Are 100+ ingredients a day healthy on your skin?
The increase in sensitive skin has been a trend in industrialized countries for years, and while not all the causes are conclusively known, over-care seems to be the main trigger. Do you also belong to the people who use all kinds of night and day creams, serums, isolated active ingredients and make-up? This means that over 100 different substances get on your skin every day.
Minimalist skin care is not only useful for people with sensitive skin, every skin benefits from minimalist skin care which is supportive but not overwhelming. The result is balanced, robust and healthy skin. It is better protected from stimuli and environmental influences and therefore ages more slowly.
Sensitive skin is often a cause of over-care
To understand the effects of over-care on the skin, let's start with the structure of the skin. To show you the function of our skin protection layers, I like to use the rain jacket. The material is water-repellent, but before you venture into the rainstorm, you should also waterproof the jacket. The second layer extends the protection, because twice is better.
Your skin has a very similar structure: The first protection is provided by the protective acid mantle that covers your skin. The sweat-fat mixture that is perfectly tailored to you protects your skin from all the nasty germs and bacteria that you encounter throughout the day.
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But be careful, like the impregnation in the rain, this layer can also be simply washed away by washing several times a day .
The actual protective wall is located in the top layer of skin - the skin barrier. You can use them as a kind of wall against external influences such as toxins, soaps, bacteria, etc. introduce. It consists of horny cells that are lined up like bricks. A mixture of the skin's own fats (lipids) and other substances hold them together. But this barrier can become porous and the stratum corneum can swell. Aggressive cleaning or excessive application of lotion literally throws the whole system out of joint. What are the consequences?
- Water that has been stored in the deeper layers of the skin and makes your skin look plump and youthful evaporates through the openings.
- At the same time, nasty bacteria can now creep in and blackheads can sprout.
The result of excessive care: The skin becomes sensitive, dry and impure. In addition, excessive care is often the cause of perioral dermatitis. Hello, sensitive skin!
Minimalist skin care for balanced skin
The good news: It doesn't have to stay that way. Your skin can recover and come back into a balanced state. And you can help her with that. What you have to do for it? Unfortunately, it's going to be difficult now, because we have to practice doing nothing. Here are my top five tips for minimalistic skincare that meets your skin's needs.
1. Wash your face in the morning with water only
Cleansing gels and cleansing milk not only wash away dirt from your skin, they also remove the skin's own fats from your protective barrier. Many conventional products contain surfactants that are too harsh, and natural cosmetic products often contain alcohol, which is absolutely not beneficial for the skin. Lukewarm water is perfectly adequate for morning cleansing for every skin type.
If you want to delve deeper into the topic, my detailed article about facial cleaning in the morning is interesting for you.
In the evening, cleansing should be mild and yet remove any residue from make-up, sunscreen and environmental influences. But what does mild mean? I recommend the oil cleansing, because it has a moisturizing effect and does not attack the skin barrier. For me personally she was the Game Changer on my way to a balanced skin. You'll be amazed at how well mascara & co. to be removed with it.
Rule of thumb for facial cleansing: Use products that are so gentle that you don't feel like you have to apply lotion afterwards.
2. Oil-free night care
While you're blissfully dreaming of pink unicorns, your skin is doing all the work for you. It actually regenerates particularly quickly while you sleep and now - unlike during the day - needs no protection from environmental influences or dirty hands on your face.
For night care there are two philosophies that couldn't be more different: some swear that the skin should be wrapped up particularly richly . The others preach fat-free night care. This can be explained as follows: Rich care seals your skin lightly (vegetable oils) to strongly (silicones, Vaseline, waxes) and thus prevents the evaporation of water from the deeper layers of the skin. The result is great: plump skin in the morning! Unfortunately, happiness is short-lived because the effect is not lasting. With a long-term strong seal, your skin forgets how to compensate itself. It becomes noticeably drier and therefore more sensitive.
The oil-free night care, on the other hand, builds on the natural regenerative ability of the skin and cares for it without sealing it. Feel free to try it out for a few nights: After the oil cleansing, just use a light moisturizing serum like our FIVE face serum and leave your skin can regenerate carefree overnight.
3. Give your skin a fresh start
What applies to every skin type for the night is also recommended for sensitive skin during the day. Maybe you once had a mimosa, those little indoor plants that reflexively roll up their leaves when touched. Sensitive skin is similarly sociable, no matter how good you mean it. It's dry, you cream. She becomes unclean, you wash. It starts all over again. A frustrating vicious circle begins, until sometimes even water is too much.
Don't worry, unlike mimosa, your skin can be different. All you have to do is give her one thing to start with: rest. Instead of a cosmetic armada, she simply needs time to regenerate. Don't completely use cosmetics for at least three days. No washing gels, creams, lotions etc. Only wash with lukewarm water. Don't rub too hard, don't cream. You should also avoid make-up if possible. I know it can be difficult, especially at work. But as soon as your skin regains its balance, it will reward you with an even complexion.
You can find detailed instructions for the zero therapy in my article Rough cure - the emergency plan for your stressed skin.
Even after zero therapy: Less is more. Let your skin do its job in peace. Reduce your care and switch to products with few but high-quality ingredients. Our own natural cosmetic products arose from my need for balanced skin. All products contain a maximum of five selected ingredients that help your skin to find its balance again.
