By cleansing at dawn’s first light…who am I kidding, it’s more like after you’ve pressed the snooze button for the 5th time!! Cleansing in the morning is important because you’ve had all night to rest and restore your skin in your sleep. The application of overnight products gets the anti-aging work done for you. It’s like the bonus round in Super Mario Brothers… Can you tell I have kids who game??!! By cleansing in the am, you will remove any purging that has occurred overnight. All treatment products will have absorbed the best they can and residual products will get washed away, creating a clean canvas for your makeup the next day. Antioxidants will provide your skin protection from environmental aggressors and put a pause on free radical damage. Completing your regimen with a layer of sunscreen is the best finishing touch your skin could ask for.
An evening routine is just as important.
Removing any makeup or sunscreen worn all day. That also means any environmental exposure you’ve had such as air pollution from cars while walking outside, second hand smoke, and even forest fires. Cleansing the skin before bed will rid the skin of any impurities that have been collected from the day and applying pm products will replenish and repair your skin. Like watering your plants on a regular basis, Skin needs daily care too. An evening routine should be different from your morning one. This is when you get to use the more intense product like retinols or sleeping masks. I think that’s what “getting your beauty rest” truly means.
Some of my favourite must haves for morning and night are:
A Vitamin C Serum with Sunscreen during the day and a Retinol at night. Pro Health Serum Advance+ by iS Clinical is a great Vitamin C product that treats redness, which is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I’ve been on this product now for about 4 years and I’ve seen a huge reduction in redness and clarity. This mix of antioxidants and skin brightening ingredients have been my saving grace! It contains 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, which is a stable form of Vitamin C. The magic in this product is that it’s on a little timer, that once delivered to the lower levels of the dermis it explodes with antioxidant protection! Shielding each cell and keeps them protected from environmental aggressors. The bonus too of this product is it also has a tiny bit of Retinol (safe for day use of course) to improve collagen synthesis and promotes wound healing. So, for all those pimple poppers, watch out, because Pro Health Serum Advance+ can help heal up and fade those little pigmented scars.
My next day time must have is sunscreen. Eclipse SPF 50+ by iS Clinical is specially formulated for daily use and provides broad spectrum protection (available in a tinted one too, woot woot!). Containing physical sunscreens, both transparent titanium dioxide and micronized zinc oxide, which are great physical sunscreens that deflect UV light. This allows for a more blendable application, as these mineral sunscreens are milled so powder fine that it just glides across the skin like buttah. This means on sweaty days you could probably use this on its own, (cue gates of Heaven music for those who love 3 step skin routines). So no more thick and greasy feeling! Yay!! Today’s formulations in skincare have advanced so much that the complaint of products feeling too heavy has become a thing of the past.
Retinol at night is a must do, even when I’m so tired and don’t feel like washing my face, step. I think of Retinol as my night time slougher. Don’t confuse this with an exfoliant but it will help increase cell turnover which results in a smoother texture in the morning. While resting, your skin has time to regenerate and when awesome products are applied then it’s even better! I usually recommend the Retinol range by Rejudicare Synergy. It comes in 3 levels and you can choose to bump up to the next level (after you’ve completed at least 2 rounds of the same) depending on the time of year. The nice thing about percentages in Retinol is you can choose to stay on one level in the summer and maybe a higher one in the winter or alternatively, stay low in the summer to maintain skin and then hit it hard and fast in the fall when there is less sun exposure. I personally think Vancouver has the best weather for skin repair routines!
These days medical grade skincare are so complimentary and can be used in conjunction with other lines (unless you’re on a treatment kit) that you can cherry pick to your heart’s content. Sticking solely to one line isn’t always the case anymore. Remember it’s quality not quantity. Formulations are improving now and with today’s science and research, “skin paring” is all about what smells and textures you prefer. We want you to like what you use and treat as an investment in your skin. If you don’t love it, you won’t use it. Like the age old tagline by L’Oreal always says, “because you’re worth it”.
Click here to take a look at our online store.