We buy them expecting a wow effect! Day, evening, moisturizing, nourishing, anti-aging and other skin creams practically do not correspond to the declared properties. Many of the expected qualities: moisturize, nourish, tighten contours, smooth wrinkles - are not confirmed by mass-market cosmetics, middle-market cosmetics, and even luxury and salon products. And there are certain physiological reasons for this, which no creams can cope with.
The structure of the skin and the causes of aging
The skin consists of three main layers, in each of which various groups of cells are located.
• Epidermis (0.1-2.0 mm) - the topmost layer of skin with a thickness of about a paper sheet, most exposed to the environment. It is formed on the basis of protein compounds with keratin, which create a solid barrier to the entry of any creams and liquids.
There are no blood vessels in it, therefore it is impossible to talk about any “assimilation of useful substances”, and even more so about “getting inside the cells”. It is renewed and nourished in the process of diffuse exchange with deeper layers of the skin.
So all applied cosmetics linger at about this level and are not able to penetrate "deep into the skin." In the basal layer of the epidermis, cell division and subsequent advancement to the outer layer occurs. Dead cells form the topmost layer of skin from keratinized scales, which gradually exfoliate.
• Dermis (0.5-5.0 mm) - this is the inner layer of the skin, which consists of collagen, elastin and has blood and lymph vessels. In this layer there are many hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous ducts, receptors and nerve endings.
• Hypodermis (more than 2.0 mm) - this is subcutaneous fat, which consists of adipose tissue necessary for proper thermoregulation and metabolism. This layer accumulates nutrients for the normal condition of the skin, including fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K) and essential fatty acids.
The main function of the skin is barrier, that is, protective, which prevents the ingress of foreign substances, and no "smart", "low molecular weight" creams are able to penetrate the cells and replace biological compounds.
All the nutrients needed to renew skin cells come from the inside through the blood and lymph vessels. Therefore, our diet and lifestyle affect our appearance so much.
A healthy, young skin condition depends on metabolic processes in all layers, cosmetics affects only the upper one: it helps to exfoliate cells and soften the surface of the skin. All folds, wrinkles, irregularities arise due to the deformation of the inner layers. There are several reasons for this:
• genetic features - the condition of the skin depends on family diseases and the body's resistance to various factors;
• general aging of the bodya decrease in collagen and elastin in soft tissues;
• force of gravity and walking with a direct spine, which is to blame for problems such as varicose veins, osteochondrosis, sagging muscles and skin, which is especially noticeable in the "second chin" and nasolabial folds;
• lifestyle and bad habits, emotions, not without reason there is the concept of “facial wrinkles”.
Cosmetology favorites: collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid
At the heart of the dermis are fibroplasts - connective tissue cells that synthesize the extracellular matrix, such as collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. Collagen and elastin are the two main proteins, consisting of amino acids and twisted into fibers, which form the cell frame, so that the skin remains dense and impermeable to foreign agents.
Collagen fiber necessary for the normal regeneration and restoration of damaged areas. Collagen is able to absorb and retain moisture inside the cells, one collagen molecule can hold a volume of water 30 times its size. With a decrease in collagen, the skin loses moisture, becomes dry and weakened, new wrinkles appear faster. Elastin fibers help the skin stretch and return to its previous position.
Hyaluronic acid (glycosaminoglycan) fills the intercellular spaces, forms a nutrient medium for collagen and elastin fibers. With age, fibroblasts slow down the renewal of collagen and elastin molecules, and the skin ceases to be smooth and elastic.
Collagen and Elastin - protein compounds that are not soluble in water or fat. Their molecules are so large that they cannot penetrate between the keratin scales of the epidermis. Therefore, they are useless in cosmetics and do not have a noticeable anti-aging effect.
But restless marketers are promoting the hydrolyzed (hydrolyzed) form of collagen and elastin. Enzymes are used to process collagen, and for elastin, alkaline substances are used at high pressure and temperature.
Under such conditions, strong proteins break down into constituent amino acids and peptides, which are really able to reach the inner layers in the skin. But such amino acids are not complete proteins, do not possess the properties of primary substances and cannot activate fibroblasts in order to increase the supply of collagen and elastin.
Even more interesting with hyaluronic acid, which is divided into types depending on the size of the chain of polysaccharides. High molecular weight remains on the surface and has almost no effect on the skin condition. Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid has a lower molecular weight and is able to penetrate the skin. But manufacturers save on expensive low molecular weight acid and add 0.01% each, so that you can indicate this in the composition on the label.
By the way, an interesting point, very few manufacturers decide to indicate the composition of products in Russian, for one simple reason - not enough useful components. Most often there is used water, petroleum jelly, glycerin, lanolin, emulsifiers, propylene glycol, mineral oils, aromatic additives and other ingredients that help preserve consumer properties, a delicate texture and a pleasant smell.
Marketing and advertising - ruthless and merciless
Advertising support for new products is constantly talking about "innovative formulas" and new components, including snail mucin, and algae extract, and gold molecules, and pearl dust. Only no scientific research confirms the effectiveness of these supplements. This is part of marketing in the beauty industry, based on the psychological belief that the more beautiful the packaging and the more expensive the products, the more it is of high quality and useful.
People are still in search of a wonderful elixir of rejuvenation, which at different times used donkey milk, cocaine, mercury, blood of prisoners, stem cells. Spontaneous Internet epidemics at different periods promote clay of various shades, then kerosene, or baking soda for use on the face.
New classes of cosmetics are emerging: pharmacy cosmetics (cosmetics pharmacy), cosmeceuticals (cosmeceuticals), nutricosmetics (bioadditives). These groups of cosmetic products are not in the classification of CIDESCO (International Committee on Aesthetics and Cosmetology).
If creases and wrinkles appear on the skin, no creams can reduce them, of course, after applying cosmetics with massage movements, the skin is smoothed slightly and turns pink, a visual rejuvenation effect is created, which lasts literally for half an hour. Therefore, skin creams do not help rejuvenation, all that can be achieved is to maintain the current age state.
And what options will help?
The most effective methods of rejuvenation:
• hardware cosmetology (RF lifting, laser resurfacing, microcurrent therapy) is a modern direction in which there are a lot of "mysterious" terms and controversial results;
• injection cosmetology (biorevitalization, mesotherapy, contour plastic) - has a noticeable effect only at a young or middle age;
• plastic surgery (tightening, correction of form) - 50/50, more than half of celebrities after 50 years turn to the services of plastic surgeons;
• Facebook building - exercises for the face, perhaps the most promising direction, which requires a minimum of investment and shows a noticeable result, by analogy with the exercises for the body helps to tone and strengthen muscles, reduce fat, normalize blood circulation. However, you should be careful with him! Practice shows that there is a high risk of injuries and diseases of the facial nerves.
