People always talk about hydration and moisture for fall and winter skin care. Now, if we dive deep into all your fall and winter skin woes, the root cause is actually a disrupted skin barrier.
When temperature and humidity drop, coupled with stronger winds, the skin's lipid barrier becomes more fragile. While dryness and tightness are the most prominent symptoms of a damaged skin barrier due to impaired water retention function, the skin will also be more prone to sensitivity, acne, and even inflammation, including rosacea and eczema flare ups, as it can no longer effectively block out pollution, dirt and bacteria.
As a disrupted skin barrier takes at least three weeks to up to two months to heal, it is vital to prevent it from damages in the first place, and strengthen the skin before the weather changes.
Read on to find out how.
Two of the main cause of barrier damages is over-cleansing and using the wrong cleansers.
So first of all, stop using cleansing brushes, makeup wipes, cleansing clothes, and scrubs. Not only will the friction from using these products damage the skin barrier, they can also cause micro-tears that open up the skin to bacteria and inflammations. All these will lead to acne, dryness, inflammations, worsening rosacea and eczema inflammations, or worse, permanent damages.
Secondly, avoid foaming cleansers and soap, including handmade soap. Foaming cleansers, which usually contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), strip the skin of its natural oils, and damage the skin’s lipid barrier. Whilst, natural handmade soap, which generally have a pH range of 8.0 to 10.0, and generic soap, which can be even more alkaline, can greatly disrupt the skin barrier, as the skin is healthiest at around pH 4.7. Over time, these products can easily weaken the skin's water retention and defence ability, resulting in dryness, tightness, acne, irritations, redness, and inflammations like rosacea, eczema and dermatitis.
In other words, always use a cream, lotion or non-foaming gel/liquid cleanser, so that the skin will not be stripped of its natural oils, and the lipid barrier can remain healthy and intact.
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Goji Mallow Cleanse™ <- Click to shop
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Smooth Operator Purifying Cleanser Gel <- Click to shop
The skin is constantly producing new skin cells and shedding old ones. The rate of this process of cell turnover can be slowed down by factors like cold weather, sun, wind, pollution, stress, hormones, age, as well as dryness. Thus when the skin looks and feels dry to the touch, sometimes it may not actually be as dehydrated or dry as you think——it may be merely a buildup of dull, dry, discolored, dead skin on the surface, which not only makes the skin appear dull and textured, but also makes it difficult for skincare ingredients to penetrate. Bacteria and inflammations may also be easily trapped inside the skin, resulting in eczema flare ups and acne.
In other words, exfoliation is needed even during fall and winter, and yes, even for sensitive, rosacea and eczema skin. What we do not recommend though, is using scrubs, as they can damage the skin barrier and cause micro-tears as mentioned above. Instead, use acids, which are in fact safer and less irritated than physical scrubs if used properly.
A well-formulated gentle acid formula, doesn't matter whether it is in a cleanser, mask, or serum form, can dissolve the bond between dead skin cells, so that they can shed easier and quicker without irritation even for sensitive, rosacea and eczema skin. The skin surface will be smoothed with less of a dry feeling, pores will be unclogged and minimized, skin barrier will stay healthy, hyperpigmentation will lighten, and skincare ingredients can better penetrate the skin. Over time, it will also stimulate collagen synthesis, thus thickening the dermis and smoothing wrinkles.
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No. 9 Exfoliant <- Click to shop
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acid(wash) Lactic Acid Brightening Cleanser <- Click to shop
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holi(wash) Ageless Resurfacing Body Cleanser <- Click to shop
It is important to hydrate the skin, but over-hydrating the skin, namely using sheet masks everyday, can actually damage the skin barrier!
Skin maceration happens as the stratum corneum becomes saturated with water, and the corneocytes start to swell. Not only will the skin gets wrinkly, it will also become brittle as the intercellular lamellar structure that controls barrier function becomes unstable, and the corneodesmosome degrades. When the barrier function weakens, trans-epidermal water loss accelerates, leading to more dehydrated skin that is dry, tight and itchy; whilst the risk of penetration of bacteria and irritants gets higher at the same time as the damaged barrier can no longer block out them out, resulting in "moisture-associated skin damage", such as acne, sensitivity and even inflammations and infections.
