Skin Health Magazine Issue #11 / Spring 2019 | Page 11
Antioxidant Overnight Treatment
Your skin is exposed to a wide range of envi-
ronmental stressors during the day, all of which
can weaken and damage the cells leading to
changes in skin structure, tone and condition.
An antioxidant-packed product, which would
ideally be a serum, can protect your skin against
the daily aggressors found in the atmosphere
and keep issues like pigmentation, redness and
fine lines to a minimum. This step works best
when applied as part of your morning routine
so in the evening, you can switch it for an over-
night treatment to combat any damage or
imperfections while you sleep. During the night, your skin goes into repair
mode so switch your antioxidant serum for
a product that supports these processes and
works to correct any imperfections without
being interrupted. “At night your skin’s ‘To
Do List’ is low,” explains Jane. “During the
day, we face many more external elements
that can affect our skincare, from make-up
and central heating to air conditioning – all
these factors can leave our products fighting
for attention, while at night this is less so.”
Ingredients such as acids, Retinol, oils and
rejuvenating peptides are ideal for this step
in your routine; just choose a product that
addresses your most problematic skin con-
cerns and introduce it slowly to your routine
to avoid a reaction.
Moisturiser
Whether your skin is as dry as a desert or as
greasy as an oil slick, hydration should play an
important role in both your day and night time
routines. As your face is exposed to the elements
on a daily basis, the skin can quickly become
unbalanced leading to impaired barrier function
which makes it easier for the skin to lose water
throughout the day. A good moisturiser will
not only replenish the skin’s moisture reserves
but will help to strengthen the epidermal barrier
and lock all the ingredients you applied before-
hand into the skin. At night, your moisturiser
provides much needed hydration to prevent the
associated irritation and dryness that comes
with using a strong corrective treatment.
Stick to this five-step routine for a few
months before you start adding extras like
exfoliators, eye creams and face masks. That
way, you can be sure that your routine only
includes products that you feel your skin
really needs over the ones you think you
should be using. Jane sums this up perfectly:
“I am very much of the view that less is more.
Taking the time to find products that work
for you and using them little and often is far
better than overloading your skin with lots
of products so that they barely get a chance
to work the way they are formulated to.”
Sunscreen
Of all the products in your morning routine,
sunscreen is probably the most important. It
is the only product that can protect the skin
against premature ageing, pigmentation,
inflammation and damage. “80% of wrinkles
are caused by sun exposure, not to mention
pigmentation, so if you are going to be in the
sun, then a high factor SPF with UVA and
UVB protection is essential to protect your
skin,” says Jane. Sunscreens come in all shapes
and sizes; just make sure you use one that
provides broad spectrum protection and is at
least factor 30.
Jane Scrivner
ISSUE #11 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 11