The U.S. is kind of like the wild west when it comes to skincare regulations and claims. When it comes to “oil-free” moisturizers you really have to understand a bit more about your skin in order to find where your skin falls on the spectrum. Basically an “oil-free” claim means that the product does not include anything that doesn’t like water - Like oils, butters, silicones, waxes, etc. (or anything that doesn’t include the word oil in the ingredient list). But oil-free products usually stay on the maintenance side of benefiting the skin to keep it healthy. But what happens when damages and skin issues arise from our lifestyle (stress, fatigue, alcohol, diet, etc) and there is an onset of sensitive skin? This is exactly why an introduction to a deep researched oil-free protein moisturizer with high impact ingredients is necessary.
Oil-Free
Men’s skin is 25% thicker, oilier, and contains larger pores than women, on average. So naturally, why add more oil (even if it absorbs) to your skin - especially if the addition of oil or greasy substances can lead to sensitive skin. The risk is there with any products containing oil if you have sensitive skin. Oil-free products nourish and renew the skin without having the risk of leaving any residues. This is especially true when having a good 3+ product routine.
How Do I Know I Have Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin is either genetically triggered by an allergy, excess habit (stress, fatigue, alcohol, etc.), prescription product, or on-set by a reaction to a prescription drug. There are also certain levels of severity which can take years to develop. That’s why testing skincare products on a small area of the face is very important. Below are some signs of sensitive skin:
Prone to rashes and redness
Most skincare products sting or burn (Using AHA’s - retinol, etc.)
Dry patches which feel itchy
Allergic to UV light
Skin irritation when applying fragrances
Bad reactions to bad weather or dramatic weather changes
Acne breakouts frequent
Protein Infusion
An oil-free product alone can have some nourishing effects on the skin while not hydrating or having huge results - only to reduce the risk of onsetting sensitive skin for men. What a protein infusion does to an oil-free product is pack it with skin-boosting (collagen building) benefits to specifically target damages from already sensitive skin (reducing the effects from the list above). This is where tripeptides are used.
In the know: Tripeptides
Tripeptide-1: A ‘messenger’ peptide which signals the skin cells what to do when sun or stress damages like wrinkles or rough texture appear
Tripeptide-5: Stimulates collagen production and healthy tissue growth.
Tripeptide-7: A unique sequence of amino acids to mimic the body’s mechanism to produce collagen via tissue growth factor (TGF)-beta.
References for the above information:
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, August 2016, pages 1,171-1,176
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, June 2000, pages 207-218
Pomegranate Enzyme
An oil-free protein moisturizer with the ability to reduce the effects of stress on the skin and cause issues like acne, stress marks and fatigued skin is not complete without a pomegranate enzyme. It’s an alternative to the industry’s top-performing ingredient, retinol. Basically it’s a bioferment of the pomegranate fruit (contains lactic acid, alpha-arbutin, and salicylic acid) with the ability to turn on the skin’s self-hydrating systems, brighten the skin, reduce over-oil production, and balance irregular pigmentation.
Caffeine Introduction
What better way to reduce redness while targeting stress by adding a powerful compound to constrict blood vessels. This makes it ideal for facial flushing, the look of rosacea, and similar effects from other lifestyle habits. Caffeine works as a diuretic that aids in circulation while acting as a powerful antioxidant.
To summarize the benefits of an oil-free protein moisturizer:
Increases the skin's self-hydrating systems
Reduces the look of Inflammation
Constrict capillaries to reduce redness while improving the skin's circulation
Keeps the skin's microbiome healthy
Boosts collagen which makes the skin look and feel healthy
Repairs the look of damages from stress and fatigue
