what’s your skin trying to tell you?

Your skin is always changing — and it might need different things from one day to the next. And even when taking care of your skin is ingrained in you, there still might be times it just doesn’t seem to listen. Common skin concerns like redness, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and dehydration can all be signals that your skin is experiencing a more profound form of damage. No matter how much you listen to your skin, sometimes the signals it’s giving you might be a little too quiet for you to hear. Or, at least, until now. Here’s a deeper look at four skin signals you should be on the lookout for.

redness

the cause
Showing off a little more than just a coy flush? You may be experiencing inflammation, which can be caused by certain skin conditions, or to common triggers like your environment, stress or even your diet.

the solution
Seek out products with ingredients that help to soothe the skin. A few recommendations:

• Gallic Acid from Japanese Cornelia Cherry: Rich in antioxidants, it helps to protect stressed skin against free radicals, soothe, and reduce the appearance of redness.
• Our exclusive UltraCalming Complex: Formulated with Oat and botanical actives to help minimize discomfort.
• Licorice Root and Lavender: Both of these extracts help to soothe and calm the skin.

fine lines and wrinkles

the cause
As skin ages, it experiences a slowing of the natural processes which help its firmness, tautness and radiance. Visible signs of premature skin aging appear as a result of hormone changes, UV exposure and more, which weaken skin’s collagen (which keeps skin firm) and elastin (which keeps skin bouncing back) in your skin as you age, resulting in the formation of visible fine lines and wrinkles.

the solution
Look for skincare products with ingredients that target early signs of premature skin aging. Mannose-6-Phosphate detects collagen weakness and acts to smooth, firm and improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Peptides help to support skin resilience and tone. Antioxidants help defend against free radical damage to protect the skin’s surface.

dark spots

the cause
Did you know that unbalanced skin tone can make a person look more than 20 years older? Dark spots, also known as hyperpigmentation, are caused by the irregular production of melanin, the brown or reddish pigment in skin. Certain triggers, like sun exposure, cause this irregular production, in addition to other causes like hormonal factors (birth control pills and pregnancy) and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (like popping a pimple or scarring after a cut).

the solution
Skincare products that help to curb excess melanin production and fade the appearance
of existing dark spots will be your new best friend. Rich in Arabinoxylo-Oligosaccharides, Hydrolyzed Wheat Flour acts to brighten skin, helping to reduce the appearance of dark spots. Hexylresorcinol is a potent active that can lead to decreased production of melanin, and Niacinamide has been found to significantly decrease hyperpigmentation. Both Niacinamide and Hexylresorcinol help fade the look of uneven pigmentation for more luminous skin.

dehydration

the cause
Finding more rough, dry patches on your face than you’d like to? A damaged moisture barrier
(AKA the epidermis, or the outermost layer of your skin) might be the root cause. When your skin barrier is weakened — which can happen as a result of things like normal skin aging, genetics, over-cleansing and UV exposure — you’ll start to notice a whole host of issues popping up:

• Dryness
• Dullness
• Redness
• Sensitivity
• Breakouts

This weakness starts to occur when the lipid barrier, which is mainly composed of three lipids
(ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids), starts to break down and crack, allowing moisture to escape and irritants to enter.

the solution
Your skincare regimen, diet and the water you drink can all help replenish skin’s hydration! Skincare products formulated with Hyaluronic Acid are especially good choices. Cucumber and Vitamin E are two other ingredients that help bring added moisture to skin in need of hydration.

If you are experiencing these skin concerns, you can specifically tailor your skincare regimen to address them. One way to do this is with new Smart Response Serum, which is formulated with SmartResponse Technology to effectively address your skin’s needs in real time. As these various skin signals start flashing (figuratively, not literally), it intelligently addresses skin concerns and helps to prevent future damage. Best of all? It does all this before you even notice!