Skin Care, Body Rhythms, and Sleep

Most of us are all too familiar with that "dreaded" internal clock that wakes us at 7:00 AM on the weekend, despite our desire to sleep in. We fail to appreciate that this internal clock is part of a natural body rhythm that can dramatically impact our skin.

Scientific studies have revealed that our skin's biological functions follow "circadian cycles" which vary over the course of a 24 hour period. In the skin's biological clock, epidermal cell renewal and the permeability of the skin are both highest during the night.

The trick to good skincare is taking advantage of this knowledge and utilizing it to enhance our skin's health. Because the permeability of the skin is higher at night, more water loss naturally occurs at night. Consequently, a moisturizer that offers greater skin permeability and prevents water loss, should be applied before bedtime, to ensure moist, hydrated skin.

To provide the greatest effectiveness, a moisturizer should meet two tests. First, it should contain certain natural ingredients that have been specially formulated to be easily accepted by the skin. Green tea compounds, for example, are a must for today's moisture creams, as these compounds are seen by many scientists as skin cell rejuvenators.

Secondly, moisture cream should contain the latest silicone technology. Silicone molecules in a moisture cream provide a more even coverage than the molecules in hydrocarbon-based moisturizers by forming a sheet of hydration over the skin.

We sleep for approximately one-third of our lives, so let's make our sleep useful by developing good sleep habits and utilizing products that rebuild skin while we sleep. With ingredients that are formulated to work on a sub-cellular level and provide extra hydration to your skin, you'll be working with your skin's natural rhythms.

Copyright 2005 Alpha Ward-Burns

Alpha Ward-Burns is a cancer survivor and co-founder of Skin Solved, a skincare company devoted to achieving healthy skin through the use of scientifically advanced skincare with natural ingredients. You may contact Alpha at http://www.skinsolved.com