Skincare Decoded. Victoria Fu
In addition to the three most basic types of skin, there are a number of other
considerations and conditions you may be dealing with.
Sensitive Skin
To be honest, sensitive skin is not well understood to this day. For our purposes,
its mainly relevant in that it can mean bad reactions to a number of skincare
products. Sensitive skin is hard for professionals to diagnose and treat, since it’s
hard to even pin down the root cause in many cases. You could be dealing with
a true skin allergy, irritation caused by products, or a unique development over
time due to changes in health, lifestyle, and surroundings.
Part of the reason sensitive skin is so hard to manage is that everyone’s skin
triggers are unique. There are products out there that claim “formulated without
skin sensitizers,” but the reality is that anything, especially at a high enough
concentration, can be sensitizing. Figuring out your skin’s quirks and sensitivity
triggers can go a long way in your skincare-routine building!
Combination Skin
You probably feel like your skin has both oily and dry patches, and just doesn’t
know what it wants. To be fair, that’s actually how skin is. The term T-zone was
coined for the area with more sebaceous glands than the cheeks-and-chin area.
However, truly combination skin is characterized by a much more pronounced
difference in the T-zone and U-zone areas. This skin type actually is the most
challenging when it comes to moisturization, and typically requires more micro-
managing, involving different products for specific skin areas.
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T-Zone
U-Zone
Key Traits
Characteristics You have both dry patches and an
oily T-zone.
Pros You will be the de facto skin guru of your friend
group! Combination skin means you’ll learn the full
range of skin products out there. (Yeah, we know, it’s
a cop-out answer . . . )
Cons It is really, really hard to find a one-and-done
solution that meets both your dry- and oily-skin
needs. Get used to spot-treating dry patches.
Eczema, Psoriasis, and Rosacea
We won’t cover these conditions too much in this book, as they really need to
be diagnosed and treated by a qualified dermatologist. In a nutshell, all three
are common skin conditions characterized by compromised stratum corneum
function, which makes it a lot easier for outside allergens to get into your skin
and cause irritation. Here are a couple of things we’ve learned along the way in
our chemist careers that might be helpful:
1. Petrolatum: Also known as petroleum jelly. It’s your friend. It’s the gold-
standard occlusive that can protect your aggravated skin from the elements.
2. Skin-friendly pH: Normal skin pH sits at a slightly acidic 5.5. Many people
with SC conditions like eczema and rosacea have skin pH that skews higher.
For people with these conditions, we recommend checking the pH of your
cleanser, shampoo, and body wash to help with long-term management.
Ultimately, if you have any of these conditions, it’s best to start routine
building with a dermatologist’s everyday guidance. In more serious cases,
prescription topicals might be necessary. In these cases, think of skincare more
as support products rather than key problem-solvers.
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”
“
Skincare products can
be so overwhelming . . .
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Putting Logic to the
Product Landscape
T
he main reason you bought this book is probably to
figure out the world of products for your skin and its
specific quirks. Overall, the skincare landscape seems to
have way too many products that all seem to do similar
things. Trust us when we say that even we get a little lost, too. Not to fear!
Of all the things you’ll hear about—serums, ampoules, micellar waters,
cosmetic waters, devices, and more—they can all be consolidated by their
functions into four simple categories, which makes a convenient little pyramid.
We consider the base of the pyramid the foundation of good skincare. If you
want to have a minimalist’s routine, cover the three bottom categories.
Cleanse
Every routine should begin with a cleanser to wipe off daily grime and start your
routine off on a clean slate. Cleansing can also be considered an age-prevention
step, since accumulated grime from the day can have an impact on skin, causing
irritation and generating free radicals that can worsen premature aging. Suddenly,
the cleanser doesn’t seem so basic-biddy, does it?
fundamentals
treatments
moisturize
cleanse sunscreen
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Moisturize
Skin’s most important job is to serve as a barrier—shielding you from the
elements while keeping hydration in. This barrier function, however, becomes
compromised when your SC isn’t properly hydrated. This is where moisturizers
come in! A good moisturizer provides a much-needed dose of hydration while
reinforcing your barrier function. This is a super-broad category of products:
serums, essences, creams, ampoules, and gel creams are all designed to keep your
skin moist and plump. The sheer variety of products makes finding that coveted
holy grail moisturizer quite a challenge!
Sunscreen
The sun is the main external factor that causes premature aging, so this category
is extra important. Sunscreens are responsible for shielding skin from sun
damage—and, even scarier, skin cancer.