As in all areas of clinical medicine, prevention is better than the cure. To keep your skin looking fresh, healthy and youthful it is important to follow these top 5 clinical tips as part of a daily skincare routine;
Always use sunscreen with a moisturising component to protect from the oxidative effects of UV rays on your skin, and to prevent excessive drying when out in the sun. Photo-damage from UV rays is a key factor responsible for premature ageing (photo-aging). DNA photo-damage and UV-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the initial events that lead to most common histological and clinical manifestations of chronic photo-damage of the skin. Wrinkling and pigment changes are directly associated with premature photo-aging and are considered the most important and visible manifestations of the aging process. The strategies aimed at preventing photo-aging include sun avoidance, sun protection using sunscreens to block or reduce skin exposure to UV radiation and ensuring the use of sun creams which are non-harmful and do not dry out the skin. Try to avoid greasy sunscreen and apply a duel formula to ensure your skin is protected and moisturised at the same time.
Ideally, you should look for cleansers with a pH close to your skin’s natural level – usually between 4.5 – 6.0PH. Products with a lower pH than 4.5 may be too acidic and harsh for those with dry or sensitive skin, so we recommend using a PH balanced formula (PH 5.0) to cleanse your face from dirt during the day, which will be suited to all skin types. Be sure not to over use the amount of cleanser or soap, which will have a drying and damaging effect. Twice a day is the maximum and for those with sensitive and dry skin once a day in the evening is often sufficient to prevent excessive drying of the skin.
The goal of skin bio-rejuvenation is to increase the biosynthetic capacity of the skin, inducing the reconstruction, enhancing cell activity, hydration, and the synthesis of collagen, elastin and HA (hyalorunic acid). The simple way to support all of these key biological skin processes is to ensure your body and skin stays adequately hydrated throughout the day. This can be achieved through drinking plenty of water and using a therapeutic cream to provide longer-term hydration, especially at night. As you skin ages with will become more and more prone to drying, by ensuring the hydration of the skin by using a therapeutic cream, it will hydrate and repair skins damage and fight the signs of aging such as wrinkles and sagging of the skin.
For sensitive skin, or sensitive skin conditions apply a hypoallergenic formula after washing your face with a PH balanced cleanser. This is especially important in diseases such as acne, atopic dermatitis, intertrigo, and irritant contact dermatitis, a combination of PH balanced soaps and creams that have a pH of 4.5 to 6.5 along with a hypoallergenic cosmetic repair-cream is recommended to restore the acid mantle. Overly dry or injured skin that can no longer protect nerve endings can lead to skin reactions and should be managed with hypoallergenic protective moisturising products.
Apply supportive, therapeutic, topical products, which have proven anti-aging properties. There are two main groups of agents that can be used as anti-aging cream components that help regulate and supply the body with antioxidants and supporters the cell regulators. The antioxidants, such as vitamins, polyphenols and flavonoids, reduce the breakdown of collagen in the skin by reducing the concentration of free radicals in the tissues which damage the cells and skin. The cell regulators, such as retinols, peptides and growth factors (GF), have direct effects on collagen metabolism and influence collagen production and cell turn over, a key factor of aging.
Here is an additional tip which you can try for free!- Do not touch your face! Trying not to touch your face often or break the skins barrier by squeezing, picking or scratching is actually more difficult than it sounds. By breaking the skin’s natural barrier, you are actively damaging the skin as well as introducing bacteria and potentially harmful chemicals and irritants into your skin. The average person touches their face over 300 times a day. The risk of introducing chemicals, allergens, bacteria or other harmful substances to the skin is very high with the number of times the average person touches their face. When necessary ensure you touch your face with clean hands and try not to induce damage of the skin’s barrier.
