Signs of a Damaged Skin Barrier & What to Do About It

Signs of a Damaged Skin Barrier & What to Do About It

by | Jul 9, 2021

Skin Barrier

Wondering why your skin is lacking that beautiful, dewy glow?

A damaged skin barrier could be to blame! Today, we want to talk about how to know if your skin barrier is damaged, what exactly causes it, and tips about skin barrier damage repair using the right products (and ingredients). Read on to learn more about all things skin barriers.

What is the skin barrier?

The skin barrier is the outer most part of your epidermis (skin!) and acts as a wall to protect your skin from damage, bacteria, environmental aggressors and more. Think of it like “brick and mortar”, where your skin cells make up the bricks, and your skin barrier is the mortar.

What is a damaged skin barrier? 

If you’ve researched skin care, you’ve probably read a bit about wanting to avoid damaging your skin barrier. When your skin’s moisture barrier is damaged, the lipid matrix (fats and oils within your skin) isn’t as taut as it should be. This can lead to gaps in your skin barrier. What does that mean? It makes it harder to keep germs and irritants out of your skin—and it also does a bad job of preventing water loss from your skin.

3 Common Damaged Skin Barrier Symptoms 

So what exactly are the telltale signs of a damaged skin barrier? Here are some of the most common symptoms.

Acne

Believe it or not, blemishes can be a sign of a damaged skin barrier. The bacteria that leads to acne can penetrate the skin more easily.

Dry Skin

Your skin experiences trans epidermal water loss when your skin barrier is compromised. In other words, the moisture in your skin essentially exits stage left and evaporates. This leaves your skin with signs of dryness. These can include a rough texture, flakiness or tightness. Dullness is another sign of a compromised moisture barrier, related to dryness.

Skin Sensitivity

An imbalance of lipids in the skin barrier, causing a skin barrier disruption, could lead to sensitive skin.

What causes damage to the skin barrier?

You might be surprised to know that the main causes of damage to the skin barrier come from everyday life and habits. Here are some of the most common culprits.

Over-cleansing

Skincare mistakes like cleansing your skin too much or too often can have an effect on your skin barrier. If you cleanse your skin too often or with harsh ingredients, you can strip your skin of its natural oils. One way to figure out if you may be doing this is if your skin feels squeaky clean—or tight—after your face wash step. This could disrupt your skin barrier’s lipid matrix. You want to avoid washing your skin to the point where it feels tight after.

Skin Conditions

Skin concerns like atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema) can be associated with a weak skin barrier. That keeps your skin barrier from functioning well. Eczema can be a genetic skin condition, and a severely damaged skin barrier can develop if the skin is not treated properly.

Age

Age is also a contributor to skin barrier damage, as your ability to produce oil decreases over time. It becomes more difficult to replenish the oils that are essential to your skin barrier’s integrity.

How to repair skin barrier damage

When you want to repair a damaged skin barrier, there are things you can stop doing and start doing to see and feel relief.

Simplify Your Skincare Routine

Invest in products and ingredients that help support the health of your skin barrier. Ingredients that are good to use for your skin’s moisture barrier include Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides, and Ceramides. Hyaluronic Acid is a molecule that occurs naturally in the skin and can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It binds water to collagen to keep it in the skin. Peptides are short chains of amino acids, which act as building blocks of proteins—like collagen, keratin, and elastin. Ceramides are lipids found naturally in the upper layers of skin and help form a protective layer that limits moisture loss.

Protect Your Skin

Besides nourishing your skin, you need to protect it every day. SPF protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays, which directly damage your skin barrier and cause irritation. Choose a sunscreen of at least 30+ to ensure your skin is protected, and use sunscreen every day as the last step in your daily skincare routine. Whether you opt for a chemical or physical sunscreen, the most important thing is that you find one that you’ll use.

Hydrate

Never forget the power of H20! Water works wonders on the skin barrier from the inside out. By drinking your recommended daily water intake and utilizing hydrating formulas directly on the skin’s surface, you give skin a chance to reboot, replenish and regenerate.

Best Products for a Damaged Skin Barrier

You want to go easy on the exfoliation if you have a severely damaged skin barrier. Use serums and creams every morning and night for best results, especially when trying to repair a severely damaged barrier. Use products as directed, and remember to seek advice from your dermatologist when necessary.

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Skin Barrier

A morning and evening skincare routine with products that include the proper ingredients will help repair skin barrier damage. Maintain your healthy skin barrier by sticking to your routine and adjusting products and ingredients as needed. Use the tips throughout this article to help guide you towards a healthy, strong skin barrier!

