Skin School Is In Session!
You Asked, I Answered
It’s time for another Skincare Q&A!!!
For the uninitiated, this is when I solicit questions via myInstagram Stories (follow me @raquelmedinacleghorn) and answer them in the newsletter so everyone can learn!
Let’s dive in.
Q: HOW DO I MANAGE EXTRA SEBUM (OIL) IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WITHOUT OVER EXFOLIATING?
A: This is a very good question with universal appeal. Sebum, aka oil, is produced to moisturize and protect the skin, so we never want to strip it or stop it entirely. That’s so Y2K. Instead, we need to manage it, as this inquisitive person suggests.
First of all, I suggest using a Vitamin A (retinoid) product year round, as one of the many benefits of Vitamin A is its ability to regulate sebum production. I am partial to Environ’s C-Quence system, which is gentle, highly effective and can be worn day and night.
Second, reconsider the steps of your routine. Stick to layers of light hydration, think less is more. Maybe you don’t need a moisturizer sandwiched between your serums and sunscreen. Use lightweight gel cream consistencies like C27 Baume 27 Creme Legere, or extremely light moisturizers like Neova Cu3 Recovery Lotion. If you abhor looking shiny, or find it happens too easily, select a satin finish sunscreen like Neova Silc Sheer 2.0 SPF 40 or Environ RAD Shield Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.
You can also cleanse twice a day with a gentle gel cleanser like Sofie Pavitt Face Clean Clean Cleanser to make sure your canvas is primed and ready. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to overdry your skin with harsh exfoliants or drying products, because that will cause your skin to create more sebum to make up for what is being taken away. It’s all about balance, baby. And if all else fails, rice paper blotting sheets are chic and timeless.
Q: IS SUNSCREEN THAT BLOCKS BLUE LIGHT REALLY A NECESSITY?
A: I love this question because I love debunking and adding context to skincare scare tactics. So the whole fear of blue light became really prevalent around the time of Covid, when everyone was living through screens. As we all know by now, laptops/smart phones/tv screens all emit blue light, and the marketing teams of lots of skincare companies would have us believe that it is extremely damaging to our skin, exacerbating issues like hyperpigmentation and the like.
The reality is a lot more nuanced. Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum, which is part of the spectrum of light we are exposed to by the sun. It is also produced by screens, in a higher proportion than sunlight, but not in higher concentration. Meaning, 15 minutes of midday summer sun exposure gets you to the minimum damaging dose of blue light, compared to anywhere between 1.5 – 30 days of continuous screen time to achieve the same amount. More simply put, screens are between 100-2000x less damaging than the sun, in terms of blue light exposure.
Now, it is true that blue light does worsen hyperpigmentation, via a photoreceptor in the skin called opsin-3. So if you have melasma or another condition that makes you susceptible to pigmentation, or you have highly melanated skin that pigments easily, you may want to use something to protect your skin from blue light. The ingredient that does that most effectively is iron oxide(s). These are ingredients used in skincare and makeup to create tints. So, you can use a tinted sunscreen or an untinted sunscreen with a tinted makeup product over it. We love Neova Silc Sheer 2.0 SPF 40 as a tinted SPF option. And as always, protective clothing and sun avoidance during midday goes a long way in helping avoid this damage.
Bottom line, if you’re worried about blue light from screens messing up your skin, make sure you’re doing everything to prevent blue light from the sun from damaging your skin first.
Q: WHAT DO I DO WHEN I AM OUT AND ABOUT AND MY SKINCARE STARTS PILLING?
A: Oof, we’ve all been there and it’s no fun. The only thing you can do when you’re out is try to brush the pills off, but that’s not a real solution. To get to the root of the problem, you’ll need to do a little work at home.
There are a few reasons skincare, sunscreen and makeup might pill. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not your dead skin coming off, it’s just the products themselves. The most likely reason is the ingredients in the products are causing friction, for instance you have an oil based product over a product with significant silicones. They’re repelling each other on your face.
What I recommend is lightening up on your layers, or perhaps applying less product. Test your makeup or sunscreen with any new moisturizers you have to make sure they won’t pill. Unfortunately, if they do it just means you need to try a different combination of products. I’ve seen it happen even with products from the same line, so it’s really just a formulation issue and not anything you’re doing wrong. A little bit of trial and error should help you prevent that from continuing to happen.
xx Raquel