Healthy skin
Skin is the largest organ in the human body, yet it is often taken for granted. People pamper their hearts and agonize over their waistlines, but their skin can get totally overlooked. Just like every other organ you have, skin too needs a little more love to stay healthy.
And that was what I had intended to find out when I attended 'The Essentials of Skincare' seminar organised by Physiogel two weeks ago. A panel of four doctors touched on various topics on skin care throughout the 2-hour seminar, and those included dry and sensitive skin, dandruff, sun protection and eczema in children.
Professor Goh Chee Leok was up first and he set the tone of the seminar by giving an overview of what actually constitutes dry and sensitive skin.
Dry skin is caused by poor epidermal function and damage to the water-lipid barrier film resulting in increased water loss from the skin. This can occur when harsh products are used on the skin - usual suspects like antibacterial soaps - or when the skin is irritated by ingredients in cosmetic skin care like fragrances and alcohol. Sometimes skin can get dry and sensitive from external irritants too, like pollution, dry air, heat, dust or by poor skin care.
So the best lesson gleaned from the talk? Cleansers are your best friends. And not just any cleanser will do especially if you are suffering from sensitive skin. In fact, Professor Goh shared that the least foam that the cleanser generates when scrubbing, that is the best choice for sensitive skin.
Much like the Physiogel Cleanser which is a hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic soap-free cleanser that cleanses, soothes and softens without drying the skin. The low-foam formula cleanses thoroughly with or without water, making it an ideal choice for sensitive skin and all skin types including babies.
Dr Lynn Teo was up next, where she disepelled certain myths about dandruff, scalp disorder and hair loss. Dandruff is a condition of the scalp that causes flakes of skin to appear and is almost always marked by itching as well. So in order to care for an itchy scalp, the individual should avoid styling, hair products and decrease his/her stress level. More importantly, he/she should opt for a mild shampoo for the cleansing of sensitive scalp.
The Physiogel Shampoo Plus contains mild cleansing agents which have been proven to cleanse effectively with minimal harm to one's scalp. It also contains Pro-vitamin B5 (panthenol) and other hair conditioners, keeping the hair and scalp duly moisturized.
The topic of sun care protection was broached next, courtesy of Dr Patricia Yuen. It is a well-known fact that we are being exposed to more ultraviolet radiation with a change in ozone layer these days. Cumulative and unprotected ultraviolet exposure can accelerate skin ageing and increase the risk of skin cancers. So it is paramount that effective sun protection becomes part of our everyday lives, even for our children.
For starters, in order to effectively apply sunscreen lotion over the entire body, one would just need to remember to apply at least 6 tablespoons of it - 1 tablespoon each for front and back torso, 1 tablespoon for each leg, 1/2 tablespoon for each arm, head and neck. But that's not all, many sunscreens can't keep you safe all day long. They usually need to be reapplied to maintain maximum efficiency - for waterproof sunscreens, reapply every 80 minutes while it's 40 minutes for water-resistant sunscreens.Need a recommendation? The SpectraBAN sunscreen Sensitive 30 by Stiefel offers broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays and is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic too.
The final topic of the day was eczema in children by Dr Jenny Tang, something which Ale had experienced of late with patches of dry skin forming and is made a lot worse when she scratches them uncontrollably. The most common cause of eczema is atopic dermatitis and is caused by a combination of genetic background and environmental factors.We cannot control the hereditary portion but we most certainly can take control of the environmental factors that cause eczema flare-ups. And the basics of preventing that includes avoiding known triggers, such as harsh soaps, bubble baths, dust mites, food allergies, overheating and sweating, wool and polyester clothing, and keeping your child's skin well-moisturized. Since it is often hard to identify and avoid triggers, moisturizers like the Physiogel Cream can be the most helpful way to avoid eczema flares.
For more severe outbreak or sensitive skin, the Physiogel AI Cream is a non-comedogenic cream that helps relieve redness in dry, sensitive skin as well as to protect the skin from free radicals and regenerate its protective barrier.
Also, keeping the skin clean is also an effective way to minimize the flare-ups brought upon by eczema and using soap substitutes like the Physiogel Shower Cream which contains no colourants, perfume and preservatives certainly aids in this cause. And for best results, it's best to slap on some moisturizer right after you bathe - this locks in all the water your skin was able to soak up during shower time.
I certainly picked up lots of interesting know-how throughout the 2-hour seminar and I hoped that you had benefited from some of the nuggets of information I have shared as well. At the end of the day, the universal advice holds true for all medical conditions - Sleep well, Eat Well, De-stress... and drink plenty of water!
This guest blogger attended ‘The Essential of Skin Care’ Seminar Series on the invitation of Physiogel, and the above article is written purely based on his own opinions.
