Delicious Mocktails Your Skin Will Love

Don’t forget to shower your skin with love this Thanksgiving. Because it deserves your thanks just as much as the other fabulous stuff in your life.

We don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is officially our favorite holiday. Time with family? Check. A day off work? Check. A great excuse to overindulge? Check. Most importantly it’s a time to reflect on the year and give thanks to everything you’re grateful for. Well, we bet that when you’re coming up with the list of things you appreciate, your skin’s not one of them.

And what a mistake that is.

Your skin is one of the most important parts of your body. You have around 21 square feet of the stuff and it’s not just there to plague you with lines, wrinkles, pimples and dark spots. It helps regulate your body temperature, prevents moisture loss and provides an essential barrier against injury, infection, trauma, disease and everything else the world likes to throw at you. So, give it a break already.

We understand it’s oh-so-easy to dislike your skin and complain about the bad stuff, but here’s the thing: you’re the only one who notices your so-called ‘flaws.’ Who else gets close enough to notice that tiny line between your brows? No. One. In fact, they’re way too busy coveting whatever it is about your skin they think they don’t have. Human nature. It’s a crazy thing.

Face it: your skin is pretty darn amazing. Every line, crease and freckle is a reminder of the roads you’ve travelled to get to this point in your life. And we think it’s time to celebrate that by showing your skin you care. Here’s how…

1. Be Positive About The Good Stuff

More importantly, don’t sweat the bad stuff. Sure, you might have a small acne scar on your cheek and yes, the skin around your eyes is nowhere near as smooth as it once was. But that’s just fine. So, instead of seeing only these things when you look in the mirror, smile at your reflection and be conscious of all the awesome features your skin has to offer. Maybe it’s looking particularly glowy today. And OK, you might have crow’s feet but what about that kick-ass smooth forehead of yours? Dang, you’re gorgeous.

Being positive will not only make you feel better, but it’ll immediately make you look happier, healthier and radiant. And showing gratitude has been proven to reduce cortisol levels in your body which will help balance and de-stress your skin. Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress hormone,’ you see. So, there’s that.

2. Shower Your Skin With Kindness

Treating your skin with a gentle, effective skincare routine is actually fairly simple. The motto is: less is more. Pare back the number of products you use (no, you don’t need 10 lotions, potions, essences and oils) and steer clear of nasty chemicals like parabens, sulphates, and phthalates which can upset the balance of your skin’s barrier function and exacerbate dryness, irritation and redness.

Start as you mean to go on with a super gentle cleansing routine using Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser and lukewarm – never hot – water. Hot water strips away the protective layer on your skin’s surface, sucking dry all those natural lipids and moisture that help keep your skin hydrated and healthy. After cleansing for a minute or so, rinse thoroughly and gently pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Vigorous rubbing is a major no-no.

The rest of your regime should consist of just three or four more products to work on your concerns and beautify your complexion. Of course, moisturizer and sunscreen are musts, but anything further is up to you. Our go-tos would be an antioxidant serum like Niacinamide Facial Serum plus an eye treatment like Peptide Eye Gel, but the choice is yours.

3. Try To Manage Stress

There’s no doubt life has been more stressful than ever these past few years, and this can take a real toll on your skin. Stress plays havoc with your sleep (more on that in a minute) and causes your body to produce higher levels of cortisol which encourages inflammation, depletes vital collagen and interferes with your skin’s healing process. Studies also show that stress compromises your barrier function making your complexion feel dry, dehydrated and exacerbating existing conditions like acne, psoriasis, rosacea and eczema.

Managing emotional stress is easier said than done, but small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Meditation, for example, is an extremely effective way to relax your body and mind; even some simple breathing exercises are great for clearing your head and lowering your levels of stress. Our friends at the Mayo Clinic have some great breathing tips, right here.

Also, set aside half an hour (or more!) every day for a little me-time. Go for a walk, read a book, take a bath, whatever you need to do in order to take time out will be worth its weight in gold for your mental health.

Of course, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, never be afraid to ask for help from a qualified health professional.

4. Get Plenty Of Quality Sleep

When you miss out on valuable zzzs, your skin is one of the first things to suffer. How so? Because sleep is the most important time for your skin to heal and regenerate. When you turn in for the night blood flow increases, transporting oxygen and nutrients to the skin to help nourish and strengthen it. Simultaneously, cell turnover accelerates to bring fresh, healthy skin cells to the surface; collagen production revs up and your natural antioxidant system kicks up a gear to reduce unwanted damage from the slings and arrows of daily life.

Sleep could not be more important for the health of your skin. End of. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours every night for a healthy adult, so try to hit this sweet spot as much as possible. Your skin will thank you for it – especially if you cleanse thoroughly, then treat it before bed with Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to boost radiance and help your skin renew itself as you sleep.

5. Think About What You Eat

A balanced diet is important, you know that. But it’s not just essential for your health; it can play a vital role in the overall look and feel of your skin. A diet that’s packed with sugar, for example, will lead to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products in your skin. These damage a lot of important good proteins, causing them to stiffen and weaken. Oh, and they’re aptly named AGEs which speaks volumes.

Too much salt can also trigger dehydration, eczema flare-ups, acne breakouts and is a devil on eye bags. And don’t even get us started on fried food and refined carbs. Skin's mortal enemies, right there.

Anything in moderation is fine, for sure, but make sure you get way more good foods in your diet. The key is to ensure things like antioxidant-rich fresh fruit, veggies, beans, lean poultry, fish and nuts outweigh the bad stuff. 

Now smile, relax and enjoy your skin. And it will do the same.

A brand new year means it’s out with the old and in with the new. Skin that is. 

