Do you ever wake up and wonder why your skin isn’t as radiant and dewy as JLo’s? That half a bottle of olive oil you’ve slathered on last night did nothing but stain your pillow case and populate a couple of angry new friends on your face.
I’ve been there, you’ve been there, we’ve all been there. Tired that nothing seems to be working for our skin and consistently chasing cult solutions to try to get a quick fix.
Well, olive oil no more my friends. We’re here to keep your pillowcases clean and let you in on 5 surprising everyday culprits that are actually damaging your skin!
Gear up ladies and gents, we’re going in and coming out on top with flawless skin!
- Sun Damage
Hot girl summer isn’t so hot when it contributes to hyperpigmentation (brown spots) developing on our skin.
UV exposure is one of the biggest culprits for photo-aging our skin and causing dull pigmentation.
I am sure you already know that UVB rays are the ones that burn our skin, but did you know that UVA rays are the ones that contribute the most to our aging by breaking down our collagen and elastin, which keep our skin staying bouncy and youthful. And the kicker, UVA rays are as strong in the winter as they are in the summer and they attack the skin even through your windows.
To prevent aging and pigmentation and to keep your skin fresh and flawless for that hot girl summer, we recommend the Colorescience Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 for a nice natural even tint and easy reapplication every couple hours!
To treat the existing pigmentation and brighten your skin our IPL Photofacial (also known as Intense Pulsed Light or Photorejuvenation) is hailed as the “Gold Standard” treatment. If you see a team member at Vancouver Laser with glowing skin, they probably just had their IPL!
2. Transepidermal Water Loss
Like the Sahara Desert, parched skin is a no-go here at Vancouver Laser! The key to healthy flawless skin is the right balance of water and oil. Have you ever experienced tight feeling skin that may be dry but still oily? The culprit here is Transepidermal Water Loss aka TEWL.
This can happen to the best of us through hot showers, steaming our faces too long from wearing our masks, post laser treatments, or an improper skincare routine.
Our all-time patient favorite here at Vancouver Laser Skincare Centre to combat TEWL is the Dr. Braun Miracle Hydrogel & Miracle Hyaluronic Acid Set. Developed with our patients in mind, the Dr. Braun Miracle Hydrogel was engineered with a 2D molecular water structure for maximized hydration and skin barrier repair. Mix it along with the Miracle Hyaluronic Acid Gel, a revolutionary waterless formulation that holds a thousand times its weight in moisture. Your skin will never be thirsty again!
Our revolutionary Post Care treatment is also highly recommended after any lasers to help reduce TEWL along with promoting skin barrier recovery. This makes a fantastic add or just a nice stand alone treatment to pack in that moisture!
3. Overproduction Of Sebum
As mentioned earlier, healthy skin is made up of the proper balance of water and oil. If our skin is compromised by TEWL, it will start producing more oil to compensate as there’s no way for our skin to produce more water.
Like an oversaturated piece of bread dipped in oil and balsamic, too much of anything is never a good thing!
Overproduction of sebum can potentially form inflamed pustules and clogged pores which can lead to long-term damage if extracted or treated improperly.
Our clinic favorite product to combat over production of sebum and treat clogged pores would be the ZO by Zein Obagi Complexion Clearing Masque. Formulated with 10% Sulfur to reduce sebum, treat acne and calm irritation and Glycerin to replenish hydration and prevent over-drying our skin; this will reduce oil without compromising the overall hydration of your skin.
Additionally, a monthly non-invasive Clear Glow laser treatment can help reduce the overproduction of sebum, treat clogged pores and calm inflammatory skin condition!
4. Free Radicals
Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that will target and damage our skin cells – they are also low-key the fun police! We can expose our skin to free radical damage by, but not limited to: being outdoors and exposed to air pollution, sunlight, fast food, alcohol and smoking.
I guess having a nice juicy burger out on the patio with our margarita isn’t the most ideal for our skin… but let’s be real, who’s going to want to give that up?!
Fear not! We can still go abouts and enjoy all the fun while fighting off those pesky free radicals. Just remember, sunscreen of a minimum of SPF 30 is a must, nourishing our body and skin with the proper vitamins and nutrition just as important.
Balance is key! We suggest getting proper nourishment in with the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Complete Supplements. This program is composed of two different supplements, the Skin Antioxidant capsule and the Skin Vitamin A capsule. When taken together, this will help fight off oxidative stress and prompt the immune system to work at an optimal level.
Coming in for a frequent Vitamin Therapy treatment will also ensure that the essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed will be infused directly into our bloodstream. This will allow the body to directly absorb the much needed vitamins to maintain healthy cells – in turn giving us healthy glowing skin!
5. Expression
Last but not least, a very common but surprising culprit would be expression! Like a piece of paper, the more expressive we are, the more it will create permanent wrinkles in the skin. The science behind this is due to our body depreciating it’s natural collagen and elastin as we age every single day. Eventually, our skin loses the ability to bounce back into place and we begin forming wrinkles that we refer to as expression lines.
Those tell-tale signs can be avoided by getting neuromodulators and dermal filler before those expression lines even forms. If you’re new to neuromodulators such as Botox®, “baby-tox” is the way to go for a natural but preventative treatment! Whereas dermal fillers such as Juvederm® is a great choice for those who already feel like they’ve begun seeing signs of volume loss.
On top of treatment, collagen is amazing to supplement into your diet as it acts as a building block for your body to use towards repairing. Collagen is not only great for keeping our skin young and healthy, but it is also great for overall health! Marine collagen in particular has a better delivery than bovine. We at the clinic love withinUs Tru Marine Collagen as it is GMO-free, Health Canada approved, wild caught, kosher & dairy-free!
Being mindful of these 5 culprits will help you get started in the direction of healthy skin. With great skin, comes great responsibility – supplements and treatments!
When you’re ready to get your JLo glow on and would like to go more in depth as to what steps to take, give our clinic a call and our consultants would be more than happy to come up with a personalized treatment plan with you!