LESS IS MORE
IN THE QUEST FOR PERFECT SKIN, IS YOUR THICK, UNCTUOUS MOISTURISER DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
Ten-step beauty routines are all the rage, but they may be doing more harm than good.
“You have a lovely fat face,” London’s favourite facialist Kate Kerr tells me, pinching my cheeks and analysing my skin under an oh-so unforgiving spotlight. “It’s plump to touch, which indicates it’s full of healthy collagen.” Then she floors me: “But I can tell just by looking at it that your skin is lazy.” This is a fair analysis of my favouring food and box sets over the gym, but my face? I’ve spent years putting in daily groundwork, following strict routines and trying out every miracle moisturiser in the book. So how can my skin be lazy?
Kerr explains that when it comes to skincare, too much of a good thing can actually be quite the opposite. By plying our faces with products that do all the hard work for us, such as thick moisturisers and oils, our skin becomes lax and complacent. What we really need, Kerr says, are products that give our skin the tools it needs to do a better job on its own. Or, rather, to stop handing our skin everything on a plate and give it a kick up the epidermis.
“It has been ingrained in us from a young age to supplement our skin with excess moisturisers,” Kerr says. “We think all skin types need this, but in most cases, the skin is capable of maintaining its own hydration levels. Over-moisturising our skin’s surface sends a signal to its water reservoirs to halt production. When that happens, the skin becomes sluggish and actually lacking in moisture, which makes us reach for even creamier formulas, exacerbating the problem.”
Specialist dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams agrees: “Overloading the skin with too-rich, heavy and occlusive textures [which form a film on the skin] can clog pores and slow down the skin’s vital, natural surface renewal.”
Telltale signs of lazy-skin syndrome include tightness, dryness, dullness, congestion and reactive, breakout-prone skin – all symptomatic of sluggish cell renewal (when old cells linger, preventing shiny new cells from coming forward). You might not even notice at first, but these dead cells create a layer of tiny blockers that stop your skin from reflecting light, meaning they basically steal your glow. On the other hand, skin that’s well-balanced, calm, strong and working hard to keep up healthy cell renewal looks lit from within. If that’s the ultimate endgame, Williams recommends assessing your routine and going back to basics. “Applying too many products with different textures suffocates the skin, so I’m sceptical about the current trend of applying layer upon layer of skincare – sometimes more than 10,” she says. “This will compromise optimal absorption of active ingredients and could put the interaction of products at risk.”
Instead, Williams advises sticking to three layers, especially if you have oily, reactive skin. “And always use the lightest formulations you can get away with without skin feeling dry,” she adds. With this approach, thick, heavy creams are counterintuitive, and oils (which Kerr believes congest skin, upset moisture processes and prevent product penetration) are a no-go. To get the hydration boost your skin needs, look to a product with naturally occurring ingredients such as urea, low-to-medium levels of glycerine and hyaluronic acid (The Ordinary’s HA serums have become global favourites). “These ingredients are already part of our skin’s natural moisturising mechanisms, so they don’t upset its functionality when applied topically,” Kerr says. “Remember that even without a heavy moisturiser, the skin is not bare – if you use active serums that help prevent and correct skin conditions and skin ageing.”
That said, there is one particular skin type that both Kerr and Williams agree definitely benefits from these heavier formulations: true dry skin. The problem is that lots of us think our skin falls into this category, when really it could be those dead skin cells getting comfy. “Only 10 to 15 per cent of people have true genetically dry skin because their skin’s moisturising processes aren’t able to function effectively,” explains Kerr. “They have always had dry skin, have never had
any problems with acne or excessive oil flow and are often prone to eczema and dermatitis. For them, a moisturiser with a perfect ratio of lipids, protein and water, such as Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, is needed.”
Equally, just because you feel your skin is dry and tight, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is; chances are it’s just dehydrated. “This feeling can also be a sign of microinflammation, as we often see in rosaceaprone skin,” says Williams. “In these cases, slathering on rich moisturisers might make the rosacea worse.” For both rosacea and acne-prone skin, it’s imperative to treat the inflammation, rather than simply soothe the sensation with skincare that causes trouble down the line.
But what about those with lucky skin? Or, rather, “normal” skin that doesn’t cause much bother and just gets on with it, no matter what you throw its way? If it still looks a little lacklustre and dull, it’s most likely a result of stifled cell renewal leading to lazy skin behaviour and dehydration. In other words, no skin type gets away scot-free. Give skin the motivation (and aforementioned kick) it needs to get moving optimally with a topical regimen that focuses on cell renewal.
Topical exfoliators such as Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting exfoliant will help get rid of the surface-glow thieves and reveal brighter skin underneath. AHAS (such as glycolic or lactic acid) or polyhydroxy acids/phas (which are larger molecules and gentler on skin) will get things going in the right direction (try Nip+fab Glycolic Fix Gentle Pads).
For moisture, go for a hearty dose of hyaluronic acid and always use a protective antioxidant and daily SPF, or regret it later. If you want to pull out the big guns, try a dermatologygrade facial to get you going. In Sydney, All Saints Skin Clinic offers bespoke treatments that involve a combination of light-to-deep peels and advanced microdermabrasion. Time pressed? Dermalogica’s facials use pro-grade products and tools in treatments that range from 10 to 60 minutes.
While a professional session will speed up the process, be warned: rebooting your skin with an effective skincare routine won’t happen overnight – think of it as a skin marathon, not a sprint. “Expect a notable difference within six weeks – and a big one within 18 weeks, once three skin cycles have taken place,” says Kerr. “During the transition period, you might notice your skin feels tighter, perhaps a little flaky, and products may tingle very slightly. But don’t quit – that means it’s working.”
Ultimately, whether you favour longterm skin balance or an instant selfie complexion, your skin is an incredibly clever organ and it will tell you when it’s not happy. If it’s giving you what you want (within reason – perfect skin is a myth), keep on doing what you’re doing. If it’s easily agitated, congested and duller than you’d like, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing lazy skin and it’s up to you to get it moving and motivated again. Streamlining your skincare regimen and choosing renewing formulations that get your cell turnover into bootcamp mode is the best place to start.
“Overloading the skin with heavy textures clogs pores and slows down the skin’s natural surface renewal”