Before creams, lotions and potions, how can we look after our skin?

We've always been told we need to wash our face, cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day; once in the morning and once in the evening.  But, is this strictly necessary?  Well, according to experts, yes.  And, no.  The new line of thinking these days is; it depends.  You should treat your skin depending on what phase it is going through at the moment.  And you can almost guarantee that your skin will reflect what’s going on in the inside too.  So how can we look after our skin, before we even get to slapping all those products on?

It makes sense that we wash our face before bed to "remove the day".  All the environmental dirt and yukkiness, make up, and natural skin processes that build up throughout the day need to be removed before bed to give the skin more chance to do its bit while we sleep.  But, why do we need to wash our faces in the morning as well?

During the night, while we are sleeping, the skin is hard at work.  Cell proliferation (sloughing of dead skin cells) is considerably quicker.  Any damage caused by pollution and UV rays during the day is repaired.  Skin metabolism is faster at night.  Additional oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the cells when our circulation increases while we sleep.

All this comes with production of sebum, sweat and dead skin.  Imagine that all over your pillow!  So, in the morning we should remove all the old bacteria and cells that have collected in our beds and transferred back to our skin, along with what our skin has produced that night.

A gentle soap and some luke warm water (too hot and you’ll strip the skin of vital oils, too cold and pores wont relax enough to remove dirt and grease) is plenty for the most basic step of any skincare routine.

Given the correct conditions and nutrients the skin will naturally exfoliate itself.  Therefore exfoliants and scrubs need not be used as aggressively as we do.  A daily, gentle wash with a face cloth should do the job quite nicely.  If, however, you are finding that you need that little bit of extra help, never exfoliate more than once a week (start with once a month), and use the most gentle exfoliant method you can find.

Get your Zzzz’s - Believe it or not your skin has its own sleep/wake cycle so if your bedtime isn’t regular, your skin isn’t getting the rest it needs either.

Block the sun – We’re all aware of the damage the sun can do to our skin, but before we add sunscreen, what can we do to help prevent said damage?  There are some foods which are scientifically proven to help boost natural sun protection.  These include citrus fruits, carrots, strawberries, green tea, pomegranate, almonds, leafy greens, tomatoes, watermelon and red grapes.   Obviously these alone won’t prevent you from getting burned by the sun; by far the best method is to cover up or stay in the shade as much as possible.  In doing this though, don’t forget to allow yourself enough exposure for your daily dose of Vitamin D which is also very important for the health of the skin.

Keep hydrated - if you’re suffering with any kind of skin condition, the first thing you should ask yourself is "am I drinking enough?"  I bet at least 7/10 answers to that question would be no, even if I was asking someone without a skin condition.  It’s obvious that if the body isn’t getting enough water things are going to dry out.  And being the part of us that is most exposed to the elements the skin is going to suffer as not only is it being constantly attacked from the outside, it’s not getting what it needs from the inside.  With plenty of water, the body is able to flush away toxins and regenerate itself much more effectively.

Eat sensibly - with any health condition, along with treatment, one of the first things we should consider is our diet.  As the famous saying goes "we are what we eat", our diet is reflected in the state of our health and appearance.  Eating antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, healthy fats from oily fish and nuts, and a varied and balanced diet should give optimal levels of the nutrients that are crucial for healthy skin, including beta carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium.

Keep an eye all over – Make sure you keep a check of any changes in texture, colour, appearance of skin and moles and always see a healthcare professional if the condition doesn’t clear up or you are worried.

Take Care x