In the last entry of Skincare 101 we talked about the stratum corneum not being absolutely hermetic and that there were 3 ways to overcome this barrier
Are here!
- Intercellular – Through the pores: Only absolutely tiny cells can pass, since it is practically impossible to pass through the hard cells of the stratum corneum.
- Intracellular- Between cells through ceramides-: It is the best way to deliver products to your skin, however, it is important to keep in mind that the products you use are friendly to your ceramides and are non-comedogenic oil-based so that they can pass this barrier without hurting it and at the same time nourish it.
But what about when you use water-based products that have ingredients designed to deeply penetrate the skin?
Well, these are naturally repelled by ceramides and so, in order for them to pass this barrier, they use synthetic "penetration enhancers" that damage the skin's natural barrier.
The truth is that while some of these products can generate quick results in the short term, they will begin to destroy your natural barrier, leaving you vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins, and chronic dryness as your skin loses the ability to retain and to prevent water loss.
Very important: At this point do not apply products such as soaps or toners as these are not designed to penetrate the skin.
- Pores: This is the "biggest" route to overcome the stratum corneum and through which the products of the largest molecular size can pass more easily, however, it is not the best since the pores are evacuation routes, not entrance, which that can generate clogging and black or white points.
Now the question is, what should I take into account when choosing my skincare products?
First of all, it is very important that these are friendly to our ceramides, for example, oil-based serums, facial oils, or oil-based creams. Of course, it is very important that they are not comedogenic.
In addition, it is essential to check that the molecular size is appropriate so that it can enter our skin, for example, topical collagen has a molecular size that is too large to enter even through our pores, so if we use topical collagen it will simply rest on our skin. skin until we wash it off.
Extra tips to take care of your epidermis.
- Use oil-based serums, facial oils, or oil-based creams that repair, strengthen, and maintain healthy ceramides. In addition, they will have a moisturizing effect that will prevent the loss of water from your skin and more efficiently repel external threats such as harmful bacteria or toxins.
- Remember that your skin naturally regenerates every 28 days no matter what you put on it, so you don't need to exfoliate daily or weekly. If you want to give it extra support, you can exfoliate your skin every 15-30 days, and if you are in your fertile life, we recommend doing it in your follicular phase, your skin is much more flexible at that time.
See you very soon!