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We often hear that the skin needs to be moisturized and nourished. That day and night creams perform just these functions: the day composition nourishes the skin with moisture, and the night - with nutrients. Similar judgments are made and supported by cosmetics manufacturers. On the packaging of cosmetic products, especially the mass market segment, the functions of a cream or mask are often indicated as follows: moisturizes, nourishes, smoothes wrinkles.
But such judgments are fundamentally false. And the need for nutrition of the skin does not always exist.
Professional skin nutrition
“Modern cosmetics make a clear distinction between moisturizers and nourishing agents,” says beautician Tina Orasmäe-Meder. - The former are made on the basis of hyaluronic acid, the latter are rich in lipids. But preparations with pronounced moisturizing or nutritional properties are extremely rare for the skin. ”
Purely nutritious products can only be used if the skin is damaged and their natural lipid barrier is destroyed. This happens, for example, with atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, expressed manifestations of neurodermatitis. In these conditions, there is a deficiency of ceramides and fatty acids in the skin. Qualitatively replenish it can nutritional purposes.
Young women, as a rule, do not need exclusively nutritional products. And there are not many of them on the market. Most cosmetic products combine the functions of hydration and nutrition because a number of cosmetic ingredients work in both directions.
For example, stone oils are considered powerful nutritional components. But at the same time they contribute to the retention of moisture in the epidermis, respectively, they should be attributed to moisturizing components. And hyaluronic acid, which today is the basis of high-quality moisturizers, simultaneously stimulates the synthesis of elastin and collagen. According to this property, it should be considered a nutrient.
“The right approach to the definition of nutritious cosmetics is the predominance of nutrition over moisture,” Tina Orasmäe-Meder clarifies.
The composition of such funds should contain the main components.
- Vitamins D and E. Fat-soluble substances that normalize the state of the lipid barrier of the skin.
- Lipids. Substances that replace the structural elements of the natural lipid layer. In cosmetics of a low price segment, synthetic lipid bases are still used: petrolatum and lanolin. High-quality cosmetics abandoned them in favor of natural analogues, such as palmitic acid. In the nutritional composition, lipids can be combined with peptides - active proteins.
- Fatty acid. The presence of Omega 3.6 9 acids in age-related cosmetics provides a range of skin needs. They nourish it qualitatively, and with pronounced dryness of the skin, they renew the lipid barrier. And that, in turn, helps to retain moisture, so wrinkles are less noticeable, and the epidermis looks healthy and fit. Fatty acids also serve as powerful antioxidants that reduce the effects of free radicals.
Cosmetic Requirements
The mask refers to additional care products, that is, it can be used not daily, but regularly. To get a good effect from any product, it is important to organize a full-fledged skin care, including daily cleansing, toning and moisturizing.
- Cleansing. For mature, dry skin, it is recommended to use a cleansing milk that does not violate the lipid barrier. Such products very gently cleanse the skin and at the same time have a moisturizing effect.
- Tonification. It is performed after washing with water and helps to normalize the acid-base balance on the surface of the skin. The predominance of alkalis, which persists after the epidermis comes into contact with tap water, is detrimental to dry epidermis. You can use tonic or slightly salted mineral water.
- Moisturizing. It is performed using day cream in the morning and night in the evening. The composition is applied to cleaned and tonic-treated skin along massage lines.
For home care, choose products depending on age.
- Young skin, prone to dryness, sensitive. Compositions based on oil of wheat germ, rose, jasmine, sandalwood. A good supplement for her will be lecithin, the antioxidant tocopherol - vitamin E, which prevents photoaging of the skin, chamomile extract.
- Fading skin after 40 years. Use compositions based on oils of grape seed, sandalwood, myrrh, peppermint, verbena. The tone of the epidermis will be supported by phytohormones and vitamins.
High-quality cosmetic formulations with nutritional properties usually do not need to be washed off. They are completely absorbed by the skin. It is enough to apply the product in the evening after cleansing the skin, it is easy to massage until completely absorbed. In the morning, the skin will look fresh, will become smooth and radiant.
Popular Nutrition Mask myths
There are several common stereotypes that characterize nutrients, but do not correspond to reality.
Myth 1. Nutrient formulations are necessarily fatty.
Indeed, before, cosmetics for nourishing the skin were dense, thick. They were made on the basis of oils, petroleum jelly, lanolin. Today, such tools do not cause discomfort when used. New structures once turned oily creams and masks into light emulsions that are easily absorbed by the skin and do not make it heavier.
Myth 2. In order for the mask to nourish, it must create a film on the surface of the skin. And the denser the film, the longer it lasts, the better.
