College Student Skin Care Habit

College live could be very stressful for many college students. Many of them have a full-time job while they are also full-time students. The level of stress that these students have to experience is extremely high, making these students more likely to practice a number of unhealthy behaviors. Those students who experience higher levels of stress also exhibit lower levels of satisfaction with their overall health (Hudd, Dumlao, Erdmann-Sager, Murray, Phan, Soukas & Yokozuka, 2000).

While many college students have excellent control over their time management, many others do not, and this could lead them to increase their levels of stress, and some of them can develop a skin disorder as a manifestation of an inability to cope with adversity (Consoli, 1996). Unhealthy options could put student’s health and physical appearance on jeopardy.

The Epidermis or Human Skin is the largest organ in the human body, and as

such, it should be protected and cared for as the rest of the organs of the human body. “Human skin is continuously exposed to internal and external influences that may alter its condition and functioning. As a consequence, the skin may undergo alterations leading to photo-aging, inflammation, immune dysfunction, imbalanced epidermal homeostasis, or skin disorders.” (Boelsm., Hendriks, & Roza, 2001).

Skin care is extremely important for a healthy way of living, and everyone should be aware of it. However, not everyone seems to realize the importance of a healthy skincare regimen. Different cultures find image and beauty extremely important, and maybe nothing can reveal so much about an individual’s health, self-confidence and well-being as the condition of their skin. Nothing, not the type of car they drive, or the kind of clothes they wear, or the part of town they live in says as much about them as the appearance of the radiant and youthful glow of a healthy skin” (Papp, 2012). However, for an individual to be able to achieve a glowing and healthy skin, it would need to take care of its skin as it does with the rest of its body.

Many people start to realize the importance of healthy skin, once they start to see the signs of photoaging—premature aging of the skin caused by repeated exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) primarily from the sun (Canadian Dermatology Association)—acne, skin cancer, and many other skin diseases. However, the pattern of skin diseases in any community is influenced by a genetic constitution, climate, socioeconomic status, occupation, education, hygienic standards, customs and quality of medical care. The burden of skin disease also has an impact on the Quality of Life of Adolescents (Hudd et

al., 2000). Young adults, such college student, don’t know the importance of a skin care regiment, or the importance of taking care of their skin in general, and this is due to the lack of knowledge on the subject. It is important for college students to acknowledge the importance of skincare so they could have a better quality of life

College Student Skin Care Habit:

Everyday care of skin is essential, and cleansing is an important aspect of any

skin care, since it not only removes unwanted dirt, soil, and bacteria from skin but also removes dead surface cells, preparing skin to absorb better topically applied drugs/medication (Subramanyan, 2004), for those who already suffer from any type of skin disease. Subramanyan (2004) explains that clinical studies reported that cleansing with a mild synthetic cleansing bar is extremely beneficial to help prevent and treat skin diseases. These clinical results validate the need for gentle cleansing to be part of routine fundamental skin care.

In addition, another critical component in a skincare routine is moisturizing

creams. “Moisturizing creams provide water directly to the skin from their water phase. The lipids in the creams may also form a film on the skin surface, which reduces TEWL (Transepidermal water loss) so that the water builds up beneath. Lipids may also penetrate into damaged skin and influence the barrier recovery and degree of surfactant-induced irritation. Humectants in moisturizers are absorbed into the stratum corneum and are believed to increase skin hydration by the attraction of water” (Loden, Andersson, &Lindberg, 1999). Hydrated skin is healthy skin, and moisturizers can help the skin to stay hydrated. But, moisturizing and cleansing the skin are not the only steps that an individual should do to protect their skin. Drinking plenty of water a day will help keep

the skin hydrated as well, and eating the right foods will also give the nutrients that the skin needs to keep its youthful and healthy look. “Modern nutritional science is developing new insights into the relation between food intake and health, and the effects of food ingredients may prove to be biologically relevant for optimal skin condition. College Student Skin Care Habit Dietary consumption of certain plants or fish oil is known to modulate the balance of

lipid inflammatory mediators and, therefore, is valuable in the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders” (Boelsma, Hendriks, & Roza, 2001).

The importance of skin care is high, and the awareness of such is critical to avoid future skin disorders. Young adults should be mindful of the consequences of neglecting their skin, and they must avoid doing things that can harm their skin instead of helping it. Many young adults enjoy a bronzed, sun-kissed skin, and they would do everything to get that desired look. “Tanned skin is damaged skin--and damaged skin can lead to far more severe problems than premature aging and wrinkling of the skin, there's no such thing as

a "safe" or "healthy" tan” (E.B.1998). It is very easy to forget to protect the skin once individuals are outdoors, and having fun, but “unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes. Yet, it can take as long as 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of the sun exposure” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). The use of sun protection is critical for healthy skin. There has been an increased incidence of both melanoma and non-melanomatous skin cancer in the United States. And exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is one of the leading causes of melanoma, and this can also contribute to other skin cancers. Many countries have realized the importance of sun protection, and many public health campings have been launched to

educate their population about the dangers of UV radiation exposure. (Peacey, Steptoe, Sanderman, & Wardle, 2006). New trends among young adults include indoor tanning and the exposure to UV radiation from this tanning devices can cause melanoma and College Student Skin Care Habit many other negative health consequences. However “Thirty-five percent of American adults, 59 percent of college students, and 17 percent of teens have reported using a

tanning bed in their lifetime” (American Academy of Dermatology).

Many college students ignore the dangers of indoor and outdoor tanning, and they still do it constantly to achieve their desired look. Also, these students do not use any sun protection, and they leave their skin unprotected to UV

radiation.Peace, Steptoe, Sanderman, & Wardle explained in their research findings that college students from wealthier and more educated backgrounds were more likely to use sun protection and avoid UV radiation. They also explained,“The difference in behavior

could also be associated with socioeconomic differences in other relevant beliefs.”