Skin Care in 10

Lack of time has always been our excuse for not taking the best care of the largest and most visible organ in our body - our skin. So as the current lockdown continues, let’s use these extraordinary times to dig deep, nourish and repair our skin for the summer ahead, in the hope of once again enjoying time outdoors with friends and family.

Our skin is a powerful expression of what is happening inside our bodies with that elusive healthy glow we spend hours and dollars trying to achieve, being utterly dependent on internal balance in the body.

Glow: Kate’s Top 10

The following takes just a few minutes every day, so absolutely no excuses! Do it now and your skin - and body - will thank you. Most of the below is included in my book GLOW: Your Complete Four-Week Guide to Healthy, Radiant Skin with 60 Skin Nourishing Recipes, still available to order!. This practical guide cuts through the mountains of misinformation, offering scientifically grounded facts about how skin really works at a cellular level and is overflowing with skin loving and GUT-Heart-Brain and body-loving recipes for cleaner, brighter more radiant skin and a healthier, more vibrant you.

Keep it simple

Keep it doable...cull unnecessary steps and products

Cleanse -Tone- Nourish

(Serum & Moisturiser)

There is absolutely no point in spending money on beautifully packaged serums and creams unless you are working from a clean slate.

Clean

All of the above are essential, but with so many cleanser variants on the market, even the best intentioned amongst us can get confused. My preferences are balms especially during the colder, drier months when my middle-years skin needs all the nourishment it can get. They are gentle yet thorough and my skin feels soothed and nourished, rather than stripped and tight. During the summer months, I gravitate towards a mix of cleansing balms and creams and gentle exfoliators, while for me, double cleansing is reserved for days when my skin feels grimier, if I have been in a more polluted environment, or on the rare occasions I wear more make up (see more here).

Evening Skin Repair

Research has shown that as our skin synchronises with the body’s natural circadian rhythms with evening skin healing/repair starting as early as dusk, with the skin moving slowly into repair mode as the sun goes down. As we continue to isolate, lets remove the day’s grime and thoroughly cleanse the skin as early as possible in the evening to maximise skin repair through the night.

Antioxidant Vitamin C

My go-to antioxidants are firstly meals overflowing with leafy greens and colourful fruits, followed by skincare laden with Vitamins C (or L-ascorbic acid). This powerful antioxidant and skin brightener is great for bringing on the glow and prepping the skin for summer. I am currently loving Murad, GOW Vitamin C 23% & Ferulic Acid (from the clever folk at Victoria Health) and the Supreme-C Serum Treatment by the hip Scandinavian brand Nuori (see more here). Vitamin C is best used as part of a morning routine in serums and moisturisers to protect skin through the day, while also safe to use at night to boost collagen production. Like all antioxidants, it is vulnerable to damage, so choose formulations packaged in opaque, airtight containers.

Retinol

Retinol describes the Vitamin A molecule that when broken down creates potent retinoid particles that stimulate collagen production, increase cell turnover and exfoliate the outer dead layers of skin to reveal fresh new cells underneath. The potency of retinol-based products varies depending on whether they are prescribed (like the prescription-only Retinoic Acid or Retin-A used to treat severe acne) or purchased over the counter. Retinol is best used as part of a night routine, starting slowly with a weaker strength every other night, before building up to stronger formulation once tolerated. This said, I err on the weaker side to protect my delicate skin barrier. If redness or peeling occurs, use should be discontinued at once.

Pure Face Oils

I adore pure, natural face oils - they feel so luxuriously soft and really do repair and nourish my thirsty skin. Spend a few minutes every evening massaging the goodness into your skin (while skin is moist after your cleanse and tone) - I find it quite therapeutic at the end of a busy day. Some of these companies have on-line videos to help you along the way. I have written about oils many times but my enduring favourites remain the following (amongst a few select others), mostly because I trust the passionate folk making the products and I know they are full of goodness and really do work. Look out for the following: Slow Ageing Essentials, Alexandra Soveral, Modern Botany, Subtle Energies, African Botanics, Kahina Giving Beauty Nunaia and Irene Forte Skincare.

Sun Screen

Suffice to say that the sun is THE single biggest cause of skin ageing. So, regardless of the season and the weather, use broad spectrum (as in UVA and UVB) SPF 30 everyday. Apply under make up - textures are lighter now and some are even tinted too - so perfect to set you up to face whatever comes your way. my current favourite is Murad’s Essential C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30/PA+++

Eat mostly plants

With ongoing research proving just how beneficial a plant-based diet is for our skin and health at large (think GUT, brain and heart), now more than ever before we know the beneficial outcomes of filling our plates with deliciously colourful nourishment. Coming into the summer is the perfect time to bump up on plants too as they are at their best: think leafy green veggies and fruits; spices like turmeric and cinnamon, for instance that add colour, taste and a multitude of health benefits and the multitude of grains now aaialbe in supermarket shelves from rice and quinoa to farro and the best GUT-loving sourdough breads ….yet again there are no excuses!

Don’t forget your neck

Remember the late great Nora Ephron of When Harry Met Sally fame? 'Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth,’ was one of her many classic comments. While we know we can’t change the past, we can affect the future. Even if your face is glowing, a lined and sagging neck tells a lot (as do wrinkled hands for that matter!). In my years experimenting with skincare, I've concluded that most neck creams are not worth their hefty price tag. What's more, many are thick and show up as irritating red rings around the crease lines. Invest your cash in a quality face oil or cream with active anti-ageing ingredients (and sun protection) and apply as part of your daily routine in upwards motion towards the face using both hands. And, look upwards more - more reason to do yoga’s upward dog!