs repair.
Occlusive moisturizers (i.e., those that block the evaporation of moisture) quickly eliminate dry skin, reduce inflammation and itching in skin diseases, but they do not act on the cause of skin dehydration. They can be compared to crutches, which are necessary for those who cannot move independently, but are completely unnecessary for people with normal legs.
If the skin barrier function cannot be restored, occlusive creams are necessary. If there is a chance for recovery, they should be used only at the initial stage.
There are several categories of cosmetics used when the use of occlusive components is justified. For example, post-peeling care products applied to skin with a damaged barrier after peeling. In such cases, occlusive drugs act as an “ambulance”, supporting the necessary for normal life cells moisture level in the most acute period.
Children's cosmetics for skin care in the diaper area, where the skin is constantly irritated, should have occlusive properties.
IN protective equipment for hands also include occlusive ingredients. No part of the body is under such strong attack from the outside external environment like hands. The skin on them is constantly injured, even everyday washing with soap (not to mention contact with products household chemicals), containing surfactants, damages the lipid barrier. Applying an occlusive agent will prevent the skin of your hands from drying out and soften it.
It should be noted that almost any moisturizing cream contains components that reduce evaporation due to occlusion. But if in some preparations this is the main component, then in others it is an auxiliary component, and the main role is given to substances that absorb and retain moisture.
Trapping moisture.
The use of substances capable of binding and holding water molecules (such compounds are called hygroscopic) - wonderful way quickly moisturize the skin. In cosmetics, two categories of hygroscopic compounds are used, acting on the skin in two different ways.
"Wet compress" method.
Some substances adhere to the surface of the skin and absorb moisture like a sponge, forming something similar to a wet compress. This effect is achieved by:
- Glycerol;
- Sorbitol;
- Polyglycols (propylene glycol, ethylene glycol);
- Polysaccharides – hyaluronic acid, chitosan, polysaccharides of plant and marine origin (chondroitin sulfate, mucopolysaccharides), pectins;
- Protein molecules and their hydrolysates (in particular, the popular cosmetic ingredients collagen and elastin are included in cosmetics precisely as moisturizing agents);
- Polynucleic acids (DNA) and their hydrolysates.
This list, among other things, contains substances with large polymer molecules (more than 3000 Da), which, due to their size, are not able to penetrate the stratum corneum.
The listed components are found in almost all cosmetic forms, including emulsion (creams). However, most of them are in gels and “liquid” products (tonics, lotions, serums, concentrates).
And now attention: the use of products that moisturize the skin like a “wet compress” is not always justified.
For example, in a dry climate, when the relative water content in the environment is lower than in the stratum corneum, the compress begins to “pull” water from the skin. As a result, the stratum corneum becomes drier.
On the contrary, at high air humidity, applying cosmetics with these components actually softens and moisturizes the skin. At the same time, the appearance of the skin improves - it acquires matte shine, tightens and smoothes out a little.
By the way, it is thanks to drying that the “compress” has a smoothing effect. High-molecular compounds that adhere to the skin and form something like a mesh on it, themselves compress and pull the skin along with them. The result is a “superficial lifting”, which is declared in the annotations of such cosmetic products. The severity of superficial lifting depends on the degree of drying: the drier the compress, the stronger the lifting (up to the appearance of a feeling of tightness characteristic of dry skin).
To prevent the rapid evaporation of water from the “wet compress,” substances that act as occlusion are added to cosmetic products.
Another option is to use a complementary pair, for example, a moisturizing toner plus a cream. Consistently applying toner first and cream on top will help soften the skin and retain moisture for a longer period.
Note that in professional cosmetics prefer the second option, because it gives more opportunities in terms of individual approach to skin of different types and taking into account climatic features.
Method of “Deep” skin hydration.
Some cosmetics say they have an effect deep hydration skin. What does this mean?
A common misconception is to think that all layers of the skin, including deep ones, are moisturized. In fact, only the stratum corneum is moisturized.
