Are your skin products betraying you?

Cosmetic companies make billions of dollars from women’s fear of ageing skin, with new anti ageing products and topical ‘miracle’ products launched every year. As aresult the general public is getting more and more confused as to what product is

All skin is made up of the same constituent layers, yet every skin is unique in its own way. Hence recommending the appropriate skin care products and regime must be individualised to suit each person for optimum results.

People are born with their skin type, which is determined by their genetics and ethnicity. Like everything else, skin texture and appearance can change over time. An individual’s skin type is based primarily on how much oil is produced in the follicles.

Generally, as you age your skin becomes drier after time. Changes in the skin begin as women enter peri menopause in their forties and they continue into menopause in their fifties and beyond due to the decrease in estrogen.

All skin tissue begins to thin causing the reduction in collagen and elastin which are the connective tissues in our skin. There are two simple things that should be the backbone of your skin care ritual – First must be 90% Protection and purification. The second is a mixture of creams, lotions, elixirs, and masks etc which are fun and can offer real benefits especially when added to a sound fundamental skin programme.

Beautiful, supple and clear skin rarely happens naturally as we age. It is more often the result of a reasonable amount of care and attention that is given throughout the passing years.

You may not realise but the use of incorrect products can actually make your skin worse. It is even possible that your skin type has been changed or recreated by the incorrect products you may be using for example heavy wrinkle creams can clog pores and cause blemishes, alcohol based toners can irritate skin resulting in combination skin and so forth.

In our very commercial world we are lead to believe that products that promote lightening skin and depigmenting skin discolorations caused by sun exposure is beneficial when in fact they can be extremely damaging. Furthermore, to convince consumers that the products are different and natural, lots of plant extracts are thrown into the mix, ranging from mulberry extract to kojic acid. Adding plant material to cosmetics just increases the need for it to have a stronger preservative base and more fragrance to mask the smell of rancid, moulding ingredients.

While these ingredients have some research showing them to be effective, a number of extracts have minimal effect. It also turns out that those plant extracts are highly unstable and have little to no efficacy when mixed into skin care products! The amount of money you spend on skin care has nothing to do with how your skin looks. However, using the correct products for your skin type does. Skin types include dry, normal, combination, oily or sensitive.

Choosing a fantastic skin care routine means doing what it takes to be good to your skin without having to waste money, and buying only products that live up to their claims. While I want to emphasize the misleading portrayals of skin care products made by the cosmetic industry, I also wanted to let you know that great products do exist!

All products are formulated for different skin types and conditions. A product for dry skin contains ingredients to nourish dry skin. A product for oily skin is designed to treat the oiliness. Soaps are not usually recommended, as they can leave a film on the skin and can be quite alkaline, causing dryness and other issues.

No matter what the skin type, using the correct ingredients and following the proper steps in a home care routine are essential for healthy skin. Since every face is unique, finding the right care for each person can be challenging. Before selecting products, your skin type and conditions must be analysed correctly by a professional beauty therapist. Beauty therapists provide preventive care for the skin and offer treatment to keep the skin healthy and attractive.

The skin type is evaluated and assessed by a skin analysis including a thorough skin scanning procedure and an extensive consultation. This procedure reveals the condition of the deeper layers of the skin. Then by sharing her knowledge and expertise she educates her clients on understanding their skin and preparing a treatment plan along with a home care program. This significantly helps make a difference in skin health and dramatically transforms the appearance.

Professional products sold only by licensed professionals like beauty therapist are generally better formulated for individuals needs. While professional products may cost more initially, they are usually more effective due to their high concentration of performance ingredients, meaning less product is needed. By choosing the correct product, you could see better results in home care alone.

A good way to determine product cost is to break down the cost into daily or weekly amounts. This gives you a better idea of how affordable the product is and you will be surprised to find that it usually cost no more than a cup of coffee a day!

If you are like most of us, whatever you are now doing for your skin is a combination of habit, negligence and occasional blast of zeal. I am proposing that you rethink your face care routine and start over from scratch. Although it’s not possible to stop the clock from ticking and halt the ageing process, there are hundreds of little yet effective things we can suggest you do to prevent further damage and reverse the external signs of ageing.

The great news is that beneath all the marketing hype there has been an authentic leap forward in our understanding that skin really can look better than ever. Irrelevant of age. Ageing skin is biological not chronological. The process can be delayed or even reversed with a holistic approach.

The best way to honour the skin you were born in is by taking the best possible care of yourself. You won’t be able to change everything dramatically and instantly. Proper skin care takes several weeks even months to pay dividends. But the effort that is put in will have an enormous effect on the results boosting your confidence and the way you feel.

True beauty is the outward embodiment of inner harmony and grace of spirit. The challenge lies in achieving this delicate state of balance in a high stress lifestyle.