 

~Learn more about Rodan + Fields and how you can get your most radiant skin yet. Trust your skin’s glow to the Doctors and your consultant who know how to help you get your skin glowing.

Results may vary depending on multiple factors: age, gender, skin type and condition, concomitant products used, health history, location, lifestyle and diet.

Share this with friends or family members. It will save their skin — and boost their confidence.

PM me for the best options to suit your budget 🙂

*information is taken from The Skincare Source.

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How To Prevent Dark Spots

How To Prevent Dark Spots

by | Apr 16, 2021

Dark Spot Corrector

How To Prevent Dark Spots

Skin discoloration, including dark spots, is one of the most common skin concerns women have today. Everyone wants that even, beautifully hydrated, glowing skin—but alas, sometimes dark spots happen. Instead of relying on makeup to cover up your dark spots, why not educate yourself on why they occur and learn how to address and prevent them? In this blog post, we’ll talk about why and where dark spots typically turn up and everything you need to know about dealing with this skin concern.

Read on to learn more.

What are dark spots and where do they come from?

Dark spots are the result of an overproduction of melanin in the skin. Dark spots can occur after you spend a lot of time in the sun or indulge in tanning beds, especially without proper sun protection. Dark spots can also occur in conjunction with hormonal changes. These hormonal shifts include those causing acne, since post-acne spots are also considered dark spots, as well.

“Science shows the most attractive feature of a person is even, pore free, shiny skin. It’s a sign of health and youth,” Dr. Kathy Fields says. The good news is that the right skincare regimen can help you visibly achieve that even color and elusive glow that we begin to lose in our 20s.

What areas of the body are typically affected by dark spots?

Dark spots usually crop up on the face, hands, arms and chest – all of the places most exposed to the sun.

How to Prevent Dark Spots and What to Do About Existing Ones

  1. To prevent dark spots, proper sun protection is key. Always use sunscreen—don’t forget that every day is a Sun Day, as Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields say. Apply your sunscreen as the final step in your skincare regimen daily and in the morning year-round—not just when you plan on spending a lot of time outside. Remember to reapply every 2-3 hours when exposed to the sun and after towel drying, swimming or sweating.
  1. Exfoliate regularly. You want to gently exfoliate your skin at least a few times per week with an exfoliant that works well for your skin type. The Rodan + Fields REVERSE Regimen addresses a major skin concern women have about dull, uneven skin tone. “By exfoliating away the pile up of dead cells and helping visibly fade discolorations, REVERSE clears your skin’s canvas, restoring the luminosity and brightness your skin has naturally lost,” Dr. Katie Rodan says.
  1. Try a dark spot corrector, like REVERSE Targeted Dark Spot Corrector, which can be used on the face, but also on the neck, chest and hands to target stubborn dark spots or visible skin discoloration. Add this product to any Rodan + Fields Regimen to minimize the appearance of brown spots, dark spots, patches, post-acne dark marks and age spots. For best results, always apply a sunscreen on the area of concern and try to avoid unprotected sun exposure.
  1. Consult with your doctor if you experience hyperpigmentation or post inflammatory acne spots. For best results, introduce skin brightening products to your skincare routine. Including a spot corrector for more stubborn dark spots can help even your skin tone and get it looking glowy.

Ingredients to Address Visible Dark Spots

“It’s a combination of ingredients in formulas that enhance their efficacy that creates a beautiful, visible change,” Dr. Katie Rodan says. “Some of the key ingredients packed into our formulas include tried and true favorites, like Vitamin C and Retinal MD Technology, developed in-house.”

Together with their scientists, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields created their own proprietary technology. “We blended 10% stabilized Vitamin C with our proprietary Retinal MD Technology, which is more effective than traditional retinol without the irritation that often comes with it,” Dr. Kathy Fields says.

Multi-Med Therapy is at the heart of all of Rodan + Fields’ Regimens. Multi-Med Therapy combines over-the-counter drug and cosmetic ingredients as the basis of elegantly formulated products that deliver powerful results. Seeing how well a “combination therapy” approach worked in acne, we knew that our holistic Multi-Med Therapy concept would also be effective for other common skin conditions, like hyperpigmentation, sensitivity, and skin aging. Based on their patient relationships, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields saw how each one of these issues takes a toll on a person’s confidence. This compelled Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields to get to work, creating specific skincare systems, which they refer to as Regimens, to give people everything they would need to achieve the best skin of their lives – and the confidence that comes with it. Here’s to coming out of the dark and to brighter skin days ahead. 