The role of natural sponges in the stratum corneum is played by the components of natural moisturizing factor (NMF) - free amino acids, urea, lactic acid, sodium pyroglutamate. They are located throughout the stratum corneum, and only in it.
Rice. Water-retaining structures of the stratum corneum.
These compounds are formed as a result of the breakdown of proteins (mainly filaggrins) that provide adhesion to the cells lying under the stratum corneum. Having passed into the stratum corneum, the cells not only lose their nucleus, the connections between them are also gradually destroyed (which is why the horny scales that are not attached to each other freely peel off from the surface of the skin).
NMF molecules are located in close proximity to corneocytes. A significant portion of the water present in the stratum corneum is associated with NMF. Bound water is involved in the gluing of horny scales and, along with sebum, ensures the plasticity and smoothness of the skin surface, however, it does not interfere with the disintegration of the scales and their natural removal.
Unlike large high-molecular compounds, NMF components applied as part of cosmetics can penetrate into the thickness of the stratum corneum (but not deeper) and increase its moisture-retaining potential. The hydration that is felt in this case, as a rule, is not as pronounced and does not occur as quickly as with the “wet compress” type, but it lasts longer and is less dependent on air humidity. There is no lifting effect observed.
Moisture-absorbing and retaining agents work best to hydrate the skin either in humid air or when applied directly after a bath or shower. They increase the plasticity of horny scales and reduce the roughness of the skin surface. However, they do not reduce skin irritation or create the same firmness and freshness as occlusive agents. Therefore, in cosmetic formulations they are usually combined with occlusive components.
Restoration of damaged lipid barrier.
Damage to the barrier is one of the causes of dryness.
Damage to the lipid barrier of the stratum corneum (changes in lipid composition, structural changes, destruction) is one of the most common reasons dry skin. The main indicator that the barrier is broken will be an increase in the transepidermal water loss index (TEWL).
Even if a violation of the lipid barrier is not the root cause of the development of dryness, it still occurs if the skin suffers from a lack of moisture for a long time. Therefore, in addition to using moisturizers that relieve the feeling of dryness and increase the moisture content in the stratum corneum, it is necessary to use products designed to restore the barrier.
First of all, damage to the barrier should be patched up fairly quickly with something. For this purpose, lipids are used, both in the form of pure oils and in combination with other ingredients in local preparations.
Lipid molecules penetrate into intercellular spaces and are integrated into the lipid barrier. Some of the lipid molecules applied on top gradually move along the intercellular spaces, reach the living layers of the epidermis and are included in cellular metabolism. In particular, they can serve as a substrate for further lipid synthesis, which is characteristic of the skin barrier.
Substances used to restore the barrier.
Natural oils are mixtures of lipids. Therefore, the restorative efficiency and preferential mechanism of action of oils will depend on their lipid composition. Oils containing essential fatty acids (linoleic and gamma-linoleic) promote accelerated synthesis of lipid barrier components, delivering the necessary lipid precursors directly to the cells (borage oil, evening primrose oil, seeds black currant).
Oils enriched with saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids have more pronounced occlusive properties and help restore barrier properties by hydrating the epidermis (shea butter, lard, macadamia, corn, coconut, cocoa, cashew).
Lipid mixtures composed of physiological lipids - ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids - are very effective. These lipids are called physiological because they constitute the natural lipid barrier of the human stratum corneum. It was experimentally established that their equimolar (i.e. in equal parts) mixture – “ceramides/cholesterol/free fatty acids”—has the best restorative properties.
Micelles, liposomes, lamellas.
It is no coincidence that lipids are one of the most popular cosmetic ingredients. They can be included in formulations both as individual molecules and as structural formations. The latter include, for example, liposomes and micelles. In addition to the traditional role assigned to lipids, such structures function as carriers or containers for other biological active ingredients, stabilizing them and facilitating penetration through the stratum corneum.
