Skincare 101: Lipids and Your Skin
You may need more cholesterol in your life, and not the kind you eat!
When we understand how our skin works, we can better feed it what it needs. You know your skin needs moisturization, nourishment, and hydration. But you know what else is essential for it to be healthy and vibrant? Lipids!
What are Lipids?
Lipids, which are naturally occurring fats, play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and functionality of your skin barrier. Your skin's barrier serves as the first line of defense against external aggressors, ranging from harsh environmental conditions to harmful microorganisms. By virtue of their presence, lipids contribute significantly to fortifying this barrier, thereby safeguarding your skin from potential damage and maintaining its overall health.
Essentially, lipids act as guardians of your skin, orchestrating a delicate balance that allows vital nutrients and moisture to remain within while simultaneously repelling harmful substances and preventing moisture loss. This protective function is indispensable for preserving the suppleness, hydration, and resilience of your skin, ensuring it remains resilient against various stressors encountered in daily life.
Moreover, lipids not only shield your skin from external threats but also facilitate essential physiological processes within its layers. They aid in the regulation of moisture levels, preventing dehydration, and promoting a hydrated, plump appearance. Furthermore, lipids contribute to the maintenance of proper cellular communication, supporting the intricate signaling pathways necessary for skin repair, regeneration, and overall vitality.
In essence, the presence of lipids in your skin is not merely incidental but rather fundamental to its health and well-being. By nurturing and preserving this lipid barrier, you can effectively enhance your skin's resilience, vitality, and youthful appearance, ensuring it remains a steadfast protector against the challenges of everyday life.
The bad news…
As we age our natural lipid production declines which as a result impacts our skin barrier function and ability to self-repair. This is when we see more dullness, tightness, dryness, and roughness.
The solution
As we stop producing our natural lipids, we need to help our skin and supplement them. While there are many kinds of lipids, the following three are the predominant form essential for your skin:
Ceramides — increase hydration and barrier function
Cholesterol — accelerates barrier recovery in aging skin to improve elasticity
Fatty Acids — helps with the structural integrity of lipids to optimize skin’s overall lipid balance.
Before you go hit your local Sephora looking for all of the above, let us introduce you to your one and done…
Disclaimer: We recognize the lighting is off. We’ve since changed the room lights and don’t have harsh shadowing but the before and after.
Hi, I’m Hilary!
The founder and lead nurse injector at Subtle Enhancements. Education is something that I’m very passionate about and this blog is an extension of that. Here you will be fully informed of the benefits and risks of each cosmetic procedure — no fads, no trends, just the scientific facts.
In the Greater Toronto Area or Durham Region? Consultations are free!