What role do amino acids play in hydrating the skin?
February 21, 2024
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If you carry the gene for Keratosis Pilaris, when your skin is exposed to cold or dry conditions (like winter and summer!), your skin will produce excess keratin, a protein that is naturally found within the skin. Keratosis Pilaris is worsened with exposure to cold and dryness, both of which signal the skin to produce more “hydrating” proteins (and hence more keratin, which clogs the pores further). Unfortunately, other than staying on a beach all the time (which presents its own problems), if you are prone to getting KP, you will always get KP: it is a genetic condition.
Keratosis Pilaris also tends to increase with age. As you get older, the excess keratin has nowhere else to go but to clog the pores. This is called hyperkeratinization.
Since pores contain a hair follicle, the excess keratin in the pore prevents the hair from growing optimally. (How would you like growing if you had a big blob of goo above your head all the time?!) The hair eventually becomes encased inside the keratin. So this is why many KP bumps contain an ingrown hair.
The best treatments for KP are those that are designed to exfoliate the skin deeply. The ultimate treatment, believe it or not, is actually laser hair removal (eMedicine, rev. 2022), which will remove the hair as well as the keratin “plug” that encapsulates it, as well as exfoliate the skin. It’s actually quite a beautiful one-two punch.
Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a genetic condition, and it is likely to get worse with age, as more keratin builds up in the follicle.
Luckily, regular exfoliation and keeping the skin hydrated may aid KP. We recommend using , Simply Better Skin Care™ – Total Body Moisturizing Lotion. WHY? The 17 amino acids in Simply Better™ products are the same your body needs to create healthy skin cells. They are also small enough to pass through the layers of your skin to deliver nutrients and hydration where needed most.
Amino Acids are also the main component to your body’s NMF or Natural Moisturizing Factor. This is how your body delivers hydration deep into the skin’s layers.
But whatever you do, please use caution when choosing a lotion or moisturizer! Most are designed to stay on top of the skin which can actually plug the pores making things worse!
