Take care of your hands with Délicate Omy cream

5 minute reading

In the current situation, the combination of hand washing with soap and the use of disinfectant gel with a high alcohol content* is strongly encouraged to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Too frequent hand washing or excessive use of disinfectant gel can, however, lead to deterioration of the hydrolipidic film found on the surface of the skin. The deterioration of this film made up of water and sebum can cause skin dryness and irritation. In some people, this can even lead to a flare-up of dry type eczema , which is characterized by the presence of itchy red patches. However, a healthy hydrolipidic film is important, because it plays a role as a first line of defense by protecting the body against pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc.). Délicate Omy hand cream has been expressly formulated with the aim of restoring this thin skin film.

*The mechanism of action of soap and disinfectant gel is discussed in a previous article .

The importance of maintaining the skin's natural balance

At Omy, disinfectant gels are formulated using quality ingredients for sensitive skin in order to reduce the drying effect of the alcohol that the gels contain. Unfortunately, when hand washing or gel application is too frequent, the skin can have difficulty regaining its precious natural balance. More specifically, it may suffer from a reduction in sebum production, which prevents excessive evaporation of water from the skin's surface. This reduction can make hands dry and rough. Another effect of this loss of sebum is the dysregulation of the skin's naturally acidic pH. Soapy water, which has a rather basic pH, can also accentuate this pH dysregulation. But why is it so important for the skin to maintain its acidic pH?

This characteristic is essential, because it ensures the quality and balance of the skin microbiota. This microbiota is a real ecosystem composed, among other things, of viruses and hundreds of different types of bacteria. This may seem very surprising, but when the skin is healthy (and therefore has an adequate acidic pH), the microbiota reacts by offering in exchange its protection against invasive pathogens, as if thanking the skin for being a “good welcome land”! Thus, like little front-line soldiers, the microbiota microorganisms act on the surface of the skin a bit like a sort of “natural antibiotic”. This is why it is important to use quality soap and disinfectant gel and to use them judiciously (depending on the context), so as to obtain maximum benefits while avoiding undesirable effects on the skin. skin and the skin microbiota.

In general, viruses can get a bad rap because when you hear about them, they are often associated with bad news. For this reason, we may be inclined to overuse soapy water and disinfectant gels. Fortunately, most viruses known to date are harmless. Moreover, as surprising as it may seem, certain viruses are even known to be valuable allies! For example, some of them can infect bacteria that are harmful to our health.

Omy Délicate hand cream

To meet current needs, Délicate Omy hand cream has been specially formulated to moisturize dry skin and restore the hydrolipidic film. It can be used by both men and women. Its cucumber extract has a moisturizing and soothing effect, and gives the cream a subtle fresh and natural scent.

As with several other Omy treatments, the hand cream contains a moisturizing and soothing aquifer water base. It also includes shea butter among its ingredients: in addition to calming irritations and protecting the skin against dryness, shea butter particularly promotes the regeneration of the skin barrier, which is all the more necessary in a context of frequent hand washing. Thanks to its high content of “unsaponifiables”, shea butter resists soap well. It can therefore easily remain on the skin in the form of a protective film.

Ceramides constitute one of the main active ingredients present in the cream. They are already naturally present and in good quantity on healthy skin, but with age, their number and effectiveness tend to decrease. The presence of ceramides in the cream can therefore prove useful. Like sebum, they maintain skin hydration. In addition, they act like the cement that holds a brick wall together: they bind together the dead cells on the surface of the skin. This “wall of interlocking cells” and ceramides plays a role as a protective barrier against pathogens. Note also that clinical studies have demonstrated the beneficial results of using ceramides to treat eczema .

To prevent skin aging, argan oil is also used in hand cream as an active ingredient due to its high vitamin E content. Recognized in Morocco as "liquid gold", it contains essential fatty acids which give the cream nourishing properties for the skin and nails.

Finally, in order to ensure safety and respect for the skin, Délicate Omy hand cream contains a preservative of natural origin using micro-active bacterial ferment technology. The principle of this technology is based on the presence of a microorganism called “Lactobacillus ” which produces bacteriocins providing broad-spectrum microbial protection. This microorganism also restricts the growth of other microorganisms by acidifying the environment in which they are found. In addition to ensuring the preservation of the cream, this postbiotic bacterial ferment offers the advantage of participating in the regulation of the precious skin microbiota.

Article written by: Sabrina Di Cintio

Bibliography

Adler, Y. (2018). What your skin says about you . Pocket Editions.

Boguniewicz M. Atopic dermatitis: beyond the itch that rashes. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am . 2005; 25(2): 333-51.