From Clearasil to sensible serums
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" (Not a term coined by me) 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!
To help combat the feeling of overwhelmed at the store, I compiled a rough guide to what some of them do, so I’ll be a little more prepared the next time I hit the skincare counter:
AHA –Short for 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 – Short for 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 for 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 for 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 wrinkls
Best for helping:
· Dry skin
· Combination skin
· Oily skin
· Aging skin
· Acne-prone skin
· Sensitive 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 for 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 for 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 for helping: Most skin types
· Oily skin
· Dry skin
· Sensitive skin
· Mature skin
Retinol – A form of Vitamin A
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 for 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 for helping:
· All skin types
· Dull skin
· Dry skin
· Oily skin
· Mature skin