J A PA N E S E B E A U T Y : A L E By Tracy O’Connor
Having worked in the skincare and beauty industry for over 20 years, I’ve witnessed a lot of marketing trends come and go. But perhaps the most harmful trend I’ve seen is the recent trend of “more is more” in skincare. More steps, more active ingredients, and more aggressive formulations - equals more improvements, faster results, and better skin. But this simply isn’t true. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that people who identify with having “sensitive skin” is on the rise in recent years. It’s not surprising. There are more skincare products on the market and access to stronger formulations than ever before. Many of us feel empowered by the choices. Armchair chemists at home mix and match products and ingredients, customizing their personal regimens, and slather on multi-step skincare programs. While ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids, retinoids, and vitamin c derivatives have their place in skincare, there is a dark side. We can do too much. We can overload our skin, over treat, over exfoliate, and in turn – damage our skin’s barrier. So what’s the big deal? Well, your barrier is kind of a big deal. It’s the frontline when it comes to your skin health – and it’s the first thing you see. It helps maintain moisture, suppleness, plasticity, and pH balance. It keeps bad stuff out, good stuff in, and skin looking and acting healthy. Unfortunately, this “more is more” approach can wreak barrier havoc by upsetting pH levels, killing good bacteria (that protect skin from pathogens), and stripping the surface of necessary dead skin cells, ceramides, and skin-loving lipids that lock in moisture. When the damage is done – it shows. Research demonstrates that a weakened barrier is lower in ceramides, water, and other moisturizing factors, all of which protect skin. This can lead to inflammatory issues, including dryness and dullness, acne, irritation, premature aging, dermatitis, and even eczema. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. Who hasn’t over-slathered on skincare or tried to vacuum out each and every pore only to awaken with patchy, irritated skin? After years in the industry and attempting to control my acne with aggressive approaches – my skin had had enough. And then I discovered the Japanese approach to skin wellness, and I was hooked. I witnessed firsthand the results of a “nurturing, less is more,” approach. It was the perfect match for my sensitive, over-worked skin. I began working with a Japanese chemist who had me sample a barrier repair complex he’d been working on,
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featuring ceramides derived from Japanese koji that were identical to human ceramides. Ceramides occur naturally in our skin barrier, along with cholesterol, free fatty acids, and other stuff, like dead skin cells and necessary microbes. Believe it or not, ceramides themselves make up over 50% of our skin’s barrier and are hugely responsible for it’s elasticity, healthy glow, smooth finish – and for their water holding capacity. As we age, ceramide levels nose-dive! I’d tried so many products on my red, irritable skin – honestly – I wasn’t expecting much. But then, I was completely blown away. Within days, my skin was transformed. Smoother, clearer, softer, hydrated, and balanced. What was this stuff? After a week of using it, my skin was different skin. It felt – resilient for the first time in my adult life. See, all ceramides are not created equal. Most on the
