Magic skin care packs that do what they say they will do!

Here's a link to a youtube video where I explain my professional opinion on what the best ingredients are for improving your skin! Click here to view a video on skincare

 I’m afraid I am a skincare bore. If you start to look after your skin now, which after all is the ‘canvas’ of your face and body, this will pay dividends in the years to come. Fresh and radiant skin always looks good, no matter how old you are. 

I have found a range called pHformula that I stock in my clinic. I have searched for a skincare range that has scientific backing, has an effective carrier gel that gets the ingredients to into the skin rather than sitting on top. I want a range that targets common skin issues and is reasonably priced. This is exactly what pHformula delivers! 

You would be bored silly if I went through the scientific evidence behind every single ingredient in every single tube. I’d get bored too. Instead I’ll tell you some highlights of my most popular skincare pack the A.G.E. resurfacing homecare kit. This is great for uneven skin tone, dull skin, lost elasticity, uneven pigmentation and lines and wrinkles. I also stock packs that deal specifically with unsightly pigmentation of the skin (M.E.L.A.), reddened, rosacea prone and sensitive skin (C.R.) and spot prone skin (A.C). 

I sometimes need to alter the packs by either temporarily adding or removing potent topical formulations but I will advise you about this when you’ve had a skin analysis. I use the term ‘actives’ quite a bit when I talk about skincare. These are ingredients that change the structure of the skin; this includes the surface skin cells, oil ducts, pigment (melanin), pigment producing cells and collagen and elastin that are the stretchy building blocks of the skin. You will learn about products that improve skin age i.e. a Vitamin A derivative (Retinol), Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) e.g. lactic acid, beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) e.g. sallicylic acid, poly hydroxy acids (PHAs) and resveratrol. The ingredients that protect the skin such as Vitamin B3 (niacinamide), Vitamin C, Hyaluronic acid, peptides, amino acids and ceramides. There are also those that reduce unsightly pigment eg Retinol, Niacinamide (again), azelaic acid and alpha arbutin.  The acids I refer to are almost universally found in nature e.g. glycolic (AHA) is from sugar cane, salicylic (BHA) from willow bark, lactobionic (PHA) from milk and so on. 

The A.G.E. resurfacing homecare kithas 4 containers jammed packed with skin care goodness. Here’s when to apply and what’s in them:

MORNING ROUTINE:

E.X.F.O. Cleanse: This lovely, creamy cleanser contains lactobionic, a PHA, which removes old skin cell debris and combats inflammatory proteins called Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the skin. This is not like any soap or standard cleanser as they tend to remove even the protective oils from your skin and leave it very sensitive and inflamed. Exfo cleanse leaves your skin feeling smooth, clean and comfortable. You will need this cleanser to complement the other actives in your pack.

A.G.E. active recovery: This is applied straight after cleansing in the morning and is formulated specifically for aged and sun-damaged skin. This contains Retinol, Niacinamide and AHAs as ingredients. Retinol is great at allowing younger skin cells that are light reflecting to come to the surface (this is due to an increased cell turnover), providing a radiant, healthy glow. Retinol strengthens the skin as it ‘revs up’ collagen and elastin. When they are renewed, fine lines and wrinkles get pushed out and therefore visibly reduce in size and depth. Retinol also reduces unsightly pigmentation patches by reducing the amount of melanin being produced. The Niacinamide also improves cell turnover and is great at soothing the skin due to its anti inflammatory properties. The AHAs (pyruvic and glycolic acids) that are present also rev up your collagen and allow the ‘actives’ to penetrate to deeper layers of the skin.

SPF 30+:I always recommend a SPF as the last step in your morning routine. All these actives are great at encouraging new and strong skin cells to grow, so the skin needs to have extra protection as the new skin cells developing will be more prone to radiation damage from the sun. So get your forearms and legs out in the summer months to boost your bone strengthening Vitamin D. 

NIGHT TIME ROUTINE:

E.X.F.O. Cleanse: If you wear heavy makeup, you may need a double cleanse to prepare the skin for the next steps.

A.C.T.I.V.E. formula: This contains lots of actives like Retinol, AHAs, BHAs and PHAs. This step is to really accelerate cell turnover at nighttime, while the lactobionic acid and soy protein included act to soothe the skin. I use this in the majority of my packs as it combats signs of ageing, unsightly pigmentation, blemish prone skin and it builds up more resilience for those who have sensitive skin.

P.O.S.T. recovery cream: This cream is vital to this pack. Your skin may feel a little sensitive and look a bit pink as it rejuvenates itself. You now need a soothing moisturizer and the post recovery cream perfectly fulfills this role. It has a good quantity of the humectant hyaluronic acid included, which adds great hydration to the skin as well as some Niacinamide to soothe and repair the skin barrier. When applied last thing at night it creates a soothing film over your cells whilst the actives can get to work overnight. 

It is also worth noting that you cannot buy these bespoke skincare regimes directly from my clinic unless you’ve had a proper skin care analysis by me. Homecare packs are always paired with an in-clinic peel/resurfacing treatment. Resurfacing treatments act to efficiently kick start your skin rejuvenation and get to depths of the skin not reached by the homecare kit.

So there you have it. What I have in clinic is not department store skin care, it is something much more than that. It’s time to put a halt to wasting money on creams that offer nothing more than fancy packaging and often highly perfumed products. Isn’t it time to invest in the long-term health of your skin? You don’t have to commit to the skincare range that I have found but hopefully you’ve learned a bit about what to look out for in the ranges out there. Just choose wisely. Your skin will reward you in the long run.