Skincare is a term that we have heard off either in online advertising or content or on billboards on the side of the road, but how many of us really know the science behind taking care of the biggest organ in our body.
I recently heard a conversation on the I_weigh podcast between a beauty culture critic and Jameela titled, “ Deconstructing the beauty industry with Jessica Defino” which I found deeply insightful, eye-opening and confirmed my beliefs in the simplistic skincare regimen.
In simplistic terms, Skin care or skincare is a range of practices that support skin integrity, enhance its appearance, and relieve existing or skin conditions caused due to environmental factors. They can include nutrition( which is 80% responsible for how your skin looks), avoidance of excessive sun exposure( using sunscreen with spf : sun protection factor, a relative measurement for the amount of time the sunscreen will protect you from ultraviolet (UV) rays), and appropriate use of emollients( moisturising treatments applied directly to the skin to soothe and hydrate it).
But when a beauty industry that is influenced by cultural inefficiencies, you need to question how a multi-billion industry exploits us with its bombardment of targeted ads with skincare products to fix something that may never have been broken to begin with. But they conveniently forget to mention the chemicals that they use and their lifelong impact on our skin, our physical health and also our mental health with the rise of plastic surgery ( botox, fillers, injectables) to create an instagram filter aesthetic.
Most of you may be wondering that I am been needlessly alarming about skincare but chemicals that form the basis of the skincare products on our shelf, may very well be called endocrine disruptors(1)( Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can be natural or human-made chemicals that may mimic, block, or interfere with the body’s hormones, which are part of the endocrine system in our bodies). The most worrying aspect is that these chemicals are associated with a wide array of health issues.
EDCs can disrupt many different hormones, which is why they have been linked to numerous adverse human health outcomes including alterations in sperm quality and fertility, abnormalities in sex organs, endometriosis, early puberty, altered nervous system function, immune function, certain cancers, respiratory problems. For more in depth refer to this: Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs).
Have you ever wondered that what you may consider a healthy glow is a sign of damage? Personally, I love skincare and makeup but social media, magazines and the online beauty content. But I have had suspicions about the reasons of pushing skincare into the mainstream media conversation.
Jessica Defino who is a freelance beauty culture critic breaks down the systems that lurks behind the scenes of targeted ads in your youtube and social media timeline and how its effects our skin and our minds.
You may think that every personal care or skincare essential products in your bathroom may have these EDC’s but you may be surprised to know that even a researcher like me that checks the labels of her beauty products, has come across products in her beauty vanity that have these EDC’s and is actively looking for natural alternatives in your kitchen.
Here is a disturbing report that is is enough to make you stop and think twice, even thrice before starting a skincare regimen that you see online: Teens as young as 12 years ago adopting anti-aging skincare regimens. If this behaviour wasn’t disturbing enough, there is increasing evidence that beauty products being used by parents are transferred to the children inside the womb as is the case with microplastics.
While there are arguments that there is only preliminary research in the area but the increasing toxic beauty trends are resulting in baby being deformities in alarming numbers, mental health disorders on the rise due to unrealistic beauty standards (2). It personally breaks my heart, when I hear real-life stories of teenage girls who are targeted online and suffer mentally due to the negativity caused by these toxic beauty standards.
Beware of any skincare product that promises to permeate the skin barrier or seep deep into the pores to repair damage, it's a pseudoscience that is commonly used to target the people to turn them into consumers to buy the products.
Here is a basic skincare guide that you can follow on a daily basis that is enough to preserve your skin for life:
There are additionally beauty steps that you can add in between depending on your skin type but be careful of not to overdo it and let the skin do its own thing be consuming proper nutrition especially omegas 3,6 and 9 which are most commonly found in these food groups: fatty fish, nuts and grains, plant-based oils and fortified foods(4).
Now, you know that the science of actual skincare refutes the science behind the development of popular skincare products online and in your timelines. Save yourself the money, time and anxiety by being smart and investing in fresh fruit and veg that is seasonal for optimal results for your skin.
Dermatological Procedures
Whereas if we talk about fillers, injectables and botox which are a popular choice for celebrities to appear youthful in press, shockingly the truth is even worse than you can imagine. Even I was shocked to know that these popular procedures for the elite are all neurotoxins that have detrimental effects that the body gets a signal to dissolve as it rejects it when you get it. Just age gracefully as God’s creation and the way your system intended. The only people who should get plastic surgery are the ones who medically need it to better their lives.
Personally, for me I know I have combination skin, so I use a toner before I apply makeup to not dry out my skin and I prefer using 100% natural face packs, hair packs made from ingredients in my kitchen and for personal care products, I prefer using only three to four brands that are more than 80 years old that produce products and are rigorously tested especially not animal tested, safe for use on sensitive skin type, don’t cause acne immediately within a week of their usage and are sls and paraben free with ingredients on their labels that are understandable or can be googled. My only advise it to stay safe with your skincare and preserve your physical and mental health and don’t chase beauty trends products, I just create the look using makeup products in my makeup vanity already, beauty is not perfection.
Haircare
One of the most common haircare services you need to wary off is hair colouring and hair dye(5) as the most harsh chemicals are used to change the color of your hair strands and hair straighteners(6). Yes, even hair straighteners have chemicals embedded in the metal plate that touch your hair.
Here is a tip to safe when you get a haircut at a salon, recently I got a haircut after a year, yes I rarely go the salon, only before my birthday, I get a haircut, so I carried my shampoo and conditioner and for the hairstyle its was on straight hair, so no hair straightener., no thank you. A hair dryer and brush will do , and it worked like a charm and a hair serum as I have oily hair type, so just a spritz and a new hairstyle look created without any hair spa or straightener. And to boost my hair quality, I applied a hair mask before visiting the salon of oatmeal powder, milk and honey, better than any expensive hair spa treatment and can be made easily in your kitchen with a variety of ingredients that can address your hair concerns.
Nailcare
The popular nail art practices from removing cuticle skin during a manicure that breaks the skin barrier for bacteria to seep into your nail especially if you get it done frequently and the uv gel curing machines(7) are the culprits that cause harm to your health. It is wise to choose a nail polish which is dtp free( a chemical causes weight gain, as you tend to lick your fingernails while eating or while you cook particles of the nail polish flake off, so it safer to choose a actual nail polish and use a nail care oil to maintain your nail health.
For readers interested in hearing the insightful conversation:
Jameela is joined by beauty culture critic Jessica DeFino in a candid conversation about where her current research and journalism is taking her, after years of covering a multi-billion dollar beauty industry for major women’s magazines & beauty apps in the US. The two discuss the science of skincare products VS the science of skin, why the wellness industry makes you feel bad about yourself and the inherently disappointing pursuit of ‘anti-aging’. You’ll hear about current beauty trends that are unsettling your skin with longer term (and unknown) effects, some of the natural ways your skin repairs itself plus some practical takeaways (without a 12 step routine).
Let me know your thoughts on this subject in the comments.
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