Real skin care means using natural oils and ingredients.

Here are some real skin care facts to replace the myths you may have heard. First of all, oil is not a bad thing. Oil from the skin creates a natural protective barrier. Acts as a lubricant to help prevent injury. It has a small amount of selective antibacterial activity, which helps prevent some infections from taking hold. Sebum is the medical term for the oil produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin. It would naturally protect the hair from frizz, fraying and damage. It would naturally protect skin cells from moisture loss. I would, but we are constantly washing it.

Good hygiene is important to prevent disease transmission. We tend to overdo it, showering two or three times a day, washing our hands dozens of times a day, and washing our hair every day. Eventually, this constant cleaning will lead to excessive dryness and an aged appearance. Depending on what you do and how active you are, you may need to shower often. It’s okay to wash the oil, as long as we replace it. Here is another real fact about skin care. We need some sunlight.

Our bodies use UV-B rays to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient. According to doctors, low blood levels of this nutrient are on the rise. They believe that part of the reason for the deficiency is the constant use of products that contain sunscreens. There are far too many sunscreen ingredients to list here, but if you read the ingredient label on your cleansers, creams, makeup, and other cosmetics, you might see one or two listed as “actives.” Most of the active ingredients in current cosmetics are sunscreens.

Oxybenzone, benzophenone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and avobenzone are among the most common sunscreen ingredients. At least 8 separate studies have confirmed that there is a higher incidence of malignant melanoma among regular sunscreen users. The researchers aren’t sure why. They can’t give us a real skin care fact about the danger of sunscreens. But they have a theory. The theory is that sunscreen ingredients penetrate through the outer layers of the skin and cause free radical damage.

Free radical damage is known to play a role in the formation of cancerous growths. It also plays an important role in skin aging. Here is another real fact about skin care. Some molecules penetrate through the outer layers of the skin. Others don’t. Ingredients like collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid are useless because they can’t penetrate. Chemicals like artificial preservatives and sunscreen ingredients can be dangerous to our health as they can penetrate.

Let’s recap. Everyone should use a moisturizer on their face and body after they shower. Ideally, your moisturizer should not contain a chemical sunscreen or dangerous artificial ingredients. Collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid are not hydrating. You are probably wondering what you should use to hydrate. There are a number of beneficial plant oils including grapeseed, jojoba, olive, and shea butter.

Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and is not good for skin health. You’ll find additional real skin care tips in my other articles. The ones mentioned here are just some of the facts that you should know.