Is Beauty Sleep Really a Thing?

Good sleeping habits are essential to maintain skin health. Our skin is a renewing organ so it needs the time and rest for this to be done effectively. Lots of cellular functions happen at night and it’s a time when our skin repairs the damage that has occurred throughout the day. Lack of sleep will cause the skin to become sluggish, increase in inflammation and a decrease in collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production eventually resulting in lines appearing and a loss of tone and volume.

It's important to maintain a good, consistent sleep pattern of around 8 hours per night, this will benefit overall health and in turn your skin too. Avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed as these can interrupt sleep patterns.

Always remove your makeup before bed and change your pillowcase regularly, this reduces the chances of bacteria or blocked pores causing congestion. A silk pillow case can really benefit the skin reducing the friction and pressure reducing the risk of lines appearing. Side sleeping can also lead to lines and wrinkles forming so where possible sleep on your back.

Avoid having the heating or air conditioning on too high as this can cause a dry atmosphere reducing hydration levels within the skin, sleeping with a humidifier in the bedroom is great for ensuring you wake up with hydrated, plump skin.

Ready to take the next step towards healthier, radiant skin? Schedule your personalised consultation today and let's embark on your journey to skin confidence together. Don't wait any longer to love the skin you are in - contact us today!

Three Of The Very Best Simple Tips To Prevent Premature Ageing

How do we prevent premature ageing?

Over the last decade, due to the many advertisements from brands pushing solutions to prevent premature ageing, it has become common knowledge of the importance of keeping one’s skin healthy. Each person must regularly engage in appropriate acts of hygiene necessary to keep the skin in a healthy condition. But on the other hand, we frequently find ourselves in the difficult position of either lacking the time required to carry out these activities or simply unaware of what those activities are. Brands are great at selling their products with celebrity backing or inspiring offers but skip over how maintaining good skin hygiene fits into our challenging daily life. Here are three of the best simple tips you can do to keep your skin in tip-top condition and prevent the dreaded premature ageing associated with it around your normal daily activities.

Get your cleanser right

This is the most important step in your skincare routine and the one that should be done first to prevent premature ageing. But know, if after using your cleanser, your skin feels tight and squeaky clean, it’s time to switch to a different product. A good cleanser should not only clean the skin but should also nourish it and keep it hydrated simultaneously. Cleansers containing glycerin are renowned for their ability to hydrate the skin even as they effectively remove dirt and makeup simultaneously. You can use them as a daily cleanser or as part of a routine in the evening before going to bed. Finding a cleanser that is formulated specifically for your skin can help you achieve the best possible results. Your pores will be kept clean, and you won’t experience any breakouts on your skin as a result. Do not over-exfoliate

Do not over-exfoliate

The number of times a person’s skin needs to be exfoliated varies from person to person, but as the general rule, I recommend exfoliating no more than three to four times per week at the most. Every day is an excessive amount. Not too long ago, exfoliation started to become popular, and now many different brands are focusing on it as a method to improve skin health and increase cellular turnover. However, many of these brands are now walking back their previous statements and attempting to make amends for the harm their last advice caused. People frequently over-exfoliate their skin, which is one of the most common mistakes people make. Most of the time, we have the misconception that more is always better; however, this is not always the case. When you exfoliate, dead skin cells are removed, which can also help you get rid of blackheads and clogged pores; however, if you exfoliate too vigorously, you will end up with dry patches and increased sensitivity.

Sunscreen 365 days of the year!

The sun is the most significant contributor to the premature ageing of the skin. It is essential to use sunscreen daily and apply it before going outside to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. The sun is a natural source of vitamin D, which helps build strong bones, but too much sun can damage your skin and cause wrinkles and other skin issues. Therefore, taking care of your skin is crucial even when you are not exposed to the sun. We don’t think that we need to go into much detail here because we’ve confident you know our stance and its reasons. However, the use of sunscreen is the most effective and economical method of delaying the ageing process. Always wear sun protection, 365 days a year. A straightforward expression that might not seem like much, but it is essential to the health of your skin. Applying sunscreen consistently throughout the day is the most critical thing you can do to keep your skin in pristine condition and ward off the dreaded signs of premature ageing.

Conclusion to prevent premature ageing

In conclusion, the health of your skin ought to be your primary concern when it comes to personal hygiene. It is the only thing that will endure, and many things can be done to delay the onset of premature ageing and ensure that it remains in pristine condition. By putting just a few of these suggestions into practice, you can ensure that your skin will always be in the best possible condition and will also remain fresh and young. Care for your skin is in your best interest, as this will bring out your most beautiful qualities. Thank you for reading, and as ever I or anyone at the clinic is here for any advice, just reply with any questions.

The Barrier Function- Our Very Own Coat of Armour

My focus this month is on skin health and keeping the skin youthful. I wouldn’t be the professional that I am if I don’t start this off with the Natural Barrier Function. Yes, I hear you…” here she goes again” but there’s a very good reason I talk non-stop about this incredible function of the skin.

So let me start by asking you, why when you jump into a swimming pool does your body not flood with water???

Well, that would be because of the amazing ability of our skin to protect our entire body, our vital organs, bones, muscles, everything inside! Waterproofing is just one of the many, many functions our skin is designed to do. Pretty impressive for something that is just 0.5-1.5mm thick!!

And what makes the skin have this protective ability is the barrier function.

The barrier function is made up of 3 main elements:

The lipid bilayer

The corneocyte cells in the top layer of the epidermis (stratum corneum) are flattened and hardened to give them a protective ability. Between these cells we have the epidermal lipids, if you imagine a brick wall, the cells are the bricks and the lipids are the cement. These cells also have a water-retaining mechanism called the Natural Moisturising Factor compromising of humectants enabling the cells to hold large amounts of water.

This combination of essential oil and water elements creates a complete barrier to prevent anything from getting in and also water loss from within the skin. All cellular and enzyme activity that takes place in the skin does so in solution with water so keeping the water content high is vital to skin health.

The Acid Mantle

The acid mantle is an invisible film that covers the surface of the skin. It creates the PH level, a healthy skin’s PH level is more towards the acidic end of the PH scale, normally sitting between 4.7-5.5. This acidic environment works to repel and inhibit any pathogenic bacteria or micro-organisms that may try and get into the skin. It also provides the ecosystem for the resident natural bacteria that lives on the skin.

Microbiome

Just like the gut, we have living active cultures on the surface of the skin (good bacteria) that fight off any bad bacteria, viruses or pathogens that may try to attack or invade our skin. As mentioned above this bacteria feeds off our sebaceous secretions.

As you can see there is a lot that goes into building and fortifying both the physical resistance and chemical shield. So you can imagine if one element goes out of kilter it can have a knock-on effect, not just to the other elements of the barrier but to the deeper layers of the skin that the barrier is designed to protect.

The formation of these components of the barrier function starts from within the lower layers of the skin. So the quality of the barrier ultimately relies on the quality of the cells, and the cells rely on what they receive nutritionally and topically to be at the top of their game.

In my next blog, I will be discussing what can happen when the barrier is compromised and the ways in which we can keep it from becoming impaired.

If you do feel you have issues with your barrier function or any other aspect of your skin please get in touch, you can contact me by email here or book an appointment with me here. During lockdown, I am offering online consultations free of charge.