We are over half way between the Solstice and the Equinox which means more light, louder birdsong, crocuses, daffodils and our own slow emergence back to the rhythm of life... and for some, a horrifying sideways glance in the mirror.
I get emails at this time of year from people asking me what on earth they can do to soothe and smooth out dry, lacklustre skin. A few of these people have been, like me, in their mid forties and their reflection is telling them they are 100 years old. Fear not my friends, all is not lost, your skin is just parched from the stresses of the winter months and there are some little adjustments that will quickly get it back to its glowing best.
Here followeth my simple dry skin Gospel
The trick to smooth glowy skin is HYDRATION. If your skin has enough moisture in it, it will not only plump up, but also reflect the light. Both of these will reduce the depth and look of your wrinkles and bring you firmly back down from the centenarian category and back into the realms of being ID'd in the corner shop (we can dream!)
Yes, drink water, we all know this and its added health benefits, but we can drink all the water in the world and it can still get rapidly lost through the skin barrier if it isn't well maintained. The result? An uneven skin surface with more visible wrinkles.
So what four simple things can you do to remedy the situation?
Don't put piping hot water on your face. Hot water opens pores and pulls out too many of the valuable oils that keep us hydrated. Instead use warm water and then once cleansed, splash with really cold water. This will make your pores tighten up (and strengthen while they are at it), which will not only create a more glassy surface, but help trap moisture inside the epidermis.
When cleansing - use a cream or balm, NOT a foaming cleanser. Why? Because however gentle it purports to be, the foam is a sign that your cleanser is stripping the skin too much and breaking down your valuable skin barrier. A balm or oil based cleanser will throughly cleanse your skin and is in fact far more effective at taking off makeup, whilst protecting the barrier from damage.
Use a face balm or face oil. Balms and oils have the ability to give you a higher nutrient intake than the average moisturiser, which is 80% water. This means you are effectively taking a daily multivitamin for your skin, while the broad spectrum of lipids protects your skin barrier which encouraging it to regenerate. The perfect face oil contains a mixture of deeply penetrating oils that do the work of cell renewal and oils that sit a bit higher in the skin. These are the ones which protect skin from water loss and give us back that dewy smooth effect we so took for granted in our youth!
Put oils onto DAMP skin. If there is one thing that comes out of my mouth every day at work it is this: ALWAYS apply face oils (and balms) to dampened skin. This locks the moisture into the skin and helps plump it up from within. You can also add in a hyaluronic acid before your face oil for an added moisture surge.
Avoid these common mistakes:
Never let the skin go 'tight'. You know that feeling when you are fresh out of your divinely hot shower, you are standing in your towel and all of a sudden your face starts to crack? This could be a sign of three things. One, you have possibly had your shower too hot, two, that your barrier is in trouble and three, that you need a more nourishing cleanser.
Never use coconut oil for dry skin. So many people tell me that they use coconut oil on their skin. Don't get me wrong, coconut oil is an incredible oil for its antimicrobial affects. It is a healthy oil to consume and to cleanse, BUT it is astringent which means that it has a DRYING affect on the skin. If used as a moisturiser it will ultimately leave your skin feeling greasy and dry. You will need a combination of deep penetrating 'dry' oils and non-pore-clogging oils or waxes that sit higher on the skin to protect the barrier. Getting the right oil combination for your skin is crucial and I'm always available if you need help knowing what us right for you.
My recommendations if you have read this and think your skin barrier might need a little help:
This clever little duo looks like two products but is actually three! The deeply nutritious Hibiscus balm can be used to cleanse and then by adding a little water can be turned into a soothing Serum to work overnight.
The Smoothing Rose oil combines deeply penentrating and regenerating Rosehip seed oil with Golden Jojoba which sits higher in the skin and gives you a dewy but not oily finish.
To read more about this duo, pop over to the website where you can get them together at a discount of 12%.
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