Bacteria, makeup brushes and your skin!

 

 

In today’s post, skin expert Mariga from Skin Essentials gives you the basics on how bacteria affects the skin and simple tips to reduce your exposure to external bacteria and other irritants that can have adverse effects on your skin.

Bacteria is definitely something we have to consider when thinking about our overall skincare habits.
There are both good and bad bacteria in terms of your skin.
Good bacteria live on the skin and help keep it in balance. Keeping skin healthy and functioning well supports the work of this skin-friendly bacteria.

In today’s post I want to talk about external bacteria, the type you don’t want on your skin!

Generally, the slightly acidic nature of the human skin surface will repel most common bacteria that you will come into contact with on a daily basis, in the air or by touch. If the acid mantle fails to stop a bacterium entering the skin structure there are further defences in the immune system to protect you.
As long as these are healthy and functioning well, there is no ned to worry about normal daily contact with irritants.
To keep these defence systems operating well, simply follow the basic rules for healthy skin:

-eat clean, plenty of fruit and veg, and drink plenty of water
-don’t use harsh exfoliants
-avoid perfumed skincare and cosmetic products
-moderate sun exposure and always use and SPF30
-use quality products especially recommended for your skin

Sometimes, even in a healthy skin, bacteria can still cause problems such as breakouts or irritation because there are just too many invaders for the skin’s defences to cope with all at once, so some get through. To avoid this watch for sources of bacteria build up and take preventative action such as:

-clean phones with alcohol wipe weekly
-change pillowcases twice a week, more often if you have acne
-wash makeup brushes 1-2 times per month, weekly if you are using liquid products with them
-try not to touch your face unnecessarily
-use microfibre cloths to remove makeup/cleanse your face , they don’t harbour bacteria when dried flat between uses
-wash hands frequently and thoroughly with hot water and perfume-free soap
-wash scarves regularly

I hope that those simple tips help to keep your skin strong and healthy. Remember, if you have any skincare questions just drop in to our clinic in Selskar Street, Wexford Town, call us on 053 9145981 or get in touch through our Facebook page. We are always happy to help.