Vital Skin
A radiant and healthy skin appearance is a desire of many people. But sometimes fate brings hard challenges, such as severe or chronic diseases. At such times, sufferers must put all their energy into their recovery and alleviating their symptoms. In addition to these stresses, medications and the disease itself can often alter the appearance and texture of the skin. Nevertheless, the desire for vital skin need not be an unattainable dream, even for people with chronic diseases. However, it is critical to take extra care and target skin care products to the needs of the skin, especially for those with chronic conditions. There is no universal answer to which products will keep the skin of the chronically ill healthy and vital, as this depends on the specific disease diagnosis. However, it is important to emphasize that the already stressed skin should not be additionally irritated under any circumstances. In this way, affected individuals maintain vital skin despite their chronic disease. Those who follow some basic skin care principles despite their disease can often still maintain vital skin. After all, external appearance has a significant impact on the self-esteem of those affected. Below are some common medical conditions and corresponding skin care recommendations that can contribute to vital skin.
Despite chronic disease: Maintaining vital skin
How people can maintain healthy skin despite a chronic illness. Despite an ongoing illness, people who heed a few essential skin care tips can still enjoy healthy skin in many cases. After all, outward appearance has a significant impact on a person’s self-esteem. Below are some common medical conditions and corresponding skin care recommendations to maintain healthy skin.
Diabetes and the care for healthy skin
Diabetes has a significant impact on the appearance of the skin due to elevated blood sugar levels. The skin becomes more susceptible to bacterial infections and fungal diseases due to the disease. Nerve damage can cause patients to feel, for example, pain in the feet due to injuries poorly or sometimes not at all. These injuries can often go unnoticed, opening the door to germs, fungi and bacteria.
However, patients who achieve optimal medication management under the supervision of their physician have a good chance of maintaining healthy skin in the long term. Nevertheless, proper care is crucial. Maintaining the skin’s natural barrier should be a top priority. Products containing the active ingredient urea are an excellent choice to promote healthy skin. Urea, a natural humectant found in the skin, can effectively bind moisture. Another active ingredient for healthy skin in diabetes is glyceryl glucoside. This nature-identical compound of glycerol and glucose promotes water transport in the skin and improves skin moisture and barrier function.
If the skin itches, moisturizing oil baths can provide relief. In the case of very pronounced skin problems, cortisone creams help in the short term. However, those affected should consult their doctor about the concentration.
Healthy skin despite hormone therapy:
Hormone therapies are not only used during menopause or for contraception, but also in the fight against cancer. Nevertheless, these therapies can have undesirable effects on skin health. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen often leads to increased production of skin sebum. During such hormone therapy, these changes can lead to acne-like appearances, redness, and blemishes. In such cases, dermatologists recommend the use of disinfecting syndets for cleansing and light skin care. Unlike conventional soap, syndets are based on chemically produced surfactants and are usually particularly kind to the skin because they take the pH of the skin into account.
Vital skin during cortisone treatment:
Even during cortisone treatment, there is no reason to forgo vital skin. Although many people fear that cortisone will make their skin thinner, such concerns are unfounded with carefully selected skin care products. The number one principle for maintaining vital skin is to use skin care products free of preservatives and fragrances. To support vital skin during cortisone treatment, moisturizing shower products and rich lotions are essential. Urea is again an excellent choice in terms of ingredients, but evening primrose oil, grape seed oil and hyaluronic acid are also recommended as they help to strengthen the skin barrier. Thin skin areas, such as hands, forearms, and shins, should be creamed more frequently. Showering too hot is generally discouraged, as lukewarm showers are important for skin health and prevent the skin from drying out.
Skin health and cancer therapies:
Cancer therapies can sometimes significantly affect the skin. Chemotherapy, for example, can cause an uncomfortable rash, and dryness is a common problem. Some drugs also make the skin sensitive to light. Care for healthy skin must therefore be adapted to the specific symptoms. If blemishes and pimples occur during therapy, it is advisable to avoid moisturizing skin care products. For dry and sensitive skin, soothing products with ingredients such as urea or dexpanthenol are a good choice. In the case of radiation therapy, skin care should always be carried out in consultation with the doctor. As a rule, thin lotions that are gently cooling and quickly absorbed are permitted. The fewer ingredients in the skin care products, the better they will be tolerated by the patient. Mechanical treatments such as peels should be avoided at all costs during this phase.
Skin health in chronically ill patients and sun protection:
Octocrylene is a chemical ingredient that people with chronic conditions are better off avoiding. This substance is used as a filter in many sunscreen products and has been a source of debate in recent years due to increased reports of contact allergies associated with the use of octocrylene in sunscreens. But of even greater concern is that this substance is considered one of the chemicals that could have hormone-like effects, potentially affecting male sperm, among other things.
The exact effects of octocrylene on human health and the environment were reviewed under the so-called REACH regulation in France in 2012, but the assessment has not yet been completed. However, it is known that traces of octocrylene have been detected in water bodies and even tap water for years. Especially people with chronic diseases or patients undergoing therapy should therefore use sunscreens without octocrylene. There are suitable options without this questionable active ingredient. For more exciting information, you are welcome to visit our matching article: ABC UV-Protection!
Fact sheets of the active ingredients for vital skin
Urea
INCI: Urea
CAS number: 57-13-6
Alternative name: Urea
Definition: crystalline solid, colorless, and odorless
Properties: moisturizing, skin caring
Dexpanthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)
INCI: panthenol
CAS number: 81-13-0
Properties: improves skin elasticity, relieves itching, anti-inflammatory and promotes wound healing, increases the skin’s moisture retention capacity, supports the regeneration of skin cells
Evening primrose oil
INCI: Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil
Iodine value: 145 – 162
Cosmetic use: among other things against dry and inflamed skin, for neurodermatitis and psoriasis
Glyceryl Glucoside
Definition: condensation product of glycerin and glucose
Properties: moisturizing, skin caring
Cosmetic use: promotion and regeneration of aquaporins
Grape seed oil
INCI: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil
CAS number: 8024-22-4
Properties: acts against cornification, preserves sebum flow, antioxidant properties, proven in formulations for oily skin as well as combination skin
More info: Organic Grape Seed Oil
Vital skin despite illness: Cosmacon develops the right formulations
To ensure that sick people can enjoy vital skin despite therapies and medication, Cosmacon develops formulas specially tailored to your needs. Chronic diseases and vital skin are not mutually exclusive: With the right skin care, the complexion looks much more even, vital, and healthy. Itching, blemishes, and other symptoms associated with the disease or the medication decrease, which ultimately also has a positive effect on the self-confidence of those affected. We at Cosmacon develop formulations that meet your skin needs. Just contact us if you are interested.
Sources:
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Exploitation of Vitis vinifera, Foeniculum vulgare, Cannabis sativa and Punica granatum By-Product Seeds as Dermo-Cosmetic Agents.; Michailidis D, Angelis A, Nikolaou PE, Mitakou S, Skaltsounis AL.Molecules. 2021 Jan 31;26(3):731
Grape Seed Oil Compounds: Biological and Chemical Actions for Health.; Garavaglia J, Markoski MM, Oliveira A, Marcadenti A.Nutr Metab Insights. 2016 Aug 16;9:59-64
Sunscreens and Photoaging: A Review of Current Literature.; Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021 Nov;22(6):819-828.
Insights into the structure of sunscreen lotions: a small-angle neutron scattering study.; RSC Adv. 2021 Apr 16;11(24):14306-14313
Epidemiology of Melanoma.; Med Sci (Basel). 2021 Oct 20;9(4):63.