Lots of people always go out of their way to ask me 'what do you use on your face, its so smooth'. As much as I would like to attribute my complexion to good genes, I really do have to give credit modern science and the professional advice I have received over the years about what to use as my skin care regime.
From working as a model and also retaining an ongoing modelling position on 'Deal or no deal' for quite some time now, I know how important it can be for some people to have healthy and attractive skin. Well, lets say its important to practically all women who I know (and even a lot of men too). I don't think I've met a woman who doesn't care about at least something to do with the skin she is in. Having great skin is not just about 'reducing lines' or 'clearing up acne', its many things combined. Firmness, pore size, pigmentation, acne & blackheads, lines and plumpness all come into play. Just for the record, aging is natural and is going to happen to every single one of us as long as we are alive. There are many beautiful older women and men alike. However, there is nothing wrong with doing one's best to try and delay the inevitable for as long as we can. : )
It is hard to feel satisfied with ourselves when we are constantly bombarded with 'beautiful people' who seem to always look flawless. Due to the work I do (given that I have worked with models in various capacities)I know first hand that there can be a lot of 'extra help' when it comes to those flawless images you see on the front covers of magazines etc. I have been in the presence of the most incredibly beautiful looking people, but can still say that they too have days where they don't look so crash hot, and they are just as vulnerable to the sands in the hourglass as you are.
Now, the tips on great beauty advice...
I try EVERYTHING. I think it almost goes without saying that I am a real brand whore when it comes to how many things I have spent my money on to try and find what gets the results that these various brands claim to achieve. Without naming particular brands, I suggest you look for skincare products that have the following attributes:
For night creams, try out creams that contain vitamin A (and retinol or retinyl) because this vitamin is considered to be the most powerful in regards to resurfacing the skin and improving sun damage. You must be warned to use sunscreen during the day when on a vitamin A product. If your day cream has vitamin A as a main ingredient, then be even more careful of the sun. Vitamin A applications can cause irritation at first, but in most cases people adjust to it. My skin can now tolerate high doses of Vitamin A because I have been using it for a few years now. Vitamin A is also fantastic for those who suffer with acne. It helps reduce the acne and helps repair the damaged or scarred skin that results from severe acne breakouts.
Enzyme and/or 'peeling' creams or masks are great, and again are treatments that are normally instructed to use at night time. You can apply these under the nightly moisturisers or use as a mask that has to be washed off. It all depends on the individual products. Look out for 'glycolic acid' and 'enzymes'.
Aim to use products that come in an airless pump and that are free of fragrance. Unfortunately a lot of 'famous' department store type products are full of fancy fragrances, flash packaging and un-chirolly corrected ingredients. 'Chirolly corrected' means that a good natural botanical ingredient such as 'rosehips oil' (for example) has had any compounds within it that could be either harmful or useless removed. All that remains is the beneficial compounds of that ingredient. Some of the major department stores now do stock brands that are considered 'professional' and that meet this criteria however.
Day creams, and eye creams for the daytime should have some amount of SPF protection. During the day, you want your skin to feel matte (so no greasy looking) supple, and calmed. Calming ingredients that reduce inflamation are good to look out for. Redness of the skin is common in nearly all skin colours, so it is not just fair skinned people who have redness to contend with. The calming attribute is also because if you are using strong creams that assist in the cell turnover at night, your skin then needs a rest from the intensity of that sort of activity during the day. If you are fairly young, aim to use a light eye 'gel' instead of a heavy cream. Ideally, you dont want to be using the strongest products in everything because you need there to be something stronge for you to graduate to in the future as your skin changes due to aging.
Its best to see a cosmetic nurse or even a plastic surgeon or GP who practices in cosmetic medicine in order to initially get put onto the right plan. A lot of cosmetic surgery clinics do 'medifacials' which are not surgical but are slightly invasive, therefore only a person trained with a scientific background should be performing them. Treatments such as microdermabrasions, chemical peels and injectables such as botox and fillers. No offence to 'beauty therapists', but the people I am referring to that readers of this blog should see, are not just beauty therapists. On the other hand, the practitioners from these medical-cosmetic clinics may try and sell you very expensive products that you cannot afford or do not see the value in, or at least that you may not be able to afford to use on an ongoing basis. ALWAYS shut them down quickly and tell them you have a budget. It is their job to find an alternate product regime for you which should be just as, or almost just as good, and that you can afford.
Once you know what products you are using, shop around for other stockists of these products to see if they are available for a bit less or at a location that is close to you. I just LOVE StrawberryNet.com because they sell professional brands as well as all the famous brands we know from our department stores. The stock gets delivered to you by registered post and from my experience, the stock is always in perfectly good and fresh condition, and packed securely. The other advantage is that buying online can be significantly cheaper. I like to buy online, from clinics/salons and the big stores.
The old proverb 'you are what you eat' definitely applies here. Drinking enough water, eating fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and reducing your intake of processed foods and limiting alcohol intake are a must. But really, this will help your entire well being, not just how your complexion looks. Doing activities that increase circulation and also promote relaxation of the body & mind will also help the way you look. Yoga, Thai Chi, Pilates and general physical activity are my suggestions.
Health supplements such as taking Omega 3 (either as a fish oil or flaxseed oil) co enzyme Q10, multivitamins and vitamin C are good ones.
Please note: I am not a health practitioner. I only pass on my advice as a lay person who has experienced some good results by doing the things I have mentioned. It is up to you to be responsible for your own health concerns and to make the choice of doing something or not.
Anyway, I hope this helps and you can always drop me a line at SRS Productions or on this blogSpot site!
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