Our skin is the first line of defense for our body. Usually, the skin protects us from UV rays, free radicals that roam around in the air, and helps us perspire to keep our body in balance. Because of all this stress, our skin quickly succumbs to wrinkles, acne breakouts, sunburn, and many other problems that we face in our daily lives.

With such an important role to play, you cannot ignore your skin. It deserves care and love. If we leave our skin to these problems, after a time period, the skin can give up on us and we lose our beauty. So, before it’s too late, it is better to take control of your skin care with the best skincare routine and  good beauty products.

But which products should you buy? And what is the best skin care routine to follow? These questions can be quite troublesome to answer. Within the billion dollar skin care industry, it has become increasingly hard to know which products to use when each one has a specialized use. Serums, cleansers, creams, scrubs, moisturizers, toners, and so many more products are available in the beauty corner of your mart.

Usually, learning the science behind something can be a drag. But for skin care products, it can be beneficial considering that each product has a major ingredient. This ingredient can be a chemical or an organic accessory. And they can have a different effect and possibly a reaction with the skin depending upon the supporting ingredients. If the product contains an ingredient that shouldn’t be exposed to the skin for long, you will know that you can’t apply that product for longer times.

Let’s go through each and every skin care product that people routinely use, and see how they work to make us look more beautiful.

Moisturizers:

Choosing the correct skin care product is our main concern so first off, we have moisturizers to discuss. Usually, our skin has the ability to form a water barrier around it. This water barrier is useful in the self-moisturization of the skin. And this ability differs in each person. Some people may not be able to control the natural moisturization of their skin and they may rely on external moisturization.

Moisturizers can also help achieve softer, more flexible skin, and reduces fine lines and wrinkling. They are also effective against minor scarring. But moisturizers don’t add any moisture to the skin. In fact, no product can do that, all thanks to the fatty layer. Moisturizers work to keep the moisture in the skin and reduce water loss.

Ingredients of moisturizers contain certain properties. Some act as sponges, some have to properties of water magnets, and some cause minor inflammation to keep the moisture trapped in the skin.

Exfoliates:

Some of the dermatologist recommended products contain exfoliates. Exfoliates are known to remove dead skin cells from your face and body to reveal the fresh and smooth skin cells underneath them.

As we age, our skin’s ability to shed old cells slows down. This process is called desquamation and it is essential in keeping our skin healthy. Here we introduce the component of exfoliates that speed up the cell turnover, Desmolytics. 

Desmolytics are responsible for breaking up the protein bridges that are also known as desmosomes. By disintegrating desmosomes which hold cells together, a fresh and smooth layer beneath is revealed. 

For a short term use, exfoliating treats your flaky skin. In the long run, it can improve your skin health by reducing acne breakouts, hyperpigmentation, and UV rays damage. Hyperpigmentation usually happens because of premature skin aging or sun damage by being under sun’s exposure.

Actives:

There are beauty products that have a certain set of ingredients called “Actives”. The composition of beauty products clearly defines their purpose and their working. Actives are the active ingredients like retinoids, Vitamin C, and Niacinamide. These ingredients are often known by many as special ingredients but no one knows how they work.

On the professional side, dermatologists have no consensus on their working. Actives are known to be specific to our skin problems. Each ingredient is effective against one or more skin issues. The retinoid is one of the most common actives and it belongs to a class of Vitamin A derivatives. Retinoids contain retinol and retinoic, two of the most trendy ingredients advertised in all beauty products.

Vitamin C is another heralded skincare active that is frequently used in our daily lives. Scientists and researchers only vouch for its chemically active form, L-ascorbic acid. There is a big chance that any other derivative of Vitamin C will not be effective on your skin. The way Active Vitamin C works is that it reacts with the free radicals in the air. These free radicals usually react with our skin cells. So Vitamin C latches onto it and breaks down so that our skin is safe.

On the other hand, it can break down in the product container too so it is a recommendation on every product that contains Vitamin C to keep it from breaking down before it is used.

Conclusion:

When it comes to different skin care products, they have a different way of working. Moisturizers help contain the moisture of the skin. Exfoliates break down the protein that holds dead skin cells on the skin to uncover the fresh layer of cells under them. And Actives like Vitamin C sacrifice themselves to save the skin. Knowing all this matters so you know if you should use these products or not. And if you decide to use them, then for how long you need to wear them.