The difference between beauty and skin health

The former is a result-oriented beautification method, and the latter is the physiological basis of state-oriented. The two may overlap and be mutually beneficial, or they may be completely opposite.

A little while ago, a young girl who had just graduated came to my studio. In order to look good in her graduation photos, she applied 7 whitening masks in three days, and also went for a thousand-yuan rapid skin rejuvenation project. On the day of the photo shoot, her face was as white as if she had undergone microdermabrasion. The original photo was taken without any need for photoshop. The girl was so happy to return the photo to me, but the next day she came back with a red rash all over her face. She was diagnosed with contact dermatitis, and it took almost half a month for the itching to go away.

This is the most typical pitfall of equating “beauty effect” with “skin health”.

The two most quarrelsome factions in the skin care industry today are actually fighting from these two ends. One group is the "beauty group" who prioritizes efficacy. They believe that as long as it can quickly achieve the beautiful effects of brightening, lightening lines, and shrinking pores, even a little stinging and peeling are normal "tolerance building periods." Many bloggers even advocate "seven-day skin rejuvenation" and "emergency dermabrasion." In their view, darkening after medical treatment and temporary damage to the barrier are all tuition fees that should be paid for beauty. ； The other group is the "healthy group" who is conservative in skin care. They regard all functional beauty methods as a scourge. They believe that as long as the face is not itchy, red and acne-free, that is the ultimate goal. Even applying sunscreen is afraid of adding burden to the barrier, and they can't wait to have physical sunscreen welded to the face all year round.

In fact, both sides are not completely wrong, they just have different goals.

To be honest, the standard of skin health is actually quite simple. The essence is that the physiological functions of the skin are functioning normally: the water content of the stratum corneum is maintained in the golden range of 10%-20%, the sebum film can completely block external stimulation, the dermis has no invisible inflammation, and it is immune to external cold, heat, and cosmetic stimulation. It has normal tolerance - to put it bluntly, if you don't apply anything on your face, your face won't be so dry or oily that you can make an omelette. Even if it's windy in spring and exposed to the sun for a long time in summer, it won't turn red and itchy at every turn. This is a truly healthy face, and it has nothing to do with whether you are white, have spots, or have many wrinkles.

I have met many aunts in their fifties who have wrinkles and sun spots on their faces, but they feel smooth and not red, and they don’t hurt from dryness in winter. This is very healthy skin, but it just doesn’t meet the current beauty standards of "white and bright".

What about beauty? To put it bluntly, it is "decoration" for the skin. Healthy skin is a load-bearing wall. You can paint the wall (whitening), install chandeliers (brightening), or install wall cabinets (anti-aging). Even if you choose the right materials during decoration, you can also strengthen the load-bearing wall. For example, if you choose prototype VC that has both whitening and anti-inflammatory effects, it can not only brighten the skin tone, but also reduce photoaging inflammation in the dermis. It is a good thing for both beauty and health.

I'm just afraid that in order to make the decoration look good, you'll smash the load-bearing wall.

For example, in order to quickly whiten your skin, you may use a Sanwu mask with illegally added mercury, or apply high-concentration acid every day to shrink pores. In the short term, your skin may appear smooth and white, but in fact, your stratum corneum has been corroded to the point where it is as thin as paper. If you are slightly irritated, you may become allergic and break out. This is not called beauty, it is called ruining your face.

Some people may also ask, are there any people who have good beauty effects and have healthy skin? Of course there is. Many of my friends who are skin care bloggers usually do medical aesthetics frequently, but they always leave a full one to two weeks barrier repair period after each treatment. They alternately use functional products and repairing products, which not only maintains a good photogenic condition, but also does not turn the face into a sensitive skin.

Oh, yes, there is another interesting misunderstanding. Many people think that "good skin means it is healthy", but this is not true. Many celebrities appear to have zero pores and blemishes on camera, but in reality their skin is extremely sensitive in private, and it turns red at every turn. They rely on regular application of medical repair masks to maintain stability. Their beauty effects are full, but their skin is actually in a sub-healthy state for a long time, but the camera cannot capture it.

In the end, there is no need to give a standard answer. After all, everyone’s needs are different: if you have a wedding or an interview next week, and want to make your skin condition better in the short term, it’s okay to do a strong beauty treatment once in a while, and just do a good repair afterwards. There is no need to have any psychological burden.； If you have sensitive skin that is prone to allergies, it is not too late to lay a solid foundation of health first before tossing about beauty treatments.

Anyway, when it comes to your own face, is it more important to look good or to be comfortable? There is no unified standard answer, right?