Tip-top skin from HEAD-TO-TOE

Skin nerd Jennifer Rock gives advice on how to best look after your ALL your skin this summer

THE skin is your body’s largest organ, and despite the fact it covers the whole body, most of our attention goes on the skin we have on our face. For a truly holistic approach to skincare, you need to consider every inch of your skin. Here, Jennifer Rock, aka the Skin Nerd, and founder of the Skingredients brand, discusses the various skin concerns and needs from head to toe.

SCALP

IT’S an area of the body that is often overlooked in terms of our skincare regime, but it is an area that’s prone to flaking and itching.

So Jennifer says it’s worth considering the products you use in this delicate area can help to prevent UV damage, scalp build-up, hair breakage and dull hair.

‘The scalp is made up of skin and is comprised of the same layers as the rest of our skin: a protective stratum corneum, all the other four layers of the epidermis, and the underlying dermis and hypodermis,’ she says.

‘It also produces sebum and it sheds skin cells. Our scalp is alive (unlike each hair) and what we apply topically and feed ourselves influences the health of our scalp.

‘Prebiotic and probiotic skincare has been in the spotlight for its abilities to assist in bringing hydration and balance to our skin’s microbiome. They are especially beneficial for those with flaky, itchy, red or reactive skin and the same can be said when it comes to scalp care.

‘Gallinée’s Scalp and Hair Serum (€26, gallinee.com) is an prebiotic serum spray, containing alphaglucan oligosaccharides to feed probiotic bacteria and lactic acid, an AHA to balance the skin’s pH and act as a “postbiotic.” Spritz on to towel-dried hair, focusing on the scalp for the best results,’ she says.

Gentle exfoliation is key for boosting cell renewal, says Jennifer, and this extends to the scalp too.

‘I am a fan of mixing a pump of Skingredients Sally Cleanse (€25, skingredients.com) with my regular shampoo to remove build up. This also helps to combat the damaging effects of pollution on the scalp,’ she adds.

‘Research has shown a connection between airborne pollution and dullness in the hair, which can also lead to hair loss, so it is important to keep your scalp clear of pollutant particles.

‘Klorane’s Anti-Pollution Detox Shampoo is ideal for this. With botanical aquatic mint, it has been proven to remove 97% of pollutant particles.

We are all aware that UV rays can affect our skin by contributing to accelerated ageing and the development of skin cancer, but the effects on our hair have not been as well researched.

‘In a 2019 study, it appeared that UV altered the processes of the hair, decreasing cell proliferation (where new cells are made and old cells are shed off) and caused changes to growth factor expression. Protect your scalp by applying sunscreen such as Boots

Soltan Clear & Cool Head & Scalp Spray SPF30 every two hours during the day every day,’ Jennifer advises.

FACE

ACCORDING to Jennifer, there are three most essential things we need to do for our skin every day: O A thorough cleanse, every morning and night O Wear SPF every single day. UVA rays reach us year-round and get deeper than UVB. O Drink water and eat fatty acids – these support skin from within for hydration.

‘A good skincare routine should involve a three-pronged 360 approach: inside (diet, supplements, mindset), outside (skincare) and on top (SPF / mineral makeup),’ she says. ‘I recommend a daily regime built around a nourishing cleanser, a serum for a concentrated dose of hydration and an SPF to protect against damaging UV rays. It’s essential that you use half a teaspoon of SPF on your face, neck and ears, plus half a teaspoon per arm, one teaspoon per leg and one teaspoon for your front and back, as advised by the Irish Cancer Society.’

Anything extra then should be tailored to your specific skin type.

‘This could include a treatment cleanser to be used every two to three nights or a barrier-strengthening cream to be used for additional moisture as and when needed,’ Jennifer says.

‘I don’t believe that you always need an eye cream if you can reap the benefits of hydrating, proageing serums by using them around your peepers. Serums typically have a higher concentration of active ingredients compared to your classic eye creams which tend to focus on nourishing your skin, rather than targeting any concerns.’

Look out for products that contain hyaluronic acid to flood dry or dehydrated skin with moisture, peptides to stimulate collagen production and plump fine lines, vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid to brighten and caffeine to address dark circles. For added skin protection, incorporate vitamin C into your morning regime.

Not only will this brightening hero address pigmentation, but its antioxidant properties will limit the damage caused by free radicals that are triggered by environmental aggressors.

‘Vitamin A is a terrific addition to a night-time regimen. This antiageing ingredient is rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is clinically proven to help address multiple skin issues including acne, fine lines, oiliness, and hyperpigmentation,’ Jennifer says.

NECK AND DÉCOLLETAGE

‘ONE of my key phrases is ‘nipples up’ which highlights the importance of caring for the neck and décolletage as we do the face,’ says Jennifer.

The face, neck and décolletage are thinner areas of skin than the rest of the body and more likely to be regularly exposed to the sun and therefore this delicate area requires a gentle but attentive approach. This means that these areas also require regular cleansing, moisturising and protection with SPF.

‘Many products are designed to be safe for use in these areas too — do check the manufacturers’ guidelines before use,’ she advises.