This is especially problematic when the skin is broken, such as from sensitivity, acne, eczema and rosacea.
Therefore, yes, use a hydrating toner as soon as you finish your face cleansing routine to replenish the lost hydration and prevent the skin from drying out immediately, and also use a hydrating serum after other serums and before face oils and moisturizers. However, avoid using sheet masks everyday.
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Immersion Serum Concentrate <- Click to shop
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Ideal Moisture Level Serum <- Click to shop
Inflammations and free radicals can damage the skin barrier, which can then lead to even worse inflammations, as well as dryness, redness, and itchiness. Unfortunately, daily UV-rays, friction, and pollution can all cause inflammations, while the average person is exposed to 100,000 to 300,000 free radicals every day. Therefore, to prevent the skin barrier from breaking down, it is important to use a serum with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to soothe, repair, and strengthen the skin.
If your main skin concern is hydration and dryness, then a targeted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant serum plus a hydrating serum would be a good combination. If you have other concerns such as anti-aging or brightening, then use a targeted serum plus a hydrating serum, with one or both of them containing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
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The Pure Wonder Active Serum <- Click to shop
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holi(lift) Ageless Lifting and Firming Serum <- Click to shop
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Symmetry Fluid <- Click to shop
Let's pretend your skin is a water reservoir. If water in the skin is like the water in the reservoir, then oils are like the cement and building blocks of the dam, which prevent water from flowing out, while keeping contaminants, soil, and even insects and animals from going into the water.
This means, to repair and strengthen the skin barrier so that water can be kept in, and unwanted bacteria, irritants and pollutants can be kept out, a face oil is actually essential.
In fact, besides lipids, face oils are also abundant in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and many other phytonutrients, with some of them also rich in anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. This means that not only will it moisturize the skin, but will also help the skin fortify itself, retain optimal moisture, fight free radicals, stimulate collagen production, and maintain a healthier, stronger barrier to effectively improve skin issues such as dryness, eczema, irritations, and wrinkles, thereby slowing the aging process.
To get the most out of a face oil, the correct step is after serums when the skin is still damp, and before moisturizers. Do not mix it with moisturizers, as this would render it less effective. Also, do not apply face oils after moisturizers, because the occlusive ingredients in moisturizers will create a physical barrier on the skin, meaning anything put on top will not penetrate——the oils will just sit on top of the skin and feel greasy.
For more details on the benefits of face oils for all skin types, including acne-prone skin, and how to best use it, read: Why Your Skin Needs Oil Just As Much As Water .
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holi(oil) Ageless Face Serum <- Click to shop
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Serum Bioluminelle™ <- Click to shop
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ÂN-BALM Radiant Hydra Balm <- Click to shop
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Elixir™ <- Click to shop
A lot of people like using thick moisturizers when the weather is colder, thinking that would help with dryness. Well, yes, while moisturizers are best to lock everything in during winter and prevent water loss, it is actually better to choose a lightweight moisturizer, rather than a heavy one.
- The high occlusive content of heavy, thick moisturizers may clog pores and cause acne.
- They would essentially be sticking dead skin cells to the skin, instead of allowing them to shed. This will lead to a build up of dead skin cells, resulting in even more dryness, scaling, roughness. Hydration and nourishment won't be able to penetrate either.
- Since they work like a plastic wrap, they will also stop inflammation and bacteria from leaving the skin, which will end up making any acne, rosacea, eczema or psoriasis issues worse.
- The skin has a naturally built-in function of hydrating itself. When heavy moisturizers are continuously applied to the skin, the cells in the epidermis would send a signal to the cells in the dermis telling them there is enough hydration so there is no need for more, instead of asking them to move hydration up to the skin surface. Gradually, the cells in the dermis would become lazy, go dormant, and ultimately stop regulating its own hydration level, resulting in drier and less elastic skin.
To truly keep the skin healthy and supple, therefore, is to use a face oil first, then on top of that, use a nourishing yet lightweight moisturizer, which does not contain too many occlusive ingredients.
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Skin Quencher <- Click to shop
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As mentioned above, while hydration is important, over-hydrating the skin with daily sheet masks can be detrimental to skin health. This is because if you keep adding too much water to the skin, the stratum corneum will become brittle due to water overflow, and the lamellar structure that controls barrier function will also become unstable, which will in turn damage the barrier function. As a result, dryness, irritation, sensitive, and even inflammations may occur.
