The skin is an organ that is alive and well. It will respond to whatever conditions you present it with. There are many things that are damaging to the skin, they are the the misusage of product which throws the skin out of balance, the sun and smoking .  These are three among many aggragants.

**If you abuse your skin with the wrong products, like soap, you will accelerate the aging process.

The PH Balance

The natural environment of the skin has a PH balance that is acidic. This acidic level is approximately 5.5 on the PH scale. Soap usage raises the PH scale to approximately 9-9.5! The skin is left dehydrated and tight. The tight, clean feeling that one experiences and may love after washing the face with soap, is the worse thing that you can do to your skin.

The skin will work very hard to try to restore its natural PH Balance. When you disrupt the PH balance, you are disrupting the skin’s acidic, protective barrier which is the acid mantle. It has been theorized that this barrier is designed to neutralize and protect the skin from any bacterial invaders that it may come in contact with.

As you can see, maintaining a harmonious balance is important. Remember, this analogy, if you don’t take care of your car, it will wear out a lot quicker than it would if you took good care of it with proper maintenance. The bottom line is the more you abuse your skin with improper skin care the quicker you age.

Sun Damage

We need the sun in order to stimulate vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D is essential in aiding with calcium absorption.

Although the sun is beneficial, it can also be damaging to the skin. Everyone, no matter what your skin color may be, has melanocyte  cells that are located in the deepest layer of the epidermis (top layer of skin). Although everyone has the same amount of melanocytes, the way the melanin (The pigment that is produced by the melanocytes) is distirbuted is different. The way melanin is distributed and the size of the pigment cells is what determines the color of our skin.  When we sunbathe and get that beautiful tan, we stimulate what is called melanocyte activity.  Melanocytes, in the presense of uv rays, inflammation and injury become very active.

When we lay out in the sun trying to get that beautiful tan, we are actually damaging the skin and increasing the risk of skin cancer (especially if you have a very fair complexion). Most sun damage takes place before the age of 18 .  Overexposure to the sun after the age of 18 results in compounded skin damage .    

When we sunbathe, melanocytes start producing melanin(pigment) distributed in an upward direction, turning the skin darker in an effort to protect it from the damaging effects of uv rays. It's like the skin is saying "wait a minute, if I don't do something here the sun is going to really damage me so I have to create a natural shade to protect myself". This darker complexion is actually protective mechanism that kicks in.

Although melanin production acts as a protectant, it is not enough to protect you from long term damage. Everytime you overexpose yourself to the sun , there is a collagen digesting enzyme that is released into the skin. When this enzyme begins to digest collagen fibers, premature wrinkles begin to form.

Great Skin Care Pointers

• Begin taking care of your skin as early and as soon as possible. It is never too late to start!
• Purchase skin care products for your skin type. The best way to know your skin type is to get an assessment.
• Do not over wash! Cleanse your face twice a day (once in the morning and once at night. Over washing your face can be detrimental as well. It disrupts the skin’s protective barrier. Oily skin types usually feel the need to over wash and that is the worst thing for the skin! (see Oily skin section for more information).

 

Note: The only time that washing in the middle of the day is permissible is when the weather is hot and humid or you work in an environment that dictates that you need to wash your face after a hard day’s work. Your face is the first thing that people see when they come in contact with you. Just think, the better you take care of your skin, the better it will represent you.