Why Your Facial Skin is the Most Sensitive to Skincare Products
Using skincare products can help nourish the skin, tone it, and enhance its
elasticity thus giving it a desirable and youthful look. Keeping the skin
healthy improves its function ensuring that your body is protected and wastes
are excreted properly. However, facial skin is more sensitive than other skin
parts of the body like arms, trunk, and limbs. This means that when using
skincare products, you need to be extra careful not to cause harm to skin cells
thus disrupting the skin's function. Considering that skincare products are
manufactured using different ingredients some of which are harmful to the skin,
there is need for people to understand that any cream, lotion, moisturizer,
cleansers or other skincare products they apply could have detrimental effects
on facial skin than other skin of the body.
What is skin?
Skin is an organ with a differentiated structure that consists of cells and
tissues meant to perform different functions on and inside the body. The skin is
the largest organ in the body. The skin is a barrier for protection as well as
organ regulation and sensation. The skin tissue is made up of three layers which
include the epidermis (outer layer), dermis (middle layer), and the inner most
tissue known as the hypodermis. The outer layer known as epidermis consists of
dead cells rich in keratin. And, keratin is a protein that helps to make skin
durable. Keratin also protects the inner layers. So, if you have flaking dry
skin, it could be the result of reduced levels of keratin.
The middle layer, known as the dermis, is made up of collagen and fibers.
Collagen helps to strengthen the skin and makes it more flexible. Therefore, if
you have thinning skin, it may probably be caused by collagen that is breaking
down. Beneath the dermis is the hypodermis, which is the inner layer made up of
mainly fatty tissue. This layer of tissue connects the skin with the underlying
tissue and provides some sort of cushion. This protects the body from any bangs
and bumps it may experience. If you notice that your skin is sagging or
drooping, this may be due to the loss of the fatty tissue.
What is the function of skin?
The skin provides a protective barrier that shields the internal parts of body
from infections and injury. This organ also helps in excreting or eliminating
wastes from the body through a process known as perspiration. The skin aids the
immune system by providing protection from harmful bacteria and viruses. It is
also responsible in maintaining body temperature through regulation of heat flow
between the outside environment and the internal part of the body.
Your skin restores moisture preventing dryness of skin as well as maintaining
the essential fluid balance in the body. Other functions of the skin include the
synthesis of vitamin D from the sun’s ultraviolet-B rays. Vitamin D is essential
for healthy bones and immune function. The skin has a network of sensory nerves
endings that are rich in receptors, which send feedback to the brain in order to
react to conditions like hot, cold, pain, hard, and soft feeling. For those
reasons, your skin is a very important organ for the general wellness of your
body.
Why is it important to use facial skincare products?
Cosmetic products help your skin retain lost moisture helping keep it
moisturized. This reduces dryness and parching of your skin. In addition,
skincare products like hydrating masks contain antioxidants, oils, lipids and
fatty acids that help nourish the skin making it healthy. Cleansers help in
removing oils from the pores or follicles thus enhancing the excretion function
of the skin.
Some facial skincare products are also used as conditioners. Moisturizers can
be used overnight to help control sebum, an essential substance that helps
prevent your face from becoming too oily or parched.
The beauty and function of
the skin is affected by environmental factors such as sun exposure, smoking,
sedentary life, stress, alcohol, and insufficient sleep. These aspects result in
skin problems like thinning and wrinkles.
Reduced skin function can make your skin vulnerable to skin diseases like
acne. This means that the skin needs to be rejuvenated and nourished with
essential minerals, vitamins, oils and moisture. However, when not used
correctly, cosmetic products can cause harm to your skin rather than restoring
its function and beauty. There are ingredients that are used in skincare
products that can cause serious harm to the delicate skin; especially on the
face.
What skincare ingredients can damage the facial skin?
 If you want to avoid feeding your skin with damaging substances, you need to
learn more about the ingredients used in skincare products and be able to
differentiate between the good and bad ones. Although there is no regulation
that governs the use of ingredients in cosmetic products, the FDA requires that
makers of these skincare products should list the ingredients starting with the
ones with highest concentration.
Whether a cream or lotion, you need to learn how to read and interpret the
label. Some of the harmful ingredients that can damage your skin include
parabens, which are used widely as preservative of cosmetic products. Parabens
have been linked with cancer causing carcinogens.
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are also harmful ingredients found in beauty
products.
SLS can cause the skin to become dry because it dissolves the natural oils on
skin. This substance also causes irritation of skin. It can also change the
composition of genetic material in cells. Sodium lauryl sulfate also has negative
effects on the immune system and can lead to inflammation of the skin.
Other harmful ingredients in cosmetic products include phthalates, cosmetic
fragrances, and petrochemicals or petroleum based chemicals. One thing you need
to know is that even some cosmetic products labeled as organic may contain
ingredients that can harm the skin.
By being labeled organic, it does not mean
that a cosmetic product is harmless. There are common natural ingredients that
can lead to skin irritation as well as allergic reactions.
Others may even cause skin sensitivity and sun sensitivity. Some of these
natural ingredients include almond extract, basil, cinnamon, clove, citrus,
angelica, allspice, balsam, and coriander oil. The reaction to these ingredients
may differ from one skin to another and from one person to another.
Because the facial skin is more sensitive, it means that it can easily be
damaged by the harmful cosmetic substances. Great care should be exercised when
applying these products on the face. Always limit the number of facial cosmetic
make ups because the larger the number of products you use on face, the more you
are likely to be putting harmful chemicals in your body.
Why is the facial skin the most sensitive?
 Many of the reactions to cosmetic substances are reported on the face. The face
is more sensitive than the skin of the arms and limbs. There are different
schools of thought that try to explain the sensitivity of facial skin in
relation to the other skin on the body. The facial skin loses more water quickly
than skin on the arms and limbs. This means that although the skin provides a
barrier, it is least effective on your face.
Some studies have also shown that the enzyme which helps in releasing skin
cells from the surface, is more prevalent on the face. Cells are released fast
not offering the protective cover on the outer surface. When you examine the top
layer of the skin under the microscope, you find that the facial skin cells are
smaller than the cells on the arms and other parts of the body. This means that
the path which substances enter the body through the facial skin is shorter.
Because of the decreased barrier function of the facial skin, it means that
it needs more care when compared to skin of other parts of the body. In a study
published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Scientists, it showed that
the stratum corneum (SC) of the facial skin is thinner than the trunk and limbs.
The facial SC consists of smaller layers of corneocytes compared to other parks
like the limbs and trunk.
This study was presented by H. Tagami of the Department of Dermatology in
Sendai, Japan. From the Tagami study, the facial skin offers unique functional
features that provide hydrated skin surface. On the other hand, it offers a poor
barrier similar to that seen in fresh scar, or retinoid treated skin. Therefore,
the structure of the stratum corneum layer is one contributing that that leads
to skin sensitivity on the face.
Another point is that the skin on the face is densely covered in pores when
compared to skin on other parts. These pores let in allergens and other harmful
substances. The skin tends to absorb almost anything that is applied on it.
Because of the rich pores on facial skin, they cause the skin to be more
sensitive to irritation. There are other factors that are widely regarded as
causes of increase sensitivity of the skin such as sun exposure and thinning of
the skin.
Which products should you use?
In order to protect the delicate facial skin, it is important that you use
the
right cosmetic products. As long as you would like to transform your face to
glow and appear more toned, you also have to take the challenge and selectively
determine what goes to your facial skin and what needs to be avoided. The FDA
does not regulate the manufacturing of cosmetic products and only offers
guidelines, some of which are not adhered to.
Even when using organic products, you need to ensure that there are no
ingredients that can irritate the skin. You need to use organic cosmetic
products that are reviewed and recommended by the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Some
natural ingredients have been known to cause irritation on skin, including
allspice, balsam, cypress, grapefruits, and angelica.
All dangerous substances
like parabens, fragrance oils, perfume oils, mineral oils, paraffin wax, dyes,
pigments, sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, diethanolamine, flower or
floral water, and isopropyl alcohol should be avoided.
Conclusion
 There is a misconception that drinking sufficient amounts of water can cure dry
skin, but this is not so. If water could restore skin moisture, then the problem
of dry and desiccated skin could be solved by drinking more glasses of water.
Drinking a sufficient amount of water helps in cell function including the skin
cells, it does not directly help in solving the problem of dry skin. The stratum
corneum of a healthy facial skin helps in keeping the surface of the skin smooth
and soft by retaining water even in a dry environment. The water-holding
capacity of the stratum corneum determines the hydration state of the skin
surface and the transepidermal water loss- TEWL. These are complex processes
that try to explain why the facial skin dries out or loses its moisture.
It is important that when you use skincare products on your face, you be very
careful because the skin on the face can absorb or let in substances more
quickly than skin on other parts. The facial skin has more hydrating properties
but less barrier formation capability. It is therefore sensitive to
environmental factors including the substances that are applied to it. To avoid
damaging it, use products that are certified as organic, and which do not
contain harmful or irritating substances.
Skin Care
Top 10 Reasons Why Women Wear Makeup
15 Enthralling Facts About Sunscreen
9 Unusual Beauty Treatments
DIY Body Scrub
Creating Your Own Natural Perfume And Body Spray
DIY Natural Acne Scar Treatment Serum
Herbal Face Mask
Fruits That Will Make Your Skin Glowing Healthier
How Can Teenagers Prevent Acne Breakouts
Why Your Facial Skin is the Most Sensitive to Skincare Products
The Dangers of Products Containing Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
How to Choose The Right Makeup
Laser Hair Removal for Unwanted Hair Growth
Fight Acne with Strawberries!
Don't Cut Your Cuticles - Use a Cuticle Stick!
How to Get Healthy Glowing Facial Skin Without Breaking the Bank |
