Your skin is the largest organ in your body, making its resilience increasingly important. While many people understand the value of cleansing their skin daily, several skin care practices could contribute to the demise of your skin’s protective barriers and measures. Sibora Peca, a Sequential Bio member and international leader in clinical microbiome research and in-vivo testing, shares her expertise.
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Using Chemically Abrasive Cleansers Daily
One of skincare’s fundamental components lies within a good cleanser. However, not all cleansers serve to benefit the skin of their beholders. Often packed with intensely active ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, these products may harm your skin more than help. The harsh ingredients could bring forth some positive and negative effects if used regularly. While the chemically abrasive components may seem effective on surface-level acne, they’re also known to strip away the good bacteria from your skin. Additionally, harsh cleansers can contain surfactants, beneficially removing dirt and oil while disrupting your skin’s lipid barrier. This leaves your skin dry and vulnerable, making you more susceptible to infection.
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Exfoliating Your Skin Too Frequently
Many skincare enthusiasts find that exfoliation is critical to manifest smoother, more glowy skin in any cleansing routine. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to overdo it and may eventually have a combative effect. When you exfoliate your skin, the goal is to remove dead skin cells. This physically abrasive process can occasionally be helpful, but constant exfoliation can strip your protective layer of oils and microbes away, causing micro-tears on your skin’s surface. This protective layer maintains the function of your skin barrier, so weakening it could lead to increased dryness while allowing easier passage for harmful pathogens. A gentle exfoliant is recommended once a week for sensitive, dry skin. For those with oily, more acne-prone skin, exfoliating two to three times each week with constant monitoring could be beneficial.
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Following Social Media Trends with No Research
While it’s tempting to follow the trends of social media influencers dubbed skincare experts, not all advice from the internet is in your well-being’s best interest. Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube continue to popularize over-consumption habits with skincare products. A handful of these trends may work, while the rest cause more skin problems than solutions. Content creators can monetize the skincare advice they offer their audience, making their insights biased and clouded. When following the words of influencers, it’s crucial to do some research on your own. Some frequently used harmful ingredients to look out for include methylisothiazolinone, phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), and synthetic fragrances.
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Infrequently Changing Your Bedding
Alongside the well-meaning social media skincare trends, your bedding may betray you. For example, your pillowcase might harbor bacteria from dead skin cells, environmental pollutants, oils, and sweat that breed and repopulate whenever you decide to rest your head. While your sheets may be less of a direct concern, habitually washing all your bedding weekly or bi-weekly can reduce the risk of breakouts. To minimize your exposure to pathogenic bacteria, cleaning your pillowcase as frequently as every three to four days each week may be beneficial. Natural, breathable fabric-based pillowcases made of cotton or silk could also prevent further skin irritation.
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Neglecting a Balanced and Healthy Lifestyle
Holistically speaking, your skin, diet, and emotional well-being are all tightly linked. This means your eating habits directly impact the health of your skin. Highlighting a concept known as the gut-skin axis, your intestinal microbiomes connect to your skin. The intestinal microbiome regulates bodily inflammation, which includes the skin. Irritated skin can also lead to increased levels of stress. Stress further promotes the regeneration of skin breakouts, creating a cycle that can be cumbersome for your skin to overcome. Changes in exercise, sleep, and eating habits over time could help reduce inflammation, lowering stress levels and acne.
Save Your Skin from Harmful Habits
Your skin is more than just a protective barrier; it is a dynamic system connecting you to your everyday environment. The skin’s surface is exceptionally delicate, making it easy to unintentionally invite bacteria, fungi, and viruses into your skin microbiome. As these predicaments persist, Sibora Peca believes your skin’s health can be maintained with holistic health practices and constant research, turning a pursuit for flawless skin into an achievable feat.
References
Dąbrowski, K., Pietrzak, A., & Wozniak, M. (2016). The role of the skin microbiome in health and disease. Dermatology Review/Przegląd Dermatologiczny, 103(2), 91-100.
Sanford, J. A., & Gallo, R. L. (2013). Functions of the skin microbiota in health and disease. Seminars in Immunology, 25(5), 370-377.
Kong, H. H., & Segre, J. A. (2017). Skin microbiome: looking back to move forward. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(5), 965-973.
Schommer, N. N., & Gallo, R. L. (2013). Structure and function of the human skin microbiome. Trends in Microbiology, 21(12), 660-668.
Preservatives in cosmetics – ScienceDirect. (2018). Retrieved from ScienceDirect.
Nagpal, R., Shively, C. A., Register, T. C., Craft, S., & Yadav, H. (2019). Gut microbiome-Mediterranean diet interactions in improving host health. F1000Research, 8, 699. doi:10.12688/f1000research.18992.1.
Tang, S. C., & Yang, J. H. (2018). Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin. Molecules, 23(4), 863. doi:10.3390/molecules23040863.
