Preventative Skincare
Growing up I always heard the phrase, "prevention is better than cure". My father is a medical doctor, and he probably said this at least once a day. My brain was naturally programmed to prevent things before they actually happened. Coupled with the fact that I was raised around extremely glamorous women who spent a fortune on skincare and looking after themselves, it was only logical that I combine the two perspectives.
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to skincare. From the very beginning my approach to skincare has been preventative. Take care of yourself now, look good later. There's no sense in waiting until your skin has problems, before you start taking care of it.
First and foremost, I've always used sunscreen. I really started using sunscreen in the late 1990's - early 2000's. I can't remember the actual date, but it's been part of my skincare regimen for over two decades. I remember seeing an article in Elle Magazine about the damage UV rays can cause to skin. I was absolutely horrified to see what people's skin actually looked like using UV photography. I was amazed by all the hidden sun damage that the UV photos revealed.
When I was in my late teens - early twenties, I had a pretty basic skincare routine that consisted of about six products that I used on a consistent basis: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, mask, scrub and eye cream. From time to time I would additional products to combat acne or hyper pigmentation if needed.
Once I got to my late twenties, I implemented a really good moisturizer that I used both night and day. As I reached my thirties, I started investing in night creams for more hydration. By the time I reached my late thirties, I added serum for an extra boost of hydration. Keeping the skin well hydrated is essential if you want it to remain supple and avoid fine lines prematurely.
By the time I reached forty one, I had officially graduated to the world of retinoids. As we age, cellular turnover decreases. Retinoids help to give the skin a boost by increasing cellular turnover. I use a retinoid based serum at least three nights a week.
Now at the ripe age of forty six, people always me, "what are you using?" I've had a pretty consistent skincare regimen throughout the years. I've always had a natural approach to skincare, avoided doing too much, but carefully observing how my skin changed over time.
The human body changes every decade or so, as well as your skin. The skin you have in your teens is not the same as the skin you have in your twenties, nor the same as the skin in your thirties or forties. This is why it's important to adjust our skincare regimen every so often to keep abreast of these changes, because the products that worked for us in our twenties will not work for us when we reach our forties.
Genetics play a huge part in aging gracefully. It's also important to keep in mind that all DNA was not created equal. There are people out there who have "super genes", and age incredibly slowly. That said, you cannot rely on DNA alone. There are three other factors to keep in mind: diet, lifestyle, and melanin.
Diet is important for your overall health, not just anti-aging. As the saying goes, "you are what you eat". Avoiding consuming certain foods that age you can help to keep you looking younger for longer. Your lifestyle choices play a big part as well. Choosing a healthy lifestyle over destructive habits will help you retain that youthful glow that people often lose over the years. And lastly, melanin plays a huge role in the aging process. People with darker skin tones tend to age slower. Having more melanin can help delay the signs of aging. Melanin can provide some protection against wrinkles and skin cancer. But that doesn't mean people with heavily pigmented skin do not age quickly or get skin cancer either.
It's always a good idea to keep these four factors in mind when creating a skincare regimen. By sticking to a consistent skincare routine right from the start that is suited to your skin type, a healthy lifestyle, and clean diet, you'll be able to have youthful looking skin for longer.
I am a firm believer in preserving what you have. It's worth it to invest in your skin, because prevention is better than cure.
Discover the best anti-aging products for your skin type:
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very fair
Skin tone: pale to very fair; produces almost no melanin.
Fitzpatrick Scale: Type I This skin type ages prematurely. Early onset of fine lines and wrinkles. Skin is typically thinner. Prone to age spots and freckles. Always burns, never tans. High risk of skin cancer 
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum
La Roche-Posay Redermic Eyes
fair
Skin Tone: fair skin; produces almost no melanin.
Fitzpatrick Scale: Type II This skin type ages prematurely. Skin is typically thinner. Early onset of fine lines and wrinkles. Burns easily, rarely tans. High risk of skin cancer. 
Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50
Filorga NCEF-Intensive Serum
Dr. Dennis Gross Triple Correction Serum
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Medium
Skin tone: fair to beige, with golden undertones.
Fitzpatrick Scale: Type III This skin type ages prematurely. Moderate risk of skin cancer. Small risk of sunburn. Tans after initial burn. Risk of hyper/hypo pigmentation. 
Clinique Pep-Start Daily UV Protector
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol cream
Glow Recipe Avocado Eye Mask
medium Dark
Skin tone: olive to light brown
Fitzpatrick Scale: Type IV Less risk of skin cancer. Rarely freckles. Almost never burns. Always tans. Produces more sebum and collagen than paler skin tones. Late onset of fine lines and wrinkles. High risk of hypo/hyper pigmentation. Scars easily. 
La Roche-Posay Tinted Mineral Sunscreen
La Roche Posay Retinol B3 Serum
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
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Brown
Skin tone: brown to dark brown
Fitzpatrick Scale: Type V Low risk of skin cancer. Rarely freckles. Almost never burns. Always tans. Low risk of photoaging and sun damage. Minimal fine line wrinkling. Late onset of fine lines and wrinkles. High risk of hypo/ hyper pigmentation. High risk of scarring. 
Cerave Sunscreen SPF 30 Sheer Tint
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil
Hyper Skin Brightening Vitamin C Serum
Dark Brown
Skin tone: deeply pigmented brown to darkest brown
Fitzpatrick Scale: Type VI Low risk of skin caner. Always tans, but never burns. Low risk of photoaging and sun damage. Skin is typically thicker. Minimal fine line wrinkling. Late onset of fine lines and wrinkles. High risk of hypo/hyper pigmentation. High risk of scarring. 
Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Booster
Dermalogica Power Bright Dark Spot Serum
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The skincare products suggested for each skin tone is based off of the Fitzpatrick Scale.
How To Optimise Your Skin Without Injectables
Let’s face it, we all want to look young forever. Retaining our youth has become something like a badge of honour in modern society. The cosmetics industry is constantly concocting new products, innovations and technology to slow down the aging process. But is there really a fountain of youth?
Unfortunately, we cannot stay young forever. But we can optimise our skin. Aging gracefully is a delicate art, that doesn’t really cost anything. The key is understanding that beauty comes from the inside out.
Unfortunately, we cannot stay young forever. But we can optimise our skin. Aging gracefully is a delicate art, that doesn’t really cost anything. The key is understanding that beauty comes from the inside out.
Sleep Your Way To Healthier, Younger Looking Skin
It's very important to get adequate sleep. Getting your beauty sleep is essential for skin optimization, and here’s why:
- Collagen Production: The skin produces collagen while you sleep. Collagen helps plump the skin, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Research has proven that getting 5 hours of sleep can lead to twice the amount of fine lines as 7 hours would.
- Glowing Skin: Your body increases the blood flow to the skin while you sleep, giving you a fresh and healthy glow. Sleep deprivation decreases the the blood flow to the skin. Lack of adequate sleep will leave you with a dull, and lifeless complexion.
- Lessens Dark Circles And Puffiness: Lack of sleep can create dark circles and puffiness in the eye area. It’s important to get enough sleep to reduce the amount of puffiness and darkness around the eye contour.
- Products Work Better: During the night blood flow increases to the skin, and the skin works to repair itself from damage caused by UV rays and environmental aggressors. Your skin actually benefits from the products used in your nighttime routine to help heal itself.
Practical Knowledge For Good Sleeping Habits
The position which you sleep in is very important. Be mindful of sleeping on your face or on your side, as you can get sleep wrinkles. To avoid positional wrinkles, try to train yourself to sleep on your back.
The average person spends approximately 33% percent of their life sleeping, which is potentially etching deep facial furrows into your tissue and lines into your face. This can be avoided with a simple change in behaviour patterns.
The position which you sleep in is very important. Be mindful of sleeping on your face or on your side, as you can get sleep wrinkles. To avoid positional wrinkles, try to train yourself to sleep on your back.
The average person spends approximately 33% percent of their life sleeping, which is potentially etching deep facial furrows into your tissue and lines into your face. This can be avoided with a simple change in behaviour patterns.
Staying Hydrated: The Benefits Of Drinking Water
Drinking water is very good for the skin (indirectly). When we drink water it doesn’t go directly to our skin. When consumed, water hydrates cells by being absorbed into the bloodstream. This keeps our bodies hydrated on a cellular level, and also flushes out toxins from the bloodstream.
The skin loses more water when you sleep than during the day. Drinking lots of water during day, and applying a rich moisturiser at night will help your skin stay hydrated overnight. Transepidermal water loss can contribute to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As we age, the water content in the skin is depleted, causing the skin to sag and lose elasticity. Therefore, it’s important to stay properly hydrated.
Proper Nutrition: Eating Your Way To Healthy Skin
As the old saying goes, “you are what you eat”. Nutrition plays an extremely important role in skin health. If you want to optimise your skin, pay close attention to your diet and the types of foods which you consume.
Beauty begins from the inside. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in anti-oxidants, along with healthy fats and protein.
Supplements For Healthy Glowing Skin
Supplements are an excellent way to obtain healthy glowing skin. Micronutrients are important for maintaining skin health. For example, vitamin C helps protect the skin against UV damage, free radicals, boosts collagen production, and assists in wound healing.
Implementing supplements to your diet will help to protect your skin, and slow down the formation of wrinkles. You can also eat foods rich in micronutrients by changing your dietary habits.
Sun Exposure And Skin Damage
The sun emits UV rays that can damage our skin if not properly protected. Wearing sunscreen protects the skin against harmful UV rays. But minimising your sun exposure can be beneficial as well.
Exposing your skin to the sun during the midday hours (from 10am-2pm) puts your epithelial cells at risk for exposure to UV radiation. This causes cellular damage at the DNA level. Minimise your sun exposure if you want to avoid skin cancer, melasma, hyperpigmentation, brown spots, freckling, and premature wrinkles.
Lifestyle Habits And Skin Health
We all have vices in life, but many of them are not good for our health (especially vanity wise). Bad habits can wreck our skin, and cause premature aging.
3 Things To Avoid For Healthy Skin
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking, vaping etc.
- Recreational drug use
These things must be avoided if you want to have healthy glowing skin. Keep in mind that these things speed up the aging process and aren’t good for fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet or glabellar furrows.
The Importance Of Managing Stress For Your Skin
We live in an extremely stressful world. Sometimes it can be hard to manage the stress in our everyday lives, plus dealing with stress added from the outside world. Anxiety and stress can wreak havoc on our skin. Studies show that chronic stress can have negative effects on our skin health.
Psychological stress can disrupt the epidermal barrier, and prolong its repair. When we enter a state of distress, the brain secretes hormones that induce the release of cortisol from our adrenal glands. Cortisol is a stress hormone, which when activated results in various changes to our skin.
- Increased inflammation
- Increase in sebum production
- Impaired wound healing and resistance to infection
- Break down of collagen and elastin
High amounts of cortisol can cause wrinkles. Chronic stress causes inflammation, breaks down collagen and elastin, which causes the skin to age and accelerate the formation of wrinkles. High levels of cortisol can also aggravate skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and acne.
Decreasing stress levels will help to improve your skin. It's important to be mindful of your thoughts, and what triggers you. Stay away from anything that gives you undue stress. Implementing techniques like deep breathing, tapping, yoga, and meditation will help to decrease stress levels.
Anti-Aging Skincare For Younger Looking Skin
Here are some products that help optimise skin health and fight against premature aging. These are suggestions of general ingredient classes that can be helpful to all people regardless if skin type or skin concerns. Overall this types of products can be helpful to almost all skin types and general concerns.
Morning Skincare Routine
Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Hyauluronic Acid helps with hydration and improves skin turgor.
VICHY LABORATOIRES MINÉRAL89
Peptide Based Eye Cream
Adding a peptide eye cream to your morning routine will improve the skin barrier, build collagen, and improve skin elasticity.
ELEMIS PEPTIDE4 EYE RECOVERY CREAM
Neck Cream
Neck creams are a great addition to any anti-aging skincare routine. Using a neck cream will improve the texture and quality of the delicate tissue in the neck.
REVISION NECTIFIRM
Sunscreen
The use of sunscreen on a daily basis will take your skincare routine up a notch. The damage caused by UV rays cannot be seen immediately. It’s after years of sun exposure, that we see the damaging effects that UV radiation has let behind. Implementing a a zinc or titanium based SPF to your routine will boost skin protection.
ELTA MD UV SPORT SPF 50
Evening Skincare Routine
Vitamin B, C, E and Ferulic Acid Serum
These antioxidants can improve hyperpigmentation, and reduce fine lines.
BIOBARE VITAMIN CBE & FERULIC SERUM
Retinoid Based Serum
Using a retinol based or Bakuchiol serum will help to smooth fine lines, reduce pore size and decrease blemishes on the skin.
PETER THOMAS ROTH RETINOL FUSION PM
Night Cream
Never underestimate the power of a good night cream. Invest in a cream that is rich and hydrating to help hydrate the tissues while you sleep.
CLARINS EXTRA-FIRMING NUIT
