I know what you are thinking: Isn’t cleaning your face with soap a nice thing? It removes unwanted foreign materials and it prevents your face from developing pimples and blackheads. Well yes! That is all true. Cleaning of the face can remove all of that, but it can also make your skin prone to other things.
Let me explain. Your skin pH is naturally acidic, the reason why is you don’t want any form of bacteria growing your face. What you want is the normal flora, or the good bacteria, that fights off bad ones. Second, there is a fatty lining that surrounds the cells of the epidermis. This layer of fat is responsible for the retention of moisture on that area, keeping it plump in appearance, protection, and glue. This lining is called ceramide. Now what happens when you wash your face with any form of soap or cleanser? First, you make your skin pH basic because soap is alkaline base. Then like any other soap, they are emulsifier. That means they can easily destroy fat, like the dishwasher commercials that you watch.
Multiply the process when you wash your face two or three times per day. Then let the soap stand on your face for more than a minute thinking that it will make it cleaner. You then become vulnerable to skin problems like dryness, flaking, itchiness, acne, and more fine lines.
So what is the better solution? The best approach would be choosing the right cleanser or soap that you’ll be using. Find something that is less alkaline or less basic. Soaps that are harder are more basic and hence can destroy your ceramide faster. Liquid cleansers can be a good option, but remember there is a certain degree of alkalinity in them. Second, watch how often you wash your face. Once to twice is ok, depending on the level of activity that you encounter daily; and never leave the soap longer than ten seconds on your face because you are giving it more time to destroy your lipid lining of ceramide. And last, but not the least, make it a point that you replace the ceramide that was lost by applying a topical serum. Usual pricing of the serum normally range from 3,000 Php to 8,000 Php.
Also remember, aging can be seen in 3 important areas of the body: the Face, Neck and Hands. So take extra care of these body parts because they might end up your biggest investment later on.
The Wonders of CERAMIDE
Ceramide is a lipid product that is naturally occurring on the lining of the epidermis. Kind of like a grout for the bricks in the house. Its main purpose is to keep the structures intact and maintain its function. Often times it binds water to make the skin more rigid yet smooth like that of a baby.
Ceramide is offered in the market in a serum form, for the simple reason that it needs to penetrate the thick and dense structure of the skin and also be readily absorbed. It is often used once a day, every evening before going to bed, so that the pores are open and the skin has minimal exposure to the harsh environment.
