I thought I would return to the blog-world with a post about something I am truly passionate about, Skincare!
Your skin is a reflection of your age, health, ethnicity, style and even your life choices (smoking/sun/alcohol). It is arguably the first thing that one notices about you, not to mention it is the largest organ in the body.
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| Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment, Bioderma Solution Micellaire, Kiehl's Creme D'elegance Repairateur, Kiehl's Creme De Corps |
1. KISS (Keep It Simple Silly)
I know, I know, the fascination with new and exciting products is never ending (I'm talking to you Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, Kate Sommerville Exfolikate and Clarsonic). But from my anecdotal experience, nothing beats as simple a routine as cleansing and moisturising.
Fancy toners, serums and peels are only there to compliment your base. My base consists of the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser followed by Creme D'Elegance Repairateu. This moisturiser is very similar to the Origins A Perfect World (see blog post). Basically I alternate the two to ensure my skin does not become immune to their effects. Additionally, an eye cream is just as important to incorporate into routine. See my blog post for some of my favourites.
Exfoliation is useful, but it seems nowadays it is being overdone. People are using acids, rough brush heads, microdermabrasian, and they're doing it way too regularly. While exfoliating once to twice a week is a good way to stimulate the epidermal cell turn over; doing it any more frequently or roughly is going to cause what some call "purging." This is where skin turns into a hot mess with nasty breakouts after a facial/new product/exfoliation and people justify it by saying that it is "removing all the impurities". However purging is as urban a legend as Joshua Jackson with blonde hair (a reference for kids from the 90s). This topic is worth its own blog post so I wont get into the debate here.
2. Sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on, that's when your the prettiest
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Drake is a gentleman that knows a thing or two about skin care. Giving your skin time to breathe is so key to keeping it clear. Wearing foundation every day is bound to clog pores and cause zits. But understandably going from the Transvestite/Kim K look to an All Naturale/Miranda Kerr overnight can be scary. It can be difficult to wake up and leave the house face-naked, so I suggest transitioning to a makeup free persona in small steps. For example instead of using a high coverage foundation, try a BB cream or tinted moisturiser. I promise your confidence will sky rocket and you will begin to appreciate your true beauty which may include freckles, a beauty mark, flushed cheeks and everything else that makes us individual. I choose to only wear foundation on special occasions. At work concealer is plenty.
Makeup removal (if you are going to wear it) is so important. I use Bioderma which is perfect for dry sensitive skin. I cannot recommend this stuff enough. It has massive hype in the beauty world so thats all I'm going to say.
3. Smoking/Diet/Alcohol/Exercise/Sleep
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| Smokers lines, from DermNet |
Alcohol has short and long term consequences. In the short term it exacerbates breakouts and redness. In the long term, you can end up with what is called "Rhinophyma" Google image that you guys!
Sleep can be more personal. Some people look great despite less than 6 hours shut eye a night but others (me) look like zombies. I try and prioritise my sleep over everything else no matter how hectic life gets. Diet again is also very personal. Foods that have been known to cause acne include processed foods, sugar, oils/fats, dairy and so on. Now obviously you cannot live a normal life never eating any of those components (unless your a starving celebrity) so its necessary to figure out what works for you.
4. You wouldn't buy fruit and veges from a butcher
Why buy skincare from a company that isn't dedicated to the cause. Your skin should be invested in. I have noticed that buying skincare from brands that specialise in skin care gives me better results. That doesn't mean it has to be a high end brand. Nivea and Aveeno are my two favourite drug-store options. Aveno infact is one of the brands that dermatologists here in NZ recommend, especially for sensitive skin. Buying skin care products from a makeup brand is sometimes okay; but you will want to ask yourself, are they are putting as much resource (financial, research and otherwise) into their skin care products as they are into their makeup?
5. No matter what, always use sunscreen
Want to do something that your future self will hug you for....wear sunscreen daily, regardless of the weather conditions. While your 30-60 year old friends will be subjecting themselves to human pincushioning with botox, you will be safe and smug with true natural wrinkle-free beauty.
Also don't forget the skin on the rest of your body. My favourite body moisturiser is Kiehl's Creme De Corps. While it is expensive, I figure, if you can afford it, why not. A less expensive alternative is the body shop body-butters, just as delicious!
The inspiration for this blog-post came from the most stunning woman in the world, my Nana. She has beautiful skin and anywhere she goes, she is complimented on it. I asked her what her secret was and she told me that she has only worn makeup once in her whole life (her wedding day) and to this day basic cleansing and moisturising are what have kept her looking so fresh. I am so blessed to have her and her genes. Love always.xo
Beauty Doc
PS: I promise this post was not sponsored by Kiehl's, although I would have loved that!
