NEW FACIAL CLEANSERS FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

New Facial Cleansers for Sensitive Skin

What's the big deal about washing your face? You wash with soap and water, pat dry, and you're on your way. 

For people with sensitive skin, however, routine washing of face involves a little more extra care.

Most brands of face soap have a very alkaline pH, which can be irritating and drying on skin. Gel cleansers have a more skin friendly pH, which makes them the preferred product for sensitive skin care.

DERMAX gel cleansers are
sulfate-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free. 

When choosing a facial cleanser, always check the ingredients. 

• Choose nonabrasive (no scrubs), fragrance-free, and alcohol-free cleanser.  
• Avoid sulfates that can irritate skin. Instead, look for natural cleansing agents like betaines, which are derived from coconut oil and soap berry extract.
• Choose cleansers that are free from paraben preservatives.
• To keep your skin hydrated, look for emollients (olive oil), skin soothers (aloe vera), and humectants (glycerin) which hold moisture in your skin. 

DERMAX SoGentle gel cleanser is sulfate-free, fragrance-free, and paraben-free. It contains all natural cleansing agents from soap berry extract and cocobetaines.

If you have acne prone sensitive skin, you need more than a gentle cleanser. You need one that will help clear up clogged pores that cause breakouts. Salicylic acid clears blocked pores, exfoliates skin, and reduces swelling and redness. Exfoliation helps remove dead surface skin cells, which makes it easier for acne medication to be absorbed. 

What’s New? A recently patented technology is a time-release, encapsulated salicylic acid. This more skin friendly and more effective form of salicylic acid is in the new DERMAX AcneX Pore Clearing gel cleanser.  

Try these new facial cleansers at any SkinStation branch near you.

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on July 22, 2014 . The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph. 

HOW TO GET RID OF DARK ELBOWS AND KNEES

How to Get Rid of Dark Elbows and Knees

It’s summer! Yet you dread to be seen in t-shirt and shorts? Stop getting embarrassed by dark elbows and dark knees. The skin care solutions outlined below can help you get rid of this problem for good!

Your elbows and knees are darker because you constantly lay them against hard surfaces: the counter, the table, or the wooden kneelers. Sun exposure and a build-up of dead skin cells can also cause the skin on your elbows and knees to appear darker than the rest of your body.

Steps to Lighter Elbows and Knees

The first step is to exfoliate. Dead surface skin cells should be removed to make your skin fairer. Exfoliants like retinol, AHA, and salicylic acid are good choices. The elbows and knees can benefit also from physical exfoliants like salts and micro scrubs. An excellent exfoliant from SkinStation is DERMAX Retinol C serum, which should be applied once daily.

The next step is to lighten and moisturize skin by applying NANOWHITE lotion on evenings. It has nano-encapsulated blend of lightening actives to give you fast and gentle results.

Make sunscreen application your morning routine. NANOWHITE lotion with SPF 30 should be applied on mornings to protect against harmful UV rays that cause skin to darken.

More Tips

Use DERMAX AcneX exfoliant soap to wash your elbows and knees daily. It works wonders not only on acne prone skin, but also as an all around exfoliant, with time-release salicylic acid. Use a good sponge with the soap to get a good and gentle scrubbing.

You can never completely avoid friction on elbows and knees. A more intensive way to moisturize elbows and knees is needed to minimize effect of friction. After each shower and before you go to bed, apply a thick layer of natural oils like squalane oil, argan oil, or virgin coconut oil.

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on March 11, 2014 . The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph. 

HOW TO GET RID OF MILIA

How To Get Rid Of Milia 

Milia are superficial white bumps that form when skin cells become entrapped beneath the outer layer of the skin. Milia most often arise on the face and are particularly prominent on the undereye, eyelids, forehead, and around the lips,  but they may occur elsewhere.

The most common cause of milia is the use of heavy skin care or hair care products. Comedogenic creams and lotions prevent the sloughing of dead epidermal skin cells. Other problem products include hair spray, hair mousse and gel, oily sunscreens and heavy moisturizers.

The eyelids are very thin and are more likely to experience problems with milia due to cosmetics. Check your eye make-up and eyelid make-up remover. Certain lipsticks, lip balms and products meant to help with chapped lips may be the cause of milia around the lips. Again, if you see these forming, take a good look at the ingredients on the label.

The formation of milia can also be due to genetics, as well as aging. As we age, the turn over of skin cells slows down, forming a thicker epidermis. Thicker skin makes the natural exfoliation process more difficult.

Exfoliation is the first step in dealing with milia prone skin. By keeping the epidermis thin and smooth, you can minimize the tendency to form milia. One way is to use a gentle exfoliating product such as DERMAX Retinol C serum. Another way is to undergo a periodic treatment of diamond peel or glycolic peel at the clinic. TCA chemical peel is deeper than glycolic peel, used primarily to minimize fine lines and skin discolorations, which can simultaneously address the elimination of milia.

Sometimes milia can be very persistent in spite of your best efforts. Then you will need to visit the clinic for milia extraction. After cleansing with antiseptic, the skin overlying the milia is gently opened with a sterile needle. Then pressure is applied with a comedone extractor. Milia are often easily removed by extraction, except on the upper eyelid. There simply isn’t a good way to press on the upper eyelid area and avoid the eyeball, so the lid has to be pulled either upwards or to the side, which is somewhat challenging.

What else can you do to prevent milia?

1) Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, and make it a habit to apply every morning the non-greasy DERMAX UV MILK SPF50 PA+++ instead of comedogenic sunscreens. 

2) Use exfoliating cleanser such as DERMAX AcneX transparent soap with nano-encapsulated salicylic acid not only to keep pores unclogged but also to help remove unwanted surface skin debris.

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This article was published in the Lifestyle Section of Manila Bulletin on September 10, 2013. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph.