One thing we need to remember about the skin. It will always be made up of the same components!

Did you know that the 3 most common questions I get asked are;

  1. “Whats new”?
  2. “I bought this cream from SpaceNK, and I have used it for 3 weeks and I don’t notice anything”
  3. “I think my skin has got used to this moisturiser, so whats next”

Now this is the “candy store” syndrome, we want the ‘next new thing’ the one your fav’ celeb’ is using. The new treatment that’s all over Instagram. We are also terribly impatient and expect results in a week, days even. Be honest, the last time you bought a serum over £100 (or cream) did you really ask what was in it and how this works and where the research comes from? Yet we spend considerably less on food (meat etc) and yet we know the nutritional content right down to what field, county and what type of grass it grazed on.

SO let’s make this super simple, over the years that I have been in the industry (that’s an alarming 26 yikes) lot’s has changed. Here’s a few key things;

  • Knowledge-The internet and access to the internet has meant clients and Beauty therapist should have a better idea of ingredients and the broader market. If you don’t know what an ingredient is..you can google it, so in theory, my clients should be more informed things like Retinol, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic acid and so on.
  • The way in which we capture and preserve the integrity and activity of ingredients as improved, for the most part this is to do with airless pumps and light protective packaging.
  • Delivery- in addition to ingredients being encapsulated in micropheres allowing the active ingredients they hold to be delivered deeper through the cell spaces.
  • More Delivery- Improved methods of in-salon and at home tools which allow active serums and moisturisers to access and bi pass the horny layer of the skin (Stratum corneum) for example Needling (A roller with tiny needles) which gently punch invisible holes in the horny layer of the skin allowing temporary, fast and deep access. Plus low frequency sound waves (there are at-home devices) which create temporary, invisible channels in the horny layer which again allowing access for active skincare.
  • In-Salon treatment developments have progressed but if I can just simplify that the premise of all truly anti-ageing treatments are based on inducing a minor (or major) trauma to the skin to force a wound healing crisis. Whether it’s Laser, Medical needling, Deep peeling, radio frequency.Or just devices that rather powerfully allow super concentrated actives (for example Vitamin A, C and peptides) into the skin to have a profound rejuvenating affect on the cell.

Now here is where it becomes simple and uncomplicated and that’s because in all the 26 years I have been a skin therapist(and in the thousands of years before me) and long after I have gone, one thing will never change!

The Skin!

Unless I missed a memo in the 90’s the skin has not changed it will always be the largest organ of the body made up of all the same biological matter since time began, with connective tissue along with protein like collagen and Elastin, oil glands, sweat glands and divided into 3 key layers (Epidermis at the top)

Now the great thing about knowing all this is we can also de-buff any new fad treatments or skincare ingredients as the only thing that has been proven to effect change on and in the skin are.

  1. Vitamin A.- A complicated subject, in the Vitamin A family, retinol would be the preferred form as it does not have to ‘convert’ as many times before it converts to retinoic acid (Retinoic acid being the converted form and the form that the cell can use to rejuvenate) however even other forms which has to convert more than twice will still have an impact on transforming the cell and asides from being an awesome kingpin of an antioxidant,it increases cell turnover, strengthens the skin, minimises the appearance of lines, wrinkles and pigmentation. There are more than 700 Published studies on anti-ageing and retinols. It’s also one of few FDA approved anti-ageing ingredients.
  2. Vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic Acid USP (15% strength) -The only bioavailable form of Vitamin C for the skin, ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant which  protects cells from free radical damage (see earlier blog posts) caused by the sun and pollution.Lightens and brightens out skin tone BUT key here is Vitamin C is NEEDED for collagen synthesis and if you care about protecting from future wrinkles and reducing your current collection..then you need this.
  3. Peptides- Peptides are small chains of amino acids that occur naturally in the body or are synthesised in the laboratory. These are clever little molecules, because multiple types of peptides are used in products as they all have different functions .For example, there are anti-redness and anti-microbial peptides as well as those that reduce the visible signs of ageing and hyper-pigmentation.Fancy!
  4. Sun screen (SPF 40 or greater)- Funny how some of us don’t think of sun screen as a key anti-ageing ingredient…The FDA have it down as an approved anti-aging product.On some lowly skincare products, due to dreadfully poor active ingredient the only reason they can claim their product is “anti-ageing” is purely because it has an SPF in it! It is important to use a stand-alone, antioxidant rich, broad spectrum sun screen all year round (Ie not a moisturiser with a bit of SPF added in… It is just not effective enough) even in the winter months when there is still plenty of UVA around.

So that’s it, the skin needs these ingredients to be delivered and due to their activity and jobs, they need to be individual products. Watch out for products claiming to have clinical strengths of Active Vit A or L-ascorbic acid (for example) and then you see they do not come in packaging which protects from heat, light and air!

Having to buy separate products for different ‘jobs’  may sound like a sales trick, but irritatingly, it’s true and when you know what the skin is biologically made up of and you know what the skin needs to regenerate, repair and protect, it brings simplicity and clarity to an industry which is full of ‘smoke and mirrors’ SO,  if your skincare routine does not contain all of the above, then speak to your skincare professional to fill in the missing gaps.

To book in for a skin consultation (or any facial treatment) so we can re-jig your skincare routine   book here

To buy products by AlumierMD to transform your skincare routine. First join my private online portal here  and use the code DBD70862

then email me (or call on 07792713476) with your skin care concerns and I can email you a bespoke set of  recommendations (assuming you are unable get in to see me) Email here

Cherry