Colin's Beauty Pages

An article I wrote for http://girlstravelclub.co.uk The skin is the largest organ in the body and in many ways the most remarkable. It manages to be flexible, sensitive and does an amazing job of keeping the contents of your body in while keeping most of the stuff in the environment out. I think everyone knows about the importance of avoiding sunburn, which ages your skin and can make you more likely to suffer from skin cancer. Remember that self tanning products don’t provide any protection from the sun at all.

The way it does this is only now coming to light as scientists are finally working out the fine details of the skins structure. It is now known that thin topmost level of the skin is composed of dead skin cells, mainly composed of a hard protein called keratin, held together by a glue composed of ceramides, fatty acids, squalane and cholesterol – these are collectively known as the intracellular lipids. These naturally form a very particular structure known technically as lamellar – which resembles lasagna in that the molecules form flat plates. People suffering from genetic diseases that prevent them from making this structure suffer from dry, itchy and flaking skin. The lamellar structure of the intracellular lipids is the key to healthy, well moisturised skin that has a good barrier structure. Girlstravelclub.co.uk revive and relax moisturisers have been formulated not disrupt this barrier. This structure can easily be disrupted by many of the chemicals you encounter everyday – but particularly some of the components of toiletry products. Many compounds such as SLES have a pronounced tendency to break up lamellar structures and reduce the skins natural protective properties. SLES is less harsh, but it is related to the anionic surfactants used in washing up liquid, and has a similar effect on the skin. The other thing to avoid, if possible, is stress. Traveling can be a very stressful experience, sometimes unavoidably so. The ill effects of stress are well known – but it is worth remembering that your skin is one of the organs that shows the effects of stress quite clearly. All GPs know that conditions like eczema and psoriasis get worse when the patient is stressed – and the same is true of less serious skin conditions.

Using the calming effects of essential oils like lavender to keep relaxed and the reviving properties of lime and mandarin can keep you in the right frame of mind. There is plenty of evidence that your mood affects your immune system, so keep control of your state of mind. If you feel good, you’ll look good.

But the good news is that essential oils don’t just affect your mood but are good for the skin too; for example, lavender is an antiseptic and helps heal burns and sunburn. Another tip, and this is one that might also apply when you aren’t traveling, is to drink plenty of water. It has been thought for a long time that drinking water is good for your skin. A recent paper published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science reports a study carried out in Germany. People who drank 2 litres of tap water a day showed an improvement in the texture of their skin. People who drank 2 litres of carbonated mineral water with a pH of 5 and a high magnesium and calcium content showed an even more marked improvement. So if you have room to pack some bottled water you will be doing your skin a good turn.