博士診所

臉部皮膚有兩樣與其它部位皮膚不同點：第一，臉部皮膚癒合較快。因此，臉部可以進行美容手術，即使是老年人也能癒合得快又好。第二，臉部皮膚有較多的毛孔。毛孔讓皮脂腺分泌的皮脂可以排出表面。凡士林是100%白色礦脂，許多保濕產品都會使用這個成份。凡士林的屏障非常有效，能夠阻絕水份的蒸發而保持皮膚濕潤柔軟。但我不會建議使用凡士林當面霜，因為它可能阻塞毛孔，或使皮膚看起來油亮。市面上的面霜種類繁多，有些非常的昂貴。我相信它們是很好的面霜，但它們與其他較便宜的產品的不同主要是市場行銷方式。有些面霜同時有防曬的功能，這想法不錯，因為陽光是傷害皮膚造成老化的元兇。我不相信有任一個神奇成份或配方。只要選擇觸感和味道都合意，且不會太油膩的就是適合你的產品。

[英文原文]

Is Vaseline a good face cream?

Q. I know someone who swears by Vaseline as a face cream. What do you think?

A. There are two important differences between the skin on your face and the skin on the rest of your body. First, the skin on the face heals much faster. Cosmetic surgery is possible because facial skin heals so well and so fast, even in older people. Second, facial skin has more pores than skin elsewhere. Pores allow sebum, the oily substance produced by sebaceous glands, to reach the surface. Vaseline is 100% white petrolatum, an ingredient in many skin moisturizers. White petrolatum is a very effective occlusive, a substance that blocks evaporation and can help keep skin moist and supple. But I wouldn’t recommend using it as face cream because it might clog up pores and perhaps make the skin look shiny. There are dozens of face creams. Some are exceedingly expensive. I’m sure they’re very nice creams, but the difference between them and far less expensive products is mainly a matter of marketing. Some face creams also function as sunscreens, which is a good idea because sun exposure is so damaging to the skin. I don’t think there is any particular magic ingredient or mix of ingredients to look for in a face cream. You just want to use something that feels and smells right and isn’t too oily.

— Kenneth Arndt, M.D.
SkinCare Physicians, Chestnut Hill , Mass.
Harvard Health Letter Editorial Board