Skincare Basics For Healthier Better-Looking Skin

Hello, I am Dr. Ji-in Jung, a dermatologist. Healthy skin is often maintained without much difficulty, even without extensive care. However, if you have sensitive skin with a lot of acne or accompanying troubles, adopting lifestyle habits that make your skin healthier in daily life can be even more beneficial.

Sensitive skin refers to skin that easily develops redness, itching, or troubles due to specific environmental changes (temperature changes) or various influences such as cleansing. Sensitive skin can be inherited, but it can also appear secondarily if skin conditions were not treated appropriately, if management was poor, or if incorrect methods were used during skin care. This is deeply related to the skin barrier.

The skin barrier is a concept composed of keratinocytes, intercellular lipids, and structures bound between cells, located on the outermost layer of our skin. It can be considered the primary defense mechanism of our skin. This stratum corneum performs important functions: it traps moisture to keep the skin hydrated and prevents external irritants or bacteria from invading. If this skin barrier is compromised, sensitive skin can easily develop.

Skin care should be tailored to your skin type. For sensitive skin, some people only wash their face with water in the morning and evening to reduce irritation, or meticulously use scrub products periodically over a long period to thoroughly cleanse pores. However, this also needs to be adjusted according to skin type. Excess is not good.

For those with oily skin, if sebum and waste products are not washed away when sebum secretion increases, especially in hot summers like now, it can lead to acne. In such cases, using a small amount of cleanser is important.

The importance of choosing a cleanser

The most suitable cleanser, whether for oily or dry skin, is a mildly acidic cleanser (pH 4.9~5.5) that can maintain the homeostasis of our skin. Those slightly closer to acidic than neutral are good because they do not harm the skin's balance. Washing until the skin feels squeaky clean is, in most cases, slightly alkaline and can have the side effect of long-term inhibition of the skin's recovery ability.

Proper cleansing habits

• When dispensing cleanser, it is best to lather it sufficiently in your hands and not rub the undiluted solution directly on your face. Instead, apply the lather to your face and wash with minimal physical and chemical irritation.
• Some people rub solid bar soaps, which are designed to easily create foam, directly on their face, thinking they are cleansing thoroughly or that they are mild. However, these products are fundamentally alkaline (pH 9~11) and can worsen symptoms for those with thin and sensitive skin. In fact, they are not good even for acne patients or those with thick, oily skin. They can increase sebum secretion.
• Some people scrub their skin until it feels squeaky clean due to acne and folliculitis, thinking they can remove a lot of sebum. However, not only sebum is removed, but also normal skin tissue, meaning the skin barrier, is damaged. From the skin's perspective, to recover, it may produce more sebum, leading to skin with a poor texture that is rough on the surface and filled with sebum underneath. Therefore, even for acne-prone skin, washing too frequently is not appropriate; washing two to three times a day is sufficient, and it is advisable to immediately use a mildly acidic moisturizer after washing.

This is a habit many people overlook. In hot summers like now, with masks being a part of daily life, there is a lot of skin oiliness and irritation, which can lead to a sticky feeling or itchiness, and a strong desire to touch the face. It is best to avoid touching your face as much as possible.

For sensitive skin, many people may receive massages at shops or at home using good packs to aid absorption. However, excessive massage can damage connective tissue and structures like elastin and collagen that attach the skin to its underlying structure. Therefore, rubbing too much can cause fine wrinkles and inflammation, so caution is needed.

Many people layer various products known for good ingredients, but when troubles occur frequently, it is best to minimize the number of ingredients.

Good ingredients for sensitive skin include Vitamin B5 (Panthenol), Ceramide, Zinc, and Copper.

People with dry skin often use oil-based cosmetics. While base oil products may be fine, mineral oil (paraffin) ingredients found in oil cleansers can block skin pores and cause milia-like acne. Furthermore, if an oil cleanser is used as a facial cleanser, the paraffin content is about twice as high as general foam cleansers to thoroughly dissolve the mineral oil ingredients. Therefore, it is important to note that this can make the skin more sensitive and drier. The use of cleansing oil for dry skin is an area that requires reconsideration.

I hope you also avoid the habit of washing your face with hot water. Many people think cold water is not sufficient to wash away skin waste, so they wash their face with hot water as if washing dishes. While hot water can relax muscles, aid blood circulation, and provide a comforting emotional stability, facial skin is much more sensitive and thinner than other areas, so the temperature should always be low. It is best to use lukewarm water, around the late 20s to early 30s degrees Celsius. Please also be aware that hot water can make the skin drier and, if you have facial redness, can exacerbate blood vessel dilation.

If your skin suddenly becomes sensitive, you might often try self-care or calming care at home. If the sensitivity is temporary, self-care can be helpful. However, conditions like facial redness or dermatitis often develop after being neglected for a long time. Therefore, it is best to seek early treatment before they become chronic.

Today, we learned about the management of sensitive skin. In the next video, we will explore treatments available at the clinic for patients with sensitive skin. If you have any additional questions, please leave them in the comments. This has been Dr. Ji-in Jung, a dermatologist. Thank you.