While you might not remember what you did last summer, your skin certainly does. In fact, your skin has a pretty good memory and at some point, in the future it will remind you how it was treated. We discuss what this means for your complexion and what you can do about it.
We are talking, of course, about “skin cell memory”, a term used by dermatologists and experts to describe the ability our skin has to remember inflammation, trauma, and damage that it has had to work to repair, especially due to sun exposure. As the years go by, previously looking healthy and evenly-toned skin can develop abnormal melanin deposits marking the areas where skin has sustained damage.
What’s more, these areas can either appear white (indicating hypo-pigmentation) or dark (hyper-pigmentation) and can appear anywhere on the body.
Why does our skin have a “memory”?
When we expose our skin an external aggression – For example UV rays from the sun or from electronic devices – Its defence mechanism is activated. Our skin cells protect themselves by producing melanin and begin self-renewal by getting rid of the most damaged layer (the “tanned” skin), replacing it with new cells.
However, excessive and/or long-term exposure without adequate UV protection increases the risk of these cells suffering mutations within their DNA. These mutations are then passed on to daughter cells and so on in a chain reaction. The result is increasingly damaged skin.
Prevention is better than cure
Although our skin has the ability to remind us of the cell damage it has suffered in the past, you can minimalise the appearance (or avoid the reappearance) of pigmentation issues by using products designed to treat and prevent them.
Keep your skin healthier for longer with your favourite Twelve Beauty products:
Protect yourself from harmful UV rays with Artemisia Power Protection Moisturizer SPF50+. Our mattifying anti-pollution day emulsion contains Artemisia extract, a natural antioxidant 8 times more powerful than vitamin C. This hand-made formula offers high mineral protection using 100 % natural and non-nano ingredients stopping the damage caused by daily exposure to UV rays in its tracks.
Our Ideal Brightening Corrective Serum is a green and clean organic formula which naturally brightens your complexion. Its powerful herbs work to reduce the intensity of dark spots and scars, provide more radiant skin tone, and illuminate and correct uneven complexions. For all skin types including those with sensitive skin and especially those concerned with hyperpigmentation. It is also safe to use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
⠀
If you are suffering from uneven skin tone, we cannot recommend The London Mask enough. Prepared by hand so your skin gets all the wonderful properties of clay without the unpleasant side effects like dryness or tight skin. It provides a gentle yet effective exfoliation that reduces the intensity of dark spots with regular use.
And for that sun-kissed look without exposing skin to the sun, all you need at the end of your routine is two pumps of Glow Island, our new self-tanning solution which boosts your natural radiance. Its innovative combination of minerals and powerful natural ingredients (and without DHA) gradually enhances your skin tone. The result is a beautiful, safe, bronzed glow.
Leave a reply