Moisturizers and Skin Hydration Tips

swz2mhjiy7 If you aren’t sure what they do, moisturizers are used to replace natural skin oils to cover tiny fissures (or openings) in the skin, and to provide a soothing protective film. Thus, evaporation of the skin’s moisture is slowed, which helps to improve the appearance and feel of dry and aging skin. An effective moisturizer increases water content, reduces water loss, and restores the skin’s ability to retain water.

Who doesn’t want smooth, hydrated, healthy skin? From basic formulas that claim to keep skin moist, to concoctions that promise an end to aging skin and wrinkles, the choice of a skin moisturizer can be overwhelming. You can look at information on moisturizers for different skin types.v

(Scientists say a moisturizer will smooth skin to temporarily make wrinkles less apparent, but unfortunately, moisturizing your skin will not have any long-term effect on wrinkles.)

Look for products that:

* help to make the skin smooth and supple
* duplicate and enhance the skin’s natural moisture retention mechanisms
* are good to sensitive skin – hypoallergenic, non-sensitizing, fragrance free, non-comedogenic (Read about Sensitive Skin Other Skin Conditions.)
* absorb rapidly and last long

Remember, too, just because a product has a certain ingredient, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has enough of it to make a difference. Dermatologists look for a number of substances to complete a moisturizer’s make-up:

* Emollients such as plant and mineral oils, shea and cocoa butter, petrolatum, cholesterol, silicones or animal oils (including emu, mink and lanolin). These lubricating ingredients soften and smooth skin while helping it to retain moisture.
* Water-binding agents that keep water in the skin, called Humectants, are important for skin damaged by sun and dehydration, but they won’t help your skin retain water.
* Occlusives, which are substances that physically block water loss in the stratum corneum, or layers of the skin, include: Petrolatum (in a minimum concentration of five per cent is the most effective occlusive), followed by lanolin, mineral oil, and silicones such as dimethicone, which act as a protective part of skin barrier creams.
* Soothing agents and anti-irritants, such as bisabolol, allantoin, burdock root, aloe, licorice root, glycyrrhetinic acid, green tea and chamomile extract, are added to many moisturizers to help skin handle ingredients that may cause irritation.
* Pure mixtures of amino acids are useless as moisturizers, while pure solutions of glycerin are ineffective, and propylene glycol by itself is irritating. However, alpha hydroxy acids, such as lactic acid or glycolic acid, appear to help reduce roughness and scaling.
* Vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and E, get mixed reviews. Some experts say these ingredients have the ability to heal and hydrate, while others insist there’s little evidence of their effectiveness when applied topically, especially in the quantity found in most moisturizers.

Side effects

Moisturizers aren’t without their side effects. If you have these symptoms, see your doctor:

* sweat retention (miliara rubra, i.e.: petrolatum and lanolin)
* irritation (urea; lactic acid; propylene glycol; solvents)
* allergic contact dermatitis (fragrances, preservatives, i.e. parabens, formaldehyde, Quaternium 15 and Imidazolidinyl urea; lanolin; additives, i.e.: vitamin E and aloe vera
* photo contact dermatitis (fragrances, UV filters)

The skinny on skin – five points

* Study the active ingredients listed on labels in order of the amount contained. If soothing Aloe vera or vitamin C is 15th on the list, you’re not getting much of it
* Be wary of claims that products will increase your own natural collagen or elastin, whose job is to keep skin plumped up and youthful-looking. The molecules in these products are too big to actually penetrate the skin.
* Wash your face no more than twice a day with a gentle cleanser formulated for dry skin. Washing more often can dry your skin.
* Add a few teaspoons of olive oil or lavender-scented oil to your bath.
* Steer clear of added fragrance, preservatives and botanicals, which may irritate already dry skin

Get your money’s worth

Which is better? High-end brands or low-cost brands? Drugstore shelves seem to have an overwhelming choice of products, with each company vying for your dollars. Experts say that often low-cost brands are just as effective. You can stretch your money’s worth of product by applying your moisturizer on damp skin – it will absorb better.

Protecting Sensitive Skin

• Is your skin easily damaged or irritated?
• Is your skin dry, delicate and prone to irritant or allergic reactions?
• Does your skin have a reduced tolerance to cold, heat, wind, temperature changes, or pollution?

If you answer yes to any or all of these questions, consider yourself a member of the “sensitive skin” club to which 56 per cent of Canadian women claim to belong. Of this group, more than 46 per cent also have dry skin.

What is sensitive skin?

Generally if you have easily irritated or reactive skin, then you have ‘sensitive skin’. Most of the time sensitive skin relates to the face. Sensitive skin can be caused by a genetic predisposition or environmental factors. It appears as a redness, a swelling, itchy and dry irritation to the face. One of the major jobs of the skin is to waterproof. This is done to the epidermis or surface layer of the skin, producing a fat-protein sandwich that is always being replaced and is vital to prevent too much water loss from the skin.