Relatively new technology In cosmetics, the use of so-called lamellar emulsions based on phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) began, in which tiny drops of lipids are stabilized not by conventional emulsifiers, but by a network of biolayers, similar to those that make up the lipid barrier. “Preparations that are structurally appropriate to the skin” is how these cosmetics are often called. They have excellent moisturizing and restorative properties, since they are compatible with the lipid barrier not only in composition, but also in structure, which is especially important in the case of dry or sensitive skin.
Skin with increased permeability is characterized by increased sensitivity to toxic and irritating influences. Therefore, until its barrier layer is restored, it needs protection.
To protect the skin from damaging effects, film-forming substances and antioxidants are used. Good protection for the skin provide biopolymers that form a semi-permeable film on the surface of the skin. These are, first of all, natural polysaccharides - chitosan and hyaluronic acid.
Protecting the lipid barrier from oxidation
Along with mechanical protection, the lipid barrier of damaged skin must be protected from peroxidation. To do this, antioxidants are introduced into cosmetics - substances that neutralize free radicals and break oxidation chain reactions.
The most common cosmetic antioxidant is vitamin E, which easily penetrates lipid layers (since it is fat-soluble) and protects them from oxidation.
Water-soluble antioxidants are also used - vitamin C and bioflavonoids (plant polyphenols).
Barrier restoration sequence.
Creams that create a temporary barrier on the surface of the skin partially eliminate the consequences of damage to the epidermal barrier and prevent the development of pathological reactions, but they do not accelerate, and sometimes (especially with long-term use) even slow down the process of barrier restoration.
In order to bring the skin to normal condition, it is necessary to achieve complete restoration of its structure and functions. If the skin has everything necessary for the synthesis of endogenous lipids (precursor lipids and enzymes), the barrier is completely restored within three days. Otherwise, the skin will need additional help.
Now that the first stress caused by damage to the epidermal barrier has passed, you can apply fatty components (lipids) that will penetrate deep into the skin, supplying the cells with the necessary building material.
Since skin cells have everything necessary to disassemble fats into their component parts, there is no fundamental difference in what kind of lipids will be used - the main thing is that they contain the necessary components.
Most often, oils containing essential fatty acids - linoleic, linolenic, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) - are used to supply the skin with building material. They are used both in cosmetics and in the form of food additives. Oils rich in GLA, such as black currant seeds and borage, have a particularly beneficial effect on the skin.
It should be remembered that the process of skin restoration occurs slowly. Therefore, the effect of using Vaseline, emollients and moisturizers will be more noticeable than the effect of using creams containing essential fatty acids.
Since polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot be a means emergency assistance When the barrier is destroyed, they must be taken regularly to prevent the occurrence of deficiency conditions.
Roughness of the skin, a feeling of tightness, irritation - all this can be relatively quickly eliminated with a combination of emollients. For this purpose, recipes are used that, on the one hand, have average or low performance spreadability (i.e. they do not spread well on the skin and are perceived as quite greasy), on the other hand, they should have average absorption rates. In other words, they should be felt on the skin for some time in the form of a thin fatty film.
Emollients (including many oils) somewhat limit the evaporation of water and therefore, like occlusive agents, increase the moisture content of the skin. In addition, they soften the skin and smooth out the horny scales, improving the appearance of the skin. Emollients, strictly speaking, are not moisturizers, since they have little effect on the moisture content of the skin, but they help to significantly reduce the discomfort caused by dry skin.
Irritation from using moisturizers.
Although moisturizers are supposed to reduce skin irritability (i.e. increase its sensitivity threshold), in real life many of them have the exact opposite effect. This is explained by the fact that when the stratum corneum is oversaturated with water (this condition is called hyperhydration), it becomes more permeable, which means that substances that previously did not pass through it can pass through it. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that moisturizers contain as few substances as possible that could potentially cause skin irritation.
