It is well known that the skin is our primary protective barrier, it has been known for a long time.
But that it plays such an important role for multiple physiological factors of real well-being has been highlighted by the latest scientific research in the field of reference.
Just think of a study conducted by the Italian Dermatological Institute in collaboration with the Institute of Relationship Psychology on a sample of 100 people, including men and women, which highlighted how beautiful and cared for skin helps you feel good about yourself and others.
On the contrary, a lack of care negatively affects self-esteem and interpersonal relationships.
Furthermore, according to the results of the research, there is little knowledge of the harmful consequences on the skin that certain factors can cause: UV rays, smoke, cold, heat, pollution, hair dyes, cosmetics, nail polish, drugs.
We unknowingly come into contact with these factors every day and we only realize how harmful they are after seeing the negative effects on our skin: redness, stinging, itching, roughness, dryness and annoying sensations of stretching.
Not only that. It seems that real chronic skin diseases are constantly increasing.
This is demonstrated by an analysis conducted by the Italian Society of Professional and Environmental Allergological Dermatology (Sidapa) which shows that 20% of adults suffer from contact dermatitis due to repeated interaction with allergens and irritating and aggressive substances.
According to the Italian Association of Cosmetic Industries, this figure is constantly increasing as manufacturers of beauty products include allergenic substances in cosmetics, bringing the percentage of products considered "dangerous" to 15%.
20% of newborns are affected by atopic dermatitis, which arises from food or contact allergies, while seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis are widespread with a lower percentage, but increasing given that they are more subject to cases of contact allergies with certain products.
As they say, “prevention is better than cure” and Sidapa recommends carefully reading the labels of the products we come into contact with to avoid aggressive ingredients such as perfumes, preservatives, nickel, gluten, parabens.
Our skin is our business card and taking care of it every day, wherever we are, helps us feel better about ourselves and others.
However, there are cases in which it becomes difficult to adequately protect the skin, especially when we are traveling. Unfortunately, the conditions in which we travel are often not the best.
Codacons itself, an organization that defends the rights of users of public services, has shown how in recent years travel conditions have worsened, forcing users to endure continuous changes in temperature from excesses or the lack of air conditioning and heating in transport cabins.
Our skin is the first organ to suffer from this disservice.
In fact, it is established by many studies and research in the dermatological field that the lack of humidity causes severe dehydration of the skin, making it dull and dry. To remedy this problem, dermatologists recommend following some precautions: before traveling, prepare the skin by generously applying moisturizing creams based on vegetable oils; During the trip, drink plenty of water and apply a thermal water spray to maintain a feeling of freshness. Once you arrive at the hotel or return home, the skin must recover its natural balance with bath salts and nourishing creams.
Not only can temperatures in means of transport be harmful to our skin, the environmental climate itself is responsible for it. Various lines of scientific research maintain that certain atmospheric conditions can have negative effects on the skin, as well as on our health: the epidermis would suffer more in the winter months when the atmosphere is loaded with harmful particles that settle on the skin weakening the hydrolipidic film and the stratum corneum. Furthermore, strong winds and freezing cold cause dryness, flaking and unpleasant sensations of stretching.
In the warmer months, however, if ultraviolet rays on the one hand have a disinfectant action against some diseases such as acne, on the other hand excessive exposure during the hottest hours is particularly risky for the skin which hardens manifesting burns and sunburns.
To deal with the damage of the climate, dermatologists recommend using moisturizing creams that act as a protective barrier against the cold and adequate photoprotection during the hottest hours.
How many times have we woken up, looked in the mirror and wondered what cream to use to wake up our skin.
To be on the safe side, we fill ourselves with products, from pimple toner, to anti-aging cream, to cream for dry skin, becoming real cosmetics addicts.
As a recent study has shown, it seems that every woman uses an average of 12 to 14 cosmetic products a day, including creams and make-up, ending up damaging the skin, rather than revitalizing it, because it will be stressed by more than 300 potentially harmful substances.
Dermatologists have warned about this impulsive behavior by arguing that everyone has their own skin type and that, before buying a cosmetic, it is better to carry out a skin check-up in order to avoid unpleasant side effects and even serious allergic pathologies.
Confirming the harmfulness of some cosmetic products is a survey carried out by the World Health Organization according to which 62% of women declare to have had, at least once in their life, irritable skin and intolerance to the cosmetic products used.
Knowing our skin would therefore help us choose the most suitable cosmetic. For example, experts argue that sensitive skin, a very common type of skin, needs to stimulate the defense system from aggressive situations such as pollution and climatic conditions by using tolerable products that avoid the risk of irritation.
In any case, they maintain that cosmetics must be free of perfume, photosensitizing substances, parabens, preservatives and must be biomimetic, that is, similar to the natural components of the skin.
According to dermatologists, it is also necessary to be careful when using intimate cleansers: it is better to avoid normal soaps that contain alkaline substances.
Instead, soaps with an acidic pH are preferable, which do not contain aggressive surfactants or perfumes.
Finally, many of us have a favorite shampoo that we choose for its good scent.
Even in this case, it is not necessarily good for our hair, in fact many studies consider it one of the main causes of scalp sensitivity.
Several tests have shown that some ingredients in shampoo and conditioner (ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lureth sulfate, dimethicone) eliminate the acid mantle of the scalp, or the natural acidity that protects the skin, making it sensitive, resulting in significant hair loss. It is better to prefer neutral and delicate products that maintain the natural pH of the skin.
Dispositivi medici | Spedizione gratuita da 60€
Dispositivi medici | Spedizione gratuita da 60€