The trees in the mountains are turning colorful and the leaves are falling, and autumn is well underway. It's the season for enjoying everything from viewing autumn leaves to picking fruits and other delicacies. While there is more to enjoy than usual, some areas will experience their first frost or snow, and the air will become drier. So why not start anti-aging care while being mindful of dryness?
Heading straight for winter! November weather
~In November, both temperature and humidity will continue to drop, and we will move forward into winter, where dryness is the enemy of aging~
How is your skin condition now that we have transitioned from summer to autumn? If you are currently experiencing skin problems such as roughness, dullness, stiffness, breakouts, or dryness, your skin's resistance to dryness may be weakened.
According to Tokyo's weather data for last year, 2021, the average temperature in November was 13.7°C, down 4.7°C from the previous month, and the average humidity was 65%, down about 10%. Furthermore, in the last week of November, the temperature dropped to single digits and the humidity was around 30%. It was a very cold November, with the weather similar to mid-winter. Based on this data, it seems that the metropolitan area will enter early winter from the latter half of November.
The timing of the transition to skin care for the "dry winter" varies depending on the region, and dryness and loss of moisture in the skin progresses with age. It can be said that dryness is the cause of skin aging, so dealing with dryness is the basis of anti-aging care.
The mechanism of wrinkles
Causes of Wrinkles (1) Epidermis and Wrinkles It has been reported that the moisture content of the stratum corneum and the amount of water lost from the epidermis are closely related to wrinkles.
The main factors affecting the amount of moisture in the stratum corneum are epidermal dryness and the amount of hyaluronic acid, and it is known that the amount of hyaluronic acid decreases with age, regardless of gender. In addition, the barrier function of the skin, which prevents moisture evaporation, is also reduced by aging and exposure to ultraviolet rays, as the proteins that make up this function decrease.
Therefore, the causes of wrinkles on the epidermis are dry air, ultraviolet rays, and aging.
In addition, skin problems such as rough skin and pimples can cause the skin to harden and develop wrinkles.
(2) Wrinkles in the dermis One thing to pay attention to is "photoaging." In addition to ultraviolet rays, near-infrared rays contained in sunlight can reach the dermis, and it has been reported that this not only causes wrinkles but also sagging.
The physiological cause of "aging" requires lifestyle changes related to beauty, and from the perspective of skin care, it is useful to maintain and replenish moisture in the stratum corneum with cosmetics. As for "photoaging" including ultraviolet rays, it is also important to use sunscreen all year round, regardless of the season.
Improving wrinkles with general cosmetics The improvement or prevention of wrinkles is not recognized as an effective cosmetic claim under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, and even the use of the word "wrinkles" in advertising is prohibited.
For cosmetics, their effectiveness is evaluated through human trials evaluating the moisturizing effect of applying the product for two weeks, and the claims about their effectiveness are limited to saying that they "reduce the appearance of fine lines caused by dryness."
Improving wrinkles with quasi-drugs <br>Quasi-drugs are required to undergo comparative evaluation with preparations containing anti-wrinkle active ingredients in human trials lasting more than two months, and to receive approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for the anti-wrinkle active ingredients based on the test results. At present, the following three ingredients have been confirmed as approved ingredients.
(1) Sodium trifluoride isopropyl oxopropyl aminocarbonyl pyrrolidine carbonyl methylpropyl aminocarbonyl benzoyl aminoacetate (2) Retinol (3) Nicotinamide W
It is expected that applications for quasi-drug status will continue to be submitted in the future based on the test results of new anti-wrinkle active ingredients.
In addition to using cosmetics and quasi-drugs to improve wrinkles, hyaluronic acid injections are available in the field of cosmetic medicine, but as it takes 6 to 12 months for the acid to be absorbed into the body, continuous treatment is required.
So, what did you think of this article on "Aging care to prepare for winter's biggest enemy: dryness"?
By taking care of your skin before winter really sets in, you may be able to say goodbye to all your winter worries.
The next theme will be "Looking back on 2022."
