How to make your skin care products work harder
Want to make your skin care products go the distance?
Tip one
Begin at the beginning by fine-turning your exfoliation routine. Dermatologist Amy Wechsler sums it up perfectly: "Think of the surface of the epidermis – those dead skin cells – as a barrier.
You have to remove it for products to get in." Having said this though, know your skin's limits as over-exfoliating can do more damage than good.
Here are some face-saving guidelines. To increase the skin's absorption levels you need a gentle daily two-pronged cleanser to remove dirt and oil from the skin with an added hydroxy acid base to increase absorption. Or go for manual exfoliation with a sonic skin cleansing brush.
Tip two
Apply your products in order with the most active first for best absorption. "Whatever product goes on first penetrates the best," says clinical nurse Kaye Scott from The Clinic. If you are targeting two different concerns like dehydration and dullness, apply a hydrating serum to bare skin in the morning after cleansing to tackle dryness and at night on bare clean skin apply a retinoid product for radiance.
Then, smooth on other products from the finest to thickest in texture, like an antioxidant cream followed by an SPF 50+ sunscreen for day and night cream for night.
Tip three
Apply treatment products to warm, damp (but not wet) skin, as it will act like a sponge and quickly absorb whatever skin care goodies you apply to it. Ingredients will also interact with cells more quickly when the skin is warm. There is always an exception to every rule and that is: mineral-based sunscreen should be applied to dry skin as it works on the surface of the skin reflecting harmful UVA and UVB rays, rather than being absorbed.
Tip four
Combine products: a great example is sunscreen and antioxidants, a match made in heaven. Sunscreen absorbs UV rays while antioxidants neutralise free radicals that are created by the sun's rays. Top marks.
Tip five
Keep retinol products for after dark. These wrinkle busters and radiance boosters work their magic best at night. Skin temperature rises marginally as you sleep and blood flow to the skin increases, with this comes better absorption. This also works for other bedtime skin care ingredients. Remember, when you apply retinol products you must be vigilant about your sunscreen coverage during the day as you skin will be more photo sensitive.
Get layering.
Written by Stephanie Darling. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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