23^rd Sep 2023

 The Best 14 Skincare Secrets For Healthy Glowing Skin

1) Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with a UVA 5 star filter every single day, even when you are indoors. The UVA rays from laptops, TVs, mobiles and lights are more harmful and cause more skin ageing than the UVB rays from the Sun. It is essential that SPF is reapplied every 3 to 4 hours even when not out in direct sunlight. This is the biggest secret to healthy glowing skin as prevent is better than cure.

2) Regularly check your skin for any unusual marks or changes that you notice. If you notice a spot that itches or bleeds, then make an appointment to see a dermatologist immediately.

The ABCDE’s to check for are:

• A- Asymmetry – one half of the spot is unlike the other
• B- Border – the spot has an irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined border.
• C- Colour – the spot has varying colours, such as different shades of brown, black, or areas of white, red, or blue.
• D- Diameter – melanomas are usually bigger than 6mm, when diagnosed, they can be smaller.
• E- Evolving – The spot looks different from other spots and or is changing in shape,  size and or colour.

3) Avoid the use of all sunbeds and use self tanning sprays or creams instead.

4) Gently wash your face in the am, pm and after sweating. Also avoid scrubbing too hard.

5) Use products that are appropriate for your skin type such as dry, oily, sensitive, dehydrated, combination. Using products that are too harsh, over washing or scrubbing your skin can irritate and or create further breakouts or skin conditions.

6) Find ways of staying relaxed and stress less. Stress has a massive impact on skin and can initiate skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and breakout. For example: stress hormones create more oil/sebum secretions creating further breakouts and inflammation.

7) Don’t smoke cigarettes or Vapes as these accelerate ageing dramatically. They destroy vitamin C stores in the body and break down collagen elastin causing premature ageing.  Even the action of pursing the lips, when drawing on a cigarette creates smokers lines alone. Would you like your mouth to resemble a cat’s bottom in your later years?? You’ll never see a smoker with healthy glowing skin.

8) Only drink alcohol in moderation if at all. Alcohol is toxic and the skin is the largest organ for elimination. It massively dehydrates the body and skin and creates “drinkles” not wrinkles…

9) Visit your aesthetic practitioner for a skin review every three months to ensure that you are using the appropriate skin products for your skin at that time of year. Our skin is massively affected by so many external factors that change regularly such as stress, hormones, health, weather and the environment.

10)   Ideally get a facial each month or at least every 2-3 months. Your daily skincare regime in the am and pm is like brushing your teeth. Your clinic facial treatment is like visiting the hygienist at the dentist for a deep clean and check up.

11)   Get professional advice. What works for your mum or best friend may not be suitable for you. We can’t stop the ageing process, we can only slow it down. As you age your skincare should also be adjusted as your skin’s needs change.

12)   Once opened, skincare is only active for 12 weeks before it starts to lose its potency which means it becomes less effective. Don’t be guided by the best before, this only applies to unopened products. Would you eat a can of tuna after it had been open for a year? In a recent study 1 in 3 ladies admitted to having open skincare open in their cupboard after 5 years. 

13) Use a Topical form of Vitamin A such as Retinol. Vitamin A is the oxygen for skin, it’s what is required to make cellular changes in the skin cell to make skin healthier and glow. It is the most googled skincare ingredient as it is clinically documented to be the best anti ageing and acne cream. High street brands only have low doses of Vitamin A to ensure they can’t be accidentally misused. High quality vitamin A skincare requires a skin consultation and or prescription such as Environ & Obagi.

14) Skin Supplements create glowing healthy skin faster and more effectively than skincare. This is because skincare works from the outside inwards meaning the cream has to be absorbed through dead skin layers. This is a challenge especially for low strength high street products as our skin is waterproof protecting us from external toxins. This is why skin supplements are recommended in combination as they feed the living cells as they are born internally. Skin supplements need to be taken for a minimum of 18 weeks to see the results. This is how long it takes a skin cell that is born to reach the surface.