The warm breeze is a pleasant sign of the arrival of spring. March is a season of graduations, moving, new lives, and new encounters, but also sad farewells, and is a season of mixed hopes and fears. With each rain, the cold eases, and the season steadily moves towards spring.
At the same time, on warmer days, ultraviolet rays begin to attack the skin all at once, and skin requires serious care to prevent dullness and whitening. In March, when pollen is still flying around, it's time to start taking care of your skin to prevent dullness and whitening as your winter skin turns into spring skin.
Once the cherry blossoms bloom, the seasons change completely!
<Quoted from Weather News website>
Weathernews' cherry blossom forecast for 2023 is that cherry blossoms will bloom "from around March 20th" except in areas north of Tohoku. Cherry blossoms can be said to be a sign of the arrival of spring, so they can be a good indicator of when spring will start in your area.
Before the cherry blossoms bloom, the weather goes back and forth between winter and spring, fluctuating as we move towards spring. During this period, the temperature difference can be irritating and stressful to the skin. This year's pollen dispersion is also said to be at its highest level in the past 10 years, making it a difficult time for people who suffer from hay fever. It is likely to be a major irritant to the skin. Therefore, skin care that takes into account the two major stressors of temperature difference and pollen is necessary.
The month of March is when the skin's barrier function weakens. Let's focus on measures to prevent dullness and whitening, and on the skin's barrier function!
The skin is protected by a sebum film and stratum corneum, and through healthy turnover (the cycle in which new skin is produced and old skin is shed), the stratum corneum is regenerated while maintaining moisture.
The sebum film is a veil of sebum that prevents moisture from evaporating from the skin and acts as a last resort to protect the skin from external invaders.
Skin that has been through the peak of dryness in the winter tends to be dry even more, and the barrier function of the skin is weakened. If the barrier function remains weakened, the effectiveness of measures to prevent dullness and whitening will be halved.
What types of skin care take into account barrier function?
1. Cleansing and washing your face
Rather than simply washing away dead skin cells, the cleansing and washing steps soften and moisturize the skin, promoting healthy cell turnover. It also boosts the skin's natural strength and strengthens its barrier function.
2. Toner and serum
We recommend a lotion that delivers moisturizing ingredients to the skin while improving the skin texture. It also improves the skin's barrier function and enhances the effects of brightening and whitening serums in the next step.
3. Finishing touches
To finish off, use a moisturizing gel or cream to cover your skin with a veil of moisture. And lastly, use a sunscreen as a makeup base before going out for perfect protection from UV rays! We recommend a sunscreen that also has beauty benefits.
Allergies and skin care
Understanding how allergies work
An allergy is a condition in which the body overreacts to something and is related to the immune system.
The immune system is a defense system that protects the body and acts to remove things that are not our own cells. For example, the immune system acts against things that do not exist in the body (called allergens), such as pollen, dust mites, dust, and food proteins. An antibody called IgE (Immunoglobulin E) is produced in the body, which can cause various allergic symptoms. It can also cause allergies such as rough skin, itching, and hives.
The effects of allergens and IgE (antibodies) on the skin
In normal skin conditions, the barrier function of the stratum corneum and sebum film protects the skin from the invasion of allergens, and also maintains moisture inside the skin.
In allergic skin, the skin's barrier function is impaired and moisture is easily lost. Allergens enter the skin, and antibodies are produced to remove the allergens, causing skin problems.
Skin problems caused by other factors can also lead to skin allergies, and the overreaction of antibodies to allergens varies depending on the type of allergen and the person. Even if you had no symptoms at all, you may suddenly develop an allergy one day, so be sure to take measures to protect yourself from allergens.
Skin care to prevent allergies
Maintains skin's barrier function without losing moisture
The outermost layer of the epidermis, the sebum film, and the stratum corneum underneath act as a barrier to protect the skin from various external stresses. What you should keep in mind above all else is to keep the skin from drying out and to maintain normal turnover of the keratin.
Wash away sweat and dirt promptly and thoroughly
Sweat and dirt are also irritants. Many people have experienced itching caused by heat rash, which then worsened into rough skin. Do not leave sweat and dirt on your skin, but wipe it off thoroughly and wash it away as soon as possible.
If you think there is a genetic cause
The most important thing is to prevent substances that cause allergies from entering your body. If allergic skin gets worse, it can lead to atopic dermatitis. If symptoms develop, seek medical treatment from a specialist as soon as possible to prevent the condition from worsening.
What did you think of "Spring skin care for damaged winter skin"?
We have introduced spring skin care tips that are suitable for winter skin, whose barrier function has been weakened due to dryness, etc.
The next topic will be "Skin care for changing environments."
