A good skin regime should always consist of 4 elements: Cleansing, Nourishing, Treating and Protecting. Hopefully you’ve already read my posts on cleansing and nourishing – today the focus is on ‘Treating’.

Beyond our early years, very few of us have the perfect complexion. Acne, blackheads, spots, rosacea, broken veins, eye bags, lines and wrinkles can lead many of us to seek treatment for our skin.

You can add a treatment to your regime in two ways:

1. Topical products
2. A beauty treatment/cosmetic procedure

Topical Products

For those with fairly ‘normal complexions’ there are literally thousands of products to choose from, so choose wisely. Navigating all the products on the market is difficult, so it’s often easier to focus on ingredients.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Vitamins A,C & E are a skin’s best friend but need to be in forms stable enough and strong enough to work without irritation.
Anti-oxidants can repair and prevent sun damage.
Alpha & Beta Hydroxy acids(AHA’s & BHA’s) improve skin tone and texture, fine lines and wrinkles.

The most active ingredients usually come first in the ingredient list. For them to work they have to be able to reach their target whilst still active (ie. get to the right depth in the skin’s tissue) and you have to use them regularly. Most products will need time to work – that’s at least a skin cycle (average 28 days)

Facial skin products can be put into 3 categories. Over-the counter, cosmeceuticals or prescription medications.

OVER-THE-COUNTER PRODUCTS
These are designed to suit most skin types and be non-irritant. They  contain a very limited concentration of actives, allowing you purchase them without any help or guidance.

COSMECEUTICALS
These are sold mainly in clinics and medi-spas and will contain high concentrations of active ingredients.

PRESCRIPTON MEDS
These are sold in clinics and medi-spas that are doctor-led.

Those who know me will know my mantra of ‘use products with the highest percentage of active ingredients you can find’.

Beauty Treatments/Cosmetic Procedures

There will be times when your skin requires more than a topical product can offer and you may need to look to beauty or cosmetic treatments. There are many options available for skin improvement and I’ll cover treatments for problematic skin next time.