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Springtime skin care
Spring has arrived. It’s getting warmer by the day and, although we may not notice it, our skin is being incerasingly exposed to the sun. Our skin knows how to naturally adapt to new weather conditions, but certain precautions are necessary to keep our skin in the best possible condition.
1. Avoid the sun. This is one of the key leitmotifs of this blog. Use sunglasses and sunscreen (and not just on the beach) and, as far as possible, avoid exposing the skin to direct sunlight. The neckline, neck and hands are especially vulnerable to premature photoageing. For a tanned look, rather than overdo sunbathing, better use a fake tanning cream, taking the necessary precautions first. Read more
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Núria Estapé, science journalist
Snail slime: scam or panacea?
A few years ago a "miraculous” product appeared on the market. This was snail extract which, it was claimed, contained anti-oxidant and regenerating ingredients that delayed skin ageing. It was advertised as a panacea to eliminate wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, burns, acne and sunspots. While it is not the cure-all promised by the ads, we now know why it improves the skin’s appearance.
Search for “snail slime” on the Internet and you will be offered thousands of snail products that claim to improve the skin. Folk medicine has used snail slime for many centuries. But many claim that such products are the ineffective recipes of healers. Skeptical consumers ask whether snail extract is a scam, whereas staunch defenders claim that it is a truly effective anti-ageing product. The common snail (Cryptomphalus aspersa) secretes a substance which promotes skin regeneration and minimizes the effect of the free radicals responsible for premature ageing of the skin. Read more
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Oxygen: does it improve the skin?
Our body supplies the skin with the food it needs to continuously regenerate. Blood carries all the necessary elements to the outer skin layer, including oxygen, essential for cells. But there are cosmetics that claim to "oxygenate" the skin from the outside. Is this possible?
Since the late 1990s cosmetics "with oxygen" or that "oxygenate" the skin have been available, with many different brands of oils, creams, serums, masks and other presentations based on formulas that claim to oxygenate the skin after application. According to the ads, this oxygenation from outside regenerates the skin and makes it smoother, firmer and brighter. Most such cosmetics include hydrogen peroxide or similar ingredients in their formulation. When the product is applied to the skin, oxygen is apparently released that compensates for the age-related reduction in blood-transported oxygen supply. Read more
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Anna Solana, science journalist
The skin is affected by excess weight
Little is known about the impact of obesity on the skin. What impact does excess weight have on the largest organ in the body? Some studies are beginning to associate unsightly warts, stretch marks and other skin problems with the body mass index.
Around one in ten people are obese and the WHO considers obesity, responsible for three million deaths per year worldwide, to be a pandemic. Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. And the extra kilos also have an impact on the skin. Endocrinologists have long pointed to problems caused by cell resistance to insulin action in obese individuals, such as acne, hirsutism (excess hair) and dark pigmentation in the neck, armpit and knuckle areas (acanthosis nigricans). Dermatologists are now also signalling these problems. Read more
Authors
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Josep Orellana,
science journalistLaura Chaparro,
science journalistSusana Andújar,
chemistAndrés Martínez,
science journalist