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Learn more about Rodan + Fields Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid and how you can get your most radiant skin yet. Trust your skin’s glow to the Doctors and your consultant who know how to help you get your skin glowing.

Results may vary depending on multiple factors: age, gender, skin type and condition, concomitant products used, health history, location, lifestyle and diet.

Share this with friends or family members. It will save their skin — and boost their confidence.

PM me for the best options to suit your budget 🙂

*information is taken from The Skincare Source.

Send Me a Message

The Best Ingredients For Dark Spots

The Best Ingredients For Dark Spots

by | Apr 6, 2021

Dark Spot Corrector

The Best Ingredients For Dark Spots 

When it comes to common skin concerns, skin discoloration, including dark spots, top the list. Regardless of age! Whether you’d like to address dark spots left in the wake of long-departed acne, age-related spots, or even unwanted freckles from unprotected sun exposure—everyone wants that smooth, glowing, even-toned-looking skin for a youthful appearance.

Many of us are searching for individual ingredients to get rid of or fade our dark spots—but it is important to look into specific products and regimens to get the best results. It’s a holistic skincare strategy for the best possible visible improvement – addressing existing discoloration and working to prevent it in the future. In this blog post, we’ll talk about how to deal with the dark spots you have and some of the best ingredients to help visibly brighten your skin and even out your skin tone.  

Multi-Med Therapy Approach 

Multi-Med Therapy is at the heart of all of Rodan + Fields’ Regimens. Multi-Med Therapy combines over-the-counter drug and cosmetic ingredients as the basis of elegantly formulated products that deliver powerful results. Seeing how well a “combination therapy” approach worked in acne, they knew that our holistic Multi-Med Therapy concept would also be effective for other common skin conditions, like hyperpigmentation, sensitivity, and skin aging.  

Based on their patient relationships, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields saw how each one of these issues takes a toll on a person’s confidence. This compelled Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields to get to work, creating specific skincare systems, which they refer to as Regimens, to give people everything they would need to address specific skin concerns head-on and achieve the best skin of their lives. 

There Are No Magic Individual Ingredients 

And that’s actually good news. These ingredients can only work in a proper formula—in other words, it’s more about the formula and the routine as opposed to sticking with single ingredients. Find one that works for you and incorporate it into your AM and PM skincare routines consistently for the best results.  

Key Ingredients That Help Fade Dark Spots and Discoloration 

There are a few tried-and-true ingredients that work to tackle dark spots and discoloration that are typically used in brightening formulas. Here, the four main ingredients to look for if addressing dark spots is on your skincare agenda.  

1) Vitamin C  

The first ingredient you tend to see in brightening products is Vitamin C, and for good reason.  

A skincare heavyweight, this ingredient is a potent antioxidant. Vitamin C helps address everything from discoloration (dark spots, age spots, post-acne marks and the like) to texture issues. Vitamin C is excellent when it comes to visibly evening out your skin tone, helping with dullness, and improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You simply can’t go wrong with incorporating Vitamin C into your skincare routine.  

2) Retinoids 

A form of Vitamin A, Retinoids are some of the most effective anti-aging ingredients. 

Retinoids accelerate natural skin renewal, helping skin boost its natural collagen production and reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. When it comes to Retinoids, consistency is the name of the game. This ingredient provides impressive visible results, though like with any skincare, they do take time and dedication. This ingredient should not be combined with other actives and when you use Retinoids at night, you should wear sunscreen during the day. Retinoids can make your skin photosensitive.  

For addressing acne, begin a Retinoid skincare routine in your early 20s. For anti-aging benefits, begin incorporating Retinoids into your skincare regimen in your late 20s or early 30s. 

3) Kojic Acid 

Kojic Acid also goes by the Japanese common name, koji. A dark spot-targeting extraordinaire, it is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice, for use in the manufacturing of sake, the Japanese rice wine. This ingredient’s primary use and benefit is to reduce discoloration often caused by unprotected sun exposure—age spots, dark spots or even scars. In addition to skin-brightening effects, kojic acid also offers antimicrobial properties. 

4) Licorice root 

Licorice root is a natural, soothing antioxidant used in skincare to help fade dark spots, as well. It’s a great choice for those who want to opt for a more natural skin brightening ingredient.  

Rodan + Fields Reverse Regimen  

We recommend the Rodan + Fields Reverse Regimen and Targeted Dark Spot Corrector to address dull, uneven skin tone. “By exfoliating away the pile up of dead cells and helping visibly fade discolorations, REVERSE clears your skin’s canvas, restoring the luminosity and brightness your skin has naturally lost,” says Dr. Katie Rodan. “Reverse can help visibly achieve that even color and engaging glow, that shine that is very attractive at every age, and that we begin to lose in our 20s,” Dr. Kathy Fields adds.  

