The Feel Good series
Increased confidence, self-care, and mindfulness? Yes please! Our ‘feel good’ blog series is about caring for skin beyond the creams and serums – its about all the other things you can do in your life to improve your skin health, your mental health and your overall sense of well-being, to complement whatever skincare regime you’re investing in and goals you have set for yourself.
Fake flawlessness
The last few years have been really confusing when it comes to beauty standards.
On the one hand, we’ve seen social movements pop up that tell us no matter what size, shape, age or colour we are, we’re beautiful, and we should celebrate that .
This message has been championed by entertainment giants like Lizzo and Taylor Swift, and backed up by calls from global personalities and commentators.
But…
At the same time, we’ve also been inundated with the rise of the influencer – and all the flawless filters that come with them.
We’ve continued to see TV ads featuring mature women appearing decades younger than they are, and we’ve been confounded by the magic of contouring and fake lashes that have left whole populations of women looking the same.
We’ve been pressured to be perfect, to strive for a media-driven perception of beauty.
A personalised skincare mission
Just like our overall idea of beauty is unique to us, we also have our own concept of what ‘beautiful skin’ looks like as we age.For some people, beautiful aging skin is wrinkle-free, smooth and tight; for others, the goal is an even tone with no blemishes. Others welcome the fine lines around their eyes, seeing them as sign they’ve had a happy life, and instead, are focused on building that sensual softness.
For everyone, regardless of what category you fall into above – or if you have another vision entirely – skin health should be an important factor: that means skin that acts as the strong barrier that it should be (it has a job to do!), skin free from cancers or sun damage, and clean skin, unaffected by bad bacteria, among other things.
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Making your concept of ‘beautiful’ skin happen
Whether you’re younger and dealing with acne, reaching your 30s and starting to notice the tone of your skin change, or you’re older and trying to navigate maturing textures, achieving what you deem to be ‘beautiful skin’ is a journey – it doesn’t happen overnight.
To help get you started, our Re-Dox skincare experts have teamed up with everyday people, just like you, to bring you our four best tips for taking the first steps in your successful skincare journey:
Know what beauty means to you
The most important step is working out what you really want to achieve; what ‘beautiful skin’ means to you as you get older.
While some people might consider celebrities like Zendaya or Margo Robbie their #goals for skin, others might be looking at more mature goals like Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymore, Oprah or Jamie-Lee Curtis.
More likely, you’ve created your own picture, building in characteristics from outside of the media – you love how soft your friend’s skin is, or how even-toned another friend is, how few lines a colleague has around their mouth or eyes.
Are you looking to minimise wrinkles, or do you see them as a memento of your life’s stories? Do you want to get rid of your freckles, or do you agree with your partner, that they are cute and make you ‘you’.
If you don’t know what your destination is, it’s difficult to know which direction you should start walking!
Be realistic
The toughest part of planning any transformation – skin, fitness, diet – is making sure the goals you set out are achievable.With any skincare regime, different products achieve different results. For example, Vitamin C is great for brightening and dealing with hyperpigmentation, retinoids for wrinkles, and Niacinamide is useful for inflammation, pores and fine lines.
A big part of setting achievable goals is doing your research – and luckily, we can help with that (try out our other blog series to get started!
It’s about understanding those ingredients, how they work together, what time of day they work best (sometimes timing is a factor!), how your skin works, how long it takes to turn over and how long it takes products to become effective.
Did you know, research shows most women give up on a skincare product if they don’t see real results in two or three weeks? In actual fact, it takes about a month for skin cells to turn over, so any real results won’t kick in until at least then.
A little research can save a lot of money in abandoned products!
Find the right routine
Once you know what you want to achieve, what ingredients are going to have the most impact for you – and importantly, how they mix well together – you can start to create your routine with your trusted brand.
When exploring the products available, make sure ingredients and composition are evidence-based, there is enough of the active ingredient to be effective (not a little of the active and a lot of the fillers, and the source is quality.
As a bonus (or maybe a priority for you), check for the brand’s policy on sustainability.
Don’t let the products do all the work
Lastly, and this is what you will read more about in our ‘feel-good’ series; skincare products are just one part of really achieving the best skin you possibly can.
To start with, your diet can play a role in both how your skin feels and behaves now and how it ages, as can your approach to exercise and managing stress. Needless to say, your sun exposure can cause earlier, more rapid ageing, as can exposure to pollutants.
Looking after yourself to achieve truly beautiful and healthy skin requires a holistic approach, with each step a very important part of the overall outcome.
Ultimately, a positive approach to skincare – for many of us – means changing our mindset. Getting away from the influence of the media – the fake flawlessness that clouds our judgement – and taking a closer look at those ‘goal’ celebrities to see what’s actually skincare, verses what’s lifestyle, what’s cosmetic intervention, and what’s makeup and lighting.
Once we’re more informed, it’s easier for us to do exactly what we need to be doing – taking control of our perception of ‘beautiful skin’ so we can start our journey towards achieving it.
