Author Archives: Talia Sarraf

It is common to deal with dry, flaky, and cracked skin. This can be due to environmental damage, aging, or just lifestyle. When choosing which skincare and makeup products to use, it is essential to ensure use of products with ingredients that are beneficial to your skin.

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GLYCERIN

Glycerin is a humectant commonly found in moisturizing skincare products, meaning it pulls water from the air to minimize water loss in skin cells, and increase water volume in the cells leaving the skin plump and less wrinkly. Glycerin molecules are very small, so they have the ability to penetrate the skin and remain within the layers of skin for many days to continue to hydrate. This emollient promotes hydrated and softened skin as well as the effect of other topical products used. Meaning if used with other products, it will enhance their effect on the skin. For instance, collagen. Glycerin will bind and stabilize collagen to increase the bounce in the skin.

A few well known products that contain high amounts of glycerin:

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HYALURONIC ACID

Hyaluronic acid helps the skin retain water. It does not pull water from the air like glycerin does, but if it is applied to damp skin, it’s effects are best shown. It reduces wrinkles and makes the skin more flexible due to increased water volume in the skin. It is also used to help aid wounds by sending signals to the body to produce blood vessels, as well as suppress inflammation. This leaves skin less irritated and red.

A few well known products that contain high amounts of hyaluronic acid:

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Cleanser is essential to the skin barrier as it helps remove oil, dirt, and other pore-cloggers. As beneficial as it sounds, did you know that your cleanser could actually be harmfully affecting your skin? If not chosen carefully, cleanser could actually strip the skin of its natural oils, or it could be inefficient to the remnants on the skin. Knowing whether a type of cleanser is benefiting your skin or not mainly depends on your skin type: dry, oily, combination, sensitive, acne prone, etc.

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Dry Skin

When looking for a cleanser for dry skin, it is important to find one that is hydrating and gentle, yet still effective. Oil based cleansers or hydrating cleansers are a good fit. They help lock moisture into the skin while removing dirt and excess oils that are produced by the body. They can clean out pores and remove makeup with ease, yet are gentle enough to avoid stripping the skin and leaving it dry and flaky. Oil cleansers do not foam up like water-based, leaving the skin less irritated.

Oily Skin

Factors such as genetics, stress, and weather can have an increase in the oiliness of your skin. Although these are uncontrollable, there are methods and products that can help reduce oil. For one, the type of cleanser and methods of cleansing. As for type of cleanser, foaming cleansers are best. They are good at removing excess oils and sebum in the skin. Foaming cleansers can grab onto the external factors producing more of an oily complexion. Also, when struggling with oil, it is a good idea to cleanse the skin more often. Whether it be cleansing in both the morning and night or double cleansing, however you can further penetrate the pores without irritation, the better.

The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser

Combination Skin

Combination skin: oily skin meets dry skin. Usually found as an oily t-zone and dry cheeks. It is difficult to cater to this type of skin because of the contrast between the two, and the fact that it is mostly due to genetics and hormones. Dry skin is usually soothed with oil-based and moisturizing products, yet oily skin is repaired with foamy and deep-cleansing products. In order to even out both struggles, a gel cleanser is easiest to use. Gel cleansers can gently exfoliate the excess dry skin and care for the oil and sebum without causing too much irritation to the skin barrier.

Acne-prone Skin

Not all acne is avoidable. Some is due to hormones and internal factors that cannot be aided topically. However, for surface level acne, blackheads, and scarring, choosing the correct cleanser can be a make or break decision. Some ingredients that can be beneficial are salicylic acid, zinc, and Benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide targets bacteria on the skin that cause acne, zinc is also antibacterial and additionally helps heal the skin barrier for scarring and dark spots, salicylic acid exfoliates the skin to keep pores clear and remove buildup that causes blackheads and whiteheads.

Sensitive Skin

It is very hard to find the perfect routine for sensitive skin. Certain products or combinations of ingredients can cause redness, irritation, bumps, dryness and more. Other factors such as weather and allergies can also have an effect. One essential ingredient to avoid with sensitivity is fragrance. Fragranced products can cause irritations and reactions especially if the skin barrier is damaged. When looking for cleansers for sensitive skin, it is best to find one that is gentle and fragrance free.