Skin is the largest organ in your body. It has the ability to heal itself, sheds on average around 40,000 cells every minute and even equates to around 15% of your body weight. It’s safe to say there’s more to skin than meets the eye, but did you know your skin can also tell you a lot about your health?
Your skin is the gateway to what’s going on inside your body. After all, it’s the vessel it’s living in! So, next time you look in the mirror, pay close attention to your skin – it could be trying to tell you something…
Non-Age-Related Fine Lines
I’m 25 and was astonished to find more fine lines than ever on my forehead this month. Was I getting wrinkles already? After a little digging, I soon realised it wasn’t really anything to do with ageing, my skin was dehydrated.
Tell Tale Signs of Dehydration
Fine lines on the forehead are only the tip of the iceberg for signs of dehydration, crape paper lines near the eye are also common as well as dark circles and sallow skin.
The Shopping List:
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum
The key ingredient to restoring your skin’s hydration is hyaluronic acid and luckily, the Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum has plenty of it! A thirst-quenching blend of two types of hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5 and madecassoside all work to plump, repair the skin’s barrier and activate skin cell renewal.
NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate
If the fine lines and dark circles around your eyes are weighing on your mind look no further than the Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate from NIOD. Created from 28 clinical technologies, including fluid retention and uneven pigmentation technologies, it really is high-tech and is one of the best-selling eye treatments on Escentual.com.
Redness and Itching
If you’re experiencing unexplained blotchy, uncomfortable or flaky skin you could be suffering from an allergic reaction. This could be due to a specific ingredient, using the wrong product for your skin type or you could just have reactive or overly sensitive skin.
Tips for Treating A Skin Reaction
Find the culprit: If your skin randomly flares up it’s important to find the cause (the best way to do this is by performing a patch test. You do this by swatching a little on a small area of skin). If the cause is a product or ingredient you should axe it from your routine.
Don’t scratch: Yes, it may provide you with relief, but only in the short term. In the long term, it’ll make the reaction worse and could even lead to an infection.
Make moisturising a habit: Moisturisers will not only help with itchiness and flaking, but some moisturisers help to rebuild the skin’s protective barrier and protect it from allergens.
Avoid hard water: Hard water is high in calcium, which can settle on the skin and cause it to become red and dry. So, it goes without saying if your skin is already in a fragile state it’s best to avoid hard water where possible.
The Shopping List:
Can’t resist the urge to scratch? You need this. Designed with anti-itch technology, the Atoderm SOS Spray will help to keep your skin calm and comfortable as well as hydrated for 6 hours, thanks to its moisturising milky formula.
Avène Tolérance Extrême Emulsion
Created from only 7 ingredients, Avene’s Tolerance Extreme Emulsion is the perfect go-to when you’re having a skincare timeout. Made with reactive skin in mind, the ultra-gentle moisturiser has anti-irritating and hydrating benefits, which help to get skin back on track.
Dullness
One of the most common skin concerns I hear is: ‘my complexion looks dull’. And many believe that dullness is just the card they’ve been dealt, but truth be told there’s a number of reasons as to why your skin may look a little lifeless.
3 Reasons Why Your Skin Looks Dull
Lack of oxygen: Anything that affects your skin’s oxygen supply will affect your skin glow. This could be pollution, poor blood circulation as well as smoking.
Poor diet: Junk food can have a huge effect on your skin. Not only is it low in essential vitamins and minerals but it can cause damage to collagen and elastin, which is what makes your skin look healthy and youthful.
You’re not exfoliating: Our skin sheds naturally, however, as we age this process slows down so it’s important to give our complexions a helping hand to avoid dead skin cells sitting on the skin’s surface.
The Shopping List:
Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector
Vitamin C is the ingredient to choose if you’re looking to restore radiance, and the LiftActiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector is one of the best on offer. Designed to work in just 10 days, the treatment contains pure vitamin C at 15%, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, which combat oxidative stress, dullness and improve overall skin health.
Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner
A good exfoliator is a necessity in everyone’s routine, but it’s especially important if you’re a little older. One of the favourites among Escentual customers is this fruit acid infused formula from Clarins. It’s a mess and fuss-free alternative to a gritty, physical exfoliator (just apply to a cotton pad and sweep over the skin) and uses fruit and white nettle extracts to remove dead skin cells and tighten pores.
Ultrasun Brightening, Anti Spot and Anti-Pollution Face Fluid SPF50+
Pollution and UV rays can have a huge effect on the appearance of your complexion and can be dangerous for your health, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. This high-tech SPF50+ formula from Ultrasun prevents the dullness caused by smog and environmental factors, while innovative brightening technologies revive the skin’s radiance. And it has a beautiful, refreshing texture that makes the ideal makeup base!
