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| Issue 45 |  |
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| Guest Article | Questions about Skin Care — Frequently asked consumers’ questions | Michaela Arens-Corell |
The need and interest of consumers to obtain in-depth information about skin care seems to be unlimited. In spite of the multitude of magazines featuring extensive cosmetic articles and almost daily special reports on this issue in newspapers and on radio and TV, plus the great variety of sources found on the Internet, as well as the omnipresent ads, there is still an astonishingly large requirement for even more information.
Dealing with customers’ questions over a longer period of time reveals, besides some droll issues, several frequently recurring gaps in knowledge. Some of these frequently occurring questions have been compiled in the following summary.
Questions about skin cleansing
Does facial skin require other cleansing products than the body?
The facial skin is thinner, and thus more sensitive than the skin of other parts of the body. Another significant factor is the relative dryness of the lateral parts of the face compared to the central so-called t-zone. In most cultures the face remains uncovered, which allows for an accumulation of dirt and other environmental pollutants on the surface of the face.
The used skin care products and make-up add to the substances, which skin cleansers must also remove. This demonstrates how important very thorough cleansing habits are; and at the same time the high risk of dehydration and irritation. Therefore, it makes in fact sense to use special facial care products. However, cleansing products, which have been designed for sensitive skin and are adjusted to provide maximum skin tolerance in the face, can also be used as an all-round cleanser for the face, hands, and body.
Can cleansing lotions also be used for showering or bathing?
Cleansing lotions do not get as diluted during their use under the shower or for a bath as gels do. Therefore, the concentration of their cleansing and care agents is often lower. If cleansing lotions are used for showering and bathing, more of the product has to be used as compared with a regular cleanser. Their use for showering or bathing causes no problems to the skin.
What is the cleansing substance in soap free skin cleansers?
Soap-free cleansing products contain other cleansing ingredients than ordinary soaps. Like soap these substances are able to remove oils and dirt from the skin because they can dissolve in water, as well as in oil. The chemical structure of these products differs from that of soap and is also much more variable. These differences cause a variety of variations in their effects. Unlike soaps, which are always from lye with pH 8-12, soap-free cleansers can be adjusted to the natural pH of the skin, namely 5.5. As a result they cause less stress to the natural protective functions of the skin, which are dependent on the aforementioned slightly acidic pH. Also they don’t form insoluble lime soaps with magnesium and calcium, which allows a full cleansing effect even in harsh water. Furthermore, if the pH of a soap-free skin cleanser is acidic, then in contrast to soaps, they induce no swelling of the skin surface and thus help maintain the skin’s barrier function.
What does pH skin friendly mean? OR What does a “skin friendly” pH mean?
There is no binding definition of this term. Often it is used to indicate that the cleansing product doesn’t influence the normal acidic pH value of the skin. Strictly speaking, products with a neutral pH do not meet this requirement, because their pH of 7 induces an increase of the skin surface pH. Normal, healthy skin is able to restore its slightly acidic pH quite rapidly but stressed, or diseased skin needs longer to get back to its normal pH level. The increased skin surface pH affects the barrier function against dehydration, irritants, allergens, and pathogenic germs negatively, especially when the skin is frequently washed. In general, products labelled as pH “skin friendly” usually have pH values running between 4 and 8. If a certain pH, like 5.5, is claimed on the label, a stable pH value has to be guaranteed until the expiry date, or for at least 30 months. The claim of “skin friendly” pH is commonly used for cleansing products, but not for skin care, where it would actually be significantly more important because these products remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time.
Does the use of shower oils or shower creams substitute for the use of lotions for skin care after showering?
