How many of us dream of flawless, dewy, glowing skin? The type of skin that glows from within, skin that not only feels amazing but looks amazing too! That’s the goal, isn’t it? The holy grail, the pot of gold at the end of that elusive rainbow.
Just like that pot of gold, it can sometimes feel like it's always out of reach, believe me I know, but NO! You can have flawless, glowing skin. There is no mystery surrounding the dream that’s only accessible to the wealthy or the ‘in-the-know’ people. This dream is yours for the taking!!
Now, there is an enormous amount of information out there on how to get the ‘perfect’ skin; take that potion, do things in this order, stop doing this, do more of that. Urgh, it's overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, there is some great advice out there, but you have to dig for it.
Let’s start right at the beginning. Your skin is the biggest organ in your body and quite frankly, it’s flipping amazing. So, it deserves a little love, care, and attention. Essentially, your routine is the foundation to everything, that doesn’t mean you need the most expensive products or a 10-step routine (although this can give you the ultimate pampering session), but once you get a routine right for you and what your skin needs, you can literally see your skin come to life. Then, sit back and wait for those compliments to roll in.
Cleanse to start the day and wash the day away.
I can’t stress the importance of this step enough. Never skip it! Whether you’re using a milk/balm/gel cleanser (please try not to use a harsh foam cleanser, they can be way too drying on most skin types), take the time to wash your face properly. I would cleanse once in the morning to get rid of any dirt on my face that clung to me overnight, and then a good double cleanse at night to remove all traces of make-up, SPF, and the typical day's grime.
Exfoliation is king!
One of the keys to glowing skin. Put simply, exfoliation helps to remove surface dead skin cells, optimising skin-cell turnover to reveal a more even, smoother, glowing complexion skin underneath. Without this step, you’re not making the most out of your skincare products and throwing away your hard-earned cash. Our personal preference is chemical exfoliants instead of any physical exfoliant. Scrubs full of exfoliation beads of any type are not only too harsh on the skin but terrible for the environment, and electronic devices can harbour bacteria. For us, chemical exfoliants are the way to go. Look for products containing the following:
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs): glycolic acid and lactic acid
Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs): salicylic acid
Polyhydroxy acids (PHAs): a gentle acid for those with more sensitive skin
The Queen of all skincare routines – Antioxidants
Coming in many forms, antioxidants are damage defenders that help slow skin ageing, give that glow back to your skin and so, they deserve a place in your routine. These little miracle molecules help clean up or ‘scavenge’ the free radical pollution, thus minimising damage to the cells. To be technical, free radicals are unstable molecules that have one or more unpaired electrons. To gain stability, they react with other molecules, triggering a chain reaction that damages healthy cells, causing oxidation on the skin (age/brown spots pigmentation, dry and dull-looking skin)
Studies have shown that the inclusion of antioxidants in your skincare routine can help your skin fight free radical damage and recover from oxidative stress. They have been shown to:
help correct signs of ageing.
help prevent sun damage.
help skin repair itself.
help brighten skin tone.
Our Energising Vitamin serum is a powerhouse of vitamins and essential oils that will transform your skin. We’ve combined the beneficial trio of skin essential vitamins, A, C, and E, this formula has been developed to act on the deepest layers of your skin. Using top quality antioxidants in your skincare products can protect cells from UV light, pollution and other environmental factors that produce damaging free radicals. Look for products with the following ingredients:
Vitamin C.
Niacinamide.
Resveratrol (An antioxidant found mostly in the skins of fruits like grapes and berries, resveratrol serves as the plants’ defensive armour).
Vitamin E.
Vitamin A.
Coenzyme Q10.
Polyphenols i.e., resveratrol, are found in fruits, vegetables, green or black tea.
Invest in an excellent quality vitamin A product.
If exfoliation is king and antioxidants are queens, then vitamin A are the workhorses of all battles against external aggressors such as free radicals. Vitamin A is known to balance oil production, reduce pigmentation, and boost collagen all while promoting skin repair and hydration.
You may know these ingredients as retinol, retinols, retinoids, retinal’s or in a prescription form, tretinoin or Retin-A. Along with exfoliants and antioxidants, these are amazing for giving the glow back to your skin.
Please go carefully with these actives, they are powerful - even the over-counter versions. Start with a couple of times a week application, avoiding the delicate eye, mouth, and nose areas, then build up from there, and ALWAYS listen to your skin – stop if it’s causing any irritation or sensitivity.
Hydration, hydration, hydration!
Whether your skin is as dry as the Sahara Desert or an oil rig in meltdown, hydration in the form of a moisturiser and/or hyaluronic acid is essential. Think of your moisturiser as a coat, a suit of armour to protect what’s underneath from harsh aggressors. Hyaluronic acid is a powerful molecule with the ability to lock in moisture allowing your skin to remain hydrated though-out the day and night while acting as a natural barrier protecting you from environmental damage.
Our lightweight Hydra B5 and Hyaluronic Acid serum, not only has this ingredient but also the power of nature’s polyphenols and enzymes with a trio of fruit extracts - grapefruit, raspberry, and cranberry fruit extracts.
If you are on a tight budget, our advice is to prioritise you’re spending on exfoliating acids and a good serum in the form of antioxidants and retinol’s. That way, you can get away with top and tailing your routine with less expensive cleansers and moisturisers.
SUNSCREEN!!! No joke, slap this stuff on!
Preferably an SPF of 50, sull spectrum, but a minimum of SPF 30 is a MUST. We saw a lot of discussions (or heated debate) over recent years as to whether SPF 50 is really any better than SPF 30, after all, they’re the same, aren’t they? NO, they’re not! The higher the SPF rating the more protection you have, simple – end of. The topic of SPFs can seem complicated, so we broke from some facts from myths [SPF - Why is it important and which one is best for my skin type] if you want to be fully demystified.
Pay attention to your individual skin needs.
Remember, find your routine. What works for someone else may not work for you. Take the time to get to know your skin and what it needs. If you are dry or sensitive, you may need to prioritise extra moisturiser and hold back on the exfoliation to achieve a healthy glow. But if your skin is on the oilier side, gentle exfoliation may be the key for you.
The other bits – not to be forgotten
Ok, it would be remiss of us not to include the following tips. I know, I know, all of these are easier said than done. Here at Vibrant Skin, it’s a daily challenge to eat well, avoid stress and sleep but, so long as we try each day – we win!
Stay hydrated.
Try to eat well.
Don’t Smoke!
Try to avoid stress.
Get enough sleep.
Take Away
Like with any advice you read, including the above, find out what works best for your skin and what it needs. And always, when using any active ingredient go slow and never use too many in one go. This can result in breaking the skin barrier, leaving your skin irritable, uncomfortable, and in some cases damaged. We dive deeper into our skin natural defences and how to support it, in our blog post [Why is skin barrier important].
There is no right or wrong answer but know this, you can achieve the flawless, natural, healthy glow to your skin.
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