Prevention Australia – June – July 2017

JUNE/JULY 2017 PREVENTION 93

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES.

It is best to avoid harsh surfactants (chemicals

that help a formula foam and cleanse), especially

sodium lauryl sulfate, advises dermatologist

Jessie Cheung. If your cleanser contains a gentle

acid, or if you use a washcloth, that may be all the

exfoliation you need on a daily basis.

If you want to use a facial scrub, look for products

with smooth beads, such as jojoba, that are gentle

on your face. Similarly, avoid overusing brushes;

something that feels good once every week or two

can wreak havoc on your face if used on a daily

basis. The goal is to remove desiccated skin cells

without causing further irritation or damage.

“When you exfoliate, you expose the

keratinocyte cells that are further down and are

more full of water, which glistens,” explains Eckel.

In other words, your skin glows.

.. .AND THE RIGHT PRODUCTS
Once you’ve cleansed and exfoliated, it’s time for
a moisturiser. The basic goal is to add hydration
(water) and lock it in. “Not all moisturisers are
equally successful,” Cheung says. “You want a mix
of humectants, which are the actual moisturising
ingredients, and also emollients or occlusives,
which will seal the moisture into the skin.”
Humectant ingredients to look for on a
moisturiser label include hyaluronic acid,
glycerine, sorbitol, dimethicone, sodium PCA and
lactic acid. Emollient and occlusive ingredients
include squalene and lanolin.
The best formulas go one step further,
providing ingredients such as ceramides and urea,
which actively repair and rebuild the skin barrier
so the skin can regulate its own moisture levels.
Increasingly, dermatologists recommend using
facial serums rather than heavy creams to keep
skin in balance after age 50. Consider an oil-free
serum that can act like a multivitamin for your
skin, recommends Eckel. Another reason serums
may be better than super-rich creams is they
usually contain less water. Too much water in a
cream can encourage evaporation from the skin’s
surface, adding to dryness.
The idea, of course, is to give your skin what it
needs so its own self-repair process can get back
on track – and then to continue replenishing it
with ingredients that mimic its own chemistry.
Following the right regimen, you can have skin
that looks healthy and refreshed.

GET YOUR

GLOW ON

Not all moisturisers

contain the key ‘good’

ingredients listed

below. The trick is to

check the labels.

1

Humectants,

which are

the actual

moisturising

ingredients, appear

on labels as:

• hyaluronic acid


• glycerine


• sorbitol


• dimethicone


• sodium PCA


• lactic acid

2

Emollients

or occlusives,

then seal

the moisture into

the skin. Look for:

• squalene


• lanolin

3

Ingredients

that repair and

rebuild the

skin so it regulates

moisture levels

include:

• ceramides


• urea

AGE-DEFYING BEAUTY