While it’s never too early (or too late) to think about taking care of your skin, it’s also important to note that as we change and age, so should our skincare routine. What works for you in your 20s, won’t necessarily work in your 30s, and so on. So it’s important to know what products and regimes (including facials) you should be adapting, depending on your age.
If you are new to Total Body Concept then our Guide to Healthy Skin is a great place to start on your skincare journey with us!
At our Christchurch-based skin care and laser clinic we offer a full range of facial treatments, from skin peels and microdermabrasion to laser facials including Laser Genesis (aka the ‘Hollywood’ Facial) and IPL for skin rejuvenation. Our highly trained skin specialists will expertly navigate your skin concerns and real results you can see. We will give you a comprehensive skin consultation at your first appointment at Total Body Concept followed by a detailed at home skincare plan.
Whilst treating your skin to a facial sure is a worthwhile experience, to really make sure your skin is in tip top health, the work continues even after you’ve left the clinic. To get optimal improvement in your skin, results come from 30% the treatments you receive and 70% what you do at home, using the best products you can afford. Here’s our top tips to making sure you are always treating your skin with kindness.
Get those Zzz’s
It’s easy to push back bedtimes, and crack on early with the day when you’ve got a busy schedule, but making sure you get enough sleep is one super easy way to ensure your skin is getting the best possible care. When we’re asleep our bodies get to work doing some essential repairs from the inside out, so it doesn’t take long to notice when you’re not getting enough sleep, as your skin begins to look dull in appearance. Want that glowing look? Let your body get enough rest and start seeing results very quickly.
Personalised Skin Plan
Here at Total Body Concept we won’t just expect you to know what you’re doing as soon as you leave the clinic, instead we’re more than happy to write you up a personalised skin care plan. Taking into account all the intricacies of your unique skin type and lifestyle, we’ll work together with you to make sure that even when you’re between facials, your skin is getting the best care even from home.
Use Specialty Products
Instead of settling for your old ‘bottom of the drawer’ type serums, exfoliators or moisturisers, it pays to put some care into your products even when they’re in your own bathroom cabinet. Ensuring your skin stays feeling good post facial, make sure you keep up the hydration with a really good moisturiser, and that you’re cleansing your skin too – particularly at the end of the day before you head to bed. Making sure you’ve got a cupboard of really good skin care at home means looking after yourself quickly becomes just part of a very easy routine.
Start Drinking More Water
It can’t be said enough; drinking water is one sure way to get your skin looking firm, hydrated and glowy, and chances are you need a little gentle reminder to keep drinking! Take a fun reusable water bottle with you throughout the day and you’ll be amazed by how much more you drink – when something is in front of you all the time it acts as the perfect reminder to hydrate.
All great skin starts with great skin care, a baseline routine that you can follow morning and night. Our baseline skincare plan features the essentials to help keep your skin balanced and feeling great:
Cleanser
Skin needs to be cleansed morning and night. A good cleanser should not only cleanse your skin but nourish and maintain its moisture too. If you can, use a prescribed cleanser for your skin type so it doesn’t strip your skin from its lipid barrier and natural defences.
Hydrating serum
Use a fast absorbing oil-free serum or gel for intense hydration. The right product will penetrate your skin at a deep level, instantly smoothing, hydrating and plumping your skin. You will see visible results in the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, and gives your skin a supple and dewy appearance.
Antioxidant serum
An antioxidant serum protects your skin from free radicals which ages your skin faster. Go for a serum that includes a powerful blend of antioxidants, for example, Chaparral, Silymarin, Provitamin C, Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid. These will help reduce the visible signs of premature ageing by helping to minimise free radical damage. Free radicals age your skin faster and can be found in car fumes, smoke and UVA and UVB rays.
Daily protective moisturiser
The sun is public enemy number one when it comes to our skin so make sure you apply sunscreen before you leave the house, and apply every two hours on your face and body if you are outdoors. Go for a non-whitening fast absorbing formula that protects your skin from harmful UVA & UVB rays to help reduce the signs of premature skin ageing.
Restorative night treatment cream
Invest in a night cream and your skin will love you for it! During the night is the peak time for cell turnover and rejuvenation, so assist your skin by hydrating with a prescribed night cream for your skin type. Maximise your skin’s opportunity to reproduce healthy, buoyant cells during this precious renewal time.
Your teenage years are often challenged by problematic skin. During puberty your body produces sebum, an oil that leads to blocked pores, blackheads, spots and an oily t-zone. There’s no better time than now to get your baseline simple skincare down to a fine art. A good skin care routine and the right products will repair skin damage, prevent major skin break outs and keep your skin in check. The steps you take now to understand your skin and establish a good routine will set you up for an amazing complexion decades into the future.
Now is a good time to set up a regular skincare and facial regime, although it shouldn’t be taking up too much of your morning or evening. Rather than focusing on what products you should be using, focus on how you’re treating your skin. You’re often drinking alcohol frequently in your 20s, getting too little sleep and eating an unbalanced diet, all of which can wreak havoc on your skin.
To combat the issues that can arise from these lifestyle choices, firstly concentrate on hydration. Remember to drink eight glasses (two litres) of water per day, especially after a night of drinking. Try to cut back on foods high in sugar and saturated fat, and catch up on sleep when required. As for your skincare routine, keep it simple. Cleanse and moisturise morning and evening, and always apply sunscreen to your face during the day.
You’re often not as active in your 30’s as your 20’s – a result of long hours, families and other commitments. But research has shown that exercise is crucial to maintaining good skin. Not only does it enhance your skin’s elasticity, it also helps keep your skin brighter. As your pores dilate during exercise, sweat expels trapped dirt and oil, leaving skin feeling fresher and cleaner.
It’s also really important to stay hydrated in your 30s, as your skin starts to produce less oil as a result of sebum production slowing down with age. Keep your skin hydrated and moisturised by continuing with eight glasses of water (in 250ml glasses) a day, and using a heavier moisturiser at night, and a lighter moisturiser during the day.
Keep up with wearing sunscreen, and cut back on sugar as much as possible. As your metabolism starts to slow down, it’s important to really think about what goes into your body as it’s not as easy to work off the effects in your 30s.
Alongside monthly facials, begin to use LED based therapies such as IPL – Intended pulsed light and Laser therapies to remove capillaries that are starting to weaken and boost collagen to keep your skin stimulated, smooth and minimise the effects of ageing.
By this stage it’s hard to avoid the signs of ageing, so embrace it. Try to cutback on using makeup, foundation and powder can settle into fine lines making you look much older. Barefaced skin can do wonders for your pores, so try to regularly embrace makeup-free days.
It’s at this stage that cell turnover starts to slow down, so to give your skin a boost, increase exfoliation and increase antioxidants in your diet. Incorporating the use of masks into your skincare regime will help accelerate cell turnover and even out skin tone.
In terms of increasing antioxidants in your diet, use organic plant-based oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, and almond oil for cooking food. Red and purple grapes, blueberries, nuts and fish are also examples of antioxidants which are all loaded with vitamins and essential fatty acids, and help keep your skin looking hydrated and youthful.
When it comes to taking care of your skin, some things never change. Moisturise, drink eight glasses of water (in 250ml glasses) a day and always wear sunscreen (even on a cloudy day). While other aspects of your skincare regime might change, keep the basics the same and your skin will remain hydrated and glowing, no matter your age.
Skin is enhanced by light based therapies such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Resurfx. Collagen will respond to all clinic treatments, microdermabrasion, peels, IPL and Laser Genesis Facial, a facial designed to dramatically increase collagen production and leave your skin noticeably smooth boosted and glowing.
The ageing processes that have started in our 40s continues into our 50s. You may not need to completely overhaul your skincare routine if you have taken care of your skin through your 30s and 40s, however, there are things you can be doing to achieve a smoother, more glowing look in your 50s.
By now menopause may increase visible signs of ageing in women as changing estrogen levels in our bodies may result in dry skin. Other hormonal changes from menopause include the skin’s ability to retain water as the oestrogen level drops. The further reduction of collagen will lead to a lack of firmness in the skin, particularly around the jawline and around the eyes.
If you have exposed yourself to sun throughout the years, particularly, without sun protection, this will start to become more obvious with the result of rough skin texture and sunspots. You can treat these with our laser treatments including IPL for skin rejuvenation, Laser Genesis for collagen production and M22 ResurFX Skin for skin resurfacing.
Your home skin care should include upping your moisturiser game by applying extra layers of moisturiser and incorporating a hydrating mask into your routine, and applying serums with Vitamin A and / or Vitamin C, as well as hyaluronic acid to boost moisture levels in your skin. Introducing a derma roller into your skincare routine will help soften and smooth dry, rough skin.
Nothing should hold you back from looking and feeling your very best so at Total Body Concept we allow our clients to buy now and save on their treatments. When you pre-purchase six treatments you will only pay for five, saving you 16.66%! This is an affordable way to maintain the appearance and health of your skin.
Our Gift Cards, for that special person in your life, are available for any of our listed treatments and packages or for a dollar amount. Gift Cards can be purchased and printed online. They can also be purchased by visiting the clinic or over the telephone using your credit card.
