Skincare Blog

Our skin is precious – Are you looking after your skins health?

How our skin ages depends a lot on how we look after it. Many factors play a role in how our skin looks such as:

• Smoke pollution genetics
• Sun
• Age
• Diet

Ideally we should aim to drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water each day to rehydrate our skin from the inside, eat a well-balanced diet, get eight hours sleep each night and wear a SPF from March till October. A good skincare regime is vital. Cleansing and moisturising daily is a must! It is recommended to incorporate a scrub and a face mask twice a week.

Keep your skin healthy by Cleansing

A good cleanser suitable for your skin type is a must for keeping your skin looking great. Different skin types need different cleansers:

• Oily skin types benefit more from a good wash cleanser, as it’s more effective at removing excess sebum and bacteria from the skin.
• Dry or dehydrated skins benefit more from a rich milky cleanser which gently cleanses the skin of makeup and impurities without drying the skin and respects the skins ph. When using a milky cleanser if you have to gently massage the skin while cleansing as this will increase blood flow and will give your skin a dewy glow.

Not sure what skin type you have? Pop into Higgins Pharmacy Sligo Market Cross and speak with a skin care specialist!

If you’re sure about your skin type see some skincare options below:

Oily skin

      Budget buy: La Roche Posay Effaclar cleansing wash

      Luxury buy: Decleors Aroma Purete cleansing gel.

Normal to dry skin

      Budget buy: Vichy Purete cleansing balm.

      Luxury buy: Decleor Aroma cleanse essential cleansing milk/youth lotion. (V dry/ older skin)

Face scrubs

Once or twice a week it’s a good idea to use a face scrub as this removes dead skin cells, which can leave the skin feeling rough and looking dull. The type of scrub you use is down to preference. Some people like a scrub with beads, which are good for oily skin, (just be careful when choosing this type of scrub that you don’t choose one that’s too rough as some brands the exfoliating particles are too large and can actually damage the skin by breaking tiny little blood vessels under the skin.) other people prefer a more gentle scrub that gentle works by leaving it on the skin for 7 to 10 minutes, these type of scrubs are good for dry sensitive skins as they contain no exfoliating particles. They work by helping to stimulate the cellular renewal process.

Facial and body scrub options

      Budget buy: Vichys Purete exfoliating scrub. (Good for oily skin) La Roche Posays gentle exfoliator contains very small beads so is good for oily sensitive skin also.

      Luxury buy:  Decelors life radiance scrub (my personal favourite as it really brightens the skin). Decleors Phytopeel scrub. (Very gentle scrub suitable for sensitive skin)        

Face masks

Once or twice a week treat your skin to a face mask. Oily skins benefits from face masks as they remove excess sebum from the skin from drawing out impurities which prevents further break outs and may also help heal the skin which may prevent scarring. Dry dehydrated skin benefits from face masks as they put much needed moisturiser into the skin which helps dehydration and puts a bounce back into the skin.

Face masks

      Budget buy for oily skin types: Effaclar face mask

      Luxury buy for dry/dehydrated skin: Dermalogica age smart mask. (Packed full of vitamins.)       Decelor hydra floral moisturising & plumping mask which gives intense hydration to dehydrated/ dull skin types.

Moisturisers

A good moisturiser suitable for your skin type is an important part of any skin care plan. Moisturisers protect from external aggressions such as pollution and can prevent aging prematurely. First identify which skin type you are:

There are four main skin types

Dry skin: This is skin that is lacking lipids not to be confused with dehydrated skin that is lacking water, dry skin tends to have the following characteristics, it feels tight after cleansing, has dry flaky patches, can sometimes be itchy and quite sensitive. Taking a Sona Vitamin E supplement can help dry skin as it can nourish from the inside out.

Good moisturisers for dry skin

      Budget buy: La Roche Posay Nutritic intense, this is an excellent nourishing moisturiser that replenishes the skin replacing lost lipids and proteins which is essential for skin comfort.

      Luxury buy: Decleors intense nutrition nourishing cocoon cream, this is a real treat for dry parched skins. It contains cranberry and Argan oil to nourish the skin and avocado oil to regenerate the hydrolipid film.

Not sure what moisturiser to use? Pop into Higgins Pharmacy Sligo Market Cross and speak with a skin care specialist!

Dehydrated skin

This is skin that’s lacking water. This skin type can feel tight throughout the day, has no bounce and looks dull and if you gently push your finger up against dehydrated skin you often can see tiny dehydration lines. A good hydrating moisturiser is needed to quench the thirst of this skin type. A thermal spring water spray often helps too by spritzing the skin throughout the day preventing further dehydration.

Good moisturisers for dehydrated skin

      Budget buy: Vichys Aqualia riche moisturiser provides intense hydration for up to 48 hours, enriched with spa water and hyalauronic acid (this attracts and holds vast amounts of water).

      Luxury buy: Decleors amazing hydra floral riche moisturiser mimics a plants remarkable hydration process and ensures you stay fresh faced and hydrated all day long.

Combination skin

This skin type generally has an oily t –zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and cheeks are usually normal with no real issues. Breakouts may occur in the oily t-zone area. It can be a hard to get one moisturiser to suit concerns of a combination skin and sometimes you may need to buy two separate moisturisers.

Good moisturisers for combination skin types.

      Budget buy: La Roche Posays Effaclar K. This moisturiser targets the oily areas of the skin and provides all day comfort and moisture to the cheek areas with its aquagel texture.

      Luxury buy: Decleors hydra floral gel cream is a very light hydrating texture that replenishes combination skin without adding any extra oils and it smells divine.

Oily skin

This skin type has a shiny appearance, usually appears thicker than that of a dehydrated/dry skin, has enlarged pores and can be prone to breakouts, on the plus side this skin type ages a lot slower compared to other skin types. It’s important to follow a gentle but effective skincare regime with this skin type to control shine and blemishes. While this skin type contains a lot of sebum it’s important to hydrate with a good moisturiser.

Good moisturisers for oily skin types

      Budget buy: La Roche Posays Effaclar Duo anti-blemish cream targets oil and blemishes yet it is very suitable for even sensitive skins.

      Luxury buy: Decleors Aroma Purete velvet mattifying fluid has a fresh green scent and contains yeast extract and vitamin C which restores the skin and helps it breathe. Active ingredients include ylang ylang which purifies and regulates sebum production.

For more information on any of the above call into Higgins Pharmacy Market Cross and I would be happy to advise on any skin concerns you may have.