‘New’ skin might sound like a fantasy, but there’s actually some truth in the idea of new and old skin… and yes, you can absolutely enhance your newest skin cells while nudging the old ones to politely get out of town.

Here’s the thing about your skin – it’s regularly exposed to the slings and arrows of the environment which means it needs to constantly regenerate to ensure it functions to the best of its ability. And its functions are vital. Among other things on its huge resumé are things like regulating your body’s internal temperature, protecting your internal organs, preventing serious injury and shielding you from harmful things like extreme temperature, toxins and nasty germs. No biggie, right? Ha, au contraire. Without your skin, you would literally cease to exist. End of.

So, What Does Skin Regeneration Mean?

Well, it’s pretty simple. Skin cells are created… and then they die, becoming nothing but dust on your baseboards. You actually lose between 30,000 and 40,000 skin cells every minute (*immediately vacuums entire house from top to bottom). Yes, this means skin cell regeneration is a massive operation.

The science is as follows. Your skin is comprised of three main layers. Starting at the base you’ve got the hypodermis (AKA the subcutaneous layer) which consists mainly of fatty tissue and attaches your skin to the muscles and tissues below to provide essential insulation and cushioning. Then, you have the dermis which is where all the action takes place. Collagen and elastin fibres are produced in the dermis, alongside your sebaceous glands, blood vessels, hair follicles, nerve ending and sweat glands.

Finally, on the surface is the protective but paper-thin epidermis. This is the bit you see and it gives your skin its color while keeping water in and toxins out.

It’s here at the epidermis that your visible skin cells are created and get slowly pushed to the surface as they get harder, flatter and drier. Once they arrive at the uppermost layer – the stratum corneum if you want to get fancy – these cells die, shed and are immediately replaced by new skin cells going through the exact same process right behind them. This cycle takes between around four or five weeks in an average, middle-aged adult.

What Happens To The Life Cycle Of Your Skin As You Age?

One guess: it slows down. Big surprise, right? While the average life cycle of a skin cell is around 28 days during your 30s, once you get past 40 and into your 50s it slows down to around 50-60 days. It can even last as long as 90 days after the age of 60 which is why your skin becomes less bright, fresh, soft and supple as you age. For the most part, your genes determine the life cycle of your own personal skin cells, but things like sun damage, pollution, a poor diet, stress and a cruddy skincare routine will also have a big impact on the rate at which your skin turns over.

And this is where you come in…

3 Of The Best Ways To Embrace Your Newest Skin

Leaving your skin’s natural turnover process to its own devices can spell disaster for the look and feel of your complexion. For one thing, the accumulation of dead skin cells can block your pores and cause breakouts galore. And then there’s the dryness, dehydration and flakiness that come hand in hand with sluggish skin. Oh, and did we mention that allowing dead skin cells to hang around longer than they’re welcome may stop your serum and moisturizer from penetrating your skin, meaning they won’t be able to work to the best of their abilities. Un. Cool.

Here, we round up three tried and trusted ways to boost the turnover of your skin and therefore embrace your best, glowiest (made-up word, right there?), newest skin ever. Happy 2022, everyone!

1. Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliating your skin with a facial scrub, mitt or cleansing brush is a great way to wake up tired, sluggish skin and boost cell turnover. How so? Because it physically sloughs away any dead skin cells that are holding on to the surface for dear life. It’s as simple as that. Of course, physical exfoliation doesn’t come without its problems. Mainly that some people do it a) too often and b) too aggressively. The key is to go gently; avoid products that contain sharp particles like ground fruit pits or crushed nutshells, and only ever exfoliate once, maybe twice a week.

Work on damp skin and use light strokes and circular motions as you exfoliate for 30 seconds or so. Honestly, that’s really all you should need to keep your cells turning over efficiently.

2. Apply Serums That Naturally Boost Cell Turnover

Face scrubs and physical exfoliators aren’t the only way to reveal new, fresh skin: exfoliating acids also get the job done nicely – and they require no effort on your behalf as an added bonus.

Chemicals exfoliators include ingredients like glycolic, lactic, citric and salicylic acid. Often found in treatment serums, they work by breaking down the bonds that glue dead skin cells together, allowing them to naturally shed without you having to scrub them away. We’re huge fans of exfoliating acids as they offer all the benefits of physical exfoliation, but often with less damage to the surface of your skin – as long as you don’t go overboard, of course.

To ensure you don’t smother your skin with too many acids at once, try one of our carefully curated exfoliating products such as the glycolic acid-infused Ocean Minerals Super Toner or Vitamin C Super Serum+.

3. Don’t Forget Your Retinol

Retinol is another powerhouse skincare ingredient that has an exfoliating effect on the surface of your skin. While it doesn’t slough away skin cells or exfoliate in the same way as scrubs or hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs), retinol works by ‘communicating’ with your skin cells, boosting collagen production and encouraging your skin to turn over at a more efficient rate.

Again, if you’re looking to boost your skin’s ‘newness,’ retinol is an awesome choice, but don’t go crazy with it. Retinol is a potent ingredient and should only be used if you’ve patch tested it first, and experienced no unwanted, lasting irritations. And if you’re super sensitive, don’t go scrubbing your face, then applying glycolic acid and retinol all at once. This will do nothing but over-stimulate your skin and break down your important protective barrier which can cause real problems like inflammation, redness, itching, even flare-ups in pre-existing conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. Go slowly with retinol, applying it just once or twice a week to start with, then building to nightly as your skin acclimates.

The moral of the story is that yes, you want to embrace and enhance your new skin. But be kind as you do so. Or you might, actually you will, regret it.