While we’re not quite ready to peel the flannelette sheets off our beds just yet, there’s no denying spring is in the air. Saying goodbye to the freezing conditions of a Canberra winter is amazing, but we also want to say goodbye to the havoc that the ultra-dry air has done to our skin.
In anticipation of warmer, longer days and actually going outside after 7pm, we’re focused on getting our skin into tip-top condition. Read: radiant glow, dewy hue, bright and clear. Goal set!
In order to start the new season off right, we enlisted the help of an expert in dermal science: Cara Ho from The Clinic Skin Health at Barton’s Hale Spa, in the Brassey Hotel. Cara is all about building a great complexion from the inside out – a topic close to our (dermis?) heart.
We chatted with Cara about how to get our skin prepped and ready for spring. Here’s her glowing advice.
Invest in a tyrosinase inhibitor
During the warmer months, our increased sun exposure, and the general increase in temperate, stimulates our melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), which results more pigmentation. Basically, they are on overdrive! It’s our bodies natural defence mechanism to protect the skin. Unfortunately, pigmentation on our skin (especially our face) for most is not a welcomed resident.
To regulate the pigment being produced, I recommend a tyrosinase inhibitor. Otherwise you’ll spend the next winter trying to get rid of all the pigment from this summer.
Get religious about SPF
Focusing on prevention, rather than a cure, is the cheapest, most-effective form of age management for your skin.
The key is to look for a physical sunscreen, rather than a chemical one. The difference is with chemical sunscreens, the skin actually absorbs the UV, then turns it into heat before it’s removed from the skin. This isn’t the ideal as the UV rays have entered the skin. A physical sunscreen creates a physical barrier between you and the sun, deflecting UV rays away from the skin.
However, the consistency of physical sunscreens won’t suit all skin types, in which case a chemical sunscreen is best.
Cara recommends...
For a physical sunscreen, try Lycoygel Breathable Tint SPF 30 and Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear SPF 30+ UVA UVB, and for a chemical sunscreen option: Aspect Envirostat 50+.
Use a hydration serum
During summer we’re outdoors a lot more, and sun, surf and swimming pools generally makes our skin ‘water dry’. To stop skin dehydration, use a lightweight Hyaluronic Acid serum to lock water into the skin. Remember: dry skin is ageing skin.
Another option is to carry a hydration mist in your handbag to spritz your skin throughout the day.
