Fashion & Beauty Lifestyle

7 skincare lessons from ‘The Glow Network’ beauty summit

Snailwhite recently debuted its first-ever online beauty summit called The Glow Network, a series of talks and live Q&A sessions with various skincare experts. Here are the seven beauty takeaways from dermatologists Dr. Anna Palabyab-Rufino and Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas, beauty YouTuber Johnrey, and beauty and lifestyle writer Gretchen Gatan.

1. Mixing skincare acids can make or break your skincare routine.

During Dr. Anna Palabyab-Rufino’s talk on chemical exfoliants, she explained you can combine skincare acids to maximize their benefits and effects on your skin. Her combination of choice is AHA and BHA because their properties complement each other.

“Combining AHA and BHA gives you the best of both worlds…they have different properties but when combined they complement each other perfectly. This is because AHA is water-soluble and whisks away dead skin on the surface to reveal brighter skin underneath while promoting collagen production and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Whereas BHA helps dislodge bacteria, impurities, and excess oil deep within the pores, and also helps soothe irritation brought about by acne. Putting [the two] in a one-step application can help anyone benefit from both acids,” she said.

While AHA and BHA are the perfect couple, there are also some acids that don’t work well with a partner — like Retinol. 

Retinol is a great anti-aging ingredient because it helps enhance collagen production, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and evens out hyperpigmentation. But it’s an acid experts don’t recommend pairing with other chemical exfoliants such as AHAs and BHAs because it can cause major sensitivity and irritation in your skin when it’s exposed to the sun.

If you want to experience the benefits of AHA/BHA and Retinol, Dr. Anna says you can use the former during the day and the latter at night so your skin is not overwhelmed with the powerful exfoliants and you can still get the effects you want without destroying your skin. However, it’s important that those who are new to acids or have sensitive skin slowly introduce it into their regimen. Dr. Anna notes, “You may not be able to use [the acids] every day in the beginning but you can slowly increase the frequency of application depending on the tolerance of your skin.” Once your skin is able to tolerate the exfoliants, use them consistently to achieve the best results.

2. Snail Potion works in synergy with chemical exfoliants.

In order for your skincare acids to work, the other ingredients in your routine must be in sync with them. Meaning, they can’t contain other strong exfoliants or unstable chemicals that could render them ineffective. In Dr. Anna’s “Let’s Get Scientific Talk,” she says one of the best ingredients to use with acids is Snail Potion — the others being Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Niacinamide, and Aloe Vera. “Snail extract works well in combination with AHA and BHA because it helps hydrate and balance the skin out. More importantly, it doesn’t disturb the process of the acids.”

3. Chemical exfoliators easily remove blackheads and whiteheads.

Forget gritty physical scrubs for clearing out pesky blemishes! Chemical exfoliants can do a better job with less effort. Beauty YouTuber Johnrey praised the ability of skin acids to effectively remove them because they can go deeper into your pores to pull out dead skin, excess sebum, and bacteria that caused the whitehead or blackhead in the first place!

If you’re afraid to try something with the word “acid” in it, don’t be. Many products with this type of ingredient, like Snailwhite Glow Potion AHA·BHA Toner, have perfectly balanced concentrations of the two ingredients. This allows them to be effective on your whiteheads and blackheads while still being gentle on your skin.

4. Wear sunscreen indoors to protect yourself from invisible UV rays.

Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas revealed that while the sun’s UVB rays can’t penetrate glass windows, the stronger, harsher UVA rays can. UVA rays are more dangerous because they can reach the deeper layers of the skin and cause premature aging such as fine lines and dark spots.

Plus, there’s another type of “ray” that you’re always exposed to and you probably didn’t know it: blue light. According to Dr. Gaile, “blue light is emitted from our cellphones, our tablets, and computer screens. It is said that it can penetrate deeper into the skin than UVA rays and although it’s not as strong, constant and prolonged exposure to it can also lead to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.”

5. Oily skin STILL needs moisturizer.

At dermatologist Dr. Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas’ “Bust That Myth” talk, she confirmed that yes, oily-skinned people still need moisturizer. “Moisturizers were originally developed para maibalik yung natanggal na fatty acids and lipids when you clean your skin. There are gels [or gel-cream moisturizers] that are non-oily and non-comedogenic which I recommend for people with oily and acne-prone skin.” The beauty of these two types of moisturizers is they can hydrate and nourish your skin without leaving that slick, sticky feeling.

6. Avoid toners that contain drying alcohol.

Drying alcohol is effective in removing bacteria and oil in your skin. However, according to Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas, “They can be irritating, drying, they disrupt your skin’s microflora, and they remove all kinds of oils, even the good ones, that keep your skin barrier intact. When your skin barrier is disrupted, you become more prone to irritation, sensitivity, and you can break out easily.” Her advice? Go for alcohol-free toners that address your skin’s main issues.

7. Facial massaging won’t make your skin sag, it will do the opposite.

Beauty and lifestyle writer Gretchen Gatan shared her secret to keeping her skin firm, plump, and glowing: facial massages. In her talk, she revealed she got into face massaging when she was in her mid-20s because she wanted to find ways to naturally prevent her face from aging. “Facial massaging was [also] one technique that made doing my skincare routine more fun!”

The act of massaging your face may be confusing when it comes to preventing sagging and aging as you’re pulling your skin. But when done the right way, like how Gretchen demonstrated, it can relieve tension in your facial muscles to reduce the appearance of fine lines, improve blood and oxygen circulation to give skin a healthy, rosy appearance, and naturally tone and firm up your skin to give it a lifted effect.

SNAILWHITE The Glow Network: An Online Beauty Summit is available to watch at  FacebookInstagram, and YouTube

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