Here is a list of some of these substances:
This list is not complete, since, according to the literature, skin irritation can also be caused by propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, preservatives that release formaldehyde, almost everything essential oils and many other components. That is why, when buying a moisturizer for sensitive, irritation-prone skin, you need to choose one whose formulation contains as few ingredients as possible. If you have a product with 40 or more components, the likelihood that your skin will not like some of them is very high.
Dry skin and nutrition.
It has been repeatedly noted that the skin is not a digestive organ, therefore, it is not so easy to “nourish” it from the outside. Many substances must necessarily pass through digestive system and be exposed to a wide variety of enzymes before they can be used to feed body cells (and skin cells are no exception). Therefore, along with the use of cosmetics that replenish the deficiency of essential fatty acids and antioxidants, it is useful to make changes to the diet.
This means limiting the consumption of meat and fatty poultry, as well as chips, hamburgers, etc. Instead of meat, you need to learn to eat fatty fish, such as salmon, cod, mackerel. Fish is a source of valuable omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary to restore balance immune system body. However, it must be borne in mind that now many species of large predatory ocean fish are recognized as not completely safe for health due to the fact that mercury and other toxins can accumulate in their meat.
Cabbage and carrot salad with butter, fruits (citrus fruits, apples, etc.), and berries (sea buckthorn, blueberries, grapes, etc.) are used as a source of antioxidant vitamins.
Although it is best to get all the nutrients you need in foods rather than in pill form, sometimes it is worth supplementing your diet food additives containing essential fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins.
Dry air means dry skin.
One of the most effective ways The fight against dry skin is to increase air humidity. It has been experimentally shown that long stay in dry air leads to damage to the skin barrier function, which leads to the development of dry skin.
You can increase air humidity in different ways - buy a humidifier, cover the central heating radiators with a damp cloth, place containers of water, plants with large leaves or an aquarium in the room.
If it is possible to regulate the temperature in the room, then you need to maintain it at a minimum comfortable value.
If dry air is unavoidable, then after each wash or shower, apply more damp skin moisturizer.
Moisturizing for skin diseases.
Many skin diseases are accompanied by dry skin. Dermatologists have long noticed that the use of emollients and moisturizers reduces discomfort in a number of skin diseases and even extinguishes the inflammatory reaction.
However, only in Lately moisturizers and emollients have been recognized as an important aid by the dermatologist in the treatment of skin diseases.
In many skin diseases, the skin is not able to form a complete epidermal barrier, so it does not retain water well and easily allows allergenic and toxic substances to pass through.
In itself, increased evaporation of water through the stratum corneum is already an alarm signal for cells, by which they begin to release signaling molecules, many of which are capable of igniting a fire of an inflammatory reaction in the skin.
At the same time, the systematic use of products that normalize the evaporation of moisture from the skin and create a temporary barrier extinguishes this fire and allows the skin to function normally even with a broken barrier.
Since the skin is known to be highly reactive when the barrier is damaged, cosmetic formulations for people whose dry skin is caused by skin diseases, should be the simplest, i.e. contain as few components as possible. In the very simple version this can be well-refined petroleum jelly (it used to be lanolin, but then, due to reports of allergic reactions to lanolin, it was largely abandoned).
There are dermatological compositions containing a suspension of phospholipid liposomes or lamellar emulsions, prepared using a special technology without surfactants, fragrance additives and preservatives.
Moisturizing is a vital part of the corneotherapy approach to solving skin care problems. Its essence is that it is enough to put the stratum corneum in order and maintain it to prolong the youth and health of our skin, help it cope with various skin diseases (if any) in whole or in part, reducing discomfort.
Choosing a suitable moisturizer is not an easy task, and often it cannot be solved immediately, focusing only on the external signs of dry skin. Until recently, choosing a moisturizer was a matter of trial and error. Now with the appearance in beauty salons special equipment can accurately establish the leading link in the pathogenesis of dry skin in this person and, based on this information, select an individually suitable humidifier.