Yahoo Lifestyle What's Your Skincare Style?
HIGH TECH
Your skincare style: You're always on the lookout for breakthrough beauty launches and using the latest anti-ageing products is important to you.
Your ideal routine: Focus on hardworking treatments that will intensify your skin regimen. While moisturising helps hydrate and shield your complexion, serums are the real powerhouses when it comes to fighting the signs of ageing. "These intensive actives work on specific conditions and can achieve incredible results," says Emma Hobson, education manager of the International Dermal Institute. Zone in on your concerns with one of these targeted treatments:
Detoxify thanks to Dior Capture Totale One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum.
Repair while encouraging skin cells to act in a more youthful way with Lancôme Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate.
Brighten, break down brown spots and prevent future pigmentation by applying SK-II Whitening Spots Specialist.
Smooth deep lines around your mouth and forehead with Kiehl’s Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler.
After applying a serum, look for a multipurpose moisturiser and eye cream that not only work to smooth lines and wrinkles, but also refine pores, shield and improve clarity. We like Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Age-Correcting Creme; Olay Professional PRO-X Eye Restoration Complex (as part of Anti-Ageing Starter Protocol Kit); and Prevage Eye Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 15.
Easy does it
While the latest in skin science can brighten, plump and smooth your complexion, these highly active ingredients need to be treated with respect. Try only one new product at a time and slowly introduce it into your skincare routine to avoid irritation or breakouts. Apply it every second night for one week, then every night for seven days, before using it twice daily. While these cutting-edge products offer scientifically proven results, as a rule, that doesn't mean you should expect to see an immediate difference, so be patient for at least six weeks.
NATURAL CHOICE
Your skincare style: From practising yoga or meditation to buying organic food, you take a holistic approach when it comes to your lifestyle. Needless to say, you want your beauty products to be equally as pure and effective.
Your ideal routine: Just because you're looking for botanical alternatives doesn't mean you can't feed your skin with plant-based extracts while benefiting from proven scientific results. Smooth and brighten your face with the cocktail of native Australian fruit enzymes in Jurlique's Fruit Enzyme Exfoliator, or try AUM Cell Renew Facial Exfoliant, which uses ground brown rice to slough away dullness. Next, nourish your complexion with nature's own hydrators, such as cocoa butter, olive oil and hazelnut oil. Find them in Clarins Face Treatment Oil for Dehydrated Skin, and Antipodes Organic Grapeseed Butter Cleanser.
According to Julian Markin, co-founder of AUM Anti Age Organics, "Recent innovations and discoveries mean natural skincare has come of age. There is now a large array of ingredients that have undergone clinical trials to confirm their anti-ageing efficacy." Look for proven time fighters such as rosehip, orchid and marine algae, as well as powerful anti-oxidants like jojoba, olive leaf extract and kakadu plum. Try MV Rose Soothing & Protective Moisturiser; La Biosthetique La Capsule Naturelle; The Jojoba Company Jojoba Absolute Serum; and Terre & Mer by Thalgo Eye Contour Cream.
Natural vs organic: what's the difference?
In skincare, natural ingredients refer to botanical extracts, whereas organic takes it a step further; the plants are "grown and processed according to strict standards which restrict the use of chemical fertilisers and pest sprays", explains Markin. When it comes to shopping for a new product, it can often be tricky to decipher the difference between the two, but the easiest way to check is by referring to the back of the packaging. The label should identify and list which individual ingredients are certified organic and, to be classified as Australian Certified Organic, contain at least 95 per cent organic ingredients – the remaining five per cent need to be naturally derived.
FAST AND FUSS-FREE
Your skincare style: You'd prefer to have a sleep-in rather than spend too much time in front of the mirror.
Your ideal routine: Keep it simple with three easy steps. "Cleansing is an absolute essential, and soap just won’t cut it," says Hobson. "I'd suggest a facial wash you can use in the shower." Alternatively, if you're in a pinch, use cleansing wipes, like Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes, $7.50 for a pack of 25. Next, you'll need to treat your complexion by exfoliating two to three times a week and, to save time, Hobson suggests mixing your chosen scrub with your face wash. Finally, you need to hydrate and protect your skin with a multipurpose cream. "Using a moisturiser is vital to protect against the detrimental effects of the environment," states Hobson. For a comprehensive anti-ageing formula with sun protection, try L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Gentle SPF 15 Day Cream, or save time by choosing a tinted lotion, like Dr. LeWinn's Synergise Anti-ageing Tinted Moisturiser SPF 30+, and Garnier Skin Naturals Anti-dark Circles Roll-on Concealer. In the evening, after cleansing, smooth on a night cream with alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), such as Priori Skin Renewal Cream, to renew and brighten.
Facial in a flash
All you need is half an hour to give your skin a professional boost. For a complete treatment, try Elemis Power Booster Facials, at select Myer stores. Or focus on one area of concern, such as dullness or dehydration, with Dermalogica MicroZone Treatments. For a DIY alternative that purifies, we like Clean & Clear Deep Action In-Shower Facial, or boost radiance with Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial Masque.
SOOTHING SOLUTIONS
Your skincare style: Your complexion is prone to flare-ups, so when it comes to buying products you look for words like "gentle" and "sensitive" to keep things under control.
Your ideal routine: The key to maintaining a calm complexion is with products that are packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as aloe vera, cucumber, chamomile and oats. Use an oil or cream cleanser, like Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturizing Cream Cleanser, to nourish while removing impurities. Next, apply a treatment that works to strengthen and soothe your skin, such as Payot Doux Sérum Soothing Reconstituting Serum, before applying a gentle moisturiser. We like Lancôme Hydra Zen Soothing Anti-Stress Moisturising Cream SPF 15, and Pevonia Rose RS2 Care Cream. If these options are still too active for you, Markin suggests using a hydrating, vegetable-based oil like jojoba. Finally, avoid chemical sunscreens and instead look for formulas that boast titanium and zinc oxide protection. If your skin flares up, calm it with a soothing cream that contains ingredients such as vitamin E, echinacea and marshmallow. Apply it twice daily instead of your regular moisturiser until redness subsides. We recommend Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream, and Natura Bissé Tolerance Recovery Cream. Or, for more immediate relief, smooth on a treatment mask, like Dermalogica UltraCalming Relief Masque.
Keep calm and carry on
If you're prone to sensitivity, Hobson suggests testing a new product in the crook of your elbow, then waiting 48 hours to see if you react to it. She also recommends abiding by these "less rules" for stress-free skin:
Less time: Don't spend too much time treating your face.
Less product: Limit the amount of skincare you use.
Less friction: Avoid using scrubs, a facial cloth or a facial cleansing brush.
Less heat: Only expose your skin to warm water and steer clear of hot face towels and saunas.
