Vitamin C is great for brightening dull skin - it has powerful antioxidant properties and can also help with skin tone and dealing with hyperpigmentation. The problem is that Vitamin C often degrades as soon as it reaches the air, which means by the time it is absorbed into the skin, there’s not much of its potency left to act. Dermalogica Biolumin C Serum is our favourite face serum for brighter skin. It is the perfect example of how a serum can deliver active ingredients in a more concentrated form than other skin care products.
Biolumin C Serum has two new generation forms of Vitamin C that are in an ultra stable complex. This means that they are able to penetrate deep into the skin and retain their potency. Vitamin C also boosts your collagen production and is combined with Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, a designer peptide that can work to retrain your collagen to reduce skin sagging. Vitamin C is not just great for skin health but also works to even skin tone, reducing hyperpigmentation and age spots, to give an overall brighter complexion.
Retinol is the gold standard for reducing the appearance of skin ageing by minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol has been found to boost collagen production, reduce oil production, improve skin tone and texture and soothe inflammation. Retinol works by going into the follicle and communicating with cell receptors to help stimulate skin renewal and increase cell turnover. This helps reduce visible signs of skin ageing.
Retinol can be found in different forms in skincare products but once absorbed, all retinol derivatives have to be converted into the active form of retinol ‘retinoic acid’. The potency of the retinol and the speed at which results can be seen depends on how many steps there are in this conversion process.
Medik8 have created their Crystal Retinal range that is hands down, a brilliant feat of skincare science! Retinal on has to undergo a 1 step conversion process in the skin to convert it from retinal to retinoic acid. Retinal can deliver results up to 11 times faster than classic forms of retinol. The ground-breaking overnight serum visibly minimises fine lines and wrinkles; firming and plumping the complexion to resurface skin texture and soften the face.
It can take time for your skin to adjust to using any retinol based products. Medik8 has made it super easy for you to introduce retinol into your skincare routine. Crystal Retinal 1 is the entry level serum. After using this, you can progress onto Crystal Retinal 3 and then 6.
Salicylic Acid is one of acne’s greatest enemies so it can rapidly become your hero if you struggle with breakouts. Salicylic Acid removes skin cells superficially (on the skin’s surface), and helps kill breakout-causing bacteria. It is an extremely effective Beta Hydroxy Acid that helps clear blockage in follicles, such as excess oil and debris. Salicylic Acid reduces levels of sebum (your skin’s natural oil) and stimulates cell turnover to clear away dead skin cells. It’s also the preferred ingredient for adult acne thanks to its skin-soothing properties.
Salicylic Acid has grown in popularity possibly due to the increase in adult breakouts. More and more adults are experiencing breakouts due to hormonal changes coupled with stressful and busy lives! Breakouts happen when dead skin cells, excess sebum and breakout-causing bacteria form a plug that clog pores. Salicylic Acid has the special ability to penetrate clogged pores and dissolve the “glue” that holds pore-clogging dead skin cells together. This helps clear breakouts. Essentially Salicylic Acid exfoliates the skin.
Science of Skin has recently formulated a fabulous new cleanser, Cleanse No One. Along with action packed active ingredients, Salicylic acid works with your skins’ unique microbiome, reducing bad bacteria and rebalancing your complexion. Cleanse No.one is designed to help you to recover and repair, reduce breakouts, spots and redness whilst making sure your skin is beautifully cleansed.
Irritated, sensitive skin can often benefit from a simplified skincare routine that will help to repair and restore your skin’s natural skincare barrier. It can be tempting to try and use more products to help your skin when it's sensitive and inflamed but it really is the case of less is more.
Your skin’s barrier is the scientific term for the outermost layer of your skin, responsible for keeping moisture in and damaging elements (like UV and free radicals) out. When the barrier function is working well, your skin is hydrated, plump, and firm. When this barrier becomes damaged, you will often see dryness, dullness, redness, sensitivity, and breakouts.
Recently featured in Caroline Hirons Winter kits, Dermalogica Barrier Repair is a firm favourite for soothing and repairing damaged skin barriers. This velvety moisturiser is a unique anhydrous (waterless) moisturizer that you use after toning to help shield against environmental and internal triggers that cause skin stress, and minimize discomfort, burning and itching. Oil of Evening Primrose and Borage Seed Oil help to restore the skin’s barrier function and are supported by Vitamins C and E that help combat free radicals that can lead to inflamed and irritated skin.
We often get asked about how to reduce the size of enlarged pores. When your sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, this mixes with the dead skin cells in your pores. The result is that your pores then become blocked. The sebum is trapped in the pores and this causes your pores to become wider and more visible.
The best way you can reduce the appearance of large pores is to exfoliate. Exfoliating can help remove pore-clogging dead cells and excess oil from the skin’s surface. Chemical exfoliation with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (like glycolic, lactic, or mandelic acid) or Beta Hydroxy Acids like salicylic acid. Your pores will eventually fill back up with dead skin cells, so it is important to exfoliate regularly for the best results.
Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel is a professional-grade at-home peel clinically proven to enhance radiance and visibly reduce fine lines. Maximum-strength exfoliant delivers powerful results with no downtime using a unique complex of phytoactive AHA extracts, Lactic Acid and fermented plant enzymes to help reveal new, firmer skin.
With regular use, you will keep your pores clear and less visible!
Jen
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