Tag: skincare

Does Your Skincare Smell Good?

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Scent is one of the contributors in making us pay for a personal care product. If you read the ingredients on the on any of your personal care product, there will always exist “Fragrance” towards the bottom of this. If not, there will be a bunch of oils like eucalyptus, geranium, or lemongrass. As much as these fragrances and oils can leave positive experiences about the usage in our brain, they only leave negative experiences to the skin, damaging it little by little every day. 

Fragrances

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Fragrance is one of the most common ingredients in skincare products because it can mask the original smell of the cosmetic products and give consumers the good experience of putting on nice smelling products every day.

Although the fragrance is a blend of about average of 14 ingredients. Due to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1996, fragrance is considered a trade secret and companies are not required to release the ingredient list and therefore, it is often listed as fragrance or perfume in the ingredient list. This makes it hard for consumers to know the exact ingredients of the product. 

Fragrance is harmful for the skin because the skin in sensitized when the scents are released, as this is often a volatile process. Majority of the ingredients that goes into making fragrances contains phthalates, which is a known hormone disrupting chemical. Fragrance is not only a skin sensitizer but also is one of the biggest causes of cosmetic contact dermatitis along with nickel and poison ivy. 

The harmful side of fragrance may prompt people to go to clean beauty section in sephora and pick up fragrance-free labeled products. However, fragrance-free in many cases means that the companies have mixed in other ingredients to mask the smell of cosmetic and skincare products. Therefore, the best way to avoid synthetic fragrance is to use products that contain essential oil or natural fragrances. 

Essential oil

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Essential oils are fragrant oils extracted from plant’s flowers, bark, leaves, roots and fruits.

As fragrance attracted negative attention, companies started replacing fragrance with essential oils to mask the original smell of the products. Some of these essential oils are beneficial for the skin, as they may be rich in antioxidants and contain antibacterial properties. 

However, because essential oils also release fragrance through volatile reaction, some essential oils are equally skin sensitizing and irritating as the synthetic fragrances. Just because an oil is marketed as being beneficial in one aspect doesn’t mean that the oil isn’t harmful to the skin. For example, lavender oil, which is known for skin-calming properties, is also sensitizing due to the fragrance aspect of the oil. Any of the citrus and mint oils like lemon, lime, peppermint and wintergreen may also cause problems for any skin types. Therefore, if you intend to use essential oils to treat skin concerns, you should look for an alternative that does not contain the fragrance aspect. 

Gua Sha Facial Techniques for Healthy Looking Skin

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From jade rollers to facial crystal massagers, facial massages are making their way to the front of the beauty community. With the rise of East Asian skincare practices across the globe, facial gua sha has proved itself an easy and efficient at-home massage tool. 

History and Uses

Gua sha involves the practice of scraping a stone tool, typically made of jade, across the skin to promote blood circulation and to reduce inflammation. Presumed to have existed since the Paleolithic Age, gua sha is used mainly in East Asian medicinal treatments to treat a variety of medical conditions such as body pains and muscle stiffness. When used on the face, a gua sha facial can lead to a brighter complexion from increased blood flow and can reduce bloatedness in the face. 

Facial Techniques

Now, let’s take a look at some basic gua sha techniques to practice with a delicate hand at home. 

Gua sha jade stones can be found on a variety of websites such as amazon. The massage works better if you use a facial oil so the stone doesn’t cause friction on your skin. I typically use a makeup removing oil such as the Face Shop’s Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil. Made to break down makeup, these oils are typically light and won’t cause breakouts as other oils would. The Ordinary’s 100% Organic Virgin Chia Seed Oil is also a great facial oil to use after the face has been cleansed. 

A general practice is to always move the stone up and away from the center of your face to prevent premature wrinkles. Begin by using the flat end of the gua sha up the sides of the neck and putting a little pressure when it reaches the back of the ear. Pressing on pressure points will help relieve tension in typically neglected regions of the face.

Then use the groove on the gua sha to move out and away from the center of the chin. Apply gentle pressure when using the gua sha. I then like to move onto my cheekbones and scrape in a “U” motion outwards. Bringing the stone up to the temples and gently placing pressure helps relax the face. Scrape gently around the nostrils and from the beginning of the eyebrow to the end. 

Doing this simple massage a few times a week can help with lymph drainage and can help brighten the appearance of dull skin. Taking a few minutes out of your day to do the gua sha facial massage is a meditation practice of self care, which is important in our busy schedules. 

The Emerging Skin Care Ingredients in 2019

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Understanding the skin care ingredients that work best for your own skin type is the key to maintain a healthy skin condition. Here are some of the essential skin care ingredients and how-to guide to choosing the right skin care products based on your skin type.

  • Vitamin F — A type of “fat” that is beneficial to your skin health
    • Vitamin F, which stands for vitamin fat, is a type of linoleic acid. While people are often intimidated by the word “fat”, vitamin fat contains omega-rich structure that actually benefits your skin by strengthening the skin-barrier. In skin care products, vitamin F is usually extracted from rosehip, sunflower, olive and flaxseed oils, all natural and floral extracts. This type of “fat” helps your skin-barrier to effectively heal cracks and roughness and delivers your skin a strong and healthy-looking complexion. 
  • Recommended skin care product that contains vitamin F:
Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil

With its pleasant rosy smell and elegant design, this product is the ideal choice for those who have dry and sensitive skin. For best results, apply 2-3 drops to the palm of your hand and use fingertips to gently massage into clean, slightly damp skin on face or body nightly.

  • Niacinamide — A multi-functional ingredient that settles most of your skin problems
    • Niacinamide is a common ingredient that can be found in skin care products. As most people are familiar with its effectiveness in curing acne and break-outs, it has much more functions that benefit your skin condition. For instance, niacinamide’s anti-inflammatory properties make it an attractive treatment for skin conditions marked by inflammation like rosacea by reducing excessive oil production. It is also proved by several studies that niacinamide is able to eliminate pigmentation issues, fine lines, and wrinkles. Besides that, niacinamide is also known to brighten and hydrate your skin, as well as enhance collagen production.
  • Recommended skin care product that contains niacinamide:
Paula’s Choice Resist 10% Niacinamide Booster

If you are bothered by huge pores, acne, and dullness skin issues, this niacinamide booster is the right choice for you. It is compatible with all skin types. However, if you have oily-skin, you will find it more effective in smoothing skin and minimizing pores.

  • Mandelic Acid — A much-hyped new beast of the exfoliating-acid
    • Mandelic acid is known to be derived from bitter almond extract. As a type of skin-friendly acid, it helps to remove dead skin cells to leave the epidermis renewed. Unlike other types of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) such as glycolic and lactic acid, mandelic acid stands out due to its larger molecule size. That is, it doesn’t penetrate the skin as deeply as other acids, making it ideal for sensitive skin types. However, any type of acid is irritative to skin to some extent. Therefore, products that contain mandelic acid are recommended to use one or two times per week, depending on your skin type and other products you are using.
  • Recommended skin care product that contains mandelic acid:
The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10%

With the carefully-controlled amount of mandelic acid, this product peels the dead skin cell immediately after use without overly irritating your skin. Therefore, it is safe enough for sensitive skin and all other skin type to use. But please avoid using it on wounds.

  • Squalane — An ultimate hydrating weapon for dry and sensitive skin
    • Squalane is a hydrogenated version of squalene, a compound produced naturally by our sebaceous glands. In contrast to squalene, squalane is not subject to auto-oxidation. Accompanied by its low production cost, squalane has become a desirable ingredient in the cosmetics industry, and it can be usually found in emollient and moisturizer. Squalane is most loved by dry and sensitive skin because it is lightweight and non-greasy in texture but deeply hydrating. In recent years, due to environmental concerns, squalane is not encouraged to be sourced from the livers of sharks. Instead, factories extract squalane from olives or sugarcane, which guarantees the quality of squalane while protecting the ecological environment.
  • Recommended skin care product that contains squalane:
HABA Squalane Pure Roots Oil

Colorless, odorless, weightless, HABA squalane oil is proved to be one of the purest skin care products for moisturizing. Applying a few drops before using cream can maximize its moisturizing effect.

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