Instead, use a light layer of sleeping mask at night. Our skin is at its most reparative state when we sleep, and what a reparative sleeping mask does, is lock in all the hydration and nutrients given to the skin in previous skin care steps, whilst providing the skin with extra nutrients to address specific skin concerns, including repairing the skin barrier. A light layer is all you need.
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The Bright Recovery Brightening Overnight Mask <- Click to shop
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Butter Balm <- Click to shop
As previously discussed, the skin barrier can be disrupted by inflammations and free radicals. Thus, besides a sleeping mask, a soothing, regenerative mask with anti-inflammatory and antioxidants properties can be very beneficial, so that the skin barrier will stop breaking down, and the skin cells can actually use their time and energy to repair the barrier fully, instead of continuously fighting bacteria and inflammations.
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holi(bright) Resurface Glass Face Mask <- Click to shop
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The London Mask <- Click to shop
Just like our face, our body skin's barrier can be greatly disrupted under colder weather, resulting in itchiness, dryness, cracking skin, and even eczema and psoriasis flare ups. While generic moisturizers can seal in moisture with their occlusive ingredients, they don't provide enough hydration, lipids, nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories for the skin to actually stay healthy, prevent inflammations, as well as slow signs of aging, such as loss of elasticity, sagging, dark spots, etc.
In fact, generic body lotions and moisturizers could make dryness and issues like eczema worse, due to their high concentration of occlusive ingredients. The reason is explained above when we talked above over-moisturizing the skin.
On the contrary, body oils or oil-based body products free of heavy occlusive ingredients, are made of a mixture of soothing oils and botanical extracts, and without any emulsifiers, texture enhancer, nor silicones. This means every single ingredient, many of which also have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that are great for dry, sensitive, keratosis pilaris, psoriasis and eczema skin, works to nourish and soothe the skin with their huge amount of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phenols, phytonutrients, etc... Because of their lipophilic nature and their small molecular size, they also penetrate the skin’s layers way faster and deeper to repair and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, soothe redness and inflammation, protect the skin against external aggressors like pollution and allergens, and fight free radicals.
In fact, aside from the benefits mentioned above, many are also developed to address signs of aging such as dark spots, sagging, loss of elasticity, and even stretch marks and cellulite, and delivery skin that is firm, soft, smooth, and radiant.
The best timing to use a body oil or oil based body product is when the skin is still damp straight after shower, although they may also be used on dry skin.
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While it is important to hydrate and moisturize the skin topically, hydrating and nourishing the skin from within is equally important.
Besides drinking enough water (which doesn't actually hydrate the skin directly, but is important for skin health), nutrients that can hydrate and nourish the skin include omega-3, collagen, and ceromocides.
| Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids——alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), substances that the body cannot make and can only get from food or supplements, are a critical part of the membranes surrounding each of the cells in the body, and are vital for body energy levels, as well as the heart, brain, blood vessels, lungs, immune system, and endocrine system. They are also important for the skin, as they:
- Moisturize the skin and maintain the skin's natural moisture barrier, which helps to prevent dryness and maintain hydration.
- Reduce inflammation in the skin, which can be beneficial for conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. In fact, studies have found that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids found in Krill Oil can reduce inflammatory acne by 42 percent.
- Promote collagen production, which helps to keep the skin firm and elastic with less wrinkles and fine lines.
- Protect against UV damages, which can help to prevent premature aging and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
For supplements, krill oil is considered more superior than fish oils. This is because the omega-3 in krill oil is in the form of phospholipids, while in fish oil, it is in the form of triglycerides. Since the cell membranes in our bodies are composed of phospholipids, the omega-3 from krill oil is more easily absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream and utilized by the body. In other words, the absorption rate and bioavailability of omega-3 from krill oil are higher than fish oil. Therefore, even at lower dosages, krill oil shows more significant effects compared to higher dosages of fish oil. In fact, studies have found that even though each dose of krill oil is generally lower than fish oil, it is more effective in lowering blood sugar, triglycerides, "bad" cholesterol, and improving overall health, including skin health, compared to fish oil.
