Revealed…..current skin care trends!
I’m sure you’ve all heard about the latest skin care trends and hacks to reveal that healthy glow, or even how to look dewy all day and night. So our Aesthetic Practitioner thought it would be good to give some insight on how they work and how effective they actually are!
Double Cleansing
An effective tool when done correctly! Double cleansing is a good way to remove all that cellular dirt, oil and debris, remove all day makeup and all those products that have been sat on the skin all day. But why cleanse twice? Double cleansing is designed to do as it says, the first cleanse is to remove the heavy amounts of oil, dirt, products and make up. Meanwhile your second cleanse can go in and remove all the last bits and give the skin a thorough cleanse. Typically this is done with an oil based cleanser to start to literally melt away the products and make up and then a foam, gel or cream targeted cleanser to finish.
Now oil based cleansers can be good for those with dryer/sensitive skin but offer very little in the way with oily/acne prone skin. Oil attracts more oil, and thus acne/oiliness can become more problematic and uncontrolled. Targeted cleanser should be used twice were necessary, used with caution. Double cleansing can also increase TEWL (trans epidermal water loss), a transition of water through the outer layers of our skin. This can actually lead to drier skin and in some cases damage our lipid barrier which allows us to retain and absorb moisture properly.
Do what works best with your skin!
The Retinol Sandwich Affect
A simple and very effective trend. As many people may now be aware retinol or retinoids in general are becoming very popular and as part of an ongoing skin care hack to healthy, vibrant and spot free skin. Retinoids are Vitamin A derivatives such as Retinol, Retin-A, Retinyl Palmitate, Tretinoin and more. All are effective in reducing acne, fine lines, pigmentation and making the skin healthy and vibrant.
The retinol sandwich affect is a way of reducing the irritation of retinoids without reducing the efficiency. All you need is a good moisturiser and a good retinoid! Simply apply a thin layer of moisturiser then your retinoid of choice, and then another layer of moisturiser. A simple way to kick start your retinoid journey so your skin can slowly adapt to the retinoid without all the complications that can come along with using a retinoid.
Have you considered using encapsulated medical retinol? This is a process of drip feeding small amounts of retinoid over 8 hours to minimise the irritation.
See the link to the Alumier MD Retinol Resurfacing Serum ;
https://www.alumiermd.co.uk/products/retinol-resurfacing-serum-0-25
Barrier Function
This is something I get asked about all the time and it’s something that has been around for a long time that no one knew about. Our skin has a natural barrier that’s designed to absorb and retain moisture. Typically products that don’t have a small enough molecular size, can’t penetrate through this barrier and only treat the most outer layers of our skin, meaning the deeper layers don’t get the nutritional benefits of the products and therefore some products aren’t effective.
All that’s needed are products/ingredients that are liposoluble; being they can surpass the lipid barrier.
Ingredients like niacinamide(vitamin B3), ceramides, glycerine, hyaluronic acid aid in barrier function and protection, should be a must in your skin care products!
See the Alumier MD Ultimate Boost Serum;
https://www.alumiermd.co.uk/products/ultimate-boost-serum
Occlusive
A way to reduce moisture loss when you sleep! I hear about this all the time and get asked by patients what is an occlusive. Occlusives are a thick cream, emollient or thick moisturiser that reduce water and moisture loss as we sleep. While we sleep our body secretes toxins and moisture as we sweat, this is typically increased as our body heals during sleep. Adding an occlusive is a great way to help reduce the moisture loss via TEWL or our hydrating creams/serums from not being as effective; a good way to help combat dry and oily skin. Oily being that it helps reduce the amount of oil produced by not over compensating for drier skin.
Simply a few times a week add a thicker cream to the last step in your skin care routine, it’s now a must in mine!
For more advice, you can arrange a skin consultation with Dillon, to discuss beneficial treatments and skin care:
