05 Aug Skin trends or Skin threats?
Skin trends that may be doing more harm than good!
If you scroll through Instagram or Youtube right now, the first five posts you’ll find will probably be about an awesome essential oil that helps you glow like the sun or a 10-step skincare routine that turns your skin to gold… It’s everywhere. Skincare can be a little overwhelming these days, it’s gone past using just moisturizers, sunscreen, a lip balm and just heading out the door; it is now an array of toners, cleansers, scrubs, masks, serums, creams, oils etc. All used in a particular order, talk about high school chemistry all over again!
The 21st century woman used to run to makeup to feel beautiful, but she realized her skin could be all the makeup she needs, then, she became obsessed with having great skin which in itself isn’t a bad thing but the trends that are born every other week is the issue. Today it’s the popular bar soap that cures acne, tomorrow, it’s grandmas favourite cooking oil that reduces redness, sweetie, take a chill pill! Trends are great, but they don’t work for everyone. Skin care is like underwear, not one size suits everyone, your best friend might need all that 10-step skin care routine and you might just need to wash your face the right way (click this link for steps to wash the right way) and put on sunscreen.
Getting to know your skin is like a relationship, she needs time and attention, if you do this, you get to know what she needs and what she doesn’t, hence, you won’t jump on every trend that is out there.
Here are some of the beauty and skin care trends that might be doing more harm than good;
African black soaps: Don’t get it wrong, black soaps have a lot of skin benefits especially for women of colour because they are mostly made from naturally occurring ingredients like; Shea butter, Aloe Vera, lime juice, Cam-wood and Pod/Palm bunch ash.
source; 3cayg.com
Despite the many anti-aging, toning and anti-scarring benefits of black soaps, they can be a little drying, harsh on some skin types, stripping moisture and sometimes even cause serious stinging. Black soaps are amazing but they might not be for you, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Charcoal peel off masks; Peel-off masks can feel really refreshing, the clean feeling that all the impurities on your skin have disappeared yeah? Actually, No! They do purify the skin because charcoal is a detoxifying ingredient that is known for its cleansing properties, but they could also leave muddy particles inside your pores and clog them. Also, the process of removing these masks can draw out important oils and moisture from the skin. Before you and the girls get together again for a girl’s night in to pamper your faces, make sure you aren’t actually hurting your skin.
source; intothegloss.com
Natural and organic DIY products; Are you big on nature-based products and oils, you are doing something amazing really, but, are the natural based products really natural? Do you check your products to see if these ingredients are all natural like they claim, what about the preservatives or the fragrances, could your skin be sensitive to them?
Also, beauty bloggers are big on home made spices and ingredients that they use for great skin and to save money, making and applying homemade face masks and moisturizes could do more damage to the skin than good, they are healthy but for selective skin types.
source; reader’s digest
Multiple steps skin care routine; Applying different products with different formulas, ingredients and consistency could be a lot for your skin and could increase tendencies for irritation mostly due to clogged pores. Trying to combat acne, wrinkles, discolouration and other skin problems might seem like they require a thousand layers of fancy and expensive products but it really doesn’t, in fact, this multi layering could make your skin more sensitive and produce more oil which isn’t what your like. Consult a dermatologist on what works best for you (book a consultation at Bel Fiore) and you might be able to get a lesser number of good effective products, but if you do have to multi-layer, the trick is to apply the products according to their thickness, apply the lighter ones first and allow to dry and penetrate completely before applying another layer.
source; jessicajoffe
The best order will be; Serums first, then gels, then lotions, then creams, then ointments.
Seeking advice from friends and internet; the internet and friends might give you information but it would be most likely based on individual experiences of bloggers or friends which means, it probably wouldn’t work for you. The best skincare advice you could ever receive is one that is custom-made for you which means a professional consultation is your best bet.
source; Baucemag
Don’t forget to stay hydrated, eat healthy and stay beautiful.
Source; SELF, Reader’s Digest.
Written by Folashade Akintunde for Bel Fiore Medical