Beauty Store Business

MAY 2016

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36 May 2016 | beautystorebusiness.com Skincare Spotlight I CONSIDER PART OF MY JOB AS A SKINCARE professional to educate—and sometimes reeducate— consumers. As a beauty industry insider, more likely than not, part of your job probably involves this respon- sibility, too. While the Internet and the availability of information in this day and age is a beautiful thing, I am often reminded during routine skincare consultations that information and knowledge are two very different things. Here are the top nine most common skin care myths that I often come across in my line of work (non-related to ingredients) debunked, many of which may surprise you. MYTH #1: Eating fast food will cause breakouts. Customers often ask me about the relationship between what they eat and their skin—specifically concerned if too much sugar, chocolate, fries, hamburgers, fast food or processed foods will lead to breakouts. THE TRUTH: There's no proven connection between the two. While I would really like for this myth to be true, and as a result cause me to eat healthier, there is no evident scientific correlation. MYTH # 2: People with acne-prone skin should use benzoyl peroxide daily on their entire face. Benzoyl peroxide is one of the most common, and most effective, ingredients in a variety of anti-acne products. The benzoyl propels the peroxide into the follicle— releasing oxygen and killing the anaerobic P. acnes bacteria responsible for acne lesions. THE TRUTH: Benzoyl peroxide can get rid the acne, but it comes at a cost if put all over the face. While benzoyl peroxide does effectively kill the bacte- ria that are known to cause acne, the side effects are increased presence of oxygen-free radicals, which may affect endogenous cells and lead to accelerated skin aging. Peroxides and other oxygen metabolites are not strictly selective for bacteria and can therefore also alter the host's cells. The best recommendation for acne-suffering patients is to use benzoyl peroxide products sparsely, selectively and exclusively on only the acne-prone areas (and not directly underneath the eyes). It should be noted that in an effort to address this problem, some manufacturers have added antioxidants to their benzoyl-peroxide-containing products. However, the concept is flawed; antioxidants prevent the optimal functioning of the benzoyl peroxide, while the latter in turn prevents the antioxidants from functioning effectively. The result? Your clients will suffer from both acne and wrinkles. MYTH #3: Oily skin doesn't need hydration. Many people think that oily skin's worst nightmare is a hydrating or moisturizing product. Or rather that oily, acne-prone skin needs harsh, stripping products to remove excess sebum and diminish sebum production. THE TRUTH: It does need hydration, but with the right ingredients. A vicious cycle is created when someone with oily skin uses astringent products, because the skin's natural response is to over-produce sebum to counteract its stripping effect. So, people with oily skin often use harsh detergent products, which leads to oilier skin, and so forth. The key to treating oily skin optimally is to reach a balance between not enough sebum and excess sebum production. This is best achieved with non- comedogenic, lightweight moisturizers that hydrate the skin without increasing oiliness. A favorite ingredient by many manufacturers is jojoba seed oil, which is close to human sebum in chemical composition, and thus acts as both a hydrator and a sebum regulator. MYTH #4: Skin gets "used" to products after a while. If only I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, "I have been using this moisturizer for six months and I think I need to switch to a new one because my skin is getting used to it and it's losing its effectiveness." THE TRUTH: This is not the case with most products. Before debunking this myth, I have to preface by saying this is partly correct when one is discussing ingredients such as vita- min A derivatives, prescription retinoids and retinols. It is true that the skin goes through an adjustment period when retinols are used (which is why typically people are given a lower dosage to start off with and gradually increase their dosage). However, this is absolutely not the case for moisturizers, antioxidant products, creams containing peptides or other types of vitamins. It is also not typically true for cleansers, exfoliators or masks. Of course, your skin does change over the years, so you have to update your product routine accordingly every so often; that's because your skin naturally morphs (for example, by going from oily to dry) not because it has gotten used to the ingredients in your favorite moisturizer, but as a result of aging. Skincare Myths Debunked Learn the truth about nine common skincare myths that will have you reconsidering what treatments to use and what's really best for the body's largest organ. by Ada S. Polla Image courtesy of Ada S. Polla; photo by Kelli Dailey,Third Line Studios I am often reminded during routine skincare consultations that information and knowledge are two very different things. Continued on page 40

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