Skin Care 101

Dry Skin

1.

Caring for dry skin:
Dry skin can be rough, tight and have a dull appearance. In winter or extreme conditions, it can be prone to flaking or scaliness. Dry skin is caused by water loss in the outer layer of skin, or ‘epidermis’. To combat dry skin, it is important to keep water trapped in the skin. Moisturisers are essential for keeping dry skin moist.They do this by trapping moisture; however, they do not add moisture to the skin. It is therefore important to apply moisturiser when your skin is still damp to help retain water.

  • Never use products that foam. They contain detergents, which are too harsh for dry skin.
  • If your skin feels shiny, tight and ‘squeaky-clean’ after cleansing, your cleanser is too harsh. Switch to a more nourishing cleanser (such as bridget black™ cleansing milk).
  • The smallest amount of sunlight can damage your skin.
  • Avoid long hot baths and avoid bath oils. Oils are best applied once you are out of the bath.
  • Exfoliate once or twice a week to encourage cell turnover.
  • Use a spritzer before applying moisturiser, or apply moisturiser while your skin is still damp.
  • Mosturise two or three times a day, especially when you are in a air-conditioned environment.

Your moisturiser should contain

  • Good quality plant oils such as soyabean, rosehip, safflower or evening primrose (avoid mineral oils).
  • Humectants to draw water to the skin, such as glycerine, urea and hyaluranic acid. These improve the ability of the skin to retain water.
  • Vitamins – either in your moisturiser or anti-aging product
  • Adequate preservatives to keep it free from microbes and other contaminants.
  • If your skin is particularly dry, apply a product that has a high oil content – such as bridget black™ day crème for normal to very dry skin.

Bridget’s recommended products for dry skin.

For skin that is dry but resistant (i.e. not prone to reaction or does not suffer from eczema or dermatitis)

  • cleansing crème
  • spritzer for normal to dry skin
  • rejuvenating serum
  • moisturiser for dry to very dry skin
  • antioxidant concentrate (night-time only)
  • night crème

For skin that is dry but sensitive (i.e. prone to allergies, rosacea, redness eczema or dermatitis)

  • cleansing milk
  • rejuvenating serum
  • moisturiser for dry to very dry skin
  • night crème

Normal to oily skin

2.

Skin changes with the seasons. You need to review your skin care regime, because what you have used in the winter is not at all suitable for summer skin. Skin acts as a barrier and when winter hits, the barrier (stratum corneum) is weakened. Lack of humidity causes water to evaporate from the skin, and results in rough, dry and often cracked skin.

In summer, the sweat glands open to cool us down, and the oil glands open also. This results in increased oil flow to the skin. In effect, we can go from dry to oily in a matter of months! bridget black™s’ normal to oily skin moisturiser is a fabulous addition to our range. It’s a water based with a small amount of wheatgerm oil. A large component of wheatgerm oil is vitamin E, famous for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Alongside it is oat extract, another ingredient well known for its soothing properties. Other important ingredients are anti-irritants chamomile, allantoin, licorice extract and cucumber, humectants glycerine and anti-oxidants vitamin A and E, green tea and grape seed extract. This is a purely herbal blend and will impress those after a “natural” product. Remember…if your skin is oily, it may not need a moisturiser, so ensure that you are not over-moisturising.

Moisturising facts and tips

3.
  • Moisturising is essential in good skin care. (If your skin is oily, it is may be better not to moisturise)
  • Poorly chosen or formulated moisturisers can often do more harm than good
  • It is important to select the right type of moisturiser for you skin type. (Oily skin does not generally require a moisturiser because it produces sufficient sebum to keep the skin hydrated. If you have oily skin and feel the need to moisturise, use an oil-free moisturizer. Adding oil will only clog pores and cause acne).
  • It is important to keep the skin hydrated on the inside and outside. Lack of water within the structure of the skin decreases its capacity for repair and regeneration.

Types of moisturisers

4.
  • Emulsion moisturisers (oil in water, water in oil) are suitable for normal-to-dry and dry-to-very-dry skin.
  • Barrier moisturisers create a protective barrier on the skin’s surface, preventing water loss. They are suitable for normal-to-dry and dry-to-very-dry skin.
  • Oil-free moisturisers have humectants as their main ingredient. Humectants trap and retain water on the skin’s surface.

Active Ingredients

5.

Active ingredients are those that can deliver some sort of pharmacological effect to the skin and include ingredients such as anti-oxidants, skin-lighteners, topical exfoliants and retinoids. Vitamin E is my favourite active ingredient because it serves many functions – it is a superb antioxidant and has the ability to neutralise free radicals, has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties and can help to heal scars. Although most forms of vitamin E are effective, natural vitamin E (as opposed to synthetic) has been shown to have the most benefits.

Vitamin C is another favourite, but works best when formulated in conjunction with vitamin E. Vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant, has skin lightening properties and can protect against photo damage, but standard vitamin C is very unstable, especially when exposed to air and light. There other forms of vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl palmitate) that are more stable. These are considerably more expensive than the standard form, so it is important when choosing a vitamin C product, to choose one that is packaged with minimal exposure to air and light. We recommend that vitamin C (in bridget black™’s antioxidant concentrate) is used at night time, in order to slow down its deterioration.

Other actives that I love are green tea, vitamin A, willow bark, hyaluronic acid, bearberry extract, chamomile and milk lipids.