Avoid the following summer skin care mistakes that lead to premature aging.
1. Excessive heat and sun exposure
Spending excessive time in the heat and sun results in the production of free radicals that harm your skin cells and contribute to premature aging. Excessive heat and sun exposure will damage the collagen cells and the elastin fibres. These two combined are responsible for your skin’s elasticity and firmness. This damage results in wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging of the skin. The skin can also look very dehydrated and creped with a leathery appearance.
Minimize the damage
In order to minimize this damage we can do things such as ensuring that anytime we are outdoors, we’re applying the appropriate protection which is typically recommended to be spf 30+. Keep in mind that you can get some sun protection from mineral makeup products if they are of high grade.
Another thing that we can do for summer skin care is use hats and umbrellas. Taking a break in the shade is important. Not only are the uv rays damaging to the skin, but also the overheating of the skin. This is going to cause inflammation which in turn will cause free radical damage in the skin.
Once you get home, you can do things to help cool the skin and calm the inflammation. For example, applying an aloe vera mask such as the Soothing Gel Mask will help. Other ways to reduce inflammation include using a cold jade roller. Even cold spoons kept in the fridge really help to cool the skin down when it has been overheated.
2. Not drinking enough water
We tend to be a little thirstier over the summer months with the heat and perhaps increased activity. So, making sure you are drinking enough water is very important for the skin. Dehydration can compromise the skin. It accelerates premature aging due to reduced elasticity and moisture levels in the skin. This is going to exacerbate the effects of uv damage. This will lead to wrinkles, fine lines, and uneven skin tone.
Minimize the damage
Taking steps to ensure you are drinking enough water everyday is very important in maintaining a healthy hydration, preventing moisture loss, and combating premature aging.
Aside from drinking enough water, its good to include products that contain hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine. These products will be very hydrating for the skin and help to give it that ‘dewy glow’. Hyaluronic acid works by applying hydration to the skin but also drawing hydration within the body to the surface of the skin.
3. Unhealthy lifestyle habits
Over the summer we tend to gather socially outdoors a lot more. For example, we gather on patios, barbecues, or at other social events that happen over the summer, such as weddings. There is usually a consumption of alcohol or smoking at these events. Often the dietary choices are delicious but aren’t the healthiest.
Minimize the damage
These things as a whole can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and a breakdown of the collagen in the skin. When you are consuming things that are bad for you, try to decrease the amount you consume, or compensate by using products in your skin that are antioxidants. These products protect your skin from oxidative stressors and help improve the skin’s natural protective barriers.
Facials are a great way to keep your pores clean and free of oil or impurities that can cause breakouts. We recommend booking a facial every 4-6 weeks.
Chemical peels are great for skin rejuvenation because they accelerate the cell turnover rate by chemically penetrating beneath the surface of the skin to dissolve away dead skin cells. If you are treating a concern, such as sun damage, fine lines, or hyperpigmentation, we recommend 4-8 sessions.
Photofacials use Intense Pulse Light (IPL) technology to diminish brown spots, redness, broken capillaries, fine lines and other textural damage. We recommend 4-6 treatments when treating the above skin concerns.
Dérmaplane delivers a fine shave that removes the dull surface skin and vellus facial hair as the technician gently grazes a medical-grade scalpel edge over the surface of the skin.
PROFESSIONAL SKINCARE AT HOME
Professional treatments should go hand in hand with clinical grade skincare products that will help to maximize results.
This is why we offer 15% OFF all Glo Skin Beauty products in-store with any of the treatments above.
What is the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?
Dry skin lacks oil, dehydrated skin lacks water. Dehydrated skin is not a skin type, it is a skin condition caused by external factors.
How do you fix dehydrated skin?
A good hydrator can be part of your solution. Hydrators are different than many moisturizers or creams. Creams are a water-in-oil solution, whereas a hydrator has more water than oil. The best example of a hydrator is hyaluronic acid.
Some people say that they do not use moisturizer because it causes them to break out. While it is true that some moisturizers can cause breakouts, these are usually oil-based. In an effort to avoid breakouts, you deprive your skin of necessary hydration. All skin types benefit from hydration
Dehydrated skin can also be soothed with a cleanser containing lactic acid.
NOTE: A cleanser with lactic acid will sting when you first start using it due to the minor cracks in the skin caused by the dryness. However, once that heals it’s great for long term use.
Will drinking water fix dehydrated skin?
Drinking water helps support everything else you are doing on a topical level.
Did you know that hyaluronic acid and drinking water join forces for hydration? Hyaluronic acid acts like a magnet to the water you drink. They are attracted to each other and keep the skin hydrated.
Drinking water according to your body weight and your metabolism will help you get the water to all the cells.
Why is my face dry even after I moisturize?
Most likely because you have an excessive build up of dead skin cells at the surface that are blocking any product or cleanser from actually getting to the fresh cells that need that nourishment.
You can remove this dead surface layer with proper exfoliation. Keep in mind that dry skin should not be using an exfoliant scrub. Instead, this skin type should use an enzyme exfoliant.