Symptoms of sensitive skin include:

• A tingling or tightening of the skin without visible signs
• “Overreaction” to skin care or cosmetic products
• Reactions to shaving, or other physical stress to the skin

Sensitive skin can also be a heads-up for other conditions, such as:

• Altered skin — due to shaving, waxing, medications or heat, cold, wind, and pollution. Also, laser or chemical peels or scar removal
• Allergic skin – the sudden appearance of redness or swelling and itchiness
• Atopic skin – dry skin that is itchy and produces eczema. Eczema is related to hayfever and asthma. (see Eczema Guide for more information)
• Rosacea skin – blood vessels of the face enlarge resulting in a flushed sensation or a redness of the skin

What to do about your skin?

• Perfume or scented creams can be irritating.
• Rinse well after using cleansing products, which should be mild and soap-free as they do not remove so much oil from the skin (www.MildCleanser.ca gives you more information about this kind of cleansers)
• Use a moisturizer and sunscreen that is formulated for sensitive skin
• Don’t over wash your face. Temperature of the water should be tepid; neither hot or cold
• Don’t use exfoliants
• Be aware of seasonal temperatures. The sudden dryness of winter can mean itchy, dry skin until the skin responds by increasing oil production to reduce the water loss
• For breakouts use a cleanser with salicylic acid to help exfoliate pores. There are also moisturizers that contain salicylic acid

Be sensitive to stress

The causes and effects of stress on the body are not fully known, but for some people stress interferes with the body’s systems that repair and regulate the skin. Stress kills your natural antioxidant defenses, which help to prevent accelerated aging of the skin. Hormones can also trigger a histamine release within the skin causing it to erupt in bumpy redness, or breakout in hives.

Desensitize yourself

When choosing makeup, especially foundation and blush, buy oil-free products. Makeup that is water-based won’t clog pores. Look for oil-absorbing foundations that help keep oil off the face.

As for the rest of your body, check ingredients and avoid harsh chemicals in soaps, shampoos, body cleansers and creams, bath oils, bubble baths, etc.

Put your best face forward

• Watch your alcohol intake, spicy foods and caffeine
• Try to avoid excessive temperature changes
• Use the right cleansers, moisturizers and cosmetics
• Manage stress as best you can

By Richard Thomas, MD, FRCPC

FAQ on Sunscreens and Sunburns

1. “How Much Sunscreen Should I Apply?”

The average user of sunscreen tends to use significantly less sunscreen than the amount required to achieve the SPF listed on the container.

2. “How Often Should I Apply Sunscreen When I’m Out In The Sun?’”

Many experts recommend that frequent application during sun exposure is required. However, a group of children were tested by spreading on 1 application of sunscreen to one side of their bodies, and four applications to the other.

They then spent 6 hours in the sun. One application provided the same level of protection as four applications, confirming the adequacy of a single daily application of a sunscreen in that situation.

3. “How Long Before Sun Exposure Should I Apply Sunscreen To My Skin?”

As molecules of sunscreen are present in their active state in the sunscreen, sunscreens work immediately upon application. The only reason for application early is to allow absorption into the skin so that the sunscreen is less likely to be washed off, should the person be entering the water. Even so, modern sunscreens are quite resistant to removal from the skin.

4. “Sun Protection Factor (SPF) – What Is It?”

SPF is the ratio of the minimal ultraviolet dose required to produce redness with and without a sunscreen. For example, if it took ½ hour for your skin to become sunburned without any sunscreen, then for a sunscreen that has a 15 SPF rating, you could stay in the sun for 15 times longer (or 7.5 hours) before you get sunburned. This is provided, of course, that you’ve applied the sunscreen properly so that you’re getting the prescribed protection.

5. “Reactions To Sunscreens?”

Sunscreens can be both an irritant and an allergen, though allergic reactions are rare. Irritant reactions, however, abound. One classic error in sunscreen application is to put a large amount of sunscreen on the forehead. Perspiration and gravity can cause the sunscreen to migrate down your forehead into your eyes, causing a stinging sensation. Some people attribute this to an allergic reaction and discontinue use. It’s also important to wash your hands after applying sunscreen, since rubbing your sunscreen covered finger near your eyes can induce an irritant reaction.

6. “Why Is It Important To Use Sunscreens During Childhood?”

It appears that a great deal of time can elapse between actual sun damage and the development of skin cancer or other skin problems like photoaging. Therefore, it is important to protect your skin from an early age when you are out in the sun.

7. “Sunscreens And The Elderly?”

Many elderly people can become quite obsessed by sun avoidance, and their quality of life can suffer. Sometimes, if they are diagnosed with an actinic keratosis or basal cell carcinoma, they can become anxious and almost leap from shadow to shadow. However, few of them are likely to develop new skin cancers from present sun exposure. As long as they are prudent about avoiding excessive sun exposure and protecting their skin to prevent sunburn, they can continue to enjoy time outdoors.

8. “Can Sunscreens Prevent Cancer?”

There is clear evidence that sunscreens are helpful in preventing actinic keratoses, which are warty lesions that can occur on sun-exposed skin of the face or hands. Research has shown that these lesions can develop into a cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, and that this is linked to a cumulative exposure to the sun.

However, there is surprisingly little evidence that sunscreens have much effect in preventing another kind of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma, or for malignant melanoma. For malignant melanoma and for basal cell carcinoma, the character and timing, that is, the type of sunlight and your age at the time of the exposure to the sun appears to be more important than the cumulative dose.

Adapted from an article by David I. McLean, MD, and Richard Gallagher, MA.