Greasy masks, in fact, create a dense film that does not go away even after washing with water. But using such products is not only not useful for dry and aging skin, but also dangerous. The fact is that the basal layer of the skin reacts to the presence of the film, which is responsible for the production of new cells, the renewal of the dermis and epidermis.
If the surface is covered with a non-breathing layer, the basal base “falls asleep”: metabolic processes proceed more slowly, cells divide not as actively as it should be in age. So, in a thirty-year-old woman, the epidermal cells normally renew within twenty-four to twenty-eight days. If there is an airtight layer, the renewal period is already thirty-five to thirty-six days.
That is why it is unacceptable to use pure oils for skin nutrition. And from ready-made compounds, it is better to choose those that literally “fall through” into the pores. These are substances based on micro waxes, microemulsions, lamellar emulsions.
Myth 3. The nourishing mask must be used constantly. Otherwise, “withdrawal syndrome” will occur.
In medicine, a withdrawal syndrome is a phenomenon when, after taking a drug, the patient's condition returns to its original state or becomes even worse. “In cosmetology, withdrawal syndrome is nothing more than a myth,” says cosmetologist Svetlana Poluektova. - Just when you use a good nourishing mask that suits you, improves the condition of the skin, you are satisfied with your appearance. But when the product runs out, and you do not buy a new package, do not find a suitable alternative for it, the skin condition worsens. ”
But the need to use one nutrient all the time, no. It is important to focus on the skin condition at the moment. For example, normal skin may have a tendency to dryness in winter. Therefore, instead of the usual moisturizing mask that you use in summer and autumn, you can purchase a nourishing mask. When spring comes, the additional care can again be adjusted.
Myth 4. Nourishing masks are not suitable for oily skin.
In certain conditions, oily skin may need nutrition. They lead to excessive enthusiasm for drying agents that drain the epidermis, and the lack of sufficient moisture. Improper use of peelings, after which there is a violation of the stratum corneum, and lack of regenerative care, can deplete the skin.
Finally, with age, oily skin acquires the features of dryness, although in fact its properties do not change. It can continue to shine in the T-zone, maintain large enlarged pores, but cause discomfort with a feeling of tightness and peeling. In this case, it is important to use nutrients for oily skin, which will help it normalize the lipid barrier and restore the ability to retain moisture.
Compositions for home use
Nutritional face mask recipes recommended for home use typically include fatty ingredients. They are usually prepared on the basis of vegetable oils, fat sour cream. But according to cosmetologists, such care is not justified, since it only benefits in the short term. In the long run, it worsens the condition of the epidermis and causes its premature aging.
The author of the book “New Cosmetology” Elena Hernandez recommends a different approach to the preparation of nutritional compounds at home.
The basis of nourishing masks should be fruit or vegetable puree. These compounds enrich the skin with vitamins. A nourishing face mask with honey, protein or yolk is also useful, depending on skin type and existing problems. It is useful to use clay, rice and oatmeal, chopped seaweed. Each composition must be enriched with one or two drops of essential oil.
For each skin type, you can choose one or more essentials for a nourishing mask.It makes no sense to mix all the ingredients, moreover, it is desirable to combine no more than three components in one composition, one of which will be essential oil.
- Dry, sensitive skin. Nutritious masks are prepared on the basis of a decoction of oatmeal, fruit puree, yogurt or kefir, honey, mashed potatoes. Add 1-2 drops of rose, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli oils to them. If buckwheat flour steamed with boiling water is used for the base, add jojoba oil, avocado or wheat germ to the composition.
- Oily, porous skin. Use honey, clay, kefir or yogurt, boiled rice flour, as the basis of the nutritional composition. Add chopped seaweed to the composition. Essential oils of grapefruit, rosemary, lemon, bergamot in the amount of 3-4 drops per composition are suitable.
- Age-related, tired skin. For the basis of a nourishing mask, choose jojoba oil or wheat germ, clay, fruit puree, honey. A good restorative effect is produced by gruel from boiled oat, rice flour, with egg white. Add 5-7 drops of verbena, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, rose, neroli essential oil to it.
Before applying the composition, it is important to clean the skin. After application it is necessary to lie down and spend fifteen minutes in a horizontal position. After removing the mask, lubricate the skin with a moisturizing evening cream.
Proper skin care for skin suffering from dryness, with signs of age-related changes, requires regular nutrition. Ready-made cosmetic and home remedies help restore the lipid barrier and solve problems arising from its violation: early wrinkle formation, hyperkeratosis, the formation of age spots. A nourishing face mask should be used at a young age according to indications, in the presence of dry skin or its dehydration. In adulthood after 45 years, it is recommended to include such funds in regular additional care.
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