Lifestyles and Skin: Part II
Noemi Iniguez
Last week, we mentioned how lifestyles affect your skin such as your sleep cycle, make up, and diet. This week we’re focusing on other lifestyles which may leave you wanting to make a couple of changes to the way you live, starting with your cellphone:
Technology has come a long way. Every two years, we’re told to upgrade to the latest phone, but did you know that even if your phone is waterproof, or has good camera, or whatever good feature may contain, doesn’t stop bacteria from reaching on to your face and potentially causing acne. So now, not only do we have to worry about our “Tzone” (Forehead, nose, chin), but anyone who uses a cellphone (which is practically everyone you can possibly think of), now has to worry about their “Y-zone”, which is cheeks and neck. There are some major skin concerns to be worried about for those who are constantly on their phone:
According to Allure, “Constantly staring down at your cell keyboard for long periods of time can cause ‘techneck’, or wrinkles underneath the chin and around the neck, squinting at the too-small text can also cause crow’s feet around the eyes.” So using your phone all the time, whether on break during work, at home, or before going to bed can lead to wrinkles because of the position we put our head when it comes to checking your phone. Of course you can always try putting your phone in the air, but careful, slippery hands may lead to a phone slap to the head.
Although you may not see it happen at a fast pace but staring down at your phone can lead to early signs of wrinkles, which can be prevented! Try using our Clear Essence Anti-Aging Complexion Soap with Alpha Hydroxy Acid. The soap helps regenerate your skin a lot faster by removing dead skin cells and still giving you soft and radiant skin. The soap contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) which helps mature normal, oily, or dry skin. Use this to stop “techneck� from creating premature wrinkles .
Have you ever seen your phone after you get off a phone call, and it’s all shiny from your hair and face? Keep in mind that’s only what you’re seeing, fact is, there’s so much more on your phone that you can’t even see. According to Mic, “Our phones are actually dirtier than the bottom of our shoes or a toilet seat. One study found an 80% match between the germs on our fingers and our phones, meaning everything we touch ends up on our screens... and then on our faces when we make a call.” Our phones are as dirty as our shoes and feet…if that doesn’t gross you out then pay no attention to this message—a clean cell, means cleaner skin cells! In order to prevent acne, keep your phone clean—use a sanitary wipe, with little to no alcohol to clean your phone case. POPSUGAR has some helpful and techfriendly tips on how to clean your actual phone, without damaging any sensitive parts. Now, just because you cleaned your phone, should not give you an excuse to not wash your face, in fact, washing your face should be a daily routine!
Use the Clear Essence Platinum Line Medicated Cleansing Bar, which helps remove bacteria and oils from your face and body. Use the soap not only to prevent cellphone bacteria from staying on your face, but also by removing dead skin cells for a blemish free complexion. Lastly, HealthCentral recommends using your speaker button, but if you are not into having everyone listen in on your conversation, then use head phones, or a Bluetooth headset—anything that will keep contact from your phone to your face. But, if you are going to put your phone to your face, then try not to apply so much pressure, then you’ll have all those oils and bacteria stuck on your face!
Allure states, “The blue glow emanating from computer, smartphone, and tablet screens can throw off your internal sleep rhythms, meaning it's harder to fall asleep and you spend less time in REM sleep. Not to mention the incessant notification chimes from social media, emails, and texts.” In other words, everytime you’re on Twitter checking to see what’s trending at 3 A.M. (you’d be surprised) your skin is reacting by creating dark circles near your eyes! So when you go to bed, turn your phone on silent, your beauty sleep is more important then what your friend might have to say— might. Try to put your phone away from your bed or if possible in another room and invest in an old fashioned alarm clock from Amazon.
If you are incapable of putting your phone down at night, we recommend using the Clear Essence Platinum Line Skin Lightening Serum, which helps reduce dark circles in areas such as your eyes. It also helps areas such as hyperpigmentation and dark spots, which again, may be caused by cellphones because of the heat your phone emits and when you talk on the phone for large amounts of time!
Throughout the course of our life, we will always be told to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. But we never really think about how exercising affects our skin positively and negative. We get sidetracked by our muscles and whether we’re meeting our body goals, but do you ever think how our skin reacts to exercise? According to The New York Times, “After age 40, the men and women who exercised frequently had markedly thinner, healthier stratum corneums and thicker dermis layers in their skin. Their skin was much closer in composition to that of the 20- and 30-year-olds than to that of others of their age, even if they were past age 65.” What researchers found was that rather than aging at a normal pace, people who exercise routinely were more likely to reduce wrinkling, and even have skin similar to younger age groups. Therefore, if you wish to stay wrinkle free, exercise should be incorporated in your lifestyle, not only because it makes you look younger, but it’s also a healthy habit that we can all use. Exercising can also help reduce acne as WebMD states, “Physical activity also helps your skin by increasing your blood circulation, which sends more oxygen to your skin cells and carries cell waste away.” Therefore, exercising can be beneficial to your skin, but it also requires more supervision of your skin. According to SHAPE, there are a couple of consequences if you’re not properly prepared when it comes to exercising such as:
Just like how more oxygen may help your skin cells, it can also damage it. Too much oxygen may lead to elasticity damage which may ultimately cause wrinkles, or as SHAPE calls it “Runner’s face””
Although a good workout may just be a quick jog, jogging without proper support may lead to sagging breasts much quicker. Although there are a plethora of sport bra styles to choose from now a days, it can be tricky to find one that actually supports your breasts, so remember comfort comes first!
Not wearing sufficient sunblock can lead to dry and damage skin cells which we should all know by now is bad, not just because it creates dryness and redness, but because sun damaged skin may lead to skin cancer! Always apply sunblock before and after a workout, and if you know you’re going to be exercising in the sun for a long period of time, try to wear a hat. Sun damage may also lead to dark spots which again, may occur if you don’t apply sunscreen, but we’re here to help you with that! Try our Clear Essence Platinum Line Medicated Fade Crème with Sunscreen! The crème works to help reduce dark spots and also prevent them by having a base of SPF 15. While protecting your skin, it also helps even out skin tone by fading discolorations.
Chafing occurs when your skin rubs against each other causing a painful irritation, and even redness. By staying dry with body deodorants or dressing so that your inner thighs or your arms don’t rub against each other, you can prevent chafing. You can find out more about ways to keep your skin clean while working out and tips at our blog under “Skin Care and Sports.”
For those who seek adventure through travel, your skin takes a couple of setbacks when it comes to sitting in an airplane ride with recycled air. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Dr. Bruce E. Katz states, “the pressurized environment of a plane is totally unnatural and completely sucks moisture out of the skin, leaving it looking dehydrated and dull.” Now just imagine—athletes from around the world are competing to Rio, and a flight to Rio from the U.S. is about 16 hours from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro. Can you imagine how your skin must feel after all that traveling? Of course you’re going to want to take some selfies wherever it is you travel so here are a couple of tips in helping your skin survive traveling:
Moisturize—night before, day of, in route, after—moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! The night before you’re going to basically prevent dehydration by applying a mask that will nourish and moisturize, so that when you get on the plane, your skin will be prepped for the environment. We recommend the Clear Essence Platinum Line Skin Beautifying Milk which helps even out skin tones from skin discolorations, as well as moisturize dry and cracked skin.
Minimize Makeup—focus more on your skin routine We all want to look like Kim Kardashian when she walks out of an airport, but make up should be the least of your concerns when you’re heading out on your flight. Focus more on bringing essentials such as a travel size misting spray, and oil blotting papers. Also remember to pack in your suitcase your basic necessities for cleaning your face when you get to your destination— cleansers, toners, treatments, and moisturizer.
SPF According to Carmina from Huffington Post, “UV rays are stronger at high altitudes and pass through airplane windows. So I apply loads of sunscreen, or SPF moisturizer.” So next time you want to look out the airplane window, remember to apply not only sunscreen, but a stylish pair of shades wouldn’t hurt anyone! SPF is not only important for on flight, but if you know your destination is known for its hot weather, then packing sunscreen is essential, because your skin has higher possibilities of sun damage because of the flights as well.
 Water Lastly, drinking water from the night before the flight, all the way to the end of the trip is going to help your skin not only stay hydrated, but it’s also going to help you stay energized and have tons of more fun while out exploring the world!
Phone: 800-423-4824 Fax: 909-565-4825 Email: cs@clearessence.com