The number of people with skin problems has been increasing in recent years. In addition, there is a noticeable increase in people acknowledging that they have sensitive and dry skin. There is a bit of difficulty finding a scientific definition of “sensitive skin” as there are many different and measurable criteria for its definition. However, normal skin can develop increased sensitivity when exposed to the following stimuli: sunburn; severe peeling of the skin; above-normal occupational exposure to water, alkalis, and solvents, internal diseases such as increased dryness of the skin seen in age-related diabetes or the general itching that can accompany kidney disease, and psychological factors such as stress.
Dry skin is especially common in children under the age of 10 and people over the age of 60. Between the ages of 10 and 50, the number of women with dry skin is significantly higher than in the case of men. The common characteristic of dry skin is slight scaling, tightness, and sometimes itchiness. Basically, there are two types of dry skin: normal dry skin and extreme dry skin. In both types, the cause is essentially a deficiency of natural moisturizing factors. A rarer form is atopic dry skin, in which impaired fatty acid metabolism in the skin plays an important role.
Cleansing and Care of Dry Skin
To restore your dry skin to its normal physiological condition, pay close attention to your cleansing and skin care routine. When choosing cleansers for dry skin, here are some tips to keep in mind:
* Make sure that cleaning preparations consist of mild cleaning complexes with refatting agents that remove fat-soluble (lipophilic) dirt particles.
* The lipid supply of the cleansing substances should promote and guarantee an intensive replacement of the skin’s fat.
* The fatty acid constituents of refatting agents must also be similar to the skin’s natural oils in order to blend particularly well into the horny layer of the skin, thus restoring the protective lipid film during washing and helping to maintain the natural balance of the skin. skin pH.
Choosing skin care products
It is important to choose skin care products that contain various active ingredients that reinforce the skin’s own protective functions. Here are tips and ingredients to keep an eye out for:
* For example, skin care products that contain the antioxidant vitamin E are effective in preventing, or at least slowing down, aging of the skin. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, thus helping to firm the cell membrane and delay cell aging.
* Choose skin care products that protect the skin from harmful environmental influences, such as dryness and colds. When the skin condition has changed, choose skin care products that contain moisturizing agents and substances that help normalize the skin, heal it, and prevent disease. For example, as a derivative of vitamin B, dexpanthenol is said to improve wound healing and cell formation. Vitamin C in the form of citric acid is also a popular skin care substance used primarily because it aids in wound healing and cell regeneration.
* People with particularly sensitive skin or skin affected by neurodermatitis should choose skin care products suitable for deodorant intolerant skin.
* The efficacy of skin care products should have been objectively and thoroughly evaluated and confirmed in clinical studies.
Healthy skin, for the most part, results from a balance of moisture and oils and the physiological pH value (skin acid mantle around 4.5 – 5.75) of the skin’s surface. Always remember to choose cleansing and skin care products that absorb quickly and activate the various metabolic processes of skin cell regeneration.
Causes of dry skin:
* Biological aging of the skin
* Chemical and medicinal influences
* Climate and environment
* Genetic disposition
* Hormonal influences
* Illness
* Light-induced skin aging
* Nutrition