In every supermarket, pharmacy, magazine, there are shelves & pages dedicated to moisturising products. They are consistently labelled with miraculous anti-ageing, super-hydrating properties and year on year we collectively empty billions of pounds from our pockets into the industry.
At Pure Perfection Clinic in Wrexham, Chester, we know that moisturisers do more harm than good. That’s right, moisturising is more likely to damage the skin than keep those lines at bay. As a ZO Skin Health faculty leader using ZO products and principles in my aesthetics clinic, I want to share why moisturisers are the route to lazy skin, and what you should be doing instead.
It’s An Addiction
Whether we are the get-up-and-go type, or the five-more-minutes-in-bed sort, when that alarm clock sounds in the morning, most of us will skip or drag our way to the bathroom, wash our face, dry it, and then apply moisturiser. We do it because we have been told to for years; by our grandparents, our mother, our friends, our magazines, our favourite beauty brands. We have been bombarded with the idea that moisturisers will stop us from becoming prune-like, dry and wrinkled. The very thought of not using the moisturiser is sickening.
Having been awakened to the ways of Dr Obagi, creator of the most innovative and effective skincare company, ZO® we know that this morning routine is an addiction brought about by cosmetic companies brainwashing us into believing that their cheaply made products were the elixir of life – or at least youthful skin. It certainly isn’t something that most of us need.
The Science Behind Our Skin
In essence, the skin is self-moisturising. The sebaceous glands which lie beneath our pores and cover the entirety of our skin secrete sebum, an oil which naturally lubricates the skin. By applying a moisturiser to our skin we effectively cause these glands to send signals to the brain to say ‘slow down the sebum, we’re hydrated enough’. It is through this process of external moisturising that our skin becomes lazy and therefore dependent upon the moisturiser to prevent the skin from becoming drier, thinner, and less elastic.
What We Know From ZO
Not only do moisturisers inhibit the skin’s natural hydration process, they also speed up the ageing process by slowing the production of hyaluronic acid and collagen thereby causing dull skin and wrinkles. ZO believe that many people suffer from dehydrated skin and not dry skin. Dry skin is a condition which normally manifests as eczema and dermatitis. Dehydrated skin is skin that isn’t particularly oily but has become dependent upon moisturiser.
With a little time and perseverance you can put down your moisturiser crutch and walk free into the ZO serum life which effectively restores the skin’s functionality and elasticity. At Pure Perfection Clinic we are driven to give all of our patients beautiful, glowing skin and leave the clinic with a confidence boost. To find out how our aesthetic treatments can benefit you, get in contact for a friendly consultation.