Summer
January 7, 2019
Spring
January 20, 2019To moisturize or not to moisturize?
Many women use moisturizing cream as a staple in their daily beauty routines. We think our skin needs a moisturizer to stay hydrated, however, our skin has the ability to hydrate itself without outside help. As it turns out, the effects of using moisturizer are usually superficial and short-lived, and can actually cause the skin to become lazy! Adding moisture to the surface of the skin makes it feel hydrated at the moment but does not provide long term hydration.
The CEO of The Anti-aging Center City Spa in Yerevan, Dr. Anna Arzumanyan says this; "cleanser and not moisturizer is the more fundamental product in our face care routine". Dr. Anna works with the Zein Obagi skin care method, using the ZO Skin Health skin care line; which is available at City Spa. The Beverly Hills based Dermatologist and founder of ZO Skin Health, Dr.Obagi MD, has this to say; "when you use moisturizer every day, you grow the risk of making your skin older, not younger. If you apply a lot of moisture the skin will become sensitive, dry, and it will prevent natural hydration". He offers this analogy: "The tree gets its nutrients from the ground. No matter how much you spray the tree, it will become dry".
"When we use active serums which help to prevent and correct skin conditions and aging, we are able to protect it and are not leaving it "naked" or unprotected."
Dr. Anna says that the skin gets addicted to replacement moisture and stops supplying its own hydration from within the body. The body's natural, internal hydration is what really keeps the skin healthy and young. What the skin needs are cleansing, stimulation, protection, and some type of vitamin A to stimulate the recovery process. She notes that dead skin is often mistaken for dry skin and is a problem which should be addressed and resolved by exfoliation. When discontinuing the use of moisturizer the skin will likely feel dry at first, but this condition will not last long. The top layer of our skin sheds off every 2 weeks, therefore, it will take about 2-4 weeks for the skin to be renewed and no longer need external moisturizing.
Dr.'s Anna and Obagi say that there are exceptions to the elimination of moisturizer; these are for about 15% of people who have genetically derived, dry skin conditions, and these people do need to use moisturizer. It is sometimes necessary for the rest of us during extreme weather conditions, such as wind and cold, but practically unnecessary under regular conditions.
So, why does our skin need hydrating?
Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and organs need water!
Hydration is the key to plump and supple skin!
Dehydration can cause:
~feelings of irritation and discomfort
~to look ashy and dull
~wrinkles to be more visible
~ the development of new wrinkles
~premature aging
Dehydration can cause your skin to feel dry and tight. Drink enough water, get enough sleep, and remember that less is always more where moisturizing is concerned.
