Spring Skin

Spring is very much upon us. It's been so nice to spend the weekends in the garden and finally start clearing up after the floods and rain. The grey clouds have parted to allow us to see the sky above them, allowing the sun to smile down and warm us a little. It's been a very pleasant week to shake off the shackles of a long cold water.

Spring is a great time to not just clear the window boxes and greenhouses, but also to refresh your skin care rituals. So, whilst you are planning your window cill jungle of fresh salad, take time to consider how your skin has changed since last September and how you can care for it.

In this blog I have a few tips and tricks for you from my skin care product line of choice; Dermalogica. As healthy, hydrated radiant skin is the look that my clients and I strive for, I hope that we can unfurl some ideas for you to create a skin care ritual that helps achieve your skin care goals.


Wash It Away

Every canvas needs to be cleaned and prepped before it can receive treatment (or paint)! That's why I think that 'Spring Skin' needs a special spring clean with a great cleansing routine. It's time to shed those dead, dull skin cells that clog the skin and make it look sallow and reveal the beautiful radiance underneath!

Pre-Cleanse, for me, is the most under-rated product in the Dermalogica brand. If people skip one element of their skin care at home, for some reason they opt to cut out this part - the most important. I have long believed in the double cleanse for the skin, both day and night. Pre-Cleanse is an oil based product that loves water! The Olive and Apricot oils with Kukui Nut binds to oil debris on your skin - like makeup and sweat - and then when you massage it with wet finger tips it lifts all of it off your skin to be washed away when you rinse. Why put up with lingering foundation and lip gloss when you can have breathing, happy skin?!
The second part of the double cleanse is your cleanser. As you have washed away the oil based debris, you can then use your water based cleanser to clean your skin! For fresh skin that glows with health, this offers a great way to get the last bits of sleep off in the morning, garden soil from the day or pollution from the office. Always check with your Dermalogica Skin Care Therapist that you are using the correct cleanser for your skin, as you can always ask for a Speed Face Map when you are with them in the treatment centre.


Slough It Off

Exfoliation is so much more than horrid, gritty, thick, goopy creams that you have to paste on and then feel half your skin scratch off when you get an old face rag to wipe it off! Technology has come a long way and I am so pleased that there are now efoliants that you can use every day, twice a week, that you can gently massage in, leave on or rinse off. Your Face Map will show you which one is best for you, but I think exfoliation should be seriously seen as something that you do twice a week to help your skin regulate and hydrate, allowing your skin to always look glowing with health.
There are two types of exfoliation; mechanical and chemical. Both offer great skin health and shouldn't be shied away from.

Mechanical - This simply means that you are exfoliating your skin with your hands! Skin Prep Scrub for example has corn cob in that expands with water, so when you massage it over damp skin, the corn expands and plumps up; lifting the dead skin away from the face and revealing the skin under the dead cells. It's fantastic if it is recommended for your skin and you can use it up to three times a week.

Chemical - I see many people look white with shock when the word 'Chemical' comes up in conversation, but Alpha and Beta Hydroxies like Papain and Bromalaine simply come from Papaya and Pineapple. You can pop Gentle Cream Exfoliant on cleansed skin and you enjoy 10 minutes of peace as it does it's thing, rinse it off and reveal beautifully textured skin.

Combine the two ways of exfoliating and you have Daily Microfoliant. If I was on a desert island and had to choose one product, this would be mine - I am a true fan! Each morning I use this in the shower to prep my skin so that my moisturisers can sink into my skin with out any barriers and my makeup goes on smoothly. It's great!


Skin Food

Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque is fantastic after the winter blues. I love it for it's rich consistency and the fact that it doesn't dry on the skin, also it is packed full of vitamin goodies. After a few months of wood burners, open fires, central heating, cold mornings, wet weather and basic environmental assault on the skin, this offers super charged relief and repair for the skin.
But if you are feeling a little parched and want something a little more hydrating, Skin Hydrating Masque could be your preference. With bitter orange and cucumber it helps to soothe, hydrate and calm the skin, which is perfect after dog walking in all the environmental elements.

Finishing Touches

Don't forget to finish off your Spring Skin with hydrating protection. Make sure that you are using a moisturiser that suits your skin's needs. If you want Super Rich Repair, you'll be using a wonderful rich cream that helps with parched skin after the winter assaults. But if you want a medium weight cream, Skin Smoothing Cream is always a wonderful, easy choice that can be used day and night with great hydrating properties from Aloe and Silk Amino Acids help improve the skin's texture.

Treat Your Skin 

The world outside our windows is changing, so why would we expect out skin to stay the same as the seasons role by? We plant different seeds and nurture our plants at different times of the year, so we should do the same for our body. We react just as much to the climate as any other living thing on the planet, so make looking after your body and your skin a priority.

Dermalogica Skin Care Treatments are second to non. We have access to use the Professional Range, which can boost your skin's health and we can keep track of how you're doing with your home care routines as the seasons change. I think it is vital to keep your skin healthy and happy during the seasonal changes as it can put a real stress on your largest organ.

I look forward to seeing you in the treatment room for your next skin care treatment and catching up with all your skin concerns and offering you some easy ways to take care of your skin at home between treatments.

Enjoy the seasonal shifts and embrace the changes!