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Microdermabrasion:
It uses fine, abrasive particles to rub away from the skin’s surface the top few dead layers of cells. In doing so, it stimulates cell renewal in the uppermost layers. This makes the skin firmer and reveals younger looking cells at the skin’s surface.
UVA and UVB:
These are abbreviations used by scientists to describe the different parts of UV light from the sun. UVB is very damaging and very short exposures (less than 20 minutes) can cause burning of the skin. Repeated sun burning increases the risks of skin cancer and also results in many of the changes seen in premature aging of the skin. UVA has far less burning power, but penetrates more deeply into the skin and triggers longer-term damage such as premature skin aging. Over-exposure to UVA has also been linked with increased risk of skin cancer.
Free-Radicals:
Both UVA and UVB cause damage to the skin by producing free-radicals. These are very energetic, rogue molecules that start a chain-reaction, thereby attacking cells within the skin.
SPF:
This is the number used to show how well a product will protect against burning. SPF 15 is the usual number on a daily skin care moisturizer. This means that they provide a 15-fold reduction in the burning power of UVB. Products with SPF 15 will help protect the skin against some of the signs of premature aging.
Vitamin A:
It has many sources in nature and since our body can not make its own, vitamin A forms an essential party of our diets. Vitamin A has many forms (e.g. retinol, pro-retinol). These have been used in cosmetics because at certain levels they have been found to help normalize skin that has been damaged by over-exposure to UV light. Retinol is the more powerful source, but some people do not tolerate this very well on their skin. The usual response to retinol that people struggle with is dry patches, stinging or reddening in the first few days and weeks of use. I normally advise introducing retinol products gradually to the skin, alternate nights for a week or so. If during this time your skin still feels comfortable, then make it a nightly exercise for another week. If during this time, or after introducing it nightly, your skin gets uncomfortable in any way, then maybe it’s not for you. You may want to give your skin a rest for a week or so and try re-introducing the retinol gradually in this way.
Vitamin C:
It is another essential part of our diet. Putting vitamin C on the skin provides a defense against free-radicals by interfering with their damaging process.
Vitamin E:
This too works to interfere with the free-radical damaging process. It is often found in combination with vitamin C since they work on different aspects of free-radical damage.
Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA):
AHA is a name given to a class of chemicals found in nature. They are useful in cosmetic products because they have the ability to help normalize the loss of cells at the surface of the skin. This results in a smoother, more radiant complexion. To achieve this in cosmetics, they are used at relatively low levels. In dermatologist and cosmetic surgery practices, they are used at higher levels to achieve more aggressive and radical action (facial peels). There are many risks associated with the use of higher levels of AHA and even at lower levels it has been found that AHA causes a small increase in the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. For this reason, it is recommended that when someone uses products with significant amounts of AHA, they should ensure that they are using an SPF 15 product during the day. This makes sense because both SPF 15 moisturizers and AHA serums are products that someone would use to hold back the signs of premature skin aging.
Peptides:
An increasing number of products are using peptides. Our own experience with peptides in No7 suggests that these can have many of the benefits of retinol without the potential skin discomfort. The Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum has given us great results in consumer trials as well as measurable changes in fine lines and wrinkles.