In addition, one of the reasons why krill oil is considered superior to fish oil is because it contains astaxanthin, known as the "king of carotenoids," which is a super antioxidant that can cross the blood-brain barrier, with an antioxidant capacity 6,000 times higher than that of vitamin C. Krill oil also contains other antioxidants, as well as higher levels of vitamin A and E, which are recognized as additional advantages over fish oil.
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| Ceromosides™
Ceramides are a type of lipid that are naturally found in the skin's stratum corneum. They play a crucial role in maintaining the skin's barrier function by filling in the gaps between skin cells, creating a strong and protective barrier that prevents moisture loss loss and blocks out irritants, bacteria and toxins to help maintain healthy, supple skin. Unfortunately, the level of ceramides in the skin naturally decreases as we age, which can then lead to dryness, tightness, wrinkles. Skin with a disrupted skin barrier is also more prone to sensitivity, redness, inflammations, and acne.
Supplementing with CERAMOSIDES™ can help replenish the body with new ceramides, which permeate the bloodstream, go to the skin, and restore the skin barrier by filling in the crevices that deplete hydration and plumpness. Its benefits include:
-
Improves Skin Hydration, Water Retention and Moisture Levels
Ceramides work by filling in the gaps between skin cells, creating a strong and protective barrier that prevents moisture loss and blocks out irritants, bacteria and toxins to help maintain healthy, supple skin, thus supplementing with phytoceramides help improve the damaged skin barrier and hydration levels. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, conducted on 40 women aged 30 to 60 years, shows an increase in skin hydration of 16% and a reduction in trans-epidermal water loss of 13% after 15 days of supplementation with just 30 mg of CERAMOSIDES™. Other studies demonstrated an increase in skin hydration of up to 65%.
-
Reduces Wrinkles and Signs of Aging
A hydrated, moisturized skin state has less visible fine lines and wrinkles. Clinical studies show that consuming CERAMOSIDES™ for only 15 days resulted in a 9% reduction in wrinkles, doubling to 18% after two months. Furthermore, skin elasticity improved by over 18% within 15 days and over 26% in just two months, according to another study, while other studies demonstrated a reduction in wrinkles of up to 22%. The European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics also confirmed that replenishing depleted ceramides can restore the skin barrier and have beneficial effects for skin health and skin aging.
-
Improves Eczema, Atopic Dermatitis, Rosacea and Sensitive Skin
Conditions such as eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, and sensitive, aging skin are often marked by impaired skin barrier function, making the skin more susceptible to irritants, pollution, and bacterial attack, as well as inflammations. By increasing the overall ceramide levels in the skin, not only can it help with overall skin health and barrier function, but can also help improve the aforementioned skin conditions.
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holi(radiance) OptiMSM® + CERAMOSIDES™ <- Click to shop
| Collagen
Collagen supplement improves skin hydration? Clinical studies prove that they do!
In one randomized, placebo-controlled 12-week clinical trial, it has been confirmed that objective dermatological measurements, such as cutometry and corneometry, have proven that oral collagen peptides, can reach deeper layers of the skin and sustainably improve skin physiology and appearance, including skin hydration, elasticity, roughness, and density after three months of intake. The study participants, in their subjective assessments, also concluded that their skin appearance had significantly improved without any side effects.
Another clinical research, which positively demonstrated collagen supplements’ impact on the skin cell’s ability to produce collagen fibers and hyaluronic acid, showed that the fragmentation of collagen in the deep layer of the dermis by significantly decreased by 18% after 4 weeks and as much as 31% after 12 weeks of intake. They also significantly increased the density of collagen in the dermis by +9% after 4 weeks of intake, and skin hydration increased by an astonishing 28%, resulting in a significant increase in skin elasticity and hydration, and reduction in wrinkle depth.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 64 participants that lasted 12 weeks, also showed that skin-hydration values of the group that ingested collagen supplement once daily were significantly higher compared with the placebo group. Visual assessment score, three parameters of skin wrinkling, as well as skin elasticity were also significantly improved.
Several other studies have also shown that collagen supplements, in particular those derived from marine life, significantly increased collagen in the skin, improved skin elasticity, reduced wrinkles, decreased skin dryness, and ultimately reduced signs of skin aging.
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