When it comes to skincare practices, there’s an overwhelming amount of information out there, and so many mismatching opinions on what to do or not to do. I learned a lot of my own skincare habits from my mother and grandmother, who put a lot of value on the importance of having a beauty ritual, and as I’ve worked on initially developing and now expanding my skincare line, I’ve discovered some skincare secrets that have now become part of my daily habits. One of the things I hear most often from my clients is that they’re not sure what rules to follow in order to ensure healthy, youthful skin in the long term. Here are five skincare habits that I always follow, and why:
1.I avoid cleansers with detergents because they strip the skin of moisture and open up the skin’s protective barrier. When you wash with a soapy, sudsy cleanser at night, you’re essentially removing all of the moisture from the moisturizer and serum that you applied that morning, which means that it’s really difficult to see long term results from an anti aging regimen. A lot of people think that all cleansers are the same, so they opt for the cheapest option, but cleansers can be amazing treatment products for the skin that work to make your skin’s outer layer glow and smooth. I use cleansers that wash the skin with clays, oils and essential oils, which leave the skin perfectly clean and maintain that essential moisture barrier.
2. I exfoliate every day to keep my skin clear and glowing. A lot of people think that exfoliating is something to do just once in a while, but our skin is in a constant state of regeneration and is producing dead cells every day; when dead cells build up, the skin looks dull and is prone to blackheads and breakouts. I exfoliate every day to stay on top of that layer of dead skin, sloughing it off to reduce congestion. Another benefit is that clearing away dead skin allows your serums and anti-aging treatments to penetrate the skin more easily, so your whole regimen will become more effective. However, it’s important to use a gentle exfoliating cleanser that’s specifically developed for daily use - our Regenerating Cleanser is absolutely perfect.
3. I apply my serum to my neck, too. The neck is an area women are often stingy with their anti-aging products. There are many products formulated specifically for the skin of the neck area, but a serum can make a big difference. It’s a very exposed area, and it can be one of the first areas to show signs of aging with wrinkles and loss of firmness. I apply one pump of serum to my face, and another to my neck, to keep the skin there looking youthful for as long as possible.
4. I massage the entire eye area when I apply my eye cream, which is a Japanese skincare tradition that works wonders to reduce puffiness and dark circles. A lot of us have learned that tapping the eye area is the best way to apply product there, and that’s definitely true when your hands are dry, but if you have an oil or enough cream on your fingers to create glide, massaging is a great technique. With eyes closed, use your ring fingers on each hand and draw circles around your eye area 10 times to promote microcirculation and reduce lymphatic stasis. Then, starting in between the eyes, pinch your eye brows, all the way out to their ends. When you practice this frequently, you’ll ensure that the fluid that gathers under the eyes is drained, and under-eye puffiness reduced as well. The massage should be slow, with a bit of pressure.
5. I double cleanse in the evenings to really, deeply purify my skin from environmental pollutants and buildup. Double cleansing sounds indulgent, but really most of us do it anyways by removing makeup before cleansing! It's is a technique that I’ve been incorporating into my regimen for about a year, and it makes a dramatic difference in the softness and clarity of my skin. I first use the Nourishing Oil Cleanser to remove makeup, by massaging it into dry skin - before rinsing, or anything - and then remove everything with a cotton round. This step dissolves makeup and debris. Then I use our Purifying Cleanser, which activates the skin’s natural lymphatic drainage, and penetrates deep into pores to deep-clean, combatting the degrading, aging effects of pollution and greenhouse gases.