Like many of us, I’ve always had an interest and loved skincare products!
I had to, it all began in the days when it was a necessity during my teenaged years, when I needed to find out what worked best at trying to tame and calm my irritated acne-prone skin.
I stuck to my daily routine, and cleansed, tone and moisturised every morning and every evening, adding a face mask, exfoliating scrub and steam into the mix, at the weekends!
Skincare routines seemed a lot simpler in the nighties, much like our way of life back then too
Fast forward to today, and I’m still as intrigued as I was as a teenager, and love trying out new products to see which can help to maintain my skin and help it to continue to glow; but watching some of the “skinfluencer” YouTube videos, it all looks like a very complex ordeal, with serums, oils, creams and lotions, that if you’re not a skincare expert, can feel as though the simple cleanse, tone and moisturise is somewhat prehistoric, and in need of a much-needed update.
During puberty, our skin was battling against all the changes that were going on within our bodies, and now again in Perimenopause, we’re right back trying to figure out what works best on our mature skin, what are all of these new, different lotions and potions, and which one works best for whichever skin concern we’re dealing with at the time!
I’m not obsessed with trying to stay looking young forever, I just want to continue to have skin that looks good and feels great!
To help combat the feeling of overwhelmed at the store, I compiled a rough guide of what some of the serums do, so I’ll be more prepared the next time I hit the skincare counter:
AHA – Alpha-hydroxy acids
Skincare benefit: Exfoliates
- AHAs are a group of exfoliating acids that includes glycolic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid and malic acid
- Water-soluble
- Remove excess dead skin cells for a smoother appearance
- Reduce fine lines by simulating cellular renewal
- Minimise the appearance of pores
Best at helping:
Normal skin
Dry skin
Combination skin
BHA – Beta Hydroxy Acid or Salicylic acid
Skincare benefit: Exfoliates, unplugs pores, clears up breakouts
- Oil soluble
- Help repair the skin by clearing out pores and smoothing out the surface of the skin
- It works best for mild acne, blackheads and whiteheads because salicylic acid unplugs your pores and removes dead skin cells.
Best at helping:
Combination skin
Oily skin
Acne-prone skin
Bakuchiol Serum
Skincare benefit:
- Reduces wrinkles, firms’ skin, boosts collagen
- Plant derived compound
- Sometimes referred to as the natural version of retinol
- Anti-aging
- Helps to improve skin tone and texture
- Helps to keep skin firm
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Best at helping:
Normal to oily skin
Acne-prone skin
Skin with blocked pores and blackheads
Ceramide
Skincare Benefit: Retains Moisture
- Naturally occurring lipids (fat molecules) found on the upper layers of the skin
- Help replenish and restore and strengthen the
skin barrier - Locks in moisture
- Reduces dryness and irritation
- Boosts hydration
- Helps minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Best at helping:
Dry skin
Combination skin
Oily skin
Ageing Skin skin
Acne-prone skin
Hyaluronic Acid
Skincare benefit: Hydrates and plumps skin
- Helps to prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated and dry.
- Helps to bring water into the skin and
- Deeply hydrates the upper skin layer creating a plumped and smooth appearance
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Anti-inflammatory effects that calm and protect the skin
Best at helping:
All skin types
Acne-prone skin
Sensitive skin
Humectants
Skincare benefit: increase hydration
- Humectants attract water and hold water molecules
- Help increase hydration making skin appear plumper and supporting the moisture barrier
Best at helping:
All skin types
Especially Oily, Combination and Dehydrated skin
Niacinamide – Also known as Vitamin B3
Skin benefit: Reduces large pores and skin dullness
- Water-soluble vitamin
- Niacinamide’s power is that it minimises pores
- Softens skin
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Helps to fade hyperpigmentation
- Regulates sebum production and strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier
Best at helping: Most skin types
Oily skin
Dry skin
Sensitive skin
Mature skin
Retinol
Skin benefit: Smoothens & Firms
- Helps speed up cellular production
- Effective for stimulating collagen production
- Reducing signs of aging skin, uneven tone
- Treating acne
- Help tighten skin
- Softening skin texture.
Best at helping:
Most skin types
Normal skin
Dry skin
Oily skin
Acne-prone skin
Combination skin
Mature skin
Vitamin C
Skincare benefits: Brightens the skin, hydrating
- Brightens dull looking skin
- Even out skin tone
- Promote collagen production
- Make skin feel firmer
- Smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Protects the skin from pollutants
- Help to treat hyperpigmentation
- Reduce inflammation & redness
- Protect against environmental damage
Best at helping:
All skin types
Dull skin
Dry skin
Oily skin
Mature skin