The belief that skin products stop working is a common misconception. Unless you have been storing your products in an inappropriate place, they should be effective until their expiry date. However, there are a few things that may have happened that led your skin type to change thereby explaining why your products don’t seem to work anymore.
For example, daily aging, climate change, and internal/external factors such as medications or changes in your environment, are things that will render your products less effective for the simple fact that they are no longer for you.
Does skin get used to products over time rendering them less effective?
Skin products do not stop working, but there is a plateau once we get accustomed to the skin that we have been able to achieve with products. This is because products can only reach a certain layer of the skin. Once they’ve done all their work on all the layers that they can reach, thats all they can do. Keep in mind that even though they have done their maximum, they will continue to carry those results for you.
“Skin doesn’t become immune to products.”
Skin becomes tolerant and learns how to work with products. For example, retinols. It is not uncommon to see peeling after the first application . However, applications after that may not yield the same extreme results because the product has done its job.
Careful not to overuse.
We recommend certain products such as retinol for short-term use only. Retinol helps your skin look fresh all the time, but it becomes very thinned out over long-term use.
Using strong products all the time leaves no room for improvement. Plus, when you overuse certain products, your skin becomes lazy! When the skin is not allowed to perform its natural functions by itself, it becomes dependent on products to carry out its daily functions. As a result, the moment you remove one of those products from your routine, your skin experiences problems.
Tips for optimal product use
Store your beauty products in a cool, dry place, and avoid direct sunlight.
Try storing eye creams and moisturizers in the butter compartment of your fridge. This will keep products cool, stable, and refreshing when applied!
When possible, choose products that come in pumps or tubes, they hold longer as they are not in contact with open air or skin.
If you’re using a potted product use a small spatula or cotton swab to remove products from the jar. The natural oils and bacteria found on our skin can alter or spoil products.
What treatments does dérmica offer to remove dark spots?
Located in Edmonton, Alberta, Dérmica offers a variety of treatments to remove dark spots on the face. Base level intervention would start with products. Professional products target pigment removal at a superficial level. Our favourite product to remove hyperpigmentation is the Retinol Resurfacing Serum. It helps even out the skin tone. If generalized uneven skin tone is your concern, look out for products containing lactic acid.
Facial coupled with AHA boost
All of our facials have reserved time for pore extraction. The extraction process clears away oil and debris for better absorption of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA). Our AHA boost contains those good brightening acids, for example glycolic and lactic acid. Boosts are mild peels.
Peels
Other treatments to remove dark spots on the face include chemical peels. Glycolic acid is used to remove sun spots, acne scars, and other dark spots on the face. It penetrates the deepest into the skin because it has the smallest molecules.
Picture your skin as a bunch of scales held together by glue. Glycolic acid can reach deep levels to dissolve the glue thereby separating the layers. Over the next few days following your treatment, loose layers will start to crunch up and dry up. You may start to see flaking in some areas. As a result, your body makes new cells thereby pushing pigment up to the surface. Follow up peels are required to push the pigmentation all the way out. All things considered they are a great choice for all skin types.
Photofacials
Lastly, photofacials are our maximum treatment to remove dark spots from the face. They are considered “maximum level” treatments because they target hyperpigmentation with laser precision.
IPL Phototherapy is able to isolate specific ranges of light. Each range of light within the spectrum penetrates to a different level in the skin.
More control
Our ACLARA photofacial targets melanin cells with no effect on the superficial tissues. This results in maximum effect with very little downtime.
The meaning of the SPF number in sunscreen has caused much confusion. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The number afterwards comes from a formula. The formula is used to calculate the number of minutes your skin be safely exposed to the sun before it starts to have negative effects.
Think of it as a stop watch that starts when you step out into the sun. The higher the number, the more minutes it buys you.
Protection increases slightly as the SPF number goes higher by allowing less percentage of rays to hit your skin.
Do SPF 15 and 50 have the same ingredients?
SPF 50s will have more zinc. The higher the zinc the more protection, but also the whiter the cast that it leaves. In fact, you can buy a zinc stick, which is like a chapstick for areas where you’re highly exposed.
Keep in mind that sunscreens do not always protect you from burning. It will definitely extend the amount of time you can safely be in the sun before it starts causing damage. However, for some skin types will burn anyway with or without sunscreen.
Physical vs Chemical?
Physical sunscreens are made of minerals and act like sunglasses for your skin. Zinc is a mineral. It is a finely ground rock that has been finely crushed that sits on the skin. When you apply it, it binds to your skin at the surface and provides a “shade” over your skin.
Physical sunscreen is the best type of sunscreen to use over your face or for sensitive skin types. On the other hand, they tend to be a little greasier because they do not absorb into the skin. Also, they can leave a white cast depending on how high your SPF is.
Chemical sunscreens absorb into the skin right away, they are not greasy and do not leave a white cast. however, they are actually going into your skin and interacting on a cellular level, coating each cell. While they have benefits, the fact that they are going into your cells leaves room for adverse reactions.
New day sunscreens
Some product lines have become more sophisticated with their formulations and are able to dilute the white cast without losing efficacy or adding ingredients.
Now that you know the meaning of the SPF number in sunscreen, which SPF is right for you?
