The fall is the perfect time to reset your skin by correcting some of the damage caused by UV exposure over the summer. I am very careful about protecting my skin from the sun but it's almost impossible to get total protection. This is especially true when you want to make the most of that short season.
I did something especially risky this summer. I bought a cute little Mini Cooper that happens to be a convertible. I love it. Even though I might look a bit funny wearing tons of sunscreen and an enormously large brimmed hat, I still can't avoid all sun. It's just too much fun cruising around with the top town and listening to Sheryl Crow with the volume turned up. Oh, and I always keep a bottle of Gentle Screen SPF 30 in my car to apply to my hands and arms.
Now that the weather is changing a bit, I'm really up for a reset. Here's what I've chosen do for that. I do this special treatment for my skin morning and night.
At Night (3 nights a week)
After a double cleans to remove all my makeup and sunscreen, I apply Brighten Up to treat pigmented areas on my face. Brighten-Up is a special serum that is based on a generous portion of tranexamic acid. Tranexamic acid is a powerful ingredient that is my go to ingredient to brighten the skin and reduce dark spots. It interferes with melanin production by blocking the interaction between melanocytes and keratinocytes. It's even effective for melasma when used regularly. Brighten Up also contains other pigment inhibitors like Alpha Arbutin and Niacinamide.
But I don't depend on a simple application of this most incredible serum. My secret application method involves Nano Infusing the tranexamic acid into these areas of the skin.
Nano Infusion (some call Nano Needling) is somewhat like microneedling except, it doesn't actually use needles. Nano Infusion uses microscopic (smaller in diameter than a strand of hair) cones. These cones push the surface stratum corneum cells in the skin aside so that tranexamic acid and other ingredients can get deeper into the skin. There is no pain involved and it is especially effective for delivering ingredients to rejuvenate your skin as well as treat issues like lack of tone, uneven texture, excessive pigmentation and loss of elasticity.
Once I've Nano Infused in the Brighten Up on the pigmented areas of my face (this includes my cheek bones and around my lips) I then apply a layer of Level Up (retinaldehyde) to my whole face. This is a serum that contains .05% of Retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is a Vitamin A derivative that is more powerful than retinol and less irritating than Retinoic Acid (Tretinoin). If you have sensitive skin consider starting out with the milder version using Retinol. Level Up should feel comfortable on your skin. If you have very sensitive skin this might not be the right treatment for you. Nano Infusion can be done one to three times a week. If your skin feels comfortable with it you can use it on the same nights as you would normally use your Vitamin A product (Retinol Resurfacing or Level Up). I use it on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. After Nano Infusion your skin will continue to absorb optimal amounts of your favorite repair and hydrating ingredients for the next fifteen minutes. The serums I usually use include growth factors (Stem Stim) and peptides (Ageless). If you're sensitive you could choose a gentle, yet super hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid (Hydraessence) mixed with a calming formula (Zen Zone) based on soothing botanicals. If you're very dehydrated, mature and not terribly sensitive you might choose Drench which is a multi-level HA serum that hydrates into the deeper layers and can stimulate collagen. If you have sensitive skin make sure you are using a high molecular weight (HA) hyaluronic acid serum. This type of HA serum found in Hydraessence is anti-inflammatory which is perfect for sensitive, reactive skin.
Alway finish with a moisturizer that reflects your skin type. The drier you are the more emollient your moisturizer should be. Your moisturizer is needed to seal that HA serum into the skin. If it's a bit occlusive (Intensive Lipid Repair) you'll get the best moisturizing experience for very dry, mature skin.
In the Morning (5 mornings a week)
So, the night time treatments I do are wonderful for skin brightening and boosting cellular repair from environmental damage. This creates a smoother, more even skin. But, as a mature woman, even though my skin is in good shape, I worry about the loss of tone in my face. Loose skin and loss of tone are attributable to more than just sun damage. The major contributors to this problem as we age are: the loss of fat, loss of bone and a loss of muscle mass. I've decided to really go after this problem.
Five mornings a week, I start off by cleansing with a non-drying, skin energizing milky cleanser. I use Refresh and cold water (to stimulate autophagy). I follow that up with a super-humectant rich toner (Rainwater Moisture Mist).
Using a mask brush I apply the absolute best, most hydrating - energy conducting toning gel available, all over my face and neck. It's called Moisture Surge. If you're looking for a conducting gel that leaves your skin exceptionally soft, plump and hydrated (but is not sticky) this is it!
Then I do a ten minute microcurrent treatment, 5 mornings a week, to exercise the muscles of my face. Sometimes I only have five minutes, sometimes I splurge and do the whole 15 minutes. The machine I feel works best for at home use is the Myolift Qt+. This is a very cool device. In the first place, it tones the muscles. This makes the muscles bulkier which in turn plumps up the skin and gives your face better contours. It also has something more than most other microcurrent devices. It has a relax mode. This mode relaxes muscles in areas where there are lines created from overly tight muscle fibers in that area. This works well around your eyes and mouth. (When I'm short on time I skip the muscle relaxing portion because I'm more concerned with sagging.) There is a little learning curve for this device. You'll have to read the instructions and connect it to an app on your phone. It comes with it's own toner and conducting gel. I store those away and only use them when I'm traveling. By the way, it also comes with supplemental microcurrent masks for the lines around your eyes and mouth. While they're great to have I don't usually use them because of the lack of time.
Just like when you exercise other muscles in your body you have to make sure you keep up with this routine to get results. But I'm ready to make that commitment. Are you?
Elizabeth believes in "Longevity Skincare", the idea that beautiful skin can endure throughout one's lifetime when utilizing the best that science and nature has to offer. LONGEVITY is a science - based skincare line that appreciates skin of all ages. LONGEVITY by Elizabeth Renee provides hydration, nutrition and protection from environmental aging. Your skin will receive high performance ingredients to help energize and repair its cells, resulting in a healthy skin with an enduring, vital glow.
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