Top 3 Skin Myths, Debunked!!

“A daily facial scrub will give me soft, glowing skin.”

 

Facial scrubs strip the skin of its natural oil barrier which leads to hyper production of excess oil to compensate. At first a scrub will make your skin feel super soft and it will seem to glow from all that extra oil but eventually everything will turn into a dull, dry, greasy mess.

 

In the long term scrubs increase inflammation, thin the skin and leave it open to more environmental damage including bacteria in absence of that natural protective moisture layer.

“The best way to get rid of black heads is by extracting them.”

 

Not quite. Extractions must be done in a very specific and delicate way to avoid damage to the skin, when not done properly permanent scarring and/or infection can be left behind. When done appropriately there will be some temporary relief, until that follicle decides to fill back up with oil again and before you know it, you’re back to square one. 

 

Without regular use of products with acids, enzymes or vitamin A you will never find long term relief from blackheads and congestion. Regular long term use of products containing these ingredients will dissolve pre-existing black heads as well as excess oil before it can settle into a follicle in the first place. The result is treatment and prevention all in one, without ever squeezing and hurting your skin.

“If I tan and don’t burn, I’m being sun safe.”

 

Being any shade darker than your natural skin tone from sun exposure is a sign of damaged skin. Period.

 

After being exposed to UV rays long enough, the skin senses the inflammation and damage being done and signals are sent out to the pigment producing cells, melanocytes, telling them to make melanin. This is the chemical that gives our eyes, hair and skin its color. This excess melanin goes to the surface, darkening the skin in attempts to slow the absorption of UV rays. This is the skins natural defence mechanism against the sun, so whenever there is a tan present, there is damage present too.

 

It’s also been proven that someone who’s had long term sun exposure throughout their life that has resulted in mild sun burns, or no sun burns is at a higher risk for skin cancer than those who have had incidental sun exposure with less, but more severe sun burns.

Your skin is like an elephant, it never forgets. Sun exposure and the damage it causes collects in the skin over our lifetime and can eventually catch up with you.

3 Reasons to Break Up With Your Facial Scrub

At first you may ask yourself “where has this product been all my life??” since like with most new relationships, it seems exciting and fruitful. In the beginning your scrub may seem to deliver instantly soft, smooth skin and before you know it you’re hooked!

 

You find yourself scrubbing nearly every day and you can’t picture ever wanting to give it up. But unfortunately, we have some bad news…your scrub is actually hiding some nasty secrets from you.

 

1. Inflammation

If you were to look at a facial scrub under a microscope most of them would look like jagged, uneven, rough grains of sand. When rubbed across the skin these grains cause microscopic lesions and damage to the surface of the skin. As a result the skin automatically goes into a state of repair which leads to inflammation. When done on a regular basis you’ll actually find your skin can become quite sensitive and prone to redness and other irritation. That’s because it’s inflamed and constantly in a state of healing.

 

2. Thinning

As we get older our skin, like all the cells in our body, reproduce as a slower rate. This means it takes longer for our skin to make new cells than it did when we were younger. In our 20’s it can renew as often as every 28 days, and in our 30’s, 40’s 50’s and on it can slow down to as little as every 55-75 days or even longer! Now you add in a constant exfoliant like a scrub into the mix and you’re wearing down your skin before it even has time to renew. The result is thinning skin which is more prone to premature aging.

 

3. Bacteria and Oil

Not only do the scrubby beads in these types of product pick up and spread pre-existing bacteria (which is an exceptionally bad idea if you have acne) but it also strips the natural water/oil barrier on the surface of the skin called the “acid mantle”. This barrier keeps the skin protected from environmental elements including bacteria , and it keeps the skin moisturized and clean. When this barrier is removed the skin is prone to more damage and as a response the oil glands kick into hyper-drive to produce much more oil than normal to replace what was stripped away. The result is a vicious circle of stripped vulnerable skin, and excessive oily skin.

Now What?

Of course, we do need to exfoliate so you may be wondering what to do. Chemical exfoliation will be your knight in shining armor to save you from the nightmare that is facial scrubbing. Chemical exfoliation involves the use of gentle enzymes or acids to dissolve dead skin cells, excess oil and to kill bacteria.

It will show your skin so much love that it will in fact speed up how fast your skin renews itself, which will give you a healthy dewy youthful glow. It will thicken your skin over time and help to lift pigmentation, reduce the appearance of pores and smooth your skins texture.

 

So what are you waiting for? Tell your scrub to take a hike and get ready for the best relationship of your life!!