Posted by Skincare is such an important part of everyday health and is often the most underrated part of your health when it comes to overall health.
Health is often viewed as bowels, everyday feelings, pain and so forth. However, just because it’s forgotten about doesn’t mean it should be. Missing a vital step in skincare could make such a difference to your overall health and, therefore, shouldn’t be taken advantage of. To ensure that you are taking the best care of your skin, here are 7 things that you could and should be doing.
SPF
The current trigger word at the moment, as for so many years before this, is SPF, which is protection from the sun. While a lot of people just used this during hot summer days, it in fact is a very important part of daily skincare routines even when it is not necessarily sunny.
Harmful UV rays can reach the skin through clouds, which is why SPF is a very important part of skin protection. It’s not uncommon knowledge that the sun and UV rays can present issues with skin, including pigmentation, rashes and in more severe cases, skin cancer.
With the use of daily SPF, you can protect your skin from long- and short-term damage. Therefore, SPF can affect your skin for the better.
Oil-Based Products
Creams, skincare, makeup and everything in between can find their way into our pores. Clogged-up pores can lead to spots, blackheads and, in some more severe cases, chronic acne breakouts. Some people genetically have larger pores or oilier skin, which in some cases can lead to makeup and skincare doing much more damage.
Having acne breakouts is caused by more than oil products and can be a hormonal issue for the most part; however, makeup could, on the one hand, be a confidence booster and, on the other, be the cause of sadness and even depression.
Dryness
Skincare is extremely important for people with both oily and dry skin. Dry skin can crack, flake and in some cases cause irritation and insecurity. Oily products are a dry person’s best friend, not only because they bring some temporary moisture back into the skin, but they also allow a friendly base for makeup application.
When and if you wish to apply makeup when you are prone to dry skin, it’s recommended to use oil-based makeup and reduce powders to a minimum. This can ensure you aren’t causing dryness throughout the day.
Premature Aging
This can happen without using skincare appropriately, such as your SPF and general moisturisers, to encourage skin health. This can also be a cause of specific makeup products that can clog your pores. As mentioned before, clogged pores can lead to blackheads, build-up of dirt, spots and, in some cases, acne. It can also prevent collagen production, which can, in turn, pause natural processes that delay the curation of fine lines and wrinkles.
This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t wear makeup; it’s being more mindful but also ensuring that the removal process consists of a double cleanse to prevent leftover makeup clogging pores and contributing to premature ageing.
Pigmentation Changes
Cosmetic products, both makeup and skincare, can irritate and inflame the skin and not always in an allergic reaction kind of way, but in a way that you might not be aware of. Some products, and even some that might be out of date, can be the reason for dark spots or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
While hyperpigmentation can be a result of excess sun exposure, and when some makeup/skin products are exposed to the sun, this can create a chemical reaction leading to dark spots, which is key to being mindful of.
When trying new products, do your research on key ingredients to look out for, including dyes, fragrances, hydroquinone, catechols, phenols and many others.
Eye Infections
A result of contaminated and/or expired makeup can harbour bacteria and lead to eye infections. The same goes for any expired makeup, old makeup brushes, washing hands before skincare and disinfecting powders if sharing with others.
These steps and being mindful of your products can prevent skin concerns, inconveniences and infections. These are steps by professional makeup artists an, therefore, should be steps that you consider for your own routines to prevent harmful bacteria from being placed on your face and around your eyes.
Reproductive Issues
You might not have thought it might have ever been possible for skincare and/or makeup products to include a chemical that could interfere with your fertility. However, there are some chemicals, such as phthalates and parabens, that can interfere with the endocrine system, which can cause hormonal imbalances leading to issues with fertility and birth defects.
While this might seem very mediaeval, it’s a chemical that can still be used within makeup products in modern day. Products such as cleansers, nail polishes, hair sprays and so forth.
What Should I Do Next?
While it’s unlikely you will remember all of the harmful chemicals’ names mentioned today, and all of the others that you find during your research. There are apps now that allow you to scan the barcode of a skincare, makeup and cosmetic product. This will provide a score and list of the good and bad ingredients, which in turn will tell you how good this product actually is for your skin and overall health. Apps like Yuka, Think Dirty and SkinSAFE are some of the popular apps today.
Which Brands Should I Look At?
Scanning every single product in Boots or Superdrug is unrealistic and a waste of time. Look at brands that are both within your price range and already have a good reputation for product quality, effectiveness and brand reputation. Brands like Refy Beauty, No7, and Boots Own are just a varied example of choices to go through.