The Olympics will be held amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the opening ceremony taking place on July 23rd... it will be a special start to July.
COVID-19 vaccinations are also progressing, but I hope that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held safely and securely. In July, the skin environment changes significantly before and after the end of the rainy season. After the rainy season, summer finally arrives. This time, I would like to focus on "skin care after the rainy season".
When will the rainy season end this year?
Last year, in 2020, the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region ended on August 1st and continued throughout July. As a result, in the case of Tokyo last year, July was the rainy season and August was the skin environment after the rainy season, with continued humidity and a sudden rise in temperature.
① Continued high humidity
② Temperature increase (average maximum temperature: 27.6℃ in July → 34.1℃ in August)
3) Increase in sunlight exposure due to increased sunshine hours (average sunshine hours: 1.5 hours in July → 8.2 hours in August)
As the humidity continues, it is obvious that it is essential to continue taking measures against sweating and sebum, as well as continuing to take measures against sunlight after the rainy season ends. What we want to pay attention to is the rise in temperature. Whether indoors at home or at work, or in the car on the way to work, the air conditioner's temperature setting will be lowered even further, and in addition to the dryness caused by the air conditioner, the temperature difference with the outside air will suddenly increase, and this temperature difference will be a big stress for both the body and skin.
Skin care keyword for the summer: "poor metabolism"
One problem you should be aware of that can be caused by temperature difference stress during the height of summer is poor metabolism.
When it comes to skin, temperature changes can be a trigger for stress, disrupting the skin's turnover metabolism and causing problems. Skin problems can weaken the skin's resistance to not only its own excretions such as sweat and sebum, but also to external stressors such as ultraviolet rays, which can lead to serious problems.
In terms of the body, the stress of temperature differences can cause autonomic nervous system disorders, leading to various health problems such as poor circulation in the summer and hot flashes and slight fevers, as well as a lack of sleep, fatigue, and lethargy. Since health and skin condition are closely related, your skin will also fall into an unhealthy state.
Metabolism and beauty
Although the term "metabolism" is used in a broad sense, there are various academic and medical definitions of metabolism, but I would like you to deepen your understanding of the familiar terms "basal metabolism" and "metabolism (which in the case of skin means turnover)" and apply it to your daily beauty lifestyle.
-What is basal metabolism?
Basal metabolism refers to the minimum amount of energy required for human survival.
A decline in metabolic ability = a decline in the ability to consume energy, so if the energy (calories) ingested is not consumed sufficiently, and this, combined with a decline in the ability to break down fat, can easily lead to obesity.
The decline in basal metabolism with age can be seen as a decline in the metabolic function of the cells that make up blood vessels, organs, muscles, etc., and is deeply related to physical condition and overall health. Therefore, a lifestyle that increases basal metabolism is important for both beauty and health, and it is important to be conscious of both exercise habits that thoroughly consume the energy sources you ingest, and devising and improving your diet so that you do not ingest more energy sources than you can consume.
-What is metabolism?
"Chen" means old and "Xie" means to leave, so the word means that the old is replaced by the new. In the body, this refers to the process of taking in what is needed, producing new cells, and expelling old waste, and is sometimes described as "dynamic metabolism."
When it comes to skin, "turnover" is the metabolism. It refers to the cycle in which new skin cells are born in the basal layer of the epidermis, which are pushed upward, and eventually dirt and old stratum corneum are excreted by peeling off. It is often said to be a 28-day cycle, but various research reports have said it is about 6 weeks, and it seems that the cycle tends to get longer with age. A turnover cycle that is too short or too long can lead to skin problems. If it is too short, new skin cells will peel off before they can fully grow, and the stratum corneum, which can be said to be immature, may not be able to perform its original barrier function. On the other hand, if the cycle is too long, the stratum corneum will become thick and hard, which may lead to dryness and stiffness of the skin.
It is important to understand and live a conscious lifestyle that not only focuses on skin turnover but also on the factors that disrupt metabolism in general.
<Examples of factors that disrupt metabolism>
・Lack of sleep ・Unreasonable dieting ・External stress (ultraviolet rays, dryness, temperature changes, etc.)
・Irregular diet (lack of vegetables, too much fat), fatigue, poor circulation, smoking, eating and drinking right before going to bed, drinking alcohol, overeating, constipation, lack of exercise, etc.
We have brought you some skin care tips to keep in mind in July.
Next time, I would like to give you some tips on "soothing skin care for summer skin."
