Antioxidants are among the major pillars of skincare routines. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, or resveratrol are some of them, and at the ConCiencia Antioxidante round table organized by SkinCeuticals, the importance of their use was explained, beyond luminosity. Among its participants, there was Dr. Natalia Jiménez, a dermatologist by profession and part of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital team, in addition to running clinical and aesthetic dermatology consultations at Grupo Pedro Jaén.
The professional is one of the most prominent names in dermatology in Spain, finishing medical school with an average grade of honors. In addition to her work in aesthetic dermatology, in the public sector she is responsible for the Psoriasis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Unit. A versatile profile, with great knowledge of the field and who is also the author of the book “Ponte en tu piel” which raises awareness about skincare.
Trends and concerns in consultation
Dermatology, like aesthetic medicine, has evolved and is at a moment where personalization is prioritized. For the doctor it is important “individualization“, because for each patient we recommend a routine adapted to their skin type and I think more and more minimalist and effective. This means routines with few steps, but ingredients that have clinically proven evidence and that can be complemented with treatments we perform in the medical consultation.
The patient increasingly trusts and is guided by the professional’s advice, but what are the main concerns that bring them to the consultation? “I consider that one of the main reasons for consultation in our field are the spots, whether due to chronic sun exposure, such as lentigines, and hormonally related spots like melasma,” explains Natalia Jiménez. She adds that another concern is “the luminosity and texture of the skin and, on occasion, acne as well.”
Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine as Protagonists
These two sectors are closely related to each other and increasingly we have more professionalized profiles that help with dissemination. Natalia Jiménez is one of those cases and considers that this happens “because the health of the skin is valued more and more“, noting that “the skin is the largest organ of the body, which can have problems that are very uncomfortable and that impact our day, also our self-esteem.” This casuistry makes the dermatologist into “the position of power to correct the problems of that skin, bring it closer to health and recommend treatments that are effective and that do not imply the effort of many steps”.
This leads these professionals to become “the reference professionals for skin pathologies, but also the reference for what health is.” Jiménez continues explaining that she believes “that the societal focus is increasingly on preserving health, improving the appearance of the skin and obviously on disease.” The professional concludes that “she can accompany in aesthetic and skin health matters.”
Care tips and star actives
For a professional like her, who is in daily contact with patients, it is inevitable to ask about the advice she gives to everyone. In the case of Natalia Jiménez this is “skin cleansing, adapted to the skin type, because not everyone will need to do a double cleanse.” The reason for this is that “if we do not cleanse well, problems derived from them appear and the actives lose efficacy in their application.” To complement it, the use of “photoprotection and antioxidants” is key and she highlights that it is “the basis of the recommendation of almost any dermatologist.”
If we focus on the actives, Jiménez considers “Vitamin C as an antioxidant” and adds, besides the photoprotector, “the skin transformers.” Among these actives she mentions retinol as “the king” but not forgetting “the alpha-hydroxy acids.” That said, “according to our circumstances” because “it’s not going to be the same retinol at 0.1% as at 0.3%.” The dermatologist then opts to “choose our transformer.”
We emphasize the importance of antioxidants within a routine at any age and the professional states that “we age because we oxidize and antioxidants are the protective barrier to prevent it.” Regarding them she emphasizes their benefits of “improvement of skin tone, texture and firmness, factors that are not only luminosity.”
Routine, cleansing and exfoliation
The doctor always recommends cleansing to her patients, but what really lies behind this? The reason she recommends it so much is that “it’s not only makeup, on the skin many environmental pollutants accumulate that influence aging and that are capable of irritating the skin.” Jiménez adds that this “is not cleansing for cleansing’s sake, there are more positive repercussions.” And what about exfoliation? In this step, the professional recommends “personalizing it.” The reason is that “there are people for whom chemical exfoliation with acids will be beneficial” and then there are “exfoliants with particles” that she admits are her favorites because “they help to remove the superficial layer that gives a dull complexion and to make the rest of the actives more effective.”
The expert does not forget sun protection either. The key lies in how to apply it. Jiménez opts for “a broad-spectrum filter that protects from UVA, UVB, visible light and infrared and that is a protector applied in the necessary amount, which would be two finger-widths of product.” In the sunniest months she opts for “spray formats or protection mists.”
