Why changing your skincare doesn't work. It only reaches 0.1mm deep
For those who have changed their skincare products many times but haven't seen a change in their skin. It may not be due to how you use them or your skin type, but rather a matter of the "depth" that topical care can reach.
As a practitioner at a salon in Nakameguro, I will write about the range that cosmetics reach and the reasons why.
Are you buying new products again, thinking, "Maybe I'm using them wrong"?
Switching your toner to a higher price range.
Feeling like your serum stands out, so you switch to using a full line from the same brand. Trying it for half a year, hoping this time will be the one.
When the impression in the mirror still barely changes, the cause is usually sought within yourself.
Maybe I was careless in how I used it. Maybe I didn't use enough. Maybe my skin type is unique.
I myself thought in that exact same order. For many years, I believed it was me, not the products, that was the problem.
I will state this upfront: this article is not about whether specific cosmetics are good or bad. It is about the "place" where topical care works, not the quality of the product.
Feeling hesitant to go out without makeup. Your foundation getting thicker year by year. Skincare not changing anything. If these three things are happening to you at the same time, I think what follows will be useful.
The reason why it says "*up to the stratum corneum" in small print on the back of cosmetics
I think many of you have seen the small print "*up to the stratum corneum" on the packaging of the toner or serum you have on hand, or in the corner of an advertisement.
That is not the manufacturer being modest, nor is it them playing it safe because they lack confidence.
It is said that the range that can be expressed in cosmetic advertisements and packaging is limited to that extent.
The range of efficacy that can be written as a cosmetic is predetermined. You cannot write that it reaches beyond that point in cosmetics.
As far as I know, that is the rule.
In other words, "up to the stratum corneum" is not a reserved expression, but an expression that states the upper limit of what can be written.
This is not my claim, but a matter of industry-standard labeling rules. That is why you can verify it right there as you read.
The first thing you can do today: turn over one of the toners or serums you have on hand.
If you find the phrase "*up to the stratum corneum," it also means that the product has been made correctly according to the rules.
The epidermis is about 0.1mm, and the foundation of the skin is about 1.5mm. A story about wallpaper and pillars.
From here on, we'll talk about numbers. You only need to remember two things.
Epidermis (the group of layers on the outside of the skin)...about 0.1mm. As thin as a sheet of plastic wrap.
Skin foundation (dermis layer)...about 1.5mm
The 'stratum corneum' mentioned earlier is the outermost part of this 0.1mm epidermis. The range indicated is, in order, a very thin area within that 0.1mm.
There is one other common benchmark.
It is said that the smaller the molecule of an ingredient, the easier it is to pass through the stratum corneum, and the larger it is, the harder it is to go beyond that point.
Even for the same 'skin-friendly ingredient,' it is believed that they do not all reach the same place.
An analogy I often use in the field is a house.
The surface of the skin corresponds to wallpaper, and the foundation of the skin corresponds to the pillars. If the wallpaper gets dirty, replacing it will improve the appearance.
However, if the pillars themselves are tilted, no matter how much you replace the wallpaper, the distortion remains.
Topical care works on the side of this wallpaper.
No matter how good the product you apply is, there are places it cannot reach. This was the only thing I hadn't realized for a long time.
Even so, topical care is not useless.
I will state the conclusion first. Topical care is not useless.It just has a different role.
I believe that daily skincare is responsible for three things.
Providing moisture and keeping it from escaping.
Protecting the surface of the skin from dryness and external irritation.
Smoothing the skin's texture to make the day's makeup and mood comfortable.
These are all jobs for the wallpaper side. However, no one wants to live in a house without wallpaper.
Just because we talked about the pillars doesn't mean you don't need wallpaper. This is a point that should be considered separately.
That is why, when asked, 'So what should I buy?', I always take the answer one step back.
Can you explain, for each product you are currently using, what you are using it for?
Products meant to add moisture. Products meant to protect against dryness. If you can say that, they are fulfilling their roles.
If there is even one product you cannot explain, it is not a sign to replace it, but a starting point for re-evaluation.
The answers I get when I ask, 'What kind of care have you tried so far?'
At S:RA, there is a question we always ask during the pre-treatment counseling: 'What kind of care have you tried so far? What were the results?'
The answers I get back are surprisingly similar. I raised the price range. I switched to using a full product line. I kept it up for half a year.
In my experience, these three things almost always come up. And it is also similar that, even then, they were not satisfied.
To begin with, that was the starting point for this salon as well. No matter how many 10,000 yen creams I tried, I myself could not be satisfied.
I am not saying the products were bad. The reason I wasn't satisfied was something I didn't understand at the time is what I mean.
The fact that nothing changed was not a failure of your skin. It was a matter of where the product reaches. That is how I think about it now.
Three things you can do starting today
Three things you can do tonight without buying anything.
1. Turn over one of the cosmetics you have on hand
Try looking for the label 'up to the stratum corneum.' If it is written there, it is also proof that the product is made correctly according to regulations.
2. Try saying 'what you are using it for' for each product
If you can say it smoothly, it is fine as it is. If you find one you cannot explain, it is a sign that it is time to re-evaluate that product before looking for something new to buy.
3. Try stopping replacements for just one month
Immediately after changing products, you cannot judge what is happening. This is because unless you continue using the same products in the same routine, you cannot create a standard for comparison.
It is not that something will change in a month, but that after a month, you will be able to make a judgment.
Summary - Depth, Role, and Order
Cosmetic labels say 'up to the stratum corneum.' There is a limit to where topical care works
Topical care is not useless. It just plays a different role.
The next thing you should decide is not 'what to buy,' but 'where your skin is breaking down.'
▶ https://note.com/sra_nofande/n/nea5ee71eabbd
The discussion about 'depth of penetration' written in this article is a general principle that applies to everyone, regardless of skin type.
However, whether you are lacking in moisture or have an excess of sebum cannot be determined without measuring it.
At S:RA, we conduct a 20-question, approximately 2-minute skin type diagnosis before every treatment.
Before deciding what to buy, why not first find out your skin type?
No-Foundation Skin Management Salon S:RA Nakameguro
6-minute walk from the front exit of Nakameguro Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line/Hibiya Line / Private rooms, by appointment only
▶ Click here for details on the Pore Eradication Course (information about the skin type diagnosis is also on this page)
https://sra-beauty.com/lp/?utm_source=note&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=skincare-todoku-fukasa
*This diagnosis is for counseling purposes and is not a medical diagnosis.
*Our salon's treatments are performed within the scope of esthetics and are not medical procedures.
*Results and personal experiences may vary.