Slow & Reverse Skin Aging
After hundreds of clients, I've found that about 20% accurately guess their skin type. Knowing your skin type is the first step to preventing damage and slowing aging. People assume that if their skin looks oily, that their skin type is oily, which is not always the case. The body is remarkable at adapting to your environment. If you're using drying products, not drinking enough water and are drinking excessive amounts of caffeine or alcohol, your skin will be dehydrated. When skin is dehydrated, oil glands kick into high gear to attempt to correct the imbalance. Unfortunately, this usually creates an oily layer ON TOP of dry skin, which then clogs pores and causes acne. This oil slick is what you see and assume you have an oily skin type, when in fact, you are over dry.
Dialing in your skin type and its specific needs is what is needed for long term skin health and beauty. Constantly changing products, using chemical laden or highly scented products or over use of harsh ingredients (natural or not) can negatively affect the skin. People that have acne tend to over dry the skin making the healing process take longer and may cause scarring that is sometimes impossible to erase. Likewise, people who use too many anti-aging products can actually end up thinning the skin rather than plumping it like they want. Although you are trying your best to treat the problem, you can end up making it worse or even creating new problems to chase down. A twice-daily routine for your specific needs creates an environment where your skin can thrive; you are correcting the problems daily and preventing future problems instead of constantly chasing problems down.
Consistency is how beautiful skin is created and maintained at any age, although there are a few reasons to tweak the program. Hormonal changes like pregnancy, changes in birth control or HRT (hormone replacement therapy), menopause, puberty and moving or constantly traveling to new environments can all negatively affect the skin. Disease and the treatment of diseases can also create new skin issues. Anti-cancer medications like methotrexate also used by people with autoimmune diseases can cause many skin issues like dryness, redness, less protection from UV rays causing age spots and burns. If anything changes with your health or medication list, we may need to redo a skin assessment.
Once you start a proper routine, it takes time for the skin to adapt to the new environment that you are creating. It takes 30-40 days for the skin to be made and then work its way to the surface, where your visual beauty lies. This time is what is needed to see if your new products are working or if they need to be adjusted. Once you find the right routine, STICK WITH IT! It may take a few weeks or months of consistent daily use to see real progress, so don't be discouraged if your skin isn't perfect immediately after starting a new routine.
Find out what your skin type is now get a custom skincare routine and use it twice per day, every day. Diligently following this plan will correct, protect against and prevent skin issues like acne, redness and remove damaged cells from UV and pollution exposure before they negatively affect healthy cells leading to collagen loss and wrinkles. Avoid changing the plan or adding in new products or skincare services unless your skin, daily environment or health changes.
