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Investing in your skin’s never been easier

NEOSTRATA … your skin will thank you!

We’re massive NeoStrata fans, so when we heard about the new NeoStrata Resurface Glycolic Renewal Serum, our skin did a quick little jump for joy. You probably know glycolic acid is known to be the workhorse of the alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) family, which is what those looking to really retexture and refine their skin’s surface need. It’s the key ingredient in this new serum, which speeds up cell turnover rate and visibly improves skin radiance, texture, and tone. There are also ingredients to exfoliate, and an antioxidant that helps prevent and reverse the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, enlarged pores, and roughness. Why use it? It targets a smoother, radiant complexion, has a high potency AHA-antioxidant blend, and is formulated for improved overall skin quality. Tip: You may have initial flaking, tingling, or irritation to the skin (for some, this may be part of the normal resurfacing process), which generally improves as the skin gets used to the treatment. And it could increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use sunscreen and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards. R830. Visit NeoStrata.co.za for your closest stockist. And while you’re there, three more products worth looking at are from the Neostrata Correct Intensive Renewal range … there’s a Comprehensive Retinol Night Serum, Eye Cream and Overnight Anti-Pollution treatment. A trio of miracle workers!

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A TRIO OF CLAIRE HILL BEAUTIES

To set the stage for skin to repair damage from sun exposure, environmental toxins, and promote cellular repair, you need to effectively remove all makeup, thick sunscreen, and any impurities that can clog pores. Claire Hill’s Micellar Water contains tiny oil droplets (micelles) which attract and bind to makeup, sunscreen and grime so that all can be effortlessly removed from your face with a simple swipe. It’s also terrific for those struggling with hyper-pigmentation and an uneven skin tone. R600. • Claire Hill’s Anti-Ageing Serum is a wonderful skin-firming and rejuvenating serum that targets the sagging skin around your jawline as well as the vertical laugh lines that extend from the sides of your nose curving around to your mouth. Supercharged with nutrients and powerful actives, this luxe, fast-absorbing serum revitalises your complexion so that your skin looks naturally younger in a matter of weeks. R1100. • Follow up with Anti-Ageing Moisturiser – a non-invasive alternative to injectables. This nourishing moisturiser has the power to smooth away fine lines by naturally relaxing the facial muscles and eliminating excess skin tension. Luxurious and rich in natural oils, it also helps to replace and retain moisture, fight free radical damage and feed the skin with radiance-reviving nutrients. R1475. Details: clairehill.co.za

WPC Eye Complex is a gentle yet powerful corrective treatment to revitalise the delicate skin around your eyes. The youth-reviving actives in this luxuriously silky eye gel reduce puffiness and inflammation, lighten dark circles, and smooth away fine lines and wrinkles to reveal fresher, brighter, younger-looking eyes. R1865 from clairehill.co.za

 

BYE-BYE DRY SKIN … WINTER’S REALLY NEVER LOOKED BETTER

Winter plays a cruel game with our skin. Dry skin. Chapped lips. And a suddenly lacklustre complexion. These are all part of the seasonal skin switch that happens as the days get shorter. But there is good news. A few minor tweaks, not an entirely new set of products, is all your skin needs to attain a gorgeous glow. The experts from Claire Hill shared some top tips to keep your skin glowing throughout Winter, and the rest of the year.

So I don’t need to change all my skincare products for Winter? No, not if you are using high-quality products. They should keep your skin in tip-top shape all year round. Your skin needs the same thing throughout the seasons – ingredients like hyaluronic acid to boost the water content in your skin cells significantly, and high-quality moisturising ingredients such as rosehip oil that prevent that precious hydration from evaporating through your skin. It’s as simple as that.

Do I need a specific eye product? Eye gel is essential all year round. The eye area is super delicate because it’s five to 10 times thinner than on the rest of your face, making it particularly prone to dryness. It also has no sebaceous (natural oil) glands, so it can’t naturally regenerate any lost moisture. While it’s tempting to slather on thicker creams over Winter, moisturising around eyes with a really rich product is counterproductive as firstly it’s too heavy for that delicate area, it can clog the skin, causing milia (small white lumps) and puffiness. You need a light gel that sinks in fast and hydrates with powerful ingredients that penetrate the deeper layers of the skin.

But what to do if my skin is drier during Winter? Layer up. Layering involves applying your skincare products in a particular order (this is good advice throughout the year!). The lighter product (think serum) should be applied first as it’s designed to penetrate your skin’s more profound levels. Then follow with a moisturiser that locks in the benefits of the serum and prevents the dry Winter air from sucking the much-needed hydration straight back out of your skin. If your skin does begin to feel tight, a few drops of light face oil over the top of your moisturiser will protect it against environmental aggressors to keep your skin feeling soft and your complexion glowing.

Can I use the same cleanser as in Summer? A good cleanser will serve you just as well in Winter as in the warmer months. Your best option is a cleansing pad soaked in micellar water – it will gently sweep away the daily grime without stripping the skin of its natural oils. You’ll not only remove every skerrick of makeup, but you’ll also give the skin a good boost of soothing, repairing antioxidants. If you find that new sunspots have popped up after summer, choose micellar water with a melanin modulating active, which directly targets brown spots and age spots.

What else can I do to prevent dry Winter skin? Tempting as it might be, don’t turn the heat up. Dry air will suck the moisture out of your skin, whether outside or under the blankets. Many Winter lifestyle habits can harm our skin. We spend less time outdoors (hello vitamin D!), we often avoid exercise, and we eat more decadent foods to boot. The effect is tangible … a sluggish inner equals a sluggish outer. Keep up your Summer routine – go for walks, drink plenty of water, and nourish your skin with the same gentle but effective products year-round, and you’ll cruise through a cold snap.

Will moisture keep crows feet at bay? Honestly, a good eye gel should do more than add moisture. The skin around your eyes also needs a decent vitamin A dose to help strengthen the skin and slow the breakdown of collagen and elastin (that’s what keeps your skin bouncy and stretchy). Retinol is the traditional form of vitamin A for skincare. Today, we now have much gentler, plant-based alternatives such as Stevie (from the stevia plant), which has the same skin-rejuvenating effect without causing any retinol-like irritation.

 

INTENSE OPTIONS FOR SPECIFIC CONCERNS

We’re rather enamoured with the new Endocare products we’ve just tried. With four products in the range, they’re great for those of you who’re looking for an intensive option for your skin concerns. The Endocare Radiance C Pure Concentrate helps to regenerate your skin, smooth fine lines and wrinkles and increase firmness. R933 • Endocare Radiance C Ferulic Edafence Serum is a fast-absorbing serum that protects the skin from damage caused by environmental stressors (free radicals, urban contaminants) and is ideal for all skin types. R1146 • Endocare Essential Concentrate is an intensive treatment ampoule that fights visible signs of ageing. It has a high concentration of active ingredients, which help renew collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, which are essential components of the dermal support structure. R840 • Finally, Endocare Tensage Concentrate has a collection of intensive anti-ageing vials. This concentrate helps restore the skin’s volume and firmness, favouring the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines and improving its tone and elasticity. R1026. Details: onlineskinshop.co.za or dermastore.co.za

 

From SVR – Sebiaclear Micro-Peel – an unclogging and smoothing renewal water that targets open pores, spots and blackheads, all without drying the skin. R398, from riekiemedaesthetic.co.za, absoluteskin.co.za or shopfomo.com

The French brand Filorga has released a few new, desirable beauty products. From the Global-Repair range, there’s an intensive Nutri-Restorative Multi-Revitalising Cream (R1395) which targets dehydration, established wrinkles, sagging contours, dark spots and a tired complexion, and a Multi-Revitalising Eye and Lip Contour Cream (R1290), specifically for the creased eye and lips contours, tired eyes, dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles, dehydration and sagging skin. If you’re looking for a product that targets wrinkles, stubborn imperfections, open pores, shine, spots, blackheads and a dull complexion, you should try Intensive Double Correction Serum (R1430), one of the excellent products from the Age-Purify Intensive range, an anti-ageing range for skin prone to acne and breakouts. Details: filorgasouthafrica.co.za

 

From Exuviance, we recommend (highly!) the new Optilight Daily Prep – a cleanser that cleans, purifies and gently exfoliates, and Optilight Brightening Serum – formulated to brighten, exfoliate and target uneven skin tone. Both are brightening boons for those who need to minimise the appearance of discolouration from ageing or overexposure to the elements. R610 and R1100. Also look out for the OptiLight Dark Spot Minimizer with SFP 25 – apply before you go into the sun to prevent new dark spots and signs of photodamage. R990 from dermastore.co.za

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