What is the difference and connection between beauty and skin health

To put it bluntly, the two are a mixed relationship of "base and extension" and "goal and path" - the difference is that the core logic and evaluation standards are completely different. The connection is that skin health is the underlying prerequisite for most conventional beauty behaviors, and compliant and effective beauty methods can also reversely consolidate health status. However, the industry has always had different views on the priorities of the two, and there is no absolute right or wrong standard.

Two years ago, I met a young girl who had just graduated in a skin management studio. In order to look good on camera for graduation photos and job interviews, she used a scrub twice a day for half a month to exfoliate her skin. She also followed the trend and bought the Internet celebrity's "Seven-day Rapid Whitening Essence". During that time My face was indeed brightened by two degrees. The original camera did not require dermabrasion to take the photo. However, right after the interview with the company of my choice, I broke out with backlight rash all over my face. The barrier was damaged and it took more than three months for it to return to normal. This is a typical counterexample of focusing only on the beauty effect and completely ignoring the bottom line of health.

But don’t think that beauty must 100% serve the health of your skin. I know many makeup artists who work on set all year round, and friends who are full-time beauty bloggers. When rushing for important live broadcasts or filming close-up movies, even though they know that a certain powerful concealer can cause acne, or a certain instant firming serum has slight exfoliation properties, and there is a high probability of two acnes and redness for a day or two after use, they will still give it priority. After all, the photogenic effect is the core demand at the moment, and this situation is not uncommon. Many people in the industry also support this idea of ​​"scenario-based adjustment of priorities" and feel that there is no need to use a health ruler to measure the beauty needs of all scenarios. As long as consumers are clear about the risks and can withstand subsequent minor reversible damage, there is no need to kill all beauty options that may cause temporary discomfort.

In fact, to use a very popular analogy, skin health is like the system stability of your mobile phone. Basic functions such as no virus, no lag, and communication battery life are normal. Beauty is when you change the wallpaper, install beautification plug-ins, and decorate the mobile phone with diamonds. It can be used normally. You must first ensure that the system does not crash, otherwise it will be useless even if the wallpaper is beautiful and the phone cannot be turned on. However, if you really want to participate in a digital exhibition, temporarily install a beautiful dynamic wallpaper that takes up memory. Even if it is a bit laggy for two days and then remove it, it is not a big problem at all.

If you really want to pick a professional definition, skin health has clear clinical standards: the skin's physical barrier is intact, the microbial flora is stable, the physiological functions of water retention, immune defense, and metabolism are all within normal thresholds, and there are no pathological changes such as erythema, papules, and non-physiological inflammation. It is a very objective and quantifiable indicator; but the standard of beauty is much more subjective. Some people think that cold white skin is beautiful, some people think that the wheat color from the sun is healthy and energetic, some people want to pursue a smooth and firm state without lines, and some people think that small freckles on the face are exclusive characteristics. There is no unified scale at all.

I have been in this business for almost ten years, and my general advice to regular customers is to put healthy foundation first in daily skin care, and don’t mess around with your face in pursuit of quick-acting whitening and anti-aging. If you have to take wedding photos, attend your own wedding, or important press conference, it is not a big deal to occasionally make an exception and choose a project with strong immediate effect. Just do a soothing and repairing afterwards. Originally, both of them serve people's needs, and there is no need to put them on opposite sides to judge whether they are right or wrong.