Less is more for skin care                                                                                                                                                                        

We want to do the best for our skin but with so many products on the market along with beauty tips on the best skin care routine to follow, it can be quite overwhelming.  It’s good to stop and think about what we are putting on our skin and ask, “is this really necessary?” because, we don’t want to burden our skin with too many ingredients. Keeping things simple is the best approach. The idea that ‘less is more’ is a good guide to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining skin health.

So, we ask ourselves, “how many steps are required in a skincare routine?”  Well, if we keep in mind that skin has its own cleansing and protective mechanism, then keeping things simple is the way to go. Our body produces the nutrients and protective barrier that the skin needs. It also rejuvenates itself through desquamation (shedding of dead skin cells).  This is a natural cycle that takes place approximately every 30 days. The upper layer of skin is shed and new skin is revealed. With such complex mechanisms, it’s like our skin is magical!

The last thing we want is to do anything that will cause our skin to be ‘out of whack’. Over cleansing can cause depletion of nutrients and may result in the skin becoming dry and irritated, thus disrupting skin health.  If we lived in an ideal world we wouldn’t need to do much to our skin because it would take care of itself.  Unfortunately we have to contend with the elements of the environment. Pollution can be harsh on skin. This includes removal of the skin’s protective layer, clogging of pores, irritation and dryness.

In particular the seasons can greatly affect skin health. In winter time our skin becomes very dry due to dry air and low humidity levels. This causes skin to become dry, irritated and scaly. In summer we are subjected to damaging UV rays that can lead to leathery skin, sun spots, wrinkles and the dreaded skin cancer. Unfortunately our body can’t repair all of this damage. It’s therefore important that our skincare routine addresses these elements so that we can maximise on skin health.

Stay tuned for recommendations on simple approaches to maintain or attain skin health through routines and products that don’t add to skin ‘stress’.