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The Importance of Being Gentle! (to your skin)
Irritation is a serious problem for skin. Aside from a dry environment and sun damage, irritation is a major
cause of dry skin. We do many things to our skin and often use an assortment of skin-care products that create
irritation and therefore trigger dry, damaged skin. Everyday “affronts” such as unprotected sun exposure,
splashing the face with hot water, and applying skin-care products that contain irritating ingredients can create
dry skin that wasn’t there before. When the skin is faced with irritation and inflammation, the result is the
skin’s immune system becomes impaired, bacteria flourish (which is a problem for blemish-prone skin), collagenase
takes place (the breakdown of collagen), and dry skin sets in.
For the overall health of your skin, anything you can do to treat it gently is a very good thing. It encourages
normal collagen production, maintains a smooth and radiant surface, and helps skin protect itself from
environmental stress which can reduce or eliminate dryness.
Diligent, daily sun protection, gentle, non-irritating skin-care products and non-irritating skin care routines
can help you achieve the best daily and long-term skin care results possible--so you can have the skin you’ve
always wanted—radiant, healthy, and vibrant.
The following is a list of skin-care bad-guys that are not at all helpful and are potentially damaging to your
skin. The skin can react negatively to all of the following products, procedures, and ingredients. Use it as a
guide to help you eliminate anything that unnecessarily irritates and inflames the skin.
Irritating Skin-Care Steps and Products to avoid:
• Overly abrasive scrubs (including many at-home-microdermabrasion scrubs)
• Astringents containing irritating ingredients (alcohol and menthol being the prime offenders)
• Toners containing irritating ingredients (alcohol and menthol being the prime offenders)
• Scrub mitts
• Cold or hot water
• Steaming or icing the skin
• Facial masks containing irritating ingredients (watch out for fragrant essential oils and polyvinyl alcohol)
• Loofahs
• Bar soaps and bar cleansers
Irritating Ingredients
Skin doesn't have to hurt, tingle, or be stimulated (even a little) to be clean. In fact, a simple indicator of
irritation is if the skin tingles, it is being irritated, not cleaned. The major rule for all skin types is if a
product or procedure irritates the skin, don't use it again. Only non-comedogenic and non-sensitizing ingredients
are utilized in our formulations.
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