So many of our clients ask how they can look after their skin so that they can get that lusted-after natural glow and radiance. With autumn here and winter approaching, now is the perfect time to make sure your autumn skincare is ready for the colder seasons! Of course, we will do our best to help you get results at CK Skin Clinic but ultimately, as with so many other things, the real work starts at home. If you’re not looking after yourself properly in all areas, then you won’t achieve the best results in your skincare (even with the best of skincare routines and help from us!)
So here’s our handy how-to for getting that gorgeous glow this autumn!
Sleep 7/8 hours a night
A good night’s sleep is vital for so many aspects of our health and skin is no exception. During sleep, your body cleverly restores and regenerates skin cells so if you’re not sleeping properly, your skin can’t rest and regenerate either! Whilst you’re thinking about night-time, why not make sure you have a night-time skin routine that best serves your skin too? Autumn is a great time to update your skincare at night by increasing the strength of your retinol, or if you haven’t used it before, now is the perfect time to start using a retinol/eye serum with retinol. Why is it such a great time of year to get started? Well, with the darker mornings and evenings and generally less sunshine hours, there are also less intense UV rays than in summer so you can go, go, go with active skincare ingredients in your autumn skincare.
Drink Water
Getting enough water is one of, if not the most important thing to remember when considering your skin health. Drink up to 3 litres per day for women, but more if you’re in training or if you’re a male. As well as helping with normal body function, drinking enough water has been shown to aid wound healing! This is what treatments like microneedling mimic, so better hydration means better results. In terms of skin treatments at CK Skin Clinic, if you’re having things like microneedling, peels or a HydraFacial your results will be much better if you’re drinking enough.
What’s more is that by being more hydrated on the inside, it will show as more hydrated on the outside. Drinking your 3 litres of water a day will help with wrinkles, fine lines, ageing, dull or saggy skin. If you’re still struggling despite being hydrated, you can add some of other favourite products into your skincare routine to help. Things like hydrating serums (Ultimate Boost serum, HydraDew Moisturiser) will really help get more moisture into your skin but ultimately if you’re not drinking enough water than your skin will still not be the best that it can be! The best thing about drinking water? It’s a quick, easy, free way to see results and improve your fine lines, wrinkles, glowing and radiance in your skin.
Walk More
Getting in regular exercise is a great way to look after your mind and body. It doesn’t have to be regular gym sessions or 6am spin classes either (unless that’s your style!) Doing more exercise could be as simple as taking a walk during your lunch break or taking the kids for a walk through the autumn leaves! Exercise is great for your mind, especially when you’re listening to what your body needs. What’s more, regular exercise also helps with wound healing. Better healthy lifestyle means better results from your treatments too.
Eat a Healthy Balanced Diet
Drinking enough water? Great! Now it’s time to make sure you’re eating a balanced diet to help your autumn skincare as well! Just as being adequately hydrated looks after you on the inside, eating a healthy diet will help you feel better on the inside and get the best results on the outside too. If you want to take it one step further, you can also eat specific superfoods to boost your skin health. Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are rich in Omega-3 help keep your skin thick, supple and moisturised. Omega-3 also helps your inflammatory system which in turn helps your skincare too! If you love a bit of “smashed av” at the weekends, then that’s good for your skin too! Avocados are a good source of Vitamin E which is an important antioxidant and will help protect your skin. Vitamin E works best with Vitamin C (also essential for great skin!) so make sure you pack in the oranges, orange peppers and spinach. Certain nuts have also been found to be particularly good for your skin. Walnuts, for example, are a good source of Zinc which helps with wound-healing, Omega-3 and Omega-6, Vitamin E and selenium too! The same is true for sunflower seeds! To read more about foods which help your skin, why not read this article?
Decorate Pumpkins
Ok, so decorating pumpkins itself might not be the answer but having a bit of fun is an easy way to make sure you get some down-time! Take time away from screens as studies have shown that blue light can lead to skin changes and potentially speed up the ageing process. Doing something mindful, like colouring (or decorating pumpkins!) can help you relax. Rest is good for your whole immune system which in turn is linked to the inflammatory system which helps your skin health.
Add a Hydrating Serum & Thicker Moisturiser to Your Autumn Skincare Routine
Choosing the right products for the season you’re in is also a great way to help get the best out of your skincare routine. As we approach the harsher, colder (and windier) days then make sure you opt for a thicker, richer moisturiser and a moisturising serum to help protect your face and give it the extra nourishment it deserves. At CK Skin Clinic, one of our favourite products is the Alumier MD Ultimate Boost serum, or if you’re really looking to increase your moisture levels, then try the A.G.E.TM serum. Moisturiser wise – HydraRich is our favourite! The Alumier MD product was new to the UK market last year and includes prebiotics which feed your skin and rebalance tired, stressed skin. For those of you who switched to a summer moisturiser, now is the time to switch back to HydraRich! It’s really great for those days where the cold bites at your nose. You could even start to use Alumier MD Aqua Infusion – a weekly at-home mask treatment which is sure to leave you feeling nourished and refreshed this autumn!
Last but by no means least – don’t forget your SPF this autumn and winter! It is still really important, even at this time of year, because UVA and UVB rays which break down collagen and damage your skin still exist! This process also dehydrates your skin so you need to add SPF to get the most out of your skincare! Make sure you apply it every day as the last step of your morning skincare routine and reapply every 2-3 hours. If you’re unsure of which SPF to use, feel free to contact me via email or Instagram. We’re also excited to now have matte SPF in stock – it’s tinted and comes in three shades. Let me know if you want to pop in to clinic and try it out! All of the Alumier MD products can be purchased through me or by clicking this link.
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