You are in control
1. Everyone is after the best treatments possible for their skin and while there are amazing treatments available I always tell my clients that they are in control of the results they are going to achieve. What do I mean? Think of it like going to the dentist – we go and get our teeth professionally cleaned twice a year but all understand it is imperative to brush twice daily at home. I wouldn’t fancy a professional clean twice a year with nothing in between – would you? It’s exactly the same with our skin. 75% of the results you are going to achieve will be what you put on your skin at home every day. My advice is to take professional advice and make sure these products are the best they can be for you. Once these basics are right you can add professional treatments and take your skin to whole another level.
2. Basics
Choose a cleanser that won’t strip or irritate the skin and use twice a day every day. I know sometimes crawling into bed seems so much more appealing than your skin care routine but simple steps make a huge difference. Choose water soluble cleansers that can be used in the shower (great time saver in the morning) and can be rinsed off in the evening. Very quick approach but creates a great foundation for your other skin care to take effect.
3. Exfoliate
If you are over 25 and reading this your skins cell turnover cycle has started to slow down. Our cell turnover is our skins natural way of exfoliating and renewing itself but like everything else doesn’t put as much effort in as we get older. This leads to a build-up of dead skin cells that block delivery of everything that you apply. This leaves our skin dull and feeling dehydrated or dry and wasting all of our precious potions. Products containing glycolic, salicylic acid or retinol will naturally increase your cell turnover rate but if these are not incorporated in your routine make sure to exfoliate separately at least twice weekly.
4. Wake up your skin cells
I’m picking on 25 year olds again but another thing that happens as we get older (generally after 25) is our fibroblasts take a bit of an early retirement. These precious little cells produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid for your skin. This slow down causes dramatically decreased production of these anti-wrinkle wonders. To fight against this skin shrinking catastrophe effectively you need retinol or peptides. Make sure either one is in your home care. This is where professional treatments come in as a stronger bonus.
5. Use sunscreen daily
Did you know that 97% of premature ageing is caused by sun damage? We forgot that this doesn’t just relate to the sun when we are away in a hot country. All of our skins are exposed to light damage every day. Damage caused by light is cumulative and doesn’t often surface until years after exposure. It’s never too late to start! Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen with zinc for most anti-ageing benefit.
Age Later ….