To protect your skin against future dark spots, it’s all about prevention.

Learn more about Rodan + Fields Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid and how you can get your most radiant skin yet. Trust your skin’s glow to the Doctors and your consultant who know how to help you get your skin glowing.

Results may vary depending on multiple factors: age, gender, skin type and condition, concomitant products used, health history, location, lifestyle and diet.

Share this with friends or family members. It will save their skin — and boost their confidence.

PM me for the best options to suit your budget 🙂

*information is taken from The Skincare Source.

Send Me a Message

Learn How Stress Can Affect Your Skin + Skincare Solutions

Learn How Stress Can Affect Your Skin + Skincare Solutions

by | Apr 21, 2020

It’s been stressful lately! And that stress can show up in unexpected ways, including on your skin. Anxiety and fear, which have become pretty regular feelings for a lot of us given the current situation, trigger a fight or flight response in your body. This fight or flight response releases cortisone, a stress hormone, that increases oil production. This means clogged pores, dull complexion and maybe even breakouts.

No need to stress even more. We’ve got some easy solutions to help you out. Once a day, swap your regular cleanser for UNBLEMISH or SPOTLESS to deep clean and help reduce oil. Add in our RECHARGE Detox Mask 2-3 times a week to take care of clogged pores and blackheads. Or, if you have blemishes, try UNBLEMISH Clarifying Mask.

Stress can also affect your immune system. This makes skin more vulnerable to blotchiness, redness and irritation. If you’re experiencing any of those issues, try our SOOTHE Sensitive Skin Treatment 1-2 times a day. It hydrates and helps reduce visible redness as it protects and calms dry, chapped skin.

Another easy way to help keep your immune system strong is Vitamin D3. It’s recognized by healthcare professionals as good for the overall health of bones, muscles and the immune system. Which is more important than ever right now. Our Maximum D3 is a once a week supplement with 10,000 international units of Vitamin D3. To find the right dose for you, ask your doctor to make a personalized recommendation.

If you’re looking for instant payoff or just want to put your best face forward while facing hard times, check out Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid. It evens tone, boosts radiance and helps protect skin so it looks healthier over time. Find your shade match through the Rodan + Fields Solution Tool Shade Finder or check-in with an R+F Independent Consultant for samples.

SIMPLE (+ WALLET FRIENDLY) TIPS

1) ESSENTIALS GAUZE PADS have a soft textured weave to allow the Regimen Toners + ESSENTIALS Complete Eye Makeup Remover to catch dirt and debris.  The cotton weave evenly distributes the formulas and their benefits onto your skin so you see the best results.

2) REMOVE MAKEUP before cleansing get the full benefits of your Regimen cleanser’s targeted ingredients. This also reduces how many dirty towels you have to wash and prevents using excess amounts of cleanser. Our Instant Makeup Remover Wipes have good-for-skin ingredients like conditioners to help soften.

3) USE FINGERTIPS to apply products to avoid wasting any on your palms. Bonus: your fingertips send sensorial feedback that helps you apply products properly. The formulas to do the heavy lifting when applied with light-medium pressure.

4) ADD AN EXFOLIATOR if your Regimen has a bead-free cleanser. Use ENHANCEMENTS Micro-Dermabrasion Paste 1-3 times a week in place of your regular cleanser. Exfoliation helps remove dead cells so formulas can reach skin and pores more easily. If you have sensitive skin, lightly massage exfoliator onto damp instead of dry skin as tolerated.

5) WEAR SUNSCREEN every day! Apply your Regimen SPF in the morning to get the full benefits of our unique combinations of sunscreen and targeted ingredients for your skin concern. UV rays can penetrate windows so don’t skip the SPF even though you’re WFH.

6) GET SAFE SUNKISSED SKIN when you use Foaming Sunless Tan 1-2 times a week. Canceled vacations and being stuck inside doesn’t have to mean living without a golden glow! Amp up your bronze even more with the right shade of Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid.

Learn more about Rodan + Fields Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid and how you can get your most radiant skin yet. Trust your skin’s glow to the Doctors and your consultant who know how to help you get your skin glowing.

Results may vary depending on multiple factors: age, gender, skin type and condition, concomitant products used, health history, location, lifestyle and diet.

Share this with friends or family members. It could save their skin — and boost their confidence.

PM me for the best options to suit your budget 🙂

*information taken from Derm RF.

Send Me a Message