Perfect balance: the gentle art of skin cleansing - innerbeauty

Better Nutrition, May, 2003 by Kat James

Let's face it: Beauty has gotten harsh. New-and-improved, deep-cleaning, super-exfoliating, oil-sopping products abound. As a result, a new class of modern-day "skindromes" has turned up on the faces of over-zealous skin-regimen devotees.

In my work, I see more and more women with problems that result from the very products they use to improve their skin. Our beauty needs a sanctuary from this harsh world, and that sanctuary begins by rejecting the "do-something" impulse that leads to aggressive, often destructive skin care choices.

Sometimes it's what we don't do that makes us more attractive.

synthetic sins

When we assault our skin with harsh detergents, exfoliants, drying alcohols and synthetic oils, we can end up producing completely unintended results.

Skin constantly works to normalize its own surface moisture and pH level. Harsh products ravage it and tie up the skin's natural healing energy. And when the surface barrier of the skin is broken by abrasive products, a cascade of problems-from moisture loss and wrinkles to product and sun sensitivities--can result. Before you know it, you're caught in a vicious cycle of assault-recovery that requires increasingly harsh and unnatural maintenance tactics.

So how do we escape this merry-go-round of skin regimen overkill? By getting hip to harsh products and choosing smarter strategies.

risky wrinkle fighters

Overexfoliating with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), cleansing grains and scrubs ages and sensitizes the skin.

Even the FDA is investigating concerns that AHAs--which have never been studied long-term--might cause an increase in sun sensitivity and even promote skin cancer. Other experts have suggested that continued use of AHAs can weaken collagen-producing cells or disrupt the skin's natural biorhythms.

skin-saving strategies

Topically applied vitamin C, in high concentrations, can help you fight off wrinkles and rebuild collagen, which keeps skin elastic.

A more recent wrinkle-fighting discovery, kinetin, is also widely recommended by dermatologists as an alternative to harsh chemicals. Products such as Age Advantage Laboratories' High Potency Vitamin C Ester Serum and Age Eraser with Kinetin, as well as Hyper C Serum by Jason Natural Products, give you science-backed wrinkle reversal without the acids, exfoliants and other synthetic chemicals found in most wrinkle-fighting serums.

For further wrinkle protection, avoid skin-drying products and heavy mineral oil or petrolatum-based moisturizers, which can smother the skin. Taking essential fatty acid supplements can help the skin retain more moisture and thus resist wrinkles. And installing a shower filter will spare your skin daily contact with another source of premature aging, chlorine.

detrimental drying agents

No amount of blotting will "conquer" the skin's oil production, and many of us sacrifice our skin's natural balance in our pursuit of a clear, clean complexion. The skin regulates its own moisture. Drying it with foaming, oil-stripping cleansers containing detergents, degreasers, soap and sulfates--or alcohol-based toners that leave the skin feeling tight--will only cause the skin to rebound by producing excess oil. These products can also destroy the skin's protective, antibacterial matrix, which makes it more vulnerable to bacterial infection and inflammation.

Dabbing benzoyl peroxide on blemishes often destroys the structure of the skin, causing flaking, while more aggressive acne treatments such as antibiotics or Accutane can cause a cascade of side effects.

oil eliminators

First, understand that it is possible to decrease the oiliness of your skin without stripping it. Try using essential oil-based milks and aloe or witch hazel-based toners that are all available at natural products stores. Earth Science and Gamocare both produce alcohol-free toners that contain nourishing elements that are essential for skin health.

And instead of benzoyl peroxide, try using products containing tea tree oil and azelaic acid--a natural substance sometimes prescribed by dermatologists as Azelex--to help dry oily skin. These natural substances have shown comparable effects to topical 5 percent benzoyl peroxide products in published studies. "Zit sticks" containing tea tree oil and other ingredients such as zinc, sulfur or salicylic acid are convenient alternatives that won't cause your skin to flake.

Additional culprits such as mineral oil-based products, stress, hormonal fluctuations and the refined, hydrogenated Western diet have all been linked to acne. Some of these factors are within our control, while some, obviously, are not.

eastern essentials

There's a growing body of scientific evidence for the many benefits of essential oils. Pratima Raichur, ND, a licensed aesthetician and author of Absolute Beauty, points out that nearly all essential oils are antimicrobial, and she recommends them as part of her Ayurvedic approach to healthy skin care. According to Ayurvedic principles, your skin care treatment should be determined by your specific body type, or Dosha: Kapha, Pitta, and Vata.