As the seasons change, so too should your skincare. Transitioning from summer through autumn to winter means that it’s time to kick our summer skincare habits and embrace the cooler temperatures, the biting winds and the wet weather, with the appropriate product and treatment changes. We’ve been chatting with our skin experts here at Meyer Clinic and they have pulled together six easy-to-follow skincare tips that will keep us all glowing throughout the autumn and winter months.
Check for dryness
Run your fingernail across your skin. Does it leave a white mark? This means your skin could be dry from sun exposure and in need of moisture and exfoliation to remove that layer of dry skin. Our experts recommend you nourish your skin, with a quality serum with gold-standard ingredients – one of our favourites is Daily Power Defense. This specially-formulated serum contains ultrasomes, roxisomes, vitamin E, and Ceramide 6 which all help to tighten and firm the skin, while restoring barrier function to improve skin health.
Our skincare expert, aesthetic therapist Chantelle van Vliet says:
“Face serum is small and lightweight, but don’t underestimate its power. Aside from your cleanser and your SPF, it’s the most valuable product in your skincare routine. A good serum will contain the targeted skincare ingredients your face craves most, in their most concentrated and hard-hitting form. Basically, if you were going to spend your money anywhere in your skincare regime, here is where you want to invest.”
Change your pillowcase regularly
You get up close and personal ever day with your pillowcase so, of course, things are going to get a little mucky! Such a close relationship means there are plenty of opportunities for bugs and bacteria to make themselves at home and do damage to your skin. One of the biggest problems comes from your hair. Did you know that your hair holds more dirt in it than anywhere else on our bodies? Oil from your hair will leave oil on your pillowcase when you sleep, with our faces mopping it up while we sleep. The dirt and oils gathered on your pillowcase are a leading cause of acne as well as one of the biggest culprits of blackheads. To avoid this kind of buildup, you should change your pillowcase every couple of days.
Eat healthy and hydrate
It’s possibly the most simple advice we can offer when it comes to maintaining a radiant complexion: be sure to drink plenty of water and pile your plate high with veggies for a healthier complexion. Our nutritional therapist Dominique Ludwig says that if you need more flavour to your water you can spritz it with lemon, lime or strawberry and get liberal with herbs and spices to put the zing in veggies.
Sweat it out and shower
Working out not only helps you maintain fitness, it helps your body eliminate toxins and improves circulation – giving you that gorgeous skin glow. As soon as you’re done with your workout whether it be a yoga session with We Are Blessed or a daily run, make sure to wash off all that sweat. However, if you want an extra boost then consider booking in for a professional skin peel straight after your workout. A peel is a great way to remove the dead outer surface of the skin with light abrasion. Skin is left unclogged your pores and leaves your skin feeling incredible.
Pack in the polyphenols
Our nutritional therapist Dominique suggests packing your diet with polyphenols. These are a category of compounds naturally found in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine. What’s not to love! They can act as antioxidants, meaning they can neutralise harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage cells and can help protect your skin against oxidative stress, which contributes to ageing and disease! So go rustle up a plant-based meal (Dominique has some great recipes on her website) and sit back and enjoy with a glass of red!
Fall in love with SPF
Okay, so we do keep banging on about this but sunscreen is (and always should be) your best friend.
Therapist Chantelle says:
“It is essential that you make sunscreen part of your daily skin care regime. I always recommend my patients to get in the habit of applying sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection each morning – and no lower than SPF 30. Exposure to any harmful rays is the single most damaging factor to skin. It weakens it, discolours it and ages it beyond its years. It really can make a 30 year old look like a 50 year old.”
One of our favourites is ZO Broad Spectrum SP50 for protection and hydration.
However, not all light is bad. Dermalux LED Phototherapy is a light-powered treatment clinically-proven to trigger your body’s natural cell processes to accelerate rejuvenation and repair of the skin. It can improve a poor complexion, signs of ageing (including lines and wrinkles on the face, hands or body) sunburn skin damage, skin concerns such as acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, pigmentation and overall skin health.
“Dermalux LED light therapy uses three clinically proven wavelengths of light to target the skin in different ways,’ explains Chantelle. ‘Non-invasive red LED light rejuvenates and heals the skin, simultaneously boosting fibroblast activity for an increase in collagen production. Infrared light increases cell energy and reduces inflammation to counteract ageing and skin damage; and anti-bacterial blue LED helps destroy the p-acnes bacteria in acne-prone skin. Dermalux is one of the only devices that can operate all these lights at once, which makes it perfect for anyone want to keep their skin glowing througout the winter months.”