- March 30, 2022
- Product Spotlight
- EA Beauty
- Posted By External Affairs
Are you sabotaging your skin?
Why should you read this blog? Besides the fact that we’ve added pictures and inspirational quotes, it is an honest and to the point blog about the things you wished you’d known sooner about your skincare. Also, if you happen to be that individual who is currently using bar soap to wash your face, I BEG you to continue reading!
Our job at External Affairs is to make you feel great being you – it’s that simple. We believe in educating our clients so they can make proper and informed decisions on what’s best for them. When it comes to skincare however, there are so many options out there, it can be hard to know what’s best! Also, if you’ve ever invested in skin treatments but not in to proper skincare, then you’re missing out on half the results! Skincare is used everyday therefore, if you’re using a good product, you should see improvements. But if you’re not seeing a glow-up, then you might not be doing things right. So let’s get into talking about the ways you may be sabotaging your skin!
Say NO to using bar soap as face wash!
Say it with me, “I will not use a bar of soap to wash my face… EVER.” The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline (basic) something is and your body is constantly working to carefully control pH levels of blood and other fluids. The pH level of the skin on your face is usually between 4.0-5.5 and the pH of bar soap varies from 6-10. The higher the pH, means higher alkalinity which is detrimental because it depletes your skin of vital natural fats (or “lipids”). When you use a bar of soap to wash your face, you are stripping your skin in the worst way!
Using retinol? Then you NEED an SPF!
Many people love retinol because of its anti-aging benefits like reducing fine lines and wrinkles. But, if you are using retinol and not wearing sunscreen, you are causing more harm than good! Exposing your skin to sunlight after using retinol can increase photosensitivity. This means that you increase your risk of sunburns, skin cancer, and hyperpigmentation (brown spots). Retinol is an amazing anti-aging ingredient but, it MUST be paired with a proper SPF!
Not all sunscreens are created equal!
When it comes to protection from the sun’s rays, there are a couple types of rays we need to be mindful of. UVB rays are responsible for producing sunburns. The UVB rays also play the greatest role in causing skin cancers, including the deadly black mole form of skin cancer (malignant melanoma). UVA rays also play a role in skin cancer formation and who wouldn’t want to do everything to prevent skin cancer?! A lot of people don’t know what HEV and IRA rays are and why it’s important to have sunscreen that can block those. HEV is the blue glow you see emanating from your phones, laptops, computer and television. Although it doesn’t lead to skin cancer, it can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death, which speeds up the aging process. IRA rays travel even deeper into skin than UVA and UVB rays, causing free radicals that damage skin and further accelerate aging. So, when you are shopping for a sunscreen, make sure you are protected from all of the above!
Cut out parabens and sulphates!
I’m sure you’ve heard about how bad parabens and sulphates are for you, but why? There have been many studies done that show parabens have a slight ability to mimic estrogen. Increased estrogen can cause problems in the body’s cells and parabens have even been found in breast cancer tumors. On the other hand, sulfates have been linked in studies to leave residue in the heart, lungs, and even the brain. A sulfate commonly found in products is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which causes things to foam. If you are using hair products or skincare products that lather and foam, then you might want to go check the labels and see if they contain this ingredient!
DID YOU KNOW?
Pay attention to the packaging!
Another key point you should consider when choosing your skincare products is the packaging. I’m not talking about how pretty the packaging is but, how the packaging dispenses the product. You want to look for products that are in an airless container. Airless containers protect a product’s formulation from exposure to air because it prevents the product from coming into contact with air until the moment it is dispensed. This will reduce product deterioration and helps to maintain the quality of the product, as well as removes any risk of the product being contaminated or going rancid. For example, our Vita-C 20 Brightening Cream only dispenses the amount required. This keeps the rest of the product, and it’s benefits, locked inside!
Don't sacrifice quality for cost!
When it comes to things like skincare, hair care, and make-up, it’s worth paying a bit more for a substantially better product! Medical-grade skincare contains high-quality active ingredients.This means that there are no parabens or fillers in them, that they have a low pH balance, and that the molecular size of the ingredients are small enough to actually sink into the skin and do there job (rather than just sitting on the surface of the skin). Also, the FDA closely regulates medical-grade skin care products. By law, they must have 99.9% pure, active ingredients. Before they can be used by the public, there must be scientific evidence showing that the skin care product is beneficial and that it does what it advertises. In other words, before a medical-grade wrinkle reduction cream can make it to the market, there are multiple studies done showing that it really reduces wrinkles. This is not always the case with over-the-counter cosmetics. When you buy your products from Sephora, Shoppers, or Walmart, the products they sell are not FDA-approved. This means that if they advertise something on the label, it doesn’t actually have to be proven.
What now?
Now that you are aware of some of the ways you might be sabotaging your skin, you might be thinking “where should I start with my skincare regime?” Firstly, I encourage you to check your skincare and make sure you see the benefits of it. If you’re struggling with acne or congestion but you already have acne control products then ask yourself, is this working? If you are using vitamin C, do you feel like your skin is brighter? At EA we love retinol, since it’s an amazing anti-aging product that helps increase cellular turnover but a good quality retinol will more often than not make your skin a bit flaky when you first start using it. If it doesn’t then maybe you want to question, is this working properly?
There is a lot of this to consider when choosing your skincare, and we are here to help in any way we can. We want nothing more than for everyone to feel great in their own skin. It’s our passion and we have had a lot of years to research and educate ourselves. If you have questions about your skin or skincare, don’t hesitate to reach out! Book in for a complimentary EA Beauty Consultation, it gives you one-on-one time with a skin expert to discuss your goals and create a custom skincare regime based on your needs!