LEGS, BUMS AND TUMS

START the day with a gentle, dry body brush before you turn the shower on. Brushing towards the heart helps to boost the lymphatic system. When it comes to getting in the water, opt for showers with tepid water over super-hot

showers if you suffer from dry or sensitive skin, Jennifer advises.

‘Hot water can wash away the fats and oils that keep our skin feeling comfortable, thus contributing to dehydration, irritation and damage to our skin’s protective barrier,’ she explains.

‘Also take caution with heavily scented body washes. Not all fragranced body washes damage your skin, but to be on the safe side you should look for one that is pH neutral and doesn’t contain particularly skin-stripping ingredients, like high amounts of sulphates.’

When it comes to moisturising, there are lots of beneficial formulas for those out there looking for a good all-rounder and not looking to tackle any lumps, bumps or spots across the body

‘Urea is a great ingredient that makes up our skin’s natural moisturising factor and is found in loads of body moisturisers,’ Jennifer says. ‘Ceramides are another skin-native and are a fat that helps to lock moisture in the skin. If you want smoother, glowing limbs look to body creams that contain exfoliating acids such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid) as they gently buff away dead skin cells without irritating the skin.’

TROUBLE SHOOTING

IF YOU get spots across the body, you are not alone. ‘Many of us get bacne, bumne and spots on the chest,’ says Jennifer. ‘Body masks can be a great way to serve your skin a dose of active ingredients. I would advise that you combine these treatments with active body cleansers and moisturisers for a complete body care regime.’

Salicylic acid is a hero active ingredient for combating body acne. The oil-soluble betahydroxy acid is capable of penetrating deep within pores to dissolve the sebum and dead skin cells that form breakouts.

‘Once or twice a week, massage your salicylic acid cleanser into the areas you see spots or blackheads, and allow it to sit for about 60 seconds to two minutes before rinsing off thoroughly and you are done,’ Jennifer says.

‘This is a great tip for keratosis pilaris too, AKA chicken skin or the small red bumps that can occur anywhere but are frequently seen on arms or thighs.’

A word of warning though from Jennifer — don’t do this within 24 hours of waxing or shaving as your skin may be too sensitive.

‘If you suffer from keratosis pilaris you could also use a mask that contains vitamin A,’ says Jennifer. ‘Keratosis pilaris occurs when hair follicles get clogged with a build-up of keratin, a structural protein that’s found in our hair, skin and nails. This creates a “keratin plug” which blocks the opening of the hair follicle, which looks like a hardened lump on the skin.’

Vitamin A encourages the skin to regulate itself by speeding up Skin experts: Jennifer Rock, ceo, Niamh Sweeney, head of education and Gabriela Duffy Morales, cosmetic scientist at the Skin Nerd cell proliferation and exfoliating the top layer of skin, which can help to give a smoother result.

‘If you have sunspots or would like to lessen the appearance of any scarring on your body, you also need to include vitamin A in your body care regime.

‘Try Environ’s A, C & E Body Oil (€50) which includes retinyl acetate, a fatty form of vitamin A that has less potential to cause irritation than retinol whilst retaining the benefits of vitamin A — in this case by helping to address discoloration by boosting cell turnover.’

PROTECT

PROLONGED UV exposure can degrade collagen and elastin, which are two structural proteins responsible for giving the skin its ability to ‘snap’ back into place.

Take action with the consistent application of SPF, says Jennifer. ‘It’s the best way to prevent your face and body from losing elasticity. Pro-ageing skincare ingredients such as vitamin A can have a tightening effect on mild skin laxity, but professional skin treatments such as micro-needling might give better results when treating moderate skin sagging,’ she adds.

HANDS

‘APPLY SPF on your hands daily and more than once a day, especially in times of increased hand washing! Keep an SPF sink-side so once you have dried your hands, it will remind you to reapply,’ Jennifer says.

Along with accumulating UV damage, as we age, we simultaneously lose fat from some areas, the hands being one that this fat loss is particularly visible on.

‘Except for having fat injected from other parts of the body, we cannot replace this fat. Instead, your skincare focus should be to work to improve skin density and moisture retention.

‘For an anti-ageing boost try mixing a pump of a vitamin A serum like Skingredients Skin Protein (€42, skingredients.com) in with your hand cream, as vitamin A can help to repair the skin and can help to stimulate collagen to improve skin density.

‘Moisturising more often is also great — Perricone MD’s Cold Plasma Plus+ Hand Therapy includes shea butter for deep moisturisation and visible reduction of age spots and wrinkles and an amino acid called glycine improves moisture retention to make skin appear younger. Intense hydration of this level and type will help to blur the appearance of crêpey skin.’

FEET

IT’S PEAK summertime, which means our feet are stepping out more often — and possibly require some dedication to be sandal ready.

‘Exfoliate with acids rather than a pumice stone to remove the dead skin build-up and keep your feet super smooth,’ says Jennifer.

‘For added pampering and to get feet touchably soft, smother feet in a rich body cream like Pestle & Mortar Nimbu Body Butter (€36, theskinnerd.com), pop on a pair of socks and let your skin soak up the nourishing blend of shea butter, avocado oil and turmeric overnight.’

For more skin advice and products, see skinnerd.com