This depends on the skin type, additional drying factors affecting the skin, and the product in-use. Normal skin usually does quite well without additional skin care, if showers are not taken too often, too hot, and too long; a mild soap-free shower product at a pH 5.5 is used; and the skin is not exposed to any additional dehydrating factors. For the skin type, dry skin with its increased skin care and protection requirements, products with a high oil content and other skin care additives are needed. The lipid content of a skin care product can be roughly estimated from the position of the ingredient in the listing labelled on the packaging. Lipid components such as Arachis hypogaea = peanut oil; Persea gratissima = avocado oil; Glycine soja = Soya oil; or Paraffinum liquidum occurring in the first positions of this list indicate a high lipid content. If cleansing agents (e.g. Sodium Laureth Sulfate, MIPA Laureth Sulfate) dominate the first positions of the list, it is to be supposed that skin care after showering will be required even if the product looks like an oil or lotion. Anyway a feeling of dryness or tension, and flaky skin are clear signs that the care effect of a shower product is insufficient and the use of a skin care lotion after showering is necessary.
Questions about skin care
Does regular skin care induce a dependency on the creams or lotions being applied?
There is no physical addiction to skin care. The skin does not reduce its own production of moisturizers and lipids under the influence of skin care products. An occlusive effect resulting from a frequent application of oils, which can interfere with the normal transport processes between the surface and deeper skin layers inducing skin alterations like those seen after wearing rubber gloves for a long time, is very uncommon with normal skin care products. Regular skin care substitutes a deficient production of moisturizers or lipids in the skin itself; supports the skin’s own barrier function; may additionally give some protection such as fighting free radicals with radical scavengers like vitamin E. It is important to adapt the skin care products to the actual requirements of the skin. It doesn’t help to apply an oily cream to an oily skin or a mere moisturizing cream to an extremely dry skin.
How to find the right skin care products for the individual skin type?
The easiest way is to ask qualified cosmetic shop staff, a cosmetician or dermatologist specializing in cosmetology. There are also various skin type tests in magazines, on the Internet or from the cosmetic industry, which often also provides free samples for testing. A simple way to find out how well a cream or lotion suits the skin type is attentive observation of what happens after the application of a product. If the cream or lotion is absorbed rapidly and completely, but its care effect is lost after a couple of hours, it is not rich enough. In case a larger quantity or higher frequency of application doesn’t solve the problem, it indicates the skin’s need for a richer skin care product. On the other hand, if the product is not completely absorbed within 2 or 3 minutes, leaving an oily or sticky film on the skin, and reducing the quantity or frequency of use doesn’t solve the problem, a change to a lighter product is recommendable. The requirements of the skin vary between different geographical areas, with the seasons, and in the course of life.
What is the right kind of skin care for combination skin?
The simplest solution is to apply cream only on the dryer parts of the face, leaving out the t-zone completely, or putting on less of the cream there, depending on the skin feeling. In many cases, a moisturizing day cream is all the t-zone needs as skin care, without requiring the additional use of a richer night cream that is necessary to replenish moisture and lipids in the dryer lateral parts of the face and on the neck and décolleté. A more sophisticated skin care regimen includes the use of a richer cream for cheeks, around the eyes, and on the décolleté and neck, and a lighter one or a gel for the forehead, nose, and chin. To use one and the same cream in equal quantities for both dry and oily skin rarely gives a satisfactory result.
Can body lotions be used for facial care?
Body lotions designed for sensitive skin can often be used also for the face without any tolerance problems. However, they are more fluid than creams and less rich in skin care agents. Lotions with a high content of urea can sting in the face even if they are well tolerated on the body skin. Around the eyes, body lotions should not be used, because they usually contain spreading agents which might lead to the product getting into the eyes where they can cause ocular irritation, if the conjunctiva is sensitive.
Should adults with a sensitive skin use baby products rather than cosmetics for adults?
Skin care products for babies are ideally adjusted to meet the requirements of the sensitive and rather dry baby skin, which needs effective protection. In principle this is also good for sensitive adult skin, but only if it is not oily or acne-prone. A variety of products for sensitive adult skin are available in product ranges better adapted to their specific expectations, needs, and fragrance preferences.
Questions concerning cosmetics in general
Are products without preservatives, perfume and colorants always better for the skin?
