Cosmetologist’s Opinion

27.12.2016

“Our skin is a reflection of our internal health, poor health reflects on the skin”,“that’s why just skin care in the classical terms might not be enough” as Mrs Svetlana Gnatyuk, a cosmetologist with 20-year experience, member of Ukrainian Association of Cosmetologists and Dermatologists, explains.

Even the most expensive cream might not be effective if the cause of problem skin is inside the organism.

As the French women say: ‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t like your nose shape or breast size. The only thing that can spoil your look is bad skin’. They are certainly right! The skin is not only the measure of beauty as it reflects our overall condition. That’s why conventional skin care actions might not be enough for healthy skin.

Mrs Gnatyuk, we see that skin flares occur with every season change. How does this reflect to the skin health?

Change of seasons is always a stress for our body, which has to accustom itself to drops of temperature, diet changes, daylight hours. All of our systems and bodily functions need to adapt: e.g. endocrine, nervous, digestive. In addition, drops of temperature affect vessels responsible for nourishment of skin, hair and nails. Disturbed microcirculation of blood might cause rash, flaking, skin becomes dull and pale.

Change of diet has rather strong influence. While it’s getting cold our need in calories is growing in order to keep warm, consequently appetite is rising and we eat more greasy food.

Do you think that our digestive system has a strong influence on skin health?

Beyond all doubt! There is a saying, Our skin is a reflection of our internal health, poor health reflects on the skin. Both skin and digestive tract tissues forms during fetal life from one layer and that’s why everything in our body is closely linked. Intestinal dysfunctions may evoke acne, allergic skin rash, pigmentation and other problems. The type of reaction depends on a variety of factors: genetic predisposition, unique individual features and life style. It’s very important to comprehend that the skin is another organ, like our heart or stomach.

Are there food products which can be specifically harmful to skin?

Excess consumption of carbs, starchy food, sweets, alcohol may evoke fermentation processes in the intestine. This may inhibit proper digestion and impair the absorption of nutrients.

What solution could you propose?

All recommendations are very individual. Before opting for a treatment, I always question closely my clients about their diet, and if they have complaints of dyspeptic character or indigestion. For example, a person might be eating greasy food or tried some exotic dish and the skin responded with a rash. In these cases, several cosmetological procedures and a detox course could be enough.

Please, tell in details why do we need sorbents?

Adsorbing agents has been used in cosmetology years ago. In ancient times people knew that if you wanted to have healthy skin you would first need to cleanse your body of toxins which are a burden to our overall health. That’s why just skin care in the classical terms might not be enough, even with the most expensive products. Today we see clinics specialized in non-conventional procedures for digestive tract, blood, liver, and entire body cleansing. If you want to carry out a mild detox at home, sorbents are exactly what you need. I advise my patients to opt for products that combine the detox with microbiome enhancers, prebiotics. These products will not only cleanse, but they will help to rebalance our intestinal microbiome, helping to strengthen our immune system.

Are sorbents effective in allergic rashes?

Indeed, they are, and I’m going to explain why. There are allergic reactions of immediate and delayed type. People who respond immediately, even to the extent of anaphylactic shock, to a microscopic portion of some substance have immediate type of allergic reaction. They need no sorbents but the emergency medical help. They have to avoid contacts with the allergens for all their life. But there are responses of delayed type, when some substance are accumulating in our body and when they reach a critical level can manifest in the form of urticaria, itching, skin rash or asthma. In this case sorbents might be of help.

Is there any of a specific diet to recommend?

There are rules of healthy eating and all people should follow regardless of skin quality and health. The rules are well-known: avoid fried, greasy food, and sweets; consume more fiber, fruit, vegetables. What we recommend is a well-balanced diet. An excessive fancy for diets might cause exactly the opposite effect. Also, smoking, irregular sleeping patterns and stress bear a negative effect on our skin. Our aim should be to improve the quality of our life altogether.

Which cosmetic procedures would you advise?

External cleansing is a must as our skin needs to breathe. Also, it helps to get the maximum from other products used, such as hydration creams. Also the use of enzymatic peelings or fruit acid peelings, natural smooth scrubs, and serums is recommended. Procedures with them are pleasant and absolutely pain-free.

Don’t forget to cleanse your skin every day and never go to bed with make-up on. The only thing I always ask my clients is to never wash their face with hand-soap, under no circumstances. Use gels, special milk, foams, anything but not soap.

After proper cleansing, you need to protect and moisten your skin. For this purpose, use nourishing cream suitable for your age and skin type.

Mrs Gnatyuk, any additional advises on everyday care.

Get enough sleep! And if you smoke, I beg you to quit as soon as possible. Apart of the known effects that are bad already, nicotine is one of the most aggressive and harmful substances for skin.