An NHS doctor is warning about skincare products that could actually be harmful to your skin.
The arrival of summer often prompts much attention towards skin health, both in an effort to maintain a summer glow as well protect against the sun.
However, an NHS GP is voicing concerns over certain popular skincare items and their potential harm, especially to young people’s skin.
Following an AVON survey disclosing that one in 20 women admitted to using anti-ageing products before they were 16, Dr Pyal Patal, a dermatologist, expressed her worry, saying: “This is really worrying statistic and, as a mother, it does sadden me that children feel like they need to use age-defying skincare products to look a certain way.”
It wasn’t just societal concerns that the statistic raised, as the NHS doctor warned: “Young skin is vulnerable, and using these products damages the skin barrier, increases an already young cell turnover, and leaves it open to external stressors which can even cause dermatitis.
“It’s only from the age of 25 that we start losing hyaluronic acid, collagen and elasticity in the skin.
“All young people need is a few products which moisturise their skin without harsh ingredients.”
She also lauded the EU’s clampdown on retinol levels in beauty products, saying: “High contents of retinol can lead to damage to the skin barrier, which leaves the skin vulnerable to the sun.
“Having a restriction on retinol prevents people from doing wrong to their skin.”
According to Glamour, under the new rules, face and hand creams will be capped at 0.3% pure retinol, while body lotions will have a 0.05% limit. However, there’s good news for those seeking youthful skin without the risks.
Dr Patal has singled out protinol as a game-changer, describing it as “an amino acid which works faster than retinol without any side effects that we commonly associate with cell turnover”.
She gave a special nod to AVON’s Anew Skin Renewal Power Cream for its inclusion of protinol.
