sade087

The wind is crazy here this week. We're stuck between a high and low pressure system and the pressure gradient (always moves from higher pressure towards lower pressure) is zapping the moisture out of the trees, grass, soil... And skin and lips. I love it when meteorology and skin/hair care can be combined in one paragraph! Windburn, sunburn, and dry air can make your lips dry, chapped, and peel. To deal with flaking, peeling lips, brush them. If you have an extra-soft toothbrush, very gently brush your lips in small circles with a dry toothbrush. Firmer toothbrushes need to be moistened first. You'll find your lips are softer and smooth and much easier to keep soft with just a little lip balm (avoid the very waxy kind) or skin lotion. Once per day is enough. If you wear lipstick, this will make your color go on smoothly and not tend to dye the dead skin but wear off the healthy skin, leaving you with blotchy color.

From scalp to toes, it’s all skin. Some of it is modified (thick skin on heels, for example) some of it is thinner than in other places (scalp, eyelids). But as living tissue (except for the top layers – that’s all dead and even though it’s constantly shedding cells), it’s not inert. This post is about to the nature of the top layer of skin – and why you need to protect it. ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 A little skin architecture: ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 The Stratum corneum is the top layer of skin and if you have sensitive skin, this is the place where your efforts can make the most difference. Don’t think of it as a pile of dead skin cells – it’s way more active than that. Imagine a brick wall. The corneocytes are the bricks made of protein (lots of keratin – like hair) which can hold a lot of water. There are around a dozen layers of these, linked by proteins at the outer layer of the corneocyte and surrounded. These protein bonds are the “mortar.” Lipids and ceramides and other compo...