Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Is Your Acne Worse in Winter? Skin Drier?

Apply Yogurt to Soothe Winter Skin
Increase ceramide production in your skin with yogurt.
You've probably seen them in the ingredient list on many moisturizers.  Ceramides are natural lipids that are found in high concentrations within cell membranes. They make skin strong and impermeable and thus less easily ruptured and less sensitive to irritations. The amount of ceramides in your skin are lower in winter, making you more susceptible to whatever skin ailments you are prone to--such as acne.  It weakens your epidermal barrier making your skin more sensitive and affects how skin cells are formed, die and exfoliate freely without clogging pores.

You can improve all these things by applying plain live-culture yogurt to your skin topically.  A study found an increase in ceramide production and reduction in inflammation after 7 days of topical use yogurt. And a reduction in acne.  Some strains of the beneficial bacteria also secrete peptides, another thing you've no doubt seen on your moisturizer bottle.  And then moisturize with plant oils such as safflower, grapeseed or hemp seed to make up for the loss of the lipid barrier.

For more info see the study which is primarily about the importance of probiotic cultures in your digestive tract:
Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis - back to the future? 

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