Caring for your skin should be relatively straightforward, but for a variety of reasons it’s not. With so many new trends emerging and a myriad of products to choose from, it has become a complicated subject.
Every day we are bombarded with content from beauty bloggers and businesses talking up beauty routines ranging from the bare minimum of water only all the way to the Korean 10-step routine. We ‘re told that we need products with AHA’s, BHA’s and creams packed full of collagen, but most of us don’t really understand what these ingredients are and what they do. On top of this, there are so many companies pushing their brands and gadgets as ‘quick fixes’, miracles and must haves. No wonder so many of us are 100% confused about what products we need and how to use them in our skincare routine.
If you’re confused...
Start With 4 Simple Rules
Get clear on your skin care goals
Getting clear on the core issues you need help with or the goals you want to achieve can really help you determine what products will be best suited to your skin. You don’t need dozens of products or to spend thousands of dollars; you need a few high-quality products tailored to help you with your skin condition.
Start by asking yourself what is more important. Maybe you want help with skin conditions such as acne, perioral dermatitis or eczema. Perhaps you want to help smooth out your skin tone, help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and help plump your skin. For many people it can be a combination of two or more goals that you want to achieve, and this can lead to confusion on how best to select the right products. But knowing your goals is the best place to start.
Understand what ingredients will help you achieve your goals
Do research on what ingredients you need before you buy any products.
For example, if your problem is pigmentation look out for products that contain the active ingredients: AHAs, BHAs and antioxidants such as vitamin C.
If you want to boost your hydration levels, look out for hyaluronic acid.
If you want UV-protection, look out for Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide.
In addition to doing your research on what ingredients will help your skin condition, you can look at the ingredient list on the label, where the ingredients should be listed in order of concentration (the first ingredient will have the highest concentration).
Skincare brands that are truly transparent are likely to list their ingredients on their website, so you can check this out too. Take a read of all the information AMPERNA® supplies on their ingredients and how they can help benefit your skin.
Give new products time to work
If you start a new skincare treatment and you have a breakout or flare up, remember it could be due to temporarily ‘purging’. This is the term given to breakouts triggered after starting a new skincare treatment containing active ingredients designed to help boost skin cell turnover. How long does purging last? It is temporary and down to your skin renewal cycle which can take 4-6 weeks depending on your age. Particular skin care can help to speed up this process and help to shed our dead skin cells faster. In the short term, this acceleration of cell turn-over can lead to more breakouts.
Your lifestyle plays a role
Steer clear of brands that promise the world.
Skincare products can only do so much, and your lifestyle is an important factor in your overall skin health.
Diet, exercise, stress and gut health are all critical to the condition of our skin. When we suffer from an imbalance in gut bacteria (when bad bacteria overrule) our immune system fights back which contributes to inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or eczema. A poor diet and food allergies may cause certain proteins to leak out of the gut and irritate the skin, causing conditions such as eczema. Furthermore, it can cause hormonal imbalances that makes skin more sensitive and reactive.
Here are a few simple steps you may like to incorporate into your lifestyle:
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night
- Choose nourishing foods
- Exercise regularly
- Take a daily probiotic supplement that is right for you
- Try to avoid antibiotics where possible
Most of us just want a simple and easy skincare routine to help achieve good skin health. Following these 4-steps can make it a little less confusing. Additionally, you can consider a skincare coach to help navigate you through goal setting, understanding how your lifestyle may be impacting your skin and determining what products will help you most.
Skin Coaching
Kiri Yanchenko, founder of AMPERNA® helps her clients to manage their skin health via her Holistic Skin Coaching Service. Her Telehealth service allows people to discuss their skin concerns, their diet and develop a tailored plan to work towards healthy glowing skin. Get in touch with Kiri today.
Sources:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30979730.html
