It’s an action-packed week in Sydney with the Afterpay Fashion Week on now and there’s lots of events and shows to enjoy; so what are your top tips to ensure you look after your skin?
Education and empowering people to make informed decisions about their skin is my number one passion. Active skincare is no longer reserved for clinics only, as consumers are ingredient-savvy and demand products that deliver visible results. Australian-made cosmeceutical skincare really deserves time in the spotlight and both fashion and great skin work in perfect synergy to radiate self-confidence.
If you haven’t already started investing in essential vitamin-based serums, targeting your skin with active ingredients is as easy as A, B, C. From your twenties onwards, I advise using active lightweight serums that deliver an optimal concentration of vitamins to your skin that specifically targets skin conditions such as dehydration, wrinkles, redness, sensitivity, pigmentation, congestion, and blemishes. