FIVE EXPERT TIPS FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN
Published December 10, 2023
Everyone wants beautiful skin and a glowing complexion. But finding the right way to achieve this is not always easy and can be quite bewildering. Which advice should you follow? Which beauty treatment or cream should you buy? What order should products be used in? Thankfully, the experts at Laboratoires FILORGA are here to help you make sense of this wealth of often confusing and conflicting information!
In this article, we'll take a look at the crucial steps, ingredients, and routines needed to maintain radiant, flawless skin.
1. PROPERLY CLEANSE YOUR FACE
It's absolutely essential, because without it, all the treatments you subsequently use on your skin will not achieve their full potential.
Cleansing your face in the evening is vital because it rids the skin of the unwanted contaminants, like pollution, to which it is continually exposed throughout the day. As well as removing the excess sebum responsible for oily skin, cleansing helps to unclog pores and prevent imperfections like pimples and blackheads.
If you don't have overly sensitive skin, you can also cleanse your face in the morning to remove the dead cells that accumulate during the night and any excess sebum produced during sleep. Since your skin already underwent a deep cleansing before going to bed, the morning cleanse will be more gentle.
Our advice is to do the following:
- Use a gentle cleanser suited to your skin type so you don't irritate it.
- Use a light, circular motion to massage your face and encourage blood flow and the elimination of toxins.
- Pay particular attention to the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), which tends to be more prone to imperfections.
- Lastly, rinse your face thoroughly with warm water and gently pat dry with a clean, soft towel.
- It's now time to apply your favorite products (serum, night cream, etc.).
2. MOISTURIZE DAILY
Our skin acts as a barrier, protecting us from external contaminants. It also prevents dehydration by preventing water from evaporating out of the body. When skin is dehydrated, it can no longer retain body moisture, leading to a feeling of tightness, fine dehydration lines, and reduced elasticity.
Both the environment and aging skin can lead to an impaired skin barrier, which has the following unwanted effects:
- Reduced lipids in the upper layer of the epidermis. These fats, combined with dead epidermal cells (corneocytes), form a kind of cement that prevents moisture from evaporating.
- Production of natural moisturizing factors, a collection of molecules that retain moisture to keep the stratum corneum hydrated, also diminishes.
- The sebaceous glands produce less sebum, which in turn weakens the hydrolipidic film, an impermeable protective layer on our skin.
- Hyaluronic acid production in the dermis also declines. Since hyaluronic acid is able to retain water, this results in reduced skin hydration.
To tackle these symptoms of aging and keep your skin looking its best, we recommend:
- Daily use of a hyaluronic acid-based treatment like those in the HYDRA Collection.
- The GLOBAL-REPAIR Collection targets the major signs of skin aging to help care for tired, very dry skin.
3. TARGET CELL RENEWAL
Cell renewal is vital to keeping the skin young and healthy. It is a complex process that allows new cells to be produced to replace dead or damaged ones.
It primarily takes place in the epidermis and a complete cycle takes around 28 days.
Ideal cell renewal involves a careful balance between the production of new cells and the elimination of dead cells. But as we age and are exposed to external stresses, this delicate balance tends to be upset. The skin no longer produces sufficient numbers of new cells to replace the old ones, a phenomenon that goes hand in hand with a loss of quality in new cells.
This balance needs to be restored, which is why we need to provide the skin with nutrients on a daily basis while also helping it to more effectively rid itself of dead skin cells by using exfoliating treatments.
The SCRUB & MASK contains perlite spheres that gently shed dead skin cells to reveal fresher-looking skin.
4. A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MEANS HEALTHY SKIN
Beautiful skin isn't just about the cosmetics you use. In fact, it's fundamentally important to maintain a healthy lifestyle — not just for your skin but for your general health too!
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Getting enough, good-quality sleep is the best thing you can do, but with modern lifestyles being the way they are, that’s not always so easy. Sleep triggers several physiological mechanisms that help to regenerate tissue, which in turn has a major influence on complexion, wrinkles, and dark circles under the eyes.
Here are a few things you can do to improve your sleep:
- Determine what amount of sleep works best for you. Generally speaking, this is between 7 and 9 hours a night for most people.
- When you've worked this out, adjust your bedtimes and wake-up times and try to keep them as consistent as possible. The body loves routines like this.
- Avoid alcohol and coffee before bedtime.
- Put away all devices with screens (phone, laptop) around 30 minutes before your scheduled bedtime. If you need to, read a book or do some stretching or relaxation exercises like meditation before going to bed.
- Make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible and that the room temperature is lower than in other rooms (17°C seems about right).
- Make sure it's completely dark and cut yourself off from external noise as much as possible.
EAT A BALANCED DIET
Did you know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle also means eating a balanced diet? Fruit, vegetables, high-quality protein, and plenty of water throughout the day... This article isn't a nutrition lecture, so we'll give you one simple piece of advice: rather than trying to eliminate everything you know is bad for you and your skin from your diet, instead try adding more healthy foods. Over time, and thanks to their noticeable benefits, these foods will slowly replace sweets and snacks.
SMOKING HARMS YOUR SKIN
We couldn't end this section without mentioning smoking. You probably already know that smoking is bad for your skin and causes premature wrinkles, a dull complexion, acne, and worse...
USE SUN PROTECTION DAILY
Sunshine is essential to life; it triggers vitamin D synthesis, regulates sleep cycles, and just feels good. But enjoy it responsibly!
UV radiation (UV-A and UV-B) accelerates skin aging, can cause sunburn and the appearance of liver spots, and, in worst-case scenarios, can also lead to skin cancer.
There are only three ways to ensure effective protection from the sun:
- Avoid exposure during peak sunshine times.
- Wear a hat or cap and clothing that covers your entire body.
- Use effective sun protection.
For the perfect tan, you also need to remember to properly prepare your skin for the sun. If you'd like to learn more about our experts' recommendations for sun protection and pre-sun treatments, have a look at this article about sun protection.
5. EMBRACE THESE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR PERFECT SKIN
Certain key ingredients are essential for perfect skin:
- Hyaluronic acid is indispensable for deeply moisturizing the skin and ensuring fullness.
- Peptides stimulate collagen production, which helps tone the skin and minimizes fine lines and wrinkles.
- Antioxidants protect the skin from oxidative stress induced by our environment and the sun.
- Essential nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, and minerals provide nourishment from the inside out, keeping the skin healthy and radiant.
- And lastly, AHAs, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, are powerful exfoliants that remove dead skin cells, help clear away imperfections, boost cell renewal and regeneration, and improve skin texture.
By including these key ingredients in your beauty routine, you'll be supplying your skin with the essential elements it needs to stay healthy and radiant.
Sources:
Lipa K, Zając N, Owczarek W, Ciechanowicz P, Szymaǹska E, Walecka I. Does smoking affect your skin? Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2021 Jun;38(3):371-376. doi: 10.5114/ada.2021.103000. Epub 2021 Jan 25. PMID: 34377115; PMCID: PMC8330869.