To help keep your skin looking and feeling radiant, youthful and healthy you need to have a good daily skincare routine.
Firstly you need to identify your skin type. Once you have discovered your skin type, choose products that have been formulated for your skin. Cosmeceuticals products combine the power of cosmetics and medication to address all skin concerns (pigmentation, sun damage, pollution, loss of vitality, tone and firmness) and to improve the health and appearance of ageing skin.

 A daily skincare routine has five basic steps 

Step 1 - Cleanse (am/pm)

The first and most important step in any skincare regime is cleansing. Cleansers are a must in order to clean your face at the end of each day, as your face is exposed to dust, pollution, smoke, and other factors that we encounter during the day. A cleanser will remove all impurities leaving your face clean and fresh again, gently exfoliating the skin to remove the dead skin cells, which can block your pores and lead to blackheads. Products that contain AHAs (alpha hydroxyl acids), such as glycolic acid and BHAs (beta hydroxyl acid) such as salicylic acid, will help to increase skin exfoliation to get rid of skin cells, making the skin appear smoother and feel softer.

Step 2 - Prevent - Antioxidants (am)

Extrinsic ageing results from environmental factors, such as sun exposure, gravity, sleep habits and smoking & UV damage. The key effective ingredient is Vitamin C (antioxidants) it boosts collagen production and helps repair and improves the skin while protecting it from future damage.

It is such a  powerful antioxidant with so many benefits to the skin like collagen stimulation, brightening effects, as well as being an anti-inflammatory.

Vitamin C should be an essential ingredient in everyone's regime, whether you are 20 years old wishing to prevent ageing, or 50+ wishing to reverse damage to the skin.

Step 3 - Correct/Treat (am/pm)

Skin concerns like pigmentation, sun damage, acne, rosacea, wrinkles, loss of firmness, enlarged pores, dehydration & dryness can be treated with serums, lotions or cream that contain active ingredients to target those problems.

 

Step 4 - Moisturise/Hydrate (am/pm)

Appropriate moisturisation is another essential for healthy and younger-looking skin. A moisturiser provides a protective film to prevent the effect of drying, chapping and roughening caused by the weather, central heating and pollution. At the same time, some of the ingredients will be absorbed into the outer layers of the skin providing nourishment, hydration and therapeutic effects. All skin types need a moisturiser. Dry, normal and oily skin are all affected by wind and weather. Dry skin in particular quickly becomes tight and flaky, chapping and reddening easily in winter and looking prematurely old.

Just remember to choose a moisturiser suitable for your particular skin type - so if you have oily skin, choose a serum or lotion which is oil-free rather than a cream.

 

Step 5 - Protect (am)

Ultraviolet light, both UVB and UVA, is responsible for 80 per cent of the lifetime esthetic damage to our skin that we see as a roughened, leathery texture, warty-looking keratoses, loss of tone, mottled discolourations and “liver spots,” sallowness of complexion, wrinkles and sagging and “broken” blood vessels! So, every healthy skincare regime must include measures to prevent the short and long-term effects of sun exposure.  Daily application of sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is essential, and not just on your summer holidays. Make sure you apply it all year round because you will still be exposed to UV rays in Winter, and even through the car window.

Weekly Booster Treatment 

Regular use of Home use microdermabrasion, Peels and masks (1-2 times a week)helps exfoliate the skin, to remove dead skin cells, to reveal a more healthy radiant complexion. A great way to enhance any daily skincare regime to optimise results.

 

How to apply your Skincare Products?

Cosmeceutical products are very much more effective than ordinary “High Street” products, which means that only a very small amount of product is required. This means they last longer than beauty products, so therefore better value for money.

Applying too much of a Cosmeceutical product will not make it work any better. You may even cause irritation by applying too much product. Many serum products come with a dispensing pipette, and just 2/ 3 drops of a product are more than enough for applying to the entire face. Products that are creams or lotions only require a small amount, about the size of a small pea.

Click here for more information about how much product to use.

 

In which Order?

You might have the most advanced skincare products in your routine but if you're applying them in the wrong order, you could be wasting your time and money—without getting the results you want!

Thinnest to thickest texture: 

For example, A lighter texture like toners or serum-based products MUST be applied first, followed by Heavier, more moisturising ones—like lotions, creams and then oils, then finally a sunscreen.

Water-Based before oil-based:

Oil and water don't mix, and oil can block water from penetrating. That means water-based products must be applied first. Let them absorb into your skin, and then apply oil-based products on top.

 

The best age to start a regular skincare routine  

 Prevention is indeed better than cure; therefore starting young will help put off the effects of the advancing years for much longer.

Don't worry if you haven't, as it's never too late to start at any time. You do need to recognise that the regime must be carried through and with continued use - it is not a quick fix. So make sure you give the product enough time to work, particularly if you have a lot of sun damage. You may need three to six months before seeing improvement.

Ageing can be delayed or even reversed with a natural approach that includes optimal diet, lifestyle and good product choices.
To look good, you have to work at it.