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Skin Care Confusion:
Getting to Know Skin Care Formulas.
By far, the most common customer questions we receive are about HOW MANY skin care formulas are out there. Which ones are truly necessary? How many do I need and what order do I apply them? The marketing we see on a daily basis leads us to believe if we aren't using this miracle serum or that wrinkle-busting cream we are missing out on the latest skin care miracle. With a new one discovered every week, how ground-breaking can it really be? Can it be worth these enormous retail prices? Is it all just glossy marketing?
We asked Dr. Hannah to give us the breakdown of what these formulas really are (or are supposed to be).
Below that we will go over "skin care routines" and what order to use your skin care.
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Cream
Emulsion of oil and water in approximately equal proportions. Penetrates stratum corneum outer layer of skin well. Both oil soluble and water soluble actives can be used.
Lotion
A lotion is a low viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. By contrast, creams have higher viscosity than lotions.
Gel
A gel is a jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state. By weight, gels are mostly liquid, yet they behave like solids because the polymers dissolved in the water form a three-dimensional cross-linked network within the liquid. It is the crosslinking within the fluid that give a gel its structure and contribute to the adhesive stick. Because viscosity of the gel depends on the interaction between the solid and water, it can change greatly by adding even small amounts of salts or other ingredients.
Serum
In the skin care industry, "serum" is a fancy term for lotion, with oil and water components that vary. Serum is a word borrowed from medicine, to suggest the idea of something strong that can benefit your skin. The usual meaning is less fancy: a blood derived liquid, plasma, from which the clotting factors have been removed. The industry steals many terms from medicine and science in general. Because by the FDA definition a cosmetic cannot be claimed to change skin physiology, the medical-sounding terminology is used to convey the idea of a medical benefit without annoying the FDA.
Toner
A toner is a liquid, mostly water but with additions, used to remove oils and sebum, stripping the skin of oily substances. But oil has a purpose: it lubricates and hydrates the skin. People think oil means they’re dirty, but that is not true at all. Photoshop has also convinced people (women mostly) that the skin is supposed to be opaque and not glossy.
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Exfoliants
Resurface your skin and get the “smooth feel†but beware of the cost to your skin. There are three ways of exfoliating your skin: physical (like crystals used in micro-exfoliation), chemical peels, and enzymatic peels. At Skin Actives we have products that use these three methodologies while preserving skin health.
Acids
Chemical peels are acid solutions that will break down the proteins in the most external layers of the skin when used with caution (if used without great caution they will burn the skin). Our TCA spot peel is the strongest we offer, for those pesky hyperpigmentation spots that will not go away with anything else. Use as directed and you will do well. We have a milder form of chemical peel, our Alpha Beta Exfoliator, which can be used on face, décolleté and hands without problems. It will provide an “invisible†peel, and you will have satisfyingly smooth skin without down time or visible peeling. Our Vitamin C Serum with its low pH will leave your skin feeling smooth.
Proteases
Have you ever used meat tenderizer? Do you use cold water washing powder for your clothes? How about contact lens cleansers? If you answer “yes†to any of these questions, then you have used proteases. Meat tenderizer contains papain. Cold water washing liquid has subtilisin to break down proteins that stain your clothes. And strong contact lens cleansers also contain subtilisin. Proteases are proteins with enzymatic activity; they can break down very specific bonds linking amino acids in proteins, breaking down those proteins into pieces. Proteases will not penetrate very far at all, so they are very safe. A warning for those of us with a tendency to develop allergies: please take into account that many people become allergic to some proteases, especially papain and subtilisin (this is why I use protease free liquid to wash my clothes). When applied to skin, proteases with the right specificity will hydrolyze the proteins in the most superficial layers of the skin, exfoliating dead skin cells and impurities. Exfoliation will help keep your pores open and free of blackheads and acne.
Sunscreen
This is a lotion that contains ingredients capable of absorbing or reflecting UV radiation before it reaches the skin to prevent burning and aging.
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Our March/April bonus features a Refreshing Foot Spray with our Alpha Beta Exfoliator Towels. It's a mini-pedicure kit that will help get your feet ready for sandal weather.
Orders over $150 - Large Pedi-Kit- 2oz. Refreshing Foot Spray and 2 Alpha Beta Exfoliator Pads
Orders over $50 - Small Pedi-Kit- 1oz. Refreshing Foot Spray and 1 Alpha Beta Exfoliator Pad
INGREDIENTS: Water, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Polysorbate 20, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Leaf Oil, Cedrus Deodara Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Citrate, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.
DIRECTIONS: Start with our Alpha/Beta Exfoliator. One towel is enough for both feet (not just the heels). Leave the product on for 5-15 min depending on how thick your calluses are. Follow with a stainless steel buffer or pumice stone and then spray with our Refreshing Foot Spray. For the driest of feet you can also massage in some Dream Cream or Every Lipid Serum.
Please note: Bonus products are added automatically. No code is required, and they will not show in the shopping cart.
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What is the perfect "routine" or "regime" for my skin?
Guess what? There isn't one. The a.m. and p.m. timetable, with detailed accounts of the products is a fake. What would you expect? The same cosmetic line that is giving you this information is trying to sell you everything at their counter. No big surprise there... There is no evidence supporting it. It was devised by the marketing department in an effort to get you to buy as many products as possible.
Is there anything that you must do to protect your skin from the harsh environment and aging? Yes. Of course. If a schedule makes your life easier, go for it. You need to think of the specific obstacles to skin health that you face every day. Do you live in a polluted city? Then, you need to either move or start using antioxidants. Always use sunscreen, as sunlight will age your skin if it has a chance to reach it. If you have acne, stop touching your blemishes and try our Acne Control Set. Most importantly, find a schedule that will make it easy for you to remember what to do. If you never remember to put it on, you will never get the benefit.
What about Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize?
It is always a good idea to cleanse your skin before you apply a product, because whatever stuff has accumulated during the day will have a chance to enter your skin unless it is removed. But please don't try to remove what should not be removed. Your skin is not a wall to scrub clean, but a living organ. Go too far and you will be breaking the skin barrier, created by your body to keep you safe.
And what about toner? Nobody knows what this term means, except for the marketing department. It used to be an alcohol/water solution used to remove any traces of sebum in order to make you think that your skin was "clean". Now it is anything used to remove cleanser. The alcohol would dry your skin and tighten it, making you think that the toner was doing it's job. In reality, alcohol is just stripping your skin. Find a nice alcohol-free toner like ours. SAS Marine Toner nourishes the skin with sea kelp and refreshes with neroli and witch hazel.
Most of you know that moisturizing your skin is the key to younger looking and healthier, happier skin. We have many options with many different actives for every skin type. You can moisturize as often as your skin needs. This can change with seasons, hormones and diet. Listen to your skin!
Here are a few guidelines for application of the different formulas: Water based serums should be layered before your creams or oils. Vitamin C Serum should be applied 30-60 min before any moisturizers. Vitamin A should only be used at night because it makes you light sensitive.
-Dr. Hannah Sivak
FOR MORE ARTICLES BY DR. SIVAK CLICK HERE
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In our February newsletter, we announced the need to raise International shipping prices to reflect the USPS First Class International price increases for 2016. We have been exploring other providers in the hope that we can find another solution and NOT raise the shipping fees.
This month we are starting a new International shipping service. If the program functions as explained by the provider, there will be no increase to International shipping charges this year. At the end of the month we will review if the new service has lowered our costs enough to keep International shipping prices the same. We welcome any feedback about the new service, please email shipping@skinactives.com.
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