Do you have problem skin?
When did everyone start getting problem skin? Dry, irritable, indecisive skin, frightened by its own shadow? Skin that pinks up for hours after exercising? Annoying spots popping up out of the blue? Maybe you just assumed you had to live with your sensitive skin. Well, let our clinical experience be the judge of that.
What is problem skin?
Call us cynical, but could this rise in problem skin have anything to do with the popularity of peels, acid toners and retinol over recent years? First of all, it’s not your fault. Dermatologists have to take much of the blame, initially thinking the top layer of skin was dead as a dodo. No wonder everyone started exfoliating the hell out of their poor skin barrier in search of bright, glowing young skin cells underneath. Over-the-counter (OTC) brands were only too happy to encourage them.
When bruised and battered and your skin barrier could take no more, it went on strike against grainy scrubs, foaming cleansers, and acids. Your skin barrier wanted to show the skincare industry it’s alive and kicking – not a science experiment!
Have you been sold products for sensitive skin?
Never one to miss a bandwagon, OTC brands clocked the rise in problem skin (which they helped cause) and nobly came up with a solution, marketing entire ranges for ‘sensitive skin’. These products inevitably failed, however, because they masked the symptoms instead of treating the cause. Consumers were so grateful that they settled for anything that didn’t make their skin flare up, which set the bar pretty low.
Do you really have sensitive skin?
True sensitive skin is a rare genetic predisposition in people prone to allergies and asthma. This delicate, often pale skin type has a thin epidermis, that can’t protect itself and overreacts to external factors, such as pollution, that healthy skin takes in its stride. Sensitive skin can’t hide stress or a late night; it is written all over their face. Sensitive skin can’t hide embarrassment – the blood vessels are closer to the surface, making it more prone to blushing. Irritants sneak past the skin barrier, leading to inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, acne and psoriasis. We feel your pain.
Or is your problem skin just ‘sensitised’ skin?
At Tej & Co, we can tell if you have truly sensitive skin or if your skin barrier is under the weather, leaving it sensitised and vulnerable to spots, premature ageing, and even pigmentation. Do any of the following sound familiar?
- Harsh skincare: over-cleansing; over-exfoliation with acids, wipes, micellar water, scrubs
- Fragrance, dye, emulsifiers.
- Poor diet lacking in minerals + essential fatty acids
- Smoking
- Stress
- Pollution
Mother Nature is struggling, but don’t worry – we can treat this temporary skin condition.
Let’s balance your skin’s microbiome.
Let’s explain why your skin barrier is giving you problem skin. Healthy skin relies on a slightly acidic mix of sweat, lipids, and sebum (the acid mantle) to form a protective layer housing the good and deterring the bad bacteria (the microbiome pH).
If the pH is slightly out of whack due to acids or foaming cleansers, excess skin sheds too quickly, and you get dry, itchy, flaky problem skin. Unlike OTC skincare brands, we worship the skin microbiome and refuse to use harsh ingredients that break it down and leave your skin vulnerable, however popular on Instagram. Read my blog on ‘Not all skincare is skin care and why you should choose Dermaviduals’
Here is the best anti-ageing skincare tip we can give you: stop chasing collagen with acids and retinol – a balanced microbiome that protects us from modern life is the key to healthy, youthful skin. (But bacteria is not quite as sexy for marketers).
We have a motto: seal before you heal.
At Tej & Co, we have a motto: seal before you heal. Inflamed skin can’t heal, so we will seal your skin barrier to stop irritants from gatecrashing and causing havoc by combining bespoke skincare and calming skin treatments. We don’t offer quick fixes: it took time to damage your barrier, and it will take time to rebuild it. Unlike OTC skincare, our outside-in healing approach addresses the root cause of your problem skin instead of papering over the cracks. Whilst claiming to be ‘clean’, OTC skincare often contains irritants such as perfume and dyes and lacks long-term ingredients to rebuild the barrier.
Bespoke skin consultation
At Tej & Co, we take your skin out of panic mode by asking you to stop using harsh skincare, even if it comes in a pretty pot with a celebrity endorsement! Then, we feed your skin with skin-identical ingredients such as ceramides and natural lipids that strengthen your skin barrier so the skin no longer feels under attack. We recommend Dermaviduals custom-blended skincare free from barrier disruptors such as pigments, emulsifiers and harsh preservatives, only containing what your skin needs.
We will nurture your skin back to health.
