How To Detox Your Skin After Fashion Week
Photo © Camille Hurel via Instagram
We have just had fashion week in New York, London, Milan and Paris - that’s a month of shows! What are the most common problems?
Overindulgences can leave skin fatigued and dehydrated which causes the skin to look dull. What goes into your body shows up in the skin, and the colder weather and lack of sunlight at this time of year means that there can be a lack of oxygen going into the blood and tissues (a similar effect to what exercise does for the body), so skin be sluggish and appear more tired.
There is not very much sun in winter time, does that make it harder for skin to stay healthy?
Yes it can do. Vitamin D is primarily produced by your skin when exposed to sunlight and is essential to maintaining a healthy body, including the promotion of strong bones and a healthy immune system. A lack of Vitamin D can also aggravate skin disorders, such as psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections of the skin. People should assess their skincare routine at this time of year to allow for winter’s drying effects. Swap your cleanser for a cream or oil, use a good moisturiser, use a creamy healing mask once a week and be sure to clear skin of dead cells by exfoliating regularly.
Photo © Vittoria Ceretti via Instagram
Apart from products, what else can people do to help their skin look its best?
An inside out approach to skincare can help get it back on track. Light exercise will help boost circulation, drinking plenty of water to flush out toxins and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and foods high in anti-oxidants is recommended. Drinking two cups a day of detox tea will also accelerate the elimination of water and toxins from the body which in turn will promote healthy skin.
How long does the skin take to rejuvenate?
It depends on what you do to help your skin heal itself. Getting lots of sleep (8 hours is ideal), cutting back on alcohol and refined sugar and staying hydrated will help the skin get its glow back. While we’re sleeping the skin is renewing itself, so we recommend our Polyphenol C15 Overnight Detox Oil, a dry oil which helps to renew and protect overtired skin while you sleep. It has a cocktail of 5 essential oils and 3 vegetal oils, which promotes cellular renewal and toxin elimination. You should start to see results in the skin quite quickly.
What treatments would you recommend?
It depends on the skin type, but generally at this time of year you need to drink plenty of water to flush out toxins, slough away dull skin with a good exfoliator and use a moisturiser rich in anti-oxidants. We have a facial treatment at our urban spa in Covent Garden which is great for putting the zing back into skin. The Polyphenol C15 Detox facial features our two star ingredients: grape-seed Polyphenols and Vitamin C. We use a jade facial roller in this facial which is used in Chinese Medicine to increase blood flow and aidlymphatic drainage, to give skin a radiant dewy effect.
What is the best way to look after skin when you are in your late teens and early twenties?
At a young age it is all about prevention. Antioxidants like vitamin C can help to prevent the breakdown in collagen over time that causes wrinkles. We have a great skincare range, Polyphenol C15, which is full of anti-oxidants & Vitamin C, which is a great way to protect skin against external elements that cause ageing. The most important thing you can do to prevent premature ageing is to use a sunscreen every day. Even during the winter months skin needs protecting from ultraviolet rays, and from pollution. Also as the eye area tends to be the first part of the face to show the signs of ageing and gets a lot of wear and tear, I would recommend investing in an eye cream.