BrownCeuticals

We asked. You answered and we listened. Here’s a quick tutorial for skincycling 101 basics. Our goal is to make you feel comfortable enough to use these revolutionary ingredients without the fear of it damaging your skin barrier. This is especially applicable to skin of color which tends to be more prone to hyperpigmentation.



Comment below if you’d like to hear more about this process and want recommendations for each step and follow us for more tips like these.

Four reasons why you should add vitamin C to your beauty stash

1: It’s a potent antioxidant.
For those wondering, WTF is an antioxidant even? They are substances that provide skin with free radical protection, slowing down cell damage caused by environmental stressors. This includes the sun, pollution, and even to***co smoke (secondhand smoke exposure is the devil!), and this can all contribute to the breakdown of collagen in your skin. Sadly, we can’t run away from free radicals, they are everywhere but what vitamin C does, and does so well, is neutralize them, keeping them in check.

#2: It can protect your skin from sun damage.
And I tread lightly when saying this as far too often, vitamin C is misconceived as a substitute for SPF. It is not — it does not absorb or reflect UV rays as your sunscreen does. Rather, it regulates inflammation and redness caused by the sun, making it the perfect companion for your SPF. Think of vitamin C and sunscreen as Oprah and Gayle or Mary Kate and Ashley — they work even better as pairs.

#3: It boosts your collagen production
Vitamin C is a cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase. In user-friendly English?? These are two enzymes that play a crucial role in the synthesis of collagen — and don’t we all love a good collagen boost!

#4: It does wonders for pigmentation.
Copper is a key element in the formation of melanin pigment cells. So what vitamin C does is lessen the concentration of copper in the skin, resulting in a more evened-out complexion.

UVA rays can contribute to skin cancer, which is the main reason we recommend slathering on SPF while inside, especially if you're sitting by a window or in a room with lots of sunlight.

So, Should you be using sunscreen indoors as well?

The short answer is YES. UV rays can pass through glass windows. Because of this, it’s important to wear SPF inside your home, as well as inside your car. In fact, the vast majority of UV hand aging occurs while driving, so apply an SPF-infused hand cream!

One of our favorites is the Hueguard with its innovative no white cast mineral formulation that melts like butter on your skin

How Can You Tell If Your Barrier Is Disrupted?



The signs of a damaged skin barrier include those

Redness
Rosacea
Peeling
Dryness (Lack Of Oil)a
Dehydrated (Lack Of Water)
Tightness
Irritation
Reactions To Products
Increased Breakouts
Eczema

You can repair skin barrier damage by adjusting your skincare habits and moisturizing properly. The best ingredients for your skin barrier are humectants, emollients, ceramides, and antioxidants.

The skin's barrier is the outermost layer or the epidermis. Essentially, this layer of skin provides a waterproof barrier that works as a bodyguard for the skin. Keeping the good guys in and throwing the bad out! Our skin barrier is made up of lipids (oils) that bind our cells together. When the skin barrier is intact it keeps our complexion smooth, calm and hydrated. However, when this barrier has been broken down then you’ll begin seeing the following symptoms:

➡️Redness
➡️Rosacea
➡️Peeling
➡️Dryness (lack of oil
➡️Dehydrated (lack of water)
➡️Tightness
➡️Irritation
➡️Reactions to products
➡️Increased breakouts
➡️Eczema

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, your skin's barrier may be compromised and in need of repairing and strengthening

In order to understand what the skin barrier does, you need to know how our skin is structured. You’ve probably heard that the skin is made up of three individual layers. That’s not entirely true—while there are three main layers of skin, each has several sublayers, most of which perform unique, specialized functions (our skin is incredibly complex).

The outermost part of the epidermis is the stratum corneum, or the skin barrier. Scientists often liken the stratum corneum’s structure to being like a brick wall. In this analogy, the skin cells are the bricks. Everything else—including the skin barrier—is the mortar that holds it all together.

This mortar contains essential nutrients, like cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids. Together, these compounds are referred to as skin’s "natural moisturizing factor," because they help keep the deeper layers of skin hydrated and nourished.

As our skin matures, it loses its ability to naturally hold moisture. This makes moisturizing, a crucial part of your skincare routine

There are mainly three major types of moisturizers:

Humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, that absorb moisture from its surrounding and plumps your skin
Emollients, such as your oils, squalene, rosehip, that nourish and soften your skin

Occlusives, such as shea butter, Vaseline or Aquaphor, the buttery or waxy sealants that help your skin retain moisture and prevent water
Your skin type will determine the right balance of each moisturizer type to include in your routine.

What type of moisturizer are you using?

Join our community as we start digging into the each type of moisturizer in the coming weeks

During your 30s, your hormone levels start to decrease and the rate of collagen and elastin production lowers, which can wreak havoc on your skin. Not to mention the added fertility struggles, postpartum stress and more seniority at work that many of us endure during this time.

New cells are visible every 28-35 days instead of every14 days or so. This means dead cells start accumulating on the surface of the skin and interfering with light reflection, often characterized by a loss of radiance.
Some major skin changes you may notice as you progress through your 30s:
You notice that your skin is looking a little dull.
Your skin gets drier
You get cystic acne for the first time in your life
Your expression lines begin to show up on your skin
Your skin seems to get irritated more often
Your face seems to flush and stay red
Dark spots pop up from nowhere and don’t fade as fast as they used to

Things you can do to cope with these skin changes:

• Cleanser: Cleanse day and night to help remove makeup, dirt and impurities that can lead to blocked pores and breakouts.

• Antioxidant Serum: Use an antioxidant-rich serum to protect against free radicals on skin, which can contribute to premature skin aging including fine lines, pigment changes and textural irregularities.

• Exfoliation Product: Remove dead skin layers and speed up your skin cell turnover to help give you radiant skin.

Skincare is going minimal! Apart from being economical, it generates less waste and is easier to commit to, making it a more tempting option than we previously imagined. Sure, it is easier to follow through with a 3-step routine on a day-to-day basis, but turns out, it can also do wonders for your skin. Yes, giving your skin a strategic break can be a good thing.

Skincare can be overwhelming and there are just too many out there. To get started, think categories not products - sunscreen, moisturizer, antioxidants, collagen boosters, hyperpigmentation correctors, barrier protectors, cleansers, toners, exfoliants

Join our community as we start diving into each of these ingredients in the coming weeks!

Whether you want a simple 3-step routine for the morning or have time for a full 7-step regimen at night, the order in which you apply your products matters.

Why? There isn’t much point in having a skin care routine if your products don’t get a chance to pe*****te your skin.

How do you layer your skincare products?

Join our community as we start diving into the best layering system for our brown skin.