The Most Damaging Part of Your Skincare Routine & How to Minimize It.

Did you know that one of the steps in your skincare could damage your skin barrier? Do you know which one it is? It’s skin cleansing! Every cosmetic on the market formulated to clean has surfactants (surface acting agents), which are the ingredients responsible to clean along with other functions in a formulation. The positives of surfactants are the following: remove dirt, pollutants, and sebum; provide foam/lather; provide structure to formulas; provide a sensory experience; and promote exfoliation. The negatives are the following: interact with proteins and lipids in the skin, since they can’t detect the differences between the oily substances naturally found in the skin versus oily substances on the surfaces in need of removal; cause skin irritation and dryness; damage barrier; make skin prone to other irritants and can impair natural bio-processes. The negatives are definitely concerning for those struggling with skin concerns and issues, like hyperpigmentation, as a damaged barrier prevents the skin from properly healing itself.

The good news is the cleansing technologies have drastically improved over the past 50 years with pH 10 (high alkaline) bar soaps giving tight, stripped feeling evolving to what we have today, which are skin friendly pH 4-6 liquid soaps containing skin benefits depending on the skin concern giving a normal slightly moisturized feel to the skin. Back then, harsh surfactants were primarily used; but as scientific research advanced, harsh surfactants were chemically modified or combined with milder surfactants to minimize harshness. Nowadays, most brands are opting to use blends of mild surfactants.

To pick the best cleanser for you, select one with the right texture for your skin type. Generally, cream textured cleansers are best for dry to severely dry skin. Milk/lotion textures are for normal/combination skin but can be compatible for mildly dry or mildly oily. The gel or foaming textured are usually geared for oily to severely oily skin. Next, look for ingredients in the cleanser to help your skin concerns. These ingredients can be hydrating, moisturizing, oil controlling, brightening, texture refining, acne fighting, anti-aging, or soothing. Lastly, using a moisturizer after cleansing will help offset any minimal damage caused by skin cleansing. Following these tips will help you minimize damage to your skin barrier and promote healthier, happier skin.