Essential Skincare Tips for Achieving Radiant Skin
Welcome to my first blog! I'm Amy and an esthetician and the owner Louloùdi Esthetics. I've been a student of many disciplines as I ventured through the roles of student, esthetician and business owner. Skincare is a comfortable subject to me yet not everyone has that same comfort level. I thought a good place to start would be the very basics of skincare.
I am asked all the time how do I have such good skin at my age. The answer in my quest to age gracefully I discovered skincare. This led me to pretty good skin and a new passion for esthetics. I'll share a few tips on what I do to keep my skin looking healthy.
This first step was not always something I embraced. If I could go back to my indestructible 20 something year old self I would tell myself to wear SUNSCREEN! I had someone ask me what was the best sunscreen and my answer was one which you will wear. I've found everyone has particular requirements for a sunscreen that they enjoy wearing. How does it feel on my skin? Too heavy? Too sticky? Do I like the smell (the first thing everyone does is comment about smell)? Do I like the finish it leaves on my skin, matte versus dewy? How does it perform under makeup if you wear makeup? And most importantly does it agree with your skin type? I have probably three sunscreens I cycle through depending on the day and season.
The second step is finding a skincare routine that you enjoy and that you can be consistent with. There are some people that can only handle a few steps for them to be successful, while others enjoy a more involved routine. Whatever routine you settle into you have to be consistent. Consistency is the key to improving the condition of your skin. Included under the umbrella of consistency is never going to bed without washing your face. Think of all the dirt, dust, oil and pollutants your skin has come in contact with during the day. Even if you are dead tired and can't bring yourself to do your full routine at least wash your face.
The third step is a hard one in todays society and that is to be patient with your skin. We are conditioned to want immediate gratification but the products that we use to improve the condition of our skin can take weeks sometimes months for you to see the effects. For example, Vitamin C serum generally takes between 2 and 4 weeks for you to see some improvements. I'm going to preface that by saying that it should be a quality vitamin C serum (don't read as expensive), which I will touch on maybe at another time? Anti-aging products (I'm being broad here I know) can take between 1 and 3 months of consistent use to see noticeable results. It takes on average 28 days (longer as we age) for cell turnover. This is the average time it takes new skin cells to replace old skin cells and for noticeable change to be seen.
The final step I can only speak to as it relates to myself and how my skin looks. As I've gotten older my skin is less forgiving to my over indulgences. What I put in my body has a huge impact on how my skin looks. Everybody is different and we all have our sensitivities, but limiting/eliminating alcohol and eating more fruits and vegetables has been very successful for me. I choose to start my day with a green smoothie. I recently added some collagen powder to test whether it would make a difference which will take months to validate. Not very sexy but at least I start the day in the plus column for fruits and vegetables.
I hope you see these basics as achievable steps towards better skin. Remember to wear sunscreen, be consistent in your skincare routine, treat your skin with the care it deserves and be patient for results.Taking these steps will start you on the path to achieve and maintain healthy, glowing skin over time.
Note: A big thank you to my friend and supporter, Kathy. She was an "original test subject" and trusted me to guide her into a new skincare routine. She has also offered guidance for career moves that were overwhelming at times and yet in hind site were only insurmountable in my imagination. She is a transition coach and owner of What's Next Transition Coaching and is amazing! https://whatsnexttransitioncoaching.com/