Skin –it’s your face!
Today I want to talk about your skin. I often get complimented on my skin and makeup so I thought it was time that I let you know a few home truths into looking after your skin. Having good skin is not luck, good genes or effortless as some of you may think. People often say “yes well you’ve got good genes, look at your mum!” Yes my mum looks fab but she is where my knowledge and care began and she also has ALWAYS looked after her face. Looking after your face is an effort, I do not know many people who just get up daily and have amazing skin, amazing hair or don’t need to wear any makeup to look fresh. Life is an effort and if you are not prepared to put the effort in then don’t expect to get much back for not making this effort, and this goes for all aspects in life!
Now that I am approaching 32 I am starting to see my skin changing, crow’s feet wrinkles are starting to appear and my skin is beginning to develop larger pores on my T zone. Lately I have noticed SO many young women 5 years younger than myself and more who have aged dramatically unnecessarily! Skin looks, dull, dehydrated, lifeless, grey and old! This is why I want to stress how important it is to start looking after your skin at a young age!! Why wait until your 45 and then start making the effort? It will then be harder to maintain the skin when you should’ve been doing it years ago. It’s all about education and if you don’t know how to look after your skin then it is hard but you must learn.
So many women/girls think nothing of spending £30-50 on their nails, lashes and brows etc. But surely the skin on your face is more visible? You are happy to walk around with a haggard face but as long as your nails look amazing then its fine?? There ARE ways to look after your skin that do not cost anything, in which I will highlight below.
Here are some tips on how to look after your skin. Skin is the largest organ of the body, which is often forgotten about and taken for granted. We begin to loose elastin and collagen in our skin as soon as we hit puberty!
- DRINK PLENTY OF WATER – I know it’s hard and boring but water is very important, try to drink at least 2 litres a day to keep up your hydration. Limit coffee!
- DON’T SMOKE – What is the point? Smoking ages & dehydrates your skin, leaving it grey and pores enlarged. Your pores become enlarged because they are looking for hydration! Dehydration begins the cause of wrinkles. Aside from the fact that it rots your teeth, kills you and makes you smell, it has huge effects on your skin too!
- SKINCARE PRODUCTS – a good skincare routine is paramount. Would you wash your hair with fairy liquid and nothing else? Most probably not. DITCH those face wipes! They are nothing but evil, just smearing dirt around your face and often containing chemicals that damage your skin. Now you may be saying “I do use good or expensive products every day, or I can’t afford expensive products” I am not trying to sell you our in salon range of Katherine Daniels and resultime products, even though they are clinically proven to work. I am speaking in general. You don’t always need to spend loads; a lot of high end creams are so over-priced and sell on their brand name. It is about using the correct products for your skin type. You may be using something fab but ask yourself, is it improving your skin or just maintain it? Does it work? If the product isn’t for your skin type then you won’t get a great result from it. You might be using a product aimed at oily skin when really your skin is dehydrated. Never use strong products that strip your skin such as clearisil etc. All they do is ruin the P.H balance of the skin and causing more problems further down the road. Use products that contain ingredients that are naturally found in the skin such as collagen and hyaluronic acid (natural water found in the skin).
- SKIN CARE ROUTINE – Cleanse, tone and moisturise TWICE a day. “I don’t have the time” I hear you say. Well make the time. I bet you are happily sitting there scrolling through Facebook all night though?! EFFORT again it boils down to, if you don’t want to clean your skin properly and hydrate it, then don’t moan when your skin is screaming neglect! I would also like you to exfoliate your skin once a week (with a gentle exfoliator, not ST IVES apricot scrub) to remove dead skin cells, if you do not do this the products will not work as well as they will only sit on the surface of the skin. Then if you really want to boost the skin, use a hydrating face mask once a week; apply serums and eye creams daily also. I have looked after my skin this way since I was 12!
- FACIALS – Now this is the grey area which is often swept under the carpet. Many women have never had a facial or only had the odd one at a spa day treat once a year. They aren’t cheap but they make a lot of difference to the skin. As I said above a lot of people are happy to spend money on high end makeup and quick fix beauty treatments, but facials are often only seen as a luxury treat that always comes last.
- SLEEP – Try to get as much sleep as you can. Very hard when you have babies I know!
- THE SUN- wear a SPF DAILY, whether it be in your makeup, moisturiser or used alone, you should be protecting your skin against the atmosphere always, even when it’s not sunny! Use at least a SPF 30 when sunbathing, it doesn’t mean you won’t tan, you will develop a healthier, long lasting tan.
- ALCOHOL- many of us like a drink, just keep in mind that too much alcohol causes broken capillaries in the face, leaving redness & sensitivity. Alcohol dehydrates you and encourages larger pores.
- MAKEUP- Try to use a mineral based makeup that doesn’t contain lots of chemicals. Always take you’re make up of before bed!
- EAT WELL & EXERCISE – easier said than done as always!
Now you can see that looking well is an effort and these are some of the steps to make if you want to look and feel your best. We can always do more obviously but these are the basics. YES I do all of these I promise, it’s all about effort and putting that effort in , making the time even when your over worked, tired, stressed and deprived of time. If you already do all of these and still look 100 years old then maybe there’s more drastic actions you have to take!
If you are looking for help and advice with your skin, we offer a skin scope treatment which is an electronic skin analysis device which looks deeper into your skin and shows you your skin type and what products are recommended to you. Ask us for more details.
