Skincare is incredibly important. Being that our skin is the largest organ on our body, its not surprising that people (hi, I'm people) are obsessed with taking care of it.
Not only is healthy skin associated with overall general health and youth, it is an indicator of self-love. Disclaimer: Healthy skin includes skin with eczema, stretch marks, moles, freckles and other skin normalities.
But with so much emphasis on the face, neck and decolletage it's easy to forget about the rest of our body that is in need of love too. Since it's always easier to prevent then to fix its important we start showing love to our back, stomach, hands, back of the thighs and everywhere else on our beautiful canvases.
My Personal Top 3 Skin Refreshers
1. Chemical Peels
One of my favorite ways to refresh my skin is with chemical peels. The most popular are Lactic, TCA, Jessners, Glycolic, Mandelic, and Salicylic.
Peels are not meant to bleach or lighten the skin however they can help improve the tone and texture of your skin. Stretch marks never go away but they can fade away to be less noticeable. MUAC (make up artist choice) the brand in the photo is worth gold to me. This is a body peel, yes I mean whole body. Feet and errrryyything. I take a shower. Pat dry gently. Wait till I'm completely dry then rub the serum textured peel all over my lady lumps. I set my timer, wait for it to go off, then hop in the shower to rinse everything off. I instantly feel a difference. Some areas of my body might actually "peel" but it is very light flakes, hardly noticeable.
2. Serums
We live for serums over here. Hyaluronic Acid. Rose-hip. Anti-Aging. Those are all good, but Vitamin C has us in a choke hold.
Serum is great to help refresh the skin. Serum is particularly suited for this task because it is made up of smaller molecules that can penetrate deeply into the skin and deliver a very high concentration of active ingredients. This makes them a great tool for targeting specific skincare concerns, like wrinkles. This doesn't work overnight but you will begin to see an improvement. We typically use serum on our face/hands/neck after we cleanse and before we moisturize.
3. Retin-A. > Retinol
Now this!
Now this is what you want! The holy grail of anti-aging products. This stuff is strong. You have to be careful with one, because a lil goes a longgggg way. This prescription only topical product is applied sparingly 2-3 nights per week for several weeks and then the frequency is gradually increased until a nightly regimen is attained. A cream or gel delivery system is chosen based on the skin's underlying dry or oily predisposition and the concentration can be increased over time.
What does Retin-A do you ask? Literally speed up the skin renewal process.
"It works at the cellular level and takes several months to see the full effect. In many ways, Retin-A can be thought of as reversing the outwards signs of aging on the skin."
The earliest effect of Retin-A is that the outer layer of keratinocytes start shedding off, leaving the skin fresher, smoother and more evenly pigmented. The next effect seen is that the epidermal cells start to replicate faster causing the skin to look and feel softer, more robust and healthier. Finally, the collagen bundles in the dermis will thicken and organize, causing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to lessen with time.
Common side effects are raw itchy burning skin, generally from more aggressive application in the early phase of exposure. Often taking a break for a few days before continuing the medication at a slower ramp-up will remedy this. Sensitive areas like the corners of the nose, eyelids, lips and corners of the lips should not be treated.
Pretreatment with Retin-A can also be extremely helpful prior to moderate to deep chemical peel, laser treatments, dermabrasion or facelifting to hasten healing and help prevent scarring or dyspigmentation.
4. Acid Body Lotion
Last, but certainly not least, we have acid body lotions, such as Glycolic body acid lotion, Lactic acid body lotion and my personal favorite by Platinum Skincare the Triple Treat body lotion which is a blend of Lactic, Mandelic and Glycolic acid. This "intense lotion is designed to restore, replenish and restructure the correct moisture balance of the skin as it exfoliates."
The acids used help accelerate the turnover of skin cells, improve pigmentation and restore elasticity. These usually include other ingredients such as shea butter, hyaluronic and DMAE.
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Well that's it my girl, these are our favorite ways to refresh the skin and remember this is a regimen and not a one time thing.
If you can, try to make an appointment with a medical spa for a skin analysis.
If you have more serious skin concerns such as cystic acne, you should make an appointment with your local dermatologist.
~ Glo 💕
Sources:
plastisurgery.org + platinumskincare.com + makeupartistchoice.com
Photo: @jrrd.wrld
Disclaimer: Please consult with a skin care professional so that you don't permanently damage your beautiful skin.
We are not a professionals.