Healthy skin essentials:
The one thing I am asked on a daily basis is what products do you really need and what can you skip?
There is no easy answer to this as every skin is different but as a general rule I always like to have people on two main products. Can you guess what they are?
Vitamin A aka Retinol and vitamin C.
These are two powerful products that help with a multitude of skin concerns such as ageing, wrinkles, skin texture and breakouts.
vitamin C benefits:
image from dermaceutic website
– protects skin from free radicals and environmental damage that can break down collagen and elastin
– helps prevent pigmentation
– works along with your sunscreen to help it perform better
– it is an anti inflammatory
– assists in wound healing
– great for skin texture
If you think about it, our body needs vitamin C for full health so our body needs it too.
What to look out for when buying:
Vitamin C should be prescribed by a skin therapist and should be from a cosmeceutical range. You should be looking for words L ascorbic acid, check if it stabilised and the % of strength. I always recommend 20%. Don’t forget it is active so will have an expiry date, generally 6 months – 18 months.
Who can use it:
Everyone should be using it however if you have an oily skin type check what the base ingredient is. If the bulk of the product is made up of sweet almond oil for example it is going to be too rich for you. Also feel the consistency. Some will be in a cream formula, others gel and some in a serum.
Vitamin A- Retinol benefits:
image from Dermaceutic website
– hero ingredient
– most research for stimulating fibroblasts (collagen, elastin and hyaluoronic acid)
– Retinol has been proven to help thicken the deeper layers of the skin
– excellent in assisting with acne, breakout and oily skin
– anti ageing product
NB CANNOT USE IF PREGNANT.
This is a powerful product and comes in different strengths. I generally start people on a lower dose and gradually build it up. It can cause sensitivity if over used so buy from a therapist and listen to the instructions. It needs to be from a cosmeceutical range in order to have the level of activity to work. This isn’t a sales pitch but drug store brands that say they have a form of a vitamin A or C are too low to get into the skin. (I promise!)
Who can use it:
Most people can use this except pregnant ladies or breast-feeding. This is a product that needs to be prescribed by a therapist.
Unfortunately our fibroblasts start to deplete at around 25 so from this point onwards we need a little help to get the skin and cells turning over at a quicker rate.
super A and C serum from asap
These are two products I would always recommend and if for any reason they can’t use one of the products (such as pregnancy or sensitivity) there is always an alternative available.
I have used images from the two brands I stock in my salon- Dermaceutic and asap skin products. Others out there would include Image, Medik8, ZO skin health, reform and cosmetic.
Jessie X
