Does Skincare Work?

Today I want to share my insights on what skincare is and isn’t. Does skincare work? What are the basics of skincare?

The more I study about skincare, the more I believe that your skin reflects your health and lifestyle.

You can’t expect that one jar of cream will erase years of sun exposure, smoking, or just simply not using any products.

What is Skincare anyway?

From Wikipedia – skincare is the range of practices that support skin integrity.

• Nutrition
• Avoidance of
  sun exposure
• Moisturizer  

It also enhances appearance such as the use of cosmetics, exfoliation, fillers, laser resurfacing, microdermabrasion, peels, and retinol therapy.

For good skin care, start developing healthy habits that will provide your skin with protection from outer forces and nutrients from the inside.

It’s the only skin you’ll ever get, so your daily habits mean everything.

Does Skincare Work?

Many of us, I included think of skincare in terms of creams and serums. That is where we tend to go for a solution when we see a pimple, a wrinkle, or an age spot.

I think of over-the-counter products as cosmetics care for the skin. It works if you use it on a regular basis. Cosmetics may provide a temporary solution to your skin concerns, but it will not solve them.

Their purpose is to beautify skin or clean it. For this purpose, they do work.

If you want to modify a physiological process like aging with an over-the-counter cream, it’s not going to happen.

The products that can do that are prescribed by a doctor or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs like Tretinoin, Sunscreen, and Salicylic acid.

For example, if you are using salicylic acid for acne treatment, it works. However, it is considered to be an OTC drug and not cosmetics.

I know, this skincare business is way too complicated. Companies constantly play with words to fool us (consumers).

Most of the time, what you read on cosmetics packages is just marketing claims. A good example of this is the use of marketing ingredients.

Marketing ingredients are those ingredients present in the formulation
in such low percentages that they provide no benefits to the skin.

So, the very ingredient that is claimed to ensure incredible beautifying results is doing nothing but ensuring the product sells.

This is deceiving, but also very much legal.

But that’s not all.  You see, the problem is that ingredients to fully use their benefits, besides being present, need to be properly formulated.

For example, some ingredients are scientifically proven to be moisturizing, yet they might work only at a certain pH level. Therefore, if the pH is off, they won’t work. Obviously, there’s no way of knowing whether a product has been properly formulated as the only information shared is the list of ingredients.

How to Buy Skincare The Product that Works?

Here’s what I do.

I look for products that contain the highest possible % of ingredients backed by science. Then I would try these products to see if they provide any benefit. If they do, it means they were also properly formulated.

For example, we know that hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, niacin, Retinol, and Kojic acid among others are effective. We know because they’re backed by science.

You can find all scientific studies on Pubmed.gov.

Basic Skin Care

STEP 1: Clean and moisturize your skin daily. 

Wash your face twice daily — once in the morning (you can use just water) and once at night before going to bed. After you cleanse your skin, follow with a serum and moisturizer.

Moisturizing is necessary even for people with oily skin. Buy a moisturizer that is best suited for your skin type (dry, normal, or oily).

STEP 2: Avoid the sun. 

Over time, exposure to ultraviolet (UVA) radiation from the sun will cause many changes in the skin, including wrinkles, discoloration, freckles, or age spots.

Use sunscreen daily.

STEP 3: Go to a professional for help. 

Skin can develop rashes and acne, among many other issues. Address the problem with an expert like a dermatologist for more severe skin problems.

I try to find the ones that have the same skin type and age as me.

For example, I have extensive knowledge about treatment for dry, sensitized mature skin. Because that’s what I have researched and tested.

You see where I am going. Right?

Key Takeaways

For good skin care, start developing healthy habits that guard your valued possession against outer (and inner) forces. It’s the only skin you’ll ever get, so your daily habits mean everything.

And please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts! As always, I’d love to hear from you!

Have a fabulous week and take care!

Founder of Modern Fifty TV