No longer a simple one-two three routine, new skincare wisdom teaches a fourth step for over 25s: repair.
Repair is a key skincare step to maintain, prolong or even recover your youthful looks. It’s essential that you add this to your beauty routine, because the daily demands of fast-paced living and pollutants in the air, are increasingly leaving visible signs of wear and tear on our skins.
A dedicated skincare regime is one of the most important aspects of maintaining your skin’s health. Your skin is not a smooth surface like a sheet of glass. It is more like a riverbed, full of little lumps, bumps, crevasses and holes. In dermatological terms, these are fine lines, pores, wrinkles, blemishes and sebaceous glands. Your skin is a living, breathing organism and demands dedicated care and commitment to keep it looking good and performing optimally. You will need to look after it, including a step for sun protection, if you wish to have good, healthy skin well into old age.
So your new basic skin routine should include: cleansing, toning, repair, moisturising, and protection.
CLEANSING
Thorough cleansing is the foundation of an effective skincare regime. As well as providing the basis for the rest of your routine, this important first step, done correctly, can actually improve the quality of your skin, enhancing its radiance and keeping it looking younger for longer.
Cleansing should be done twice a day to ensure the removal of surface impurities, make-up, and oils secreted by the skin. It allows the skin to breathe and maintain its other important functions. Choose products suited to your specific skin type. Deep cleansing prepares the skin for optimal absorption of serums and moisturisers.
TONING
After cleansing your face, the next step is to tone. Many women neglect this second step because they deem it time-consuming or unnecessary, and dermatologists often differ on the benefits of toners. However, many believe it is just as important as cleansing or moisturising. The one or two minutes it takes are worth every second if you want healthy, vibrant skin with a minimum of lines and wrinkles.
Firstly, it removes every last bit of cleanser such as fine clay particles and other residues (like soap). Secondly, it will tighten (but not close) the skin’s pores to protect it from further loss of moisture, which invariably occurs during cleansing, especially if you wash your face with a soapy product. And thirdly, it provides nutrients and restores the skin’s pH balance.
REPAIR
If you’re older than 25, you’ll want to stop the formation of wrinkles or fine lines. You also need to repair if your skin is dull, if you have blemishes, sun damage, or flaky or rough skin. The application of serums and repair treatments ensures repair where there has been damage or deterioration of a specific skin condition.
Serum should be applied directly after toning and before you apply your moisturiser. Serums penetrate 75% deeper than moisturiser so that the best possible results are quickly achieved.
There is a wide array of serums and special treatments available to address any skin condition. As these products are normally highly concentrated and packed with active ingredients, they can be quite pricey. Fortunately, a little goes a very long way!
MOISTURISE
A good, nourishing moisturiser is crucial in preventing dehydration. Moisturise morning and night – using a day cream in the morning and a night cream before going to bed. Night creams are important because skin cells do their repair work at night, regenerating and repairing cell damage, while destroying free radicals and producing collagen.
A quality moisturiser protects your skin from environmental damage, provides nutrients for the skin and prevents loss of moisture, thereby slowing down the ageing process.
In addition, a moisturiser should help to maintain the acid mantle of your skin, which is part of your immune system. If the pH of your skin becomes too acidic or alkaline, the acid mantle is compromised and you might end up with a skin condition like eczema, sensitive skin or rosacea.
PROTECT
Use either a moisturiser with a SPF of at least 15, or apply sunscreen to the skin after moisturising. Sun damage causes 90% of skin ageing – make sure you apply sunscreen daily, even in winter!
Comments