With such a broad array of skincare available on the market, it can feel a little overwhelming when trying to decide what to purchase.
Skincare broadly falls into four categories:
- Beauty brands available to purchase off the shelf with no guidance.
- High end cosmetic brands available at counters or in spas with some direction.
- Medical-grade skincare available following consultation with a skin expert, overseen by a medic.
- Prescription-only skincare available from a dermatologist or medic.
The problem with the first two categories of skincare is that consumers are often self-diagnosing and may not be putting suitable products on their skin. This leads to customers using products or seeking out treatments that are unsuitable. Have you considered that not everyone who carries out skin treatments or sells skincare is trained to diagnose skin problems? If your skin is not resilient enough to be able to take more invasive skin treatments such as micro-needling or peels, you will suffer longer downtime after treatment and see poorer results overall.
Beauty and cosmetic brands are only really allowed to affect the outer surface of the skin, so although they may feel and smell nice at the point of application, they are not going to elicit any real and lasting change.
These products are often laden with oils which makes the skin reliant on the products being applied, rather than getting the skin to work harder and become healthier. At worst these products can contribute to sensitising the skin and compromising the skin’s barrier.
Remember, you can always book an appointment and visit us in Wirral!
Buzzwords
Big consumer brands play on ‘buzz words’ in their advertising campaigns to entice consumers; words like ‘retinol’ or ‘hyaluronic acid’. Retinol is a fantastic ingredient to include within your skincare regime for certain skin types. When we are young our skin cells turnover every 28 days, over time this slows down. Retinol speeds up cell turnover, getting fresh plump cells to the surface quicker, which makes skin look younger. Many beauty and cosmetic brands don’t actually disclose the concentration of their active ingredients because they are so low.
Hero Ingredients
It’s not just about the hero ingredients. It’s about working on all elements of your skin cycle to improve skin health. Retinol, for example, can make the skin dry, red and flakey if not used in the correct way. It needs supportive calming products, exfoliation and most importantly SPF to be worn in the daytime to counteract any side effects.
The Solution
Medical-grade skincare contains therapeutic doses of active ingredients. They can be prescribed following a consultation with a skin expert who can guide you through a skin care journey that’s right for you. It is important to first get compromised skin types, such as acne or rosacea prone skin under control; repair then treat. Good skincare is the cornerstone of anti-ageing. Less than 10% of how we age is controlled by our genetics, which means over 90% is down to environmental factors which are within our control. And just like you wouldn’t expect the perfect body after going to the gym a couple of times, perfect skin requires commitment and consistency over a period of time. Don’t expect to see a noticeable change in your skin for around three months when starting a new regime.
Great skincare will complement any injectable treatments you are already having, enhancing your results even further and allowing you to pursue more invasive skin treatments such as laser, micro-needling or peels with less downtime and enhanced results. We would expect you to see 50% of your results from in clinic treatment and 50% of your results from a professionally tailored at home regime.
If you would like to book in for a skin consultation with one of our skin experts, please call the clinic on 0151 342 6214 or visit our website www.cosmeticperfection.co.uk
We are located in Wirral just next to The Mouse restaurant in Brimstage Courtyard, CH63 6JA.