Do you currently have a skin care routine? Are you happy with it? Or are you unsure of where to start? With so much information out there, it can be hard to know where to begin.
How important is having a skin care routine?
Skin is our largest organ, and its plays an important role in protecting us, its various functions include physical protection, protection against ultra-violet radiation, regulation of body temperature, synthesis of Vitamin D, sensory and thermoregulation.
An easy way to understand the skins’ structure is to think of your skin like a brick wall, the bricks are the skin cells, and the cement in between are your barrier lipids (oils) that trap water and hold the structure together. When our skin cells reach the very top of the brick wall, they shed off in a process called desquamation which is our skins natural exfoliation process.
To maintain healthy skin, a skincare routine is a vital way to ensure the skin stays protected. By not maintaining an ideal balance of water and oils in our skin, the skin can become unbalanced, causing a cascade of negative effects within the skin resulting in various skin condition and complaints.
What does my skin need?
Different skin conditions require different ingredients from products, and you may even have multiple skin conditions at the same time – which can make choosing products a little tricky. Within the Dermalogica range, we have a product to address every single skin concern as well as base products for your skin type. Your routine should be customisable and suitable to your very own skin, as what may work for one skin type may not work for another.
Next, we discuss the most common skin conditions and which hero products are our go-to to address these.
Dehydration
A dehydrated skin is a skin that is lacking water, not oil. A dehydrated skin often will feel tight in areas, look dull and you will see fine lines appearing on the skin.
To aide dehydrated skin, look for products that are going to hydrate the skin with water, rather than a thicker oil-based products. A powerhouse ingredient to help thoroughly hydrate the skin is Hyaluronic Acid. Also called sodium hyaluronate, this ingredient is commonly found in toners, serums and moisturiser and binds up to 1000x its own weight in water. The Hyaluronic Ceramide Mist along with the Circular Hydration Serum is a great combination to immediately saturate the skin with hydration, replenish from within and prevent future hydration evaporation.
Along with using a product rich in Hyaluronic Acid, exfoliation is also key when dealing with dehydration. By removing the very top layer of dead skin cells, gently, this allows products such as toner, serum and moisturiser to properly penetrate the skin and not just sit on top. To exfoliate a dehydrated skin, opt for a product that gently polishes the skin such as Daily Microfoliant - its rice-based enzyme formula is gentle enough to use everyday and can even be added into your current cleanser.
Sensitised skin
Many factors can contribute to a sensitised skin such as medication, recent surgery, sun exposure, hormones, some foods and incorrect product usage (e.g. over cleansing or over exfoliating).
Sensitised skin is characterised by the skin feeling very uncomfortable, redness may be present along with a sensation of heat, stinging or tingling. It is important to not exfoliate a sensitised skin, this can often make matters worse and be sure to use products that are gentle and focus on calming and re-hydrating the skin. Products from the Ultra Calming range are key when dealing with a sensitised skin and it is important to avoid products that contain any artificial fragrance, colours, or alcohols.
There are a few hero products within the Ultra Calming range that help to instantly calm and make the skin feel more comfortable such as, Ultra Calming Mist and Calm Water Gel – both products will refresh and cool the skin whilst providing lightweight hydration which will alleviate initial symptoms. If your skin is prone to flare-ups ongoing, this could mean your skins barrier is compromised, products that work to maintain a healthy barrier and shield the skin to enable healing and become more resilient are key. Barrier Repair does just that, it is a water-less gel textured moisturiser that shields the skin from environmental assault – just like first aide in a tube!
Ageing
Ageing of the skin is largely determined by genetics, our environment and lifestyle choices. After the age of 20, women lose 1% of collagen in their skin per year and less elastin is produced.
Prevention is always key with ageing, and using a daily SPF such as Solar Defense Booster SPF50 will help protect against the damage UV rays can do to our skin. Along with the skins cell turnover and collagen and elastin production slowing skin can start to look dull, dehydrated, and lacklustre.
Exfoliation, specifically chemical exfoliation, will help with cell renewal and product absorption. Rapid Reveal Peel contains a powerful and unique blend of phytoactive alpha hydroxy acids as well as lactic acid and fermented plant enzymes to reveal new, firm skin underneath – this dramatically reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and brightens the skin. Exfoliating regularly will benefit other products, such as serums to target ageing work more effectively.
A key product to incorporate into a routine where the skin condition is ageing, is a serum. Serums contain the most concentrated amounts of vitamins and peptides in comparison to any other skincare product. Packed full of vitamins to fight free radical damage here are a few of our favourite serums to address ageing concerns. Multi Vitamin Power Firm contains a microencapsulated vitamin complex and gives the skin a velvety, smooth texture – it addresses a wide range of ageing concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation and loss of skin resilience. Another great option is Phyto Nature Firming Serum, this product flash-firms the skin and uses a dual-phase of highly active botanicals to reduce visible signs of ageing. Lastly, what ageing routine would be complete without a product containing Retinol! Retinol is the powerhouse ingredient when it comes to treating premature ageing. Used only at night, this ingredient speeds up cell turnover to visibly reduce wrinkles and increase firmness. Our Overnight Retinol Repair contains 0.5% microencapsulated Retinol along with various peptides and Vitamin C to restore.
Breakouts
Often in your 30s, adult acne can suddenly appear due to a change in hormones. Stress can also be a big trigger with adult acne. As our skin cell renewal slows with age, acne can seem to take forever to heal and is often accompanied by post-inflammatory pigmentation. When dealing with breakouts in an older skin, it is important to not only reduce stress and other triggers internally but to also use the correct products topically. Using the correct cleanser and treatment product is key here when combating breakouts. Clearing Skin Wash contains Salicylic Acid as well as Beta Hydroxy Acids to stimulate desquamation ( natural exfoliation ) as well as botanical ingredients to calm redness associated with uncomfortable hormonal breakouts – this cleanser should be incorporated into your routine once a day/ once every 2 days depending on your skin to avoid any excess dryness. Along with thoroughly cleansing the skin, using a topical treatment product to address breakouts and clear the skin is essential, The Active Clearing range contains multiple serum options to suit your skin type, whether you are just needing a spot treatment or an all-over treatment serum for day and/or night.
Hyperpigmentation
This is one of the most common skin conditions we see in New Zealand, It is characterized by brown, reddish flat marks on the skin and can be caused by a number of factors including hormonal fluctuations, UV exposure. Inflammation, medications, and artificial fragrance. The most important product to incorporate into your routine when concerned by hyper-pigmentation is an SPF as UV exposure can cause spots to flare up dramatically. The PowerBright range from Dermalogica contains 3 key products for treating pigmentation to brighten the skin and help improve skin luminosity. Skin shielding active ingredients, present in all 3 products, help to protect skin from future pollution induced dark spots.
Still Not sure? here’s where to get help from a Dermalogica Skin Therapist.
Face Mapping is a service that Dermalogica offers to help you with your skin goals and find products that will truly work for you. Face Mapping involves looking at your skin with a trained eye, touching your skin and asking you questions about your lifestyle and environment.
Face Mapping finds out your skin type as well as any skin conditions present and reveals any possible underlying causes of skin conditions you might have. These insights drive the recommendations made in your personalised Skin Fitness Plan.
Face Mapping can be performed in any of our Dermalogica Skin Centres or retail locations where a Dermalogica Skin Therapist is present – check out our store locator here to find the nearest to you.
Alternatively, book a virtual skin consultation with one of our in-house Dermalogica Skin Therapist’s or chat to us online via the chat box in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. For more information on how to book a virtual consultation or our online chat hours please head here.