All three components have important functions for the product: Perfume and colorants improve the overall appearance of the product, enhancing its acceptance and covering any unpleasant smells or colours of the ingredients. Preservatives are needed to avoid microbial contamination and destruction of the product. The risk is clearly limited by the legal demand that cosmetics shall not cause any damage to the user’s health when being used appropriately. The risk potential of most fragrance components, colorants, and preservatives is thoroughly investigated. Allergy statistics are constantly kept up-to-date, allowing for the identification of components with a high risk and therefore their eventual elimination from cosmetic products. The mandatory labelling of all ingredients makes it possible for consumers suffering from allergies to identify these allergens in any cosmetic product. All in all, the considerable benefit of these components outweighs their very limited risk potential. Consumers, who do not place importance on a pleasant smell or the colour of cosmetic products might further decrease any residual risk by using fragrance-free, colorant-free products. Preservatives are harder to avoid. Products labelled as preservative-free often contain other ingredients preventing microbial growth that have no lower risk for adverse effects than the usual preservatives.
Are natural cosmetics better for the skin than conventional products?
There is still no standardized definition for natural cosmetics. Depending on the criteria, they may contain more or less "chemical" ingredients. Chemical, or more precisely, synthetic ingredients are not in principle better or less suited for the skin than ingredients of natural origin. A large part of the naturally occurring substances, as well as the synthetically produced agents can be of excellent tolerance and skin care efficacy, while others of either category can also be irritant, allergenic, or even toxic or carcinogenic. The cosmetics legislation forbids the use of noxious ingredients in cosmetic products, independent of whether they are of natural or synthetic origin, thus the risk for substances from both categories is very low. As far as the skin's health is concerned the evaluation of the suitability for the skin rather has to focus on the skin tolerance and skin care efficacy. Generic interests like ecological concerns, philosophy etc. require a separate evaluation.
At which age should anti-ageing products be used?
The earlier the better. When the skin is still smooth and the elasticity at its full prime, the only requirement is protection from noxious endogenous or environmental factors which accelerate the inherent ageing process. Existent wrinkles, sagging and pigment changes require repair effects besides this kind of protection. Repair of ageing symptoms is always slow and incomplete and can only be done with special active ingredients. In the mid of the third, but not later than in the early fourth decade of life, skin care should provide protection from ageing factors, even if no signs of ageing are apparent at that time. However, even the most efficient anti-ageing skin care cannot completely prevent the development of wrinkles, sagging and pigment spots. UV exposure, nutrition, active sports, smoking, sleep, and mental stress strongly influence the ageing process and cannot be totally neutralized by skin care.
Are cosmetics able to cure mild forms of skin diseases?
Skin care makes an effective contribution to the prevention of skin diseases, as well as their therapy and the healing process. It is, however, not possible to substitute specific medical therapy by skin care. Examples of therapy supportive skin care solutions are soap-free, pH 5.5 skin cleansing combined with oil-free skin care in acne-prone skin. Also a prolongation of symptom-free intervals in atopic eczema, and protection against occupational hand eczema can be achieved by specific programs of skin cleansing, protection, and care. The limits are met in severe acne, inflamed skin, skin infections, wounds which don't heal spontaneously, and skin cancer. In such cases, however, the integration of skin care in a holistic treatment concept provides a remarkable benefit for the affected persons.
Do men need other skin care products than women?
Statistics reveal some differences betweens men's and women's skin: male skin on average is thicker and oilier than female skin. However, there are many men with a sensitive and dry skin. Much more pronounced are the differences in attitudes towards the skin and its care in the two genders. Despite tendencies of change, most women still use a greater variety of skin care products at a higher frequency than most men. Women tend to pay more attention to their appearance and the needs of their skin than their male counterparts. However, there is a trend towards greater awareness for such issues, with the consequence that a better supply of men's cosmetics has been developing slowly. Most of the cosmetic products available to date can be used by men and women alike, if they suit the individual skin type. Nevertheless, there are different preferences where fragrance and consistency are concerned.
Author
Dr. Michaela Arens-Corell
After research in the pharmaceutical industry Dr. Michaela Arens-Corell became active in skin care and heads Sebapharma's Medical Scientific Department. She is involved in product development, testing and claims as well as in product training and consumers' consulting.
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