Skincare habits
The five habits of skincare-savvy women
Good-looking skin isn’t only down to good genes and diligent sun protection. Good habits also play their part. Here are five to keep in mind. BE GOOD AT ROUTINE. Most skincare products take two weeks to a month to show results. If you have an established am/pm routine, identifying the effects of adding new product will be much easier. USE COMPLEMENTARY INGREDIENTS. Medicine has a term for the unwanted duplication of drugs – polypharmacy. Beauty also has a term for product overload: sensitisation. If you’re mixing too many active ingredients on your skin the results won’t be pretty. Redness, flaking, soreness, puffiness, dryness and acne are all signs of inflammation or damage. Combining AHAs with retinol or vitamin C, for example, is asking for trouble. If you are unsure, check online before buying. KEEP HYDRATED. Dry skin looks older. Locking in moisture with a cream containing a proven ingredient like hyaluronic acid is a sensible insurance policy against looking prematurely aged. Kate Somerville’s Wrinkle Warrior ($150, at Mecca) plumps up parched skin, leaving it firm and smooth. BE SMART. Ingredients like green tea, vitamins C and E and ferulic acid are the multi-taskers of the antioxidant world, working synergistically with other ingredients to enhance a product’s stability and boost its efficacy. KEEP ACTIVE. Active products are invariably better products. Choosing serums and moisturisers with potent cell-stimulators like niacinamide and peptides (try Snowberry’s Intensive Renewal Face Serum $126) is the surest way to boost the skin’s natural defences and protect it against damage. Tracey Strange