Face cream, cleansing milk and eye care are a bit like the movie stars: each product plays its own important role. But if from the daily care great cinema for the skinshould be, you need the complete ensemble. Everything must come from the same series – at least that’s what the manufacturers claim. Is that correct? Or is it more like the long-running TV hit “The Rich and Beautiful”, which is not only about good looks, but also about money? Sure, the more products a beauty company sells, the more it makes. Care ingredients often build on each other and reinforce each other’s effects. In other cases, the cosmetic guest star from another series can definitely come in handy. We took a closer look at the common products – so that you can direct your care selection yourself in the future.
A real dream couple: day and night care – strong together
A cream that can be used both in the morning and in the evening is practical because it saves space in the bathroom. Most of these 24-hour products are specifically designed for one skin type. For example, a dry complexion gets an extra portion of fat, wrinkles are smoothed out with anti-aging ingredients, and oily skin is mattified. In principle okay, but you could get even more out of your daily care – with a series, because it differentiates between day and night cream.
This brings a decisive advantage: In addition to the skin type, the biorhythm is also taken into account. Because depending on the time of day, our skin has to do two fundamentally different jobs. While during the day it focuses primarily on fending off the sun and free radicals, during sleep the focus is on repairing damage and producing connective tissue. You can support these processes with separate day and night care. But what is the difference between these variants? Especially the fat content, which is higher in a night cream. The skin warms up under the fine film of oil, like under a blanket, is better supplied with blood and can absorb active ingredients such as moisturizing hyaluronic acid particularly well. Ideally, your night care should contain additives that help your skin with the upcoming renovation work, such as vitamin A, which supports cell renewal, or myrrh extract for collagen formation. Day creams usually also contain UV filters and antioxidants, such as tea or vitamin E, which increase the protective effect.
PRODUCTS: eg “Age Protection day cream” with tea and “Age Protection night cream” with myrrh from Logona, 30 ml each approx. 20 euros; “AntiAge+ day care Hyaluron Protect LSF 15” with vitamin E and “AntiAge+ night care Hyaluron Repair” with vitamin A from frei, each 50 ml approx. 26 euros
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cleaning products
There are separate rules for soap operas: you can change clothes when cleaning
Most series also include cleaning products – and they are sometimes quite expensive. In addition, some programs only offer cleansing milk, although many women would prefer a cleansing gel. Since one flirts with a fling to another manufacturer. Can you do that? “Yes, because when it comes to cleansing, it’s much more important to use a gentle product that suits your skin type than it is to use the same active ingredient as in the care product,” says Dr. Birgit Kunze, dermatologist from Hamburg. Their statement can be easily substantiated: for facial cleansers that are only briefly on the skincompletely different safety regulations than for care that acts for hours – for example with regard to preservatives. For example, benzoic acid can be used in washing gels with a concentration of up to 2.5 percent, while no more than 0.5 percent is permitted for creams. The reasoning is that something that is immediately rinsed off cannot cause damage so easily. But also not much use in terms of the active ingredients.
When it comes to cleaning products, one thing above all should be right: the chemistry. If you prefer a cleansing gel, look out for mild foaming agents (surfactants) made from sugar or coconut, which do not dry out the skin unnecessarily. Stay away from drying sodium lauryl sulfate! The similar-sounding sodium laureth sulfate is fine for oily skin though. Cleansing milk is great for dry and sensitive skin because it removes make-up with vegetable oils. When it comes to facial tonic, a lot depends on the alcohol content – it is recommended for oily skin, but taboo for sensitive or brittle skin.
PRODUCTS: eg “Face Cleansing Foam Cranberries” from 100% Pure with coconut surfactants, 177 ml approx. 19 euros; “Invigorating Facial Toner” with alcohol and “Mild Cleansing Milk” with oil from Weleda, approx. 9 euros each 100 ml
shampoo and conditioner
Best as a team: shampoo and conditioner for film-ready beautiful hair
In the ZDF crime series “Das Duo” every case is solved – by two clever inspectors. When it comes to hair problems, shampoo and conditioner do the job. Although these products are also rinsed off, there is something to be gained from using shampoo and conditioner from the same series, because the products are designed in such a way that they mesh like gears: If the conditioner contains a lot of silicone, for example, the right shampoo usually contains peeling salicylic acid so that it no residue can accumulate on the hair. Most silicones are not water-soluble – which also explains why different rules apply to hair care than to facial cleansing. If you combine such products with one from another series, the conditioner can weigh down the hair or the shampoo can dry it out too much.
The mechanism of action must also harmonize. The “Deep Structure Almond Oil Shampoo” from Guhl, for example, repairs damaged hair by stuffing small holes in the shaft with proteins. If you were to use Guhl’s “Moisture Balance Wheat Germ Oil Balm Conditioner” afterwards, the hair would not be able to use the moisture from it at all, as the hair shaft would be sealed by the proteins. So – stay true to your hair series!
masks and eye creams
Care extras such as masks and eye creams are better presented on their own
Dark circles under the eyes, bags under the eyes or a tired complexion before an important appointment? Only specialists can help! Eye gels, masks or serums are often also offered within a series, but they have a more general effect, for example by slowing down wrinkles or quickly refreshing with moisturizers. The more individual your problem, the sooner you can zap to products from other manufacturers. This makes your care more effective overall.
PRODUCTS: eg “Diopticerne” against dark circles under the eyes (5 ml) and “Dioptigel” against bags under the eyes (10 ml) from Lierac, approx. 16 euros each; “Youth Code Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate” from L’Oréal Paris with silicone as a lightning lift, 30 ml approx. 18 euros
