Events in May, including Golden Week, are concentrated in the first half of the month. May 5th is Children's Day (Tango no Sekku) and also the beginning of summer on the calendar, and May 8th is Mother's Day. Since the start of our COVID-19 lifestyle, this Golden Week has been a long time since we last saw self-restraint measures lifted, so I imagine there was a lot of movement around. How did you all spend your Golden Week? The season is about to transition to early summer, with dazzling new greenery and relatively mild and comfortable weather, but it's important to be careful that May Sickness can affect your skin. In this article, we'll tell you about some beauty tips to keep in mind in May to prepare for the summer.
The skin environment in May is "comfortable and harsh at the same time"
Looking back at the weather data for Tokyo in May 2021, we can see that there were midsummer days with a maximum temperature of 28.9°C, and some slightly chilly days with a minimum temperature of 10.9°C. Generally, May is the most comfortable month of the year, but it is a time when refreshing spring days, humid rainy season-like days, and summer days alternate, making it a stressful environment for the skin. When you add to this the May Sickness, which is said to be caused by changes in lifestyle, the condition of your skin can fluctuate greatly.
Maintain healthy skin metabolism (turnover) and build a foundation to withstand the summer!
May is a month of both comfort and harshness. Just as the three seasons of spring, rainy season, and midsummer alternate, this is a time of rapid change, and it is especially important to focus on skin care to maintain healthy, normal skin metabolism, or turnover (regeneration of the epidermis).
When the turnover cycle becomes longer, the keratin that would normally fall off as new epidermis regenerates remains, causing the keratin to thicken and the skin to become stiff, which promotes wrinkles and sagging. It also causes dullness, which is the enemy of whitening. All your efforts at whitening and anti-aging will be wasted.
On the other hand, if the cycle becomes shorter, the epidermis will be reborn in an immature state, and the resistance will be weak, causing problems such as rough skin and acne. If resistance to ultraviolet rays is lost, not only will spots and dullness appear, but the aging process of the skin will also accelerate.
The effects of sunlight stress on your skin
We will now explain in detail the effects that sunlight stress has on your skin, which was mentioned in last month's " Skin Care for Environmental Changes " article.
Ultraviolet B rays (UVB)
If it reaches the epidermis of the skin and is exposed to it for a long time, it stimulates pigment cells (melanocytes) and produces large amounts of melanin, the pigment that causes spots. When this melanin accumulates, it becomes fixed on the skin as spots.
Ultraviolet A rays (UVA) and blue light <br data-mce-fragment="1">Their wavelengths are similar and reach the dermis. Even more troublesome, they can penetrate clouds and glass to reach the skin, so they cannot be prevented even on bad weather days or through glass indoors. This sunlight denatures the collagen and elastin in the dermis, causing wrinkles.
Near Infrared (NIR)
It has been discovered that it penetrates even further below the dermis, into the subcutaneous tissue, and causes the degeneration of collagen and elastin deep within the skin, which can lead to sagging, a condition that is even more serious than wrinkles. Once sagging has occurred, it becomes difficult to treat with cosmetics.
The way to protect your skin from these types of sunlight is to use sunscreen all year round, which has the function of absorbing or blocking four types of sunlight. Sunscreen is often thought of as a seasonal product, but you should be conscious of using it all year round and of taking part in skin care that maintains healthy, normal skin metabolism and is resistant to the stress of sunlight.
Benefits of UV rays <br data-mce-fragment="1">Sunlight is often treated as the villain, but we're here to tell you that UV rays also have benefits.
1. Vitamin D, which is essential for calcium accumulation in the body, requires the help of ultraviolet light to be synthesized in the body.
2. Ultraviolet light has a germicidal effect, so it is not only beneficial for drying clothes and bedding outside, but it can also be used as light therapy for certain illnesses.
3. Exposing yourself to sunlight when you wake up resets your body clock, which results in better quality sleep.
We have brought you information on beauty lifestyle tips to keep in mind in May in preparation for summer.
Next time, we will give you some tips on skin care during the rainy season.
