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Useful tips on
purchasing skin-care products
An ounce of prevention - as the saying goes - is worth
a pound of cure. When it comes to skin care, this sage
piece of advice takes on a new twist, because for things
like wrinkles there is no cure - yet. Finding the right
type of "prevention" is not an easy task.
Store shelves stacked to the ceiling with creams, gels,
and various other concoctions, each product promising
to peel back the years - in some cases literally - can
pose a daunting prospect to decipher. Often, I find
myself staring blankly at the packaging, hoping for
a moment of clarity with which to make my decision.
All I wanted to do was buy some moisturizer!
Well, the American Academy of Dermatologists have come
to the rescue. This year, at their annual meeting in
California, they issued some truths they advise consumers
to follow when buying skin care products - everything
from anti-aging creams to cleansers, moisturizers, and
masks.
Their first piece of advice is knowing your skin type
so you can buy skin-care products best suited to you.
For example, people with dry skin should avoid astringents
and any product with alcohol because they easily strip
away moisture from the skin. People with oily skin do
not need the heavy oils found in some moisturizers and
should use moisturizers specially designed for oily
skin. People with sensitive skin should purchase products
designed for sensitive skin, as they tend to be less
abrasive, containing gentler ingredients.
If you don't know what skin type you are, a visit to
the dermatologist will help, especially if you have
problem areas or are allergic to certain ingredients.
"Spending money every week on a new product with
a 'miracle' ingredient will only irritate your skin
and your skin will never reap the benefits of a consistent
skin-care regime," said Dr. Marianne O'Donoghue,
MD, Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago,
Ill.
When it comes to anti-aging products that promise to
diminish wrinkles and fine lines, the Academy recommends
purchasing products with ingredients that have proven,
over time, to be most effective at reversing the aging
process. No surprise, the number one product that prevents
wrinkles and sun damage is sunscreen. A broad-spectrum
sunscreen that protects the skin from both UVA and UVB
rays, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher,
can prevent skin from looking older than it is. Dr.
O'Donoghue recommends wearing sunscreen on a daily basis,
on your face as well as your body, as it can help prevent
the deep wrinkles and dark spots that make a person
look older than they actually are.
Products containing tretinoin are also effective in
treating fine wrinkles, dark spots, or rough skin on
the face caused by the damaging rays of the sun. Tretinoin
works by lightening the skin, replacing older skin with
newer skin, and by affecting the way the body removes
skin cells that may have been harmed by the sun. Retinoid
creams are one of the most effective delivery systems
of tretinoin.
Alpha-hydroxy acids, which work by making dead cells
on the surface of the skin and inside the pores slough
off more easily, are also highly effective as anti-wrinkle
treatment. Also known as AHA, alpha-hydroxy acids are
found in certain plants and fruits, including sugar
cane, apples, grapes, and citrus fruit. "By decreasing
the thickness of dead cells on the surface, a new layer
of skin with a smoother texture and more uniform color
can be revealed," said Dr. O'Donoghue. "These
compounds also encourage the production of better connective
tissue under the epidermis, and retard water loss, lessening
fine lines and wrinkles."
Furfuryladenine, a plant derived compound that acts
to retain water in the skin, is a promising new agent,
which has also been promoted as being able to reverse
the aging process. It is a non-irritating alternative
for the 10-15% of people who are unable to tolerate
tretinoin products.
Skin-care ingredients to be avoided, especially for
people with sensitive skin, include propylene glycol
and sorbitol, which are commonly used in moisturizers
as humectants to hold moisture in the skin. Although
propylene glycol binds moisture to the skin, it also
repels it, so in fact the skin does not receive any
benefit at all from the moisturizer.
Another ingredient that can irritate the skin is sodium
lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES),
also known as surfactants. Surfactants lather well and
are found in shampoo, toothpaste, shaving cream, laundry
detergent, dish soap, and many industrial cleaning products.
"Because of the way these are designed to work,
surfactant molecules stay on hair and skin long after
you think you've rinsed them off," said Dr. O'Donoghue.
"As they sit there, they literally strip away fatty
acids, moisture and amino acids from your hair and skin.
They increase dryness, increase roughness, and disturb
the healthy growth process of new hair and skin."
So, all this taken into consideration, not only does
my next trip to the skin-care aisle seem less daunting,
I may also manage to fend off the inevitable for just
a little bit longer!
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