Explained specifically for beginners: Start with effective skin care

Getting older is a natural thing, just like skin aging. Nevertheless, the aging process of our epidermis accelerated by external factors: UV radiation, environmental pollution, tobacco smoke, chemicals e.g. in cleaning products or an unbalanced diet can lead to an increase in the release of free radicals in our body, which can damage our health attack cells. To ward off these, we need a strong skin barrier. With an intact barrier function of the skin, the health of our epidermis stands or falls, as do the signs of aging. Well aging is therefore directly linked to our skin health, which we can promote with an effective morning and evening routine. We’ll now tell you what this might look like.

Well aging in 3 steps: morning routine for a strong skin barrier

When it comes to skin care, there is never a road that leads to Rome. Various active ingredients can strengthen our skin – this morning routine makes no claim to combine all of these possibilities. If you have or don’t want to have much time in the morning, you can rely on these three steps, which form a very good basic routine for non-diseased skin. From oily to dry skin is suitable for all types, but that doesn’t mean that further steps wouldn’t make sense – you’ll also find recommendations for this.

1.Mild cleaning

During sleep you can… Sweat, bacteria (e.g. from the pillow) and excess sebum accumulate on our skin with a mildenCleaning in the morning gently be removed. But what does gentle actually mean? It means that the detergent substances (surfactants) in your cleaning product do not irritate your skin (barrier). Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether you use a gel, a foam or a solid product. What counts are the inner values.

Different people’s tolerance levels vary – this also explains why some people “can” wash their face with shower gel. One Aggressive cleaning de-oils the skin too muchwhat that disrupts natural balance and removes moisture. However, lipids (fats) and moisture are essential for the skin’s barrier function. But how do you know which cleanser is irritating? To this INCIS You should avoid the following for mild cleaning:

In addition to the type of surfactant, it also depends on the surfactant concentration in the product at. Cleansing that is too aggressive is one of the most common factors that weaken the skin barrier. This also includes, for example, rinsing your hair shampoo off your face – this can also lead to skin irritation. Before you use an aggressive product, it’s better to skip cleaning completely in the morning. This can also have a positive effect on dry skin types that don’t have a problem with impurities.

2. Vitamin C serum

vitamin C is one of the best-known active ingredients in cosmetics due to its anti-aging properties. But what does he actually do?

After cleansing, apply the vitamin C serum to dry skin and wait a few minutes before moving on to the next step.

3. Sun protection

As described above UV radiation causes irreversible damage to our skin. Even if the idea of ​​applying sunscreen every morning seems strange, it is still the most effective well-being/anti-aging/slow-aging weapon we have. Sun promotes the breakdown of collagen and elastin and causes pigment spots to appear. UV radiation also damages the genetic makeup of skin cells and can cause the cells to grow uncontrollably (skin cancer).
Our tip: Get a sunscreen that you really enjoy wearing. No whining, no suncream-Smell and no heavy feeling on the skin. Only then will you wear it regularly. The price also plays a role: you won’t use a very expensive product regularly.

Who “needs” more than 3 steps in the morning?

If you have dry skin, we recommend taking vitamin C beforehand moisturizing serum to apply. Even though most vitamin C serums already contain moisturizing ingredients, this may not be enough for dehydrated skin. That can Glycerin or hyaluronan contain – two substances that bind water to the skin. Sufficient moisture ensures that the top layer of the epidermis remains intact. Well-hydrated skin also looks visually plumper (“younger”) and no wrinkles due to dryness appear.

Effective evening routine in 3 steps for a strong skin barrier

In addition to vitamins and antioxidants, there are other ingredients that are important for a strong skin barrier. But why does the evening routine have to be different from the morning routine? Of course, sun protection is not needed; vitamin C is also more useful when we are exposed to UV radiation. The main reason, however, is that for most people Slows down sebum production at night, which makes the skin more permeable. Less sebum means less “seal” on the skin, which allows more moisture to escape (= drier skin). This also means that the skin becomes more receptive to active ingredients (such as retinol). Regeneration processes also take place while we sleep, which we can support with skin care.

1.Oil cleaning

We applied sunscreen in the morning. That means: it definitely has to come down again in the evening! Of course, along with all the dirt that has collected on our skin during the day. The most effective and mildest is a Oil cleaner (either liquid or in the form of a balm) with which you can remove the sunscreen without leaving any residue. You wear this on the dry skin and work it in with circular movements for at least 30 seconds.

2. Retinol serum

Here, too, there are many active ingredients that can be used. However, we have now decided on retinol because it fits best with the topic of “well aging”. Retinol is a form of vitamin A Scientifically proven positive effects on skin aging is. Collagen and elastin production is stimulated, as is the metabolism of skin cells. What makes vitamin A particularly important for the skin barrier is its ability to… Cell turnover and stuff Accelerate skin renewal processes. More young cells mean one stronger skin.

There are different forms of vitamin A that have different levels of effectiveness and tolerability. Basically, the milder and more tolerable the vitamin A, the smaller and less effective the effect. So the hardest part with vitamin A is finding a product that is effective and doesn’t irritate the skin. That’s why we recommend using a low dose and a weaker form of vitamin A, for example Retinol esters, to start. Once your skin gets used to it, you can increase the dose and perhaps switch to retinol or even retinal.

After cleansing, apply your vitamin A product to dry skin and wait a few minutes before the next step. If you are a vitamin A beginner, you can also try the “sandwich” method and apply a layer of cream first and then the retinoid product. Incidentally, retinol & Co. are always better off in the evening routine, as the ingredient is sensitive to light. This means that it is broken down by UV rays and sunlight and therefore loses its effectiveness.

3. Cream with ceramides

As already mentioned, sebum production is reduced in many people at night, which allows more water to escape from the skin (transepidermal water loss). Because this is not good for our skin barrier, we want to prevent this. We can do that with one lipid-containing creamwhich ideally also contains ceramides.

Ceramides are Basic building blocks of the skin. At 60 percent, they make up the majority of the fats in our stratum corneum. Ceramides are extremely important for our skin barrier; they occur naturally in our skin. With care containing ceramide, we can additionally support the barrier function of our skin.

However, it is not only important that your cream contains ceramides. Likewise, substances that… Boost ceramide production, to get integrated. Ceramide precursors are suitable for this, such as hytosphingosine and sphingolipids, which help the uppermost layers of skin to produce more ceramides. So pay attention to these two terms in the INCI list.

Sources used: Guilherme Póvoa, Lucia Martins Diniz: Growth hormone system: skin interactionsHandbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology, Journal of Biological Chemistry

Bridget