If you have tried out lots of different products but are just not finding the right 'fit' for your skin, or you are finding your skin to be easily sensitized, tight, prone to breakouts, or just not behaving like you would want your skin to, it may be because you simply do not have a skincare strategy. Having the correct skincare strategy is very important, or you will just be wasting money, or worse, potentially damaging your skin barrier.
In order to have a strategy, you first need to understand your skin. The skin isn't just what you see when you look in the mirror, it actually has three parts, The outermost part is called the stratum corneum, and that is what you can see. It is our what is known as our 'skin barrier'. It is a really important part of the skin because it shields us against external irritants such as UV rays, pollution and bacteria. It also prevents water loss (our bodies consist of approximately 60% water). So we need to take good care of it.
The stratum corneum consists of cells called corneocytes, a lipid layer made up of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids, as well as a soup of natural moisturising factors in the form of water-soluble compounds such as urea, lactic acid, sugars, minerals, PCA, amino acids and peptides, amongst other components.
Image 1. The top layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, is what you see when you look at your skin. The stratum corneum down to the basal layer all make up the epidermis.
At The O11, when formulating for the skin, we like to align with what is already found in the skin. This is called mimicking the skin. Mimicry behavior is commonly found in nature, and we have applied the same principles when developing our skincare products. We choose to use ingredients that are already found in the skin, so that the skin recognizes them as friendly, absorbs them more easily, and doesn't fight them (have an allergic reaction).
Ingredients that you will find in our formulations are the same ones that are found naturally in the skin: urea, lactic acid and its salt sodium lactate, PCA, glycerols, fatty acids such as stearic acid, glycans, phospholipids, sugars, proteins and amino acids. They are skin-friendly and support the skin barrier.
When coming up with a skincare strategy, your first port of call should be a good barrier cream that supports your skin, strengthens it and nourishes it. A product that is formulated specifically to align with your skin's biology is an intelligent product. Try out our Rehydration Barrier Cream to see what real skin barrier care looks and feels like.
The second strategy is to always support the skin's microbiome. While this may be surprising, our skin is colonised by an entire ecosystem of friendly bacteria, fungi, viruses and mites. They create a protective realm that defends against pathogens and infection, assists in wound healing, and regulates inflammation. Unfortunately some skincare ingredients are overly harsh and can disrupt the skin's microbiome. We carefully select only the most gentle, microbiome-friendly ingredients to ensure that this ecosystem stays healthy.
A third strategy is to not overwhelm the skin with a lengthy skincare routine. We prefer a simplistic routine that works. We keep to minimal but exceptional products, and stick to our philosophy of: treat your skin: gently, frequently, scientifically.
No matter whether you have normal skin, oily skin, problem skin, dry skin or any combination, you need to first and foremost be looking after your skin barrier and supporting your skin's microbiome. These are your skin's first lines of defense, and if these are imbalanced then you have a lower chance of success when treating any skin concerns.
0 comments