Raima Kreifels

Chemistry

Kohmetscher, Period 4

May 8th, 2023

The Importance of Skincare and the Science Behind It

“Aging is a fact of life. Looking your age is not.” Doctor Howard Murad, dermatologist,

pharmacist, professor, and successful entrepreneur, states that age appearance is much different

than age. How old one appears has everything to do with skincare. Do you have a skincare

routine? If not you may need to consider adding one to your daily routine. The science behind

skincare starts with the anatomy of the human skin, then it has to do with hygiene; after knowing

what goes on behind your skin, you must develop a skincare routine.

Every homosapien has skin, in fact over 15% of your weight is made up by skin.

(Kolarsick et al.) This skin has three layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and subcutaneous tissue.

The epidermis is the top layer of your skin; it acts as a protective barrier, makes new skin,

provides skin color, and is a part of your body’s immune system (Kolarsick). Because of your

epidermis, serious diseases (i.e lupus) can be found easier and treated faster. The dermis is the

middle layer of skin and Cleaveland Clinic says that it, “makes up 90% of skin’s thickness.” The

final layer of your skin is the hypodermis or subcutaneous tissue; this cushions muscle and bone,

as well as it regulates body temperature, and is where connective tissue is found.

Understanding the makeup of your skin helps to support the importance of good hygiene.

Not only is good hygiene important so that you aren’t stinking up the places you go, but it also is

crucial for your skin. Creating good hygiene habits can prevent infections and solar aging.
(Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.) Focusing mainly on body and hand hygiene, doctors are clear about what

needs to be done. Since our hands are in contact with dozens of different bacteria, it is vital that

we wash our hands regularly throughout the day; make sure to be thorough in your hand

washing- following all the steps you were taught in kindergarten. First run warm water and rinse

your hands, second, apply soap, third, lather soap all over hands-making sure to get every crevice

and nook between your fingers-fourth scrub for twenty seconds. It may sound silly but by

following these steps you are killing three times the bacteria you would’ve been if you just

rinsed. (Walensky) Make sure to be aware of the chemicals in the soaps that you use; Parabens

for instance are substances that are in many soaps to preserve the soap, but they have been found

to lead to breast cancer. Parabens are one of many chemicals to look out for in soaps (i.e

formaldehyde, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, lye, etc). (Nature's

Glory) Your skin provides a protective barrier, NIH dermatologist Dr. Heidi Kong is passionate

about the research and states, “The skin provides a barrier to protect the body from invasion by

bacteria and other possible environmental hazards that can be dangerous for human health.”

Kong continues to tell us that the skin can alert one of infections or allergies, and it is important

to use hygiene if you get these “alerts”. Several skin diseases can start with bad hygiene, for

example, athlete’s foot and ringworm; both can have serious tolls on your body without severely

impacting your day-to-day life.

Hygiene is essential to all at the bare minimum, however; what everyone really needs is a

skincare routine. (Bouslimani and da Silva) A skincare routine is exactly that: a skin-care

routine. When planning your routine watch out for these three chemicals: allergens, carcinogens,

and endocrine disrupters. (Wade) (Allergens are chemicals that cause allergic reactions,

carcinogens are chemicals that have been known to cause cancer, and endocrine disrupters are
chemicals that block or change hormones.) Before building your routine, know your skin type;

whether your skin is dry, oily, sensitive, average, or a combination of those, basing your routine

on this can help personalize and perfect your skincare routine. (Masterclass) If you have normal

or average skin then choose a gentle face wash. If you have oilier skin then use an oil-free face

wash. If you have dry skin, then use a gentle cleanser and exfoliate once a week. After cleansing

your skin use a toner that you find suits your skin; there are three types of toners: astringents,

hydrating, and general. (Cobb and Chertoff) Astringents-toners for oily or acne-prone skin-have

chemicals that help dry out oils and tighten pores; these are not good for your skin if you have

sensitive skin. In astringents, you’ll find chemicals such as: alcohol, witch hazel, citric acid, and

salicylic acid. Hydrating toners-toners for dry skin-have chemicals such as: hyaluronic acid,

glycerin, vitamin E, chamomile, and antioxidants like green tea. (Shaw) General toners have a

combination of both hydrating and astringent chemicals, so that they can serve both purposes.

After using a toner this is when you should apply a serum with antioxidants. Next, you can

under-eye-cream; these have chemicals to limit eye-bags. Following your eye-cream, apply your

spot treatments; these can help to get rid of those nasty pimples and zits using a chemical called

benzoyl peroxide. If you’d like to, this is the time when you’d apply retinol (prevents dark spots

with vitamin A). Lastly, apply sunscreen! It is a proven fact that the sun ages you! (American

Academy of Dermatology Association) Applying sunscreen can prevent skin aging, as well as

prevent skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology states, “One in five Americans will

develop skin cancer in their lifetime.” Believe it or not, skin cancer poses serious threats, in fact,

nearly 20 Americans die of melanoma (the worst form of skin cancer) per day. Make sure you

always apply SPF, even if you don’t have time for your whole routine. (Masterclass) Before

purchasing anything do your research and check the ingredients to see if there are any harmful
chemicals or chemicals that don’t fit your skin type. If you don’t want to go to a dermatologist

then your best bet at developing a skincare routine is trial and error and watching the

labels/ingredient list.

There are many facets as to why skincare is important, these can be explained through

biology and chemistry. So why chemistry? Because you can use it every day to keep your skin

healthy and protected from the sun. The science behind skincare starts with the anatomy of the

human skin, then it has to do with hygiene; after knowing what goes on behind your skin, you

must develop a skincare routine, backed by your very own chemist….you! Instead of buying

Botox for your wrinkles, invest in a skincare routine-starting now. As Doctor Howard Murad

says, “Aging is a fact of life. Looking your age is not.”

 Works Cited

American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Skin cancer.” American Academy of

Dermatology, 2022, https://www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer. Accessed 19 April

2023.

Bouslimani, Amina, and Ricardo da Silva. “The impact of skin care products on skin chemistry

and microbiome dynamics - BMC Biology.” BMC Biology, 12 June 2019,

https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-019-0660-6. Accessed 19

April 2023.

Cleveland Clinic. “Skin: Layers, Structure and Function.” Cleveland Clinic, 13 October 2021,

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10978-skin. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Cobb, Cynthia, and Jane Chertoff. “Astringent: Benefits, Side Effects, Comparisons, and More.”

Healthline, 2 January 2019,

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/astringent#vs-toner. Accessed 19

April 2023.

Friedmann, Katrin, et al. “Chemicals in skincare and beauty products.” Clue app, 26 June 2017,

https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/chemicals-in-your-skincare-products. Accessed

19 April 2023.

Howes, Laura. “The science of skincare | Feature.” Chemistry World, 1 October 2012,

https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-science-of-skincare/5494.article. Accessed

19 April 2023.

Kolarsick, Paul A.J, et al. “Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin.” Anatomy and Physiology of

the Skin, March 2002,

 https://www.ons.org/sites/default/files/publication_pdfs/1%20SS%20Skin%20Cancer_ch

apter%201.pdf. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Lopez-Ojeda, Wilfredo, et al. “Anatomy, Skin (Integument) - StatPearls.” NCBI, 17 October

2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441980/. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Masterclass. “How to Build a Skin Care Routine: The Perfect 9-Step Skincare Regimen - 2023.”

MasterClass, 7 June 2021,

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-build-a-skin-care-routine. Accessed 19

April 2023.

Nature's Glory. “9 Unhealthy Ingredients in Commercial Soaps to Avoid.” Nature's Glory, 4

November 2021,

https://www.natures-glory.com/blogs/news/9-unhealthy-ingredients-in-commercial-soaps

-to-avoid. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Shaw, Erica. “8 Most Common Toner Ingredients Explained — Enlighten Bodhi Spa.” Enlighten

Bodhi Spa, 28 April 2021,

https://www.enlightenbodhi.com/eri-the-esti/2021/4/28/ingredients-101-whats-in-toners.

Accessed 19 April 2023.

Swiner, Carmelita. “Building Your Perfect Skin Care Routine With Pictures.” WebMD, 30

November 2022, https://www.webmd.com/beauty/ss/slideshow-skincare-routine.

Accessed 19 April 2023.

Szelinski, Tyler. “The Importance of Good Hygiene for Skin Health | Biodermis.com.”

Biodermis, 5 April 2021,

https://www.biodermis.com/blogs/biodermis-blog/the-importance-of-good-hygiene-for-sk

in-health-biodermis-com. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Taylor, Sarah. “Dermatitis Neglecta: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and More.” Healthline, 11 April

2017, https://www.healthline.com/health/dermatitis-neglecta. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Wade, Grace. “Skincare 101: The science behind your favorite moisturizers, serums, actives, and

more.” Popular Science, 6 December 2019,

https://www.popsci.com/story/health/best-skincare-routine-ingredient-chemistry-science/.

Accessed 19 April 2023.

Walensky, Rachelle. “Keeping Hands Clean | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, CDC, June 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/personal-hygiene/hands.html.

Accessed 19 April 2023.

Wilson, Debra Rose, and Adrienne Santos. “Bad Hygiene: Meaning, Signs, & Why It Matters.”

Healthline, 1 July 2021,

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-lifestyle/bad-hygiene#what-bad-hygiene-is.

Accessed 19 April 2023.