7 habits that will ruin your skin: says cosmetic chemist Asya Zubkova

First of all, it is worth remembering that there are no bad means - there are means that simply do not suit you. The composition of all products that are sold today are carefully calibrated and regularly tested. It cannot be that some component causes cancer or another disease, that it is harmful, but still ended up on the store shelf.

However, there are a few habits that can harm you.

1. wash with soap

In theory, you can wash your face with soap, because, like shampoos and cleansing gels, it consists of special surface-active substances (surfactants) that dissolve impurities. But soap contains more aggressive cleansing ingredients because we usually wash their handsand they are dirtier than the face.

Soap also has a very high pH, ​​a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. Our body has different pH in different areas. For our skin, the most favorable pH is 5.5, which is acidic.

Soap has an alkaline pH, usually 8-10. This is bad for the skin, because not only pollution is washed away, but also the lipid barrier and protective microorganisms.

Soap cleanses the skin too much, and it does not have time to recover. Therefore, it is better to choose mild cleansers depending on the type of skin. If you want to wash your face with soap, then there is a special soap for washing with a suitable pH.

2. Use a facial scrub

Rubbing the skin with a scrub often is harmful. Scrub became popular because at some point everyone started talking about the fact that the skin is updated about once every 30 days on its own. That is, old cells are exfoliated, and new ones come in instead. But with age, the ability to renew skin cells slows down. Accordingly, the scrub supposedly should help to effectively exfoliate the layer of dead cells so that the skin becomes softer and more radiant. For this, scrubs with very hard particles appeared: apricot kernel, salt, sugar. But their minus is that they injure and irritate the skin of the face.

Now, on the contrary, we are striving for a softer exfoliation of the skin so as not to damage it.

If the body can still be rubbed with such scrubs, then for the face it is better to use acids or enzymes that break down the bonds that hold the cells through chemical interaction. Then the cells exfoliate much softer, it is less traumatic.

If you still like the mechanical effect and how the skin after it instantly becomes even, it is better to use soft scrubs: wax, microcellulose, polymer. They are less traumatic.

3. Wipe your skin with alcohol

Alcohol itself is not that the enemy of our skin. There is nothing wrong with it if used in moderation. Therefore, it is in many modern recipes.

Alcohol is a penetration enhancer for many active substances. Our skin tries to protect itself from external influences, and in order for the active substances to get into it, a small amount of alcohol is often added to serums or other products.

But some time ago, alcohol tonics were popular, which contained 50-60% alcohol. Especially often they were used by the owners oily skin, because the alcohol in such products dried out the skin, and it seemed that it was less oily. As a result, the skin became overdried, because the alcohol dissolved the lipid barrier. We need the latter to protect the skin from moisture loss.

If you see alcohol somewhere in the middle of the composition, there is no need to be afraid. This means that the manufacturer has added the optimal amount to the product.

But if alcohol is in the first place, then treat such products with caution. It is better not to apply them on the entire face, a maximum point application is acceptable.

On labels, alcohol is usually indicated as follows: Alcohol, Alcohol Denat, SD Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Ethanol.

But Cetearyl Alcohol or Benzyl Alcohol may well be at the beginning ingredient list. The first is fatty alcohol, which lubricates the hair and skin, and the second is alcohol, which is used as a preservative.

4. Mix certain components on the face

This became especially relevant in the wake of the popularity of multi-stage Korean care. And that's the problem. After all, the fewer components you apply to your face, the lower the risk of getting some kind of allergic reaction or irritation.

Some components, in principle, cannot be mixed independently.

Yes, the manufacturer can combine several active substances in one product. But in this case, everything is balanced, there is a good pH, perhaps the components are packed in special capsules. And when a person mixes the funds himself, a problem may arise.

So you can't connect:

• Retinol and acids in high concentrations, because it causes irritation, peeling, dryness, dehydration.
• Benzoyl peroxide and retinol. These are very aggressive assets that can cause skin burns.
• Ascorbic acid and niacinamide, which in high concentrations can cause an adverse skin reaction.

Such active substances should be used in very small quantities - literally a pea on the whole face. If you want to try everything, it’s better to divide them by day: one day use one asset, the next day another, so as not to overload the skin.

5. Use home made products

Some are afraid of cosmetics produced by bloggers. But in fact, there is nothing harmful in it. In Russia, many brands, not only bloggers, do not have their own workshop, and the company turns to contract manufacturing. These are factories that are able to brew under the order cosmetics. You draw up documents, pay for development, and the contract site makes a product according to your request. Some products are more expensive, some are cheaper, some are more effective, some are less. But all of it is certified and safe.

But uncertified home-made cosmetics should not be bought and used.

This can be dangerous because such cosmetics are usually brewed at home, where no microbiological standards are observed. According to the rules, cosmetics after manufacturing are checked in an accredited laboratory, which confirms its quality. Home cream makers don't do this. Plus, the production has special storage rooms with a special temperature regime and special equipment. But this is not at home.

In general, homemade cosmetics are made in inappropriate conditions, they have an unknown composition, created by non-specialists, and often they do not contain preservatives, which quickly spoils them. All this can cause harm to the skin.

6. Use coconut or mineral oils

Oils are generally good for the skin, but moderation is important here. For example, in coconut oil there are fatty acids that are very beneficial for the skin, but in a certain balance.

There are several useful substances in a cream pea: amino acids, panthenol, glycerin, proteins, oils with fatty acids that protect the lipid barrier, waxes and so on. And if we smear ourselves with oil alone, the balance of nutrients will be disturbed, the oil will build into our lipid barrier and break it. Therefore, the measure that is observed in creams is important.

7. Too much skin care

There are so many different products on the market today, and some people want to try them all. But using a lot of products at a time is too active skin care, which can not only not help, but also harm.

Such care can lead to redness, irritation, peeling, dryness, burning, and the like.

And you won’t even understand what exactly the reaction went to, because each product has its own fragrance, its own preservative and its own assets.

In addition, if you layer product on product, as in the once popular 10-step Korean skincare, then reduce their effectiveness, because you dilute the assets of one composition with another.

The Ten Steps of Care is more of a marketing thing. This system seemed effective because after a large amount of products, the skin was saturated with water and became smooth and pleasant. But at some point after intensive care, the skin, on the contrary, began to peel off, secrete too much fat and react to the products.

It is better to introduce everything gradually and focus on gentle care and restoration of the lipid barrier. To do this, it is enough to use a cleanser, serum or tonic, close it with a cream and be sure to use a sunscreen. And some serious dermatological problems must be solved under the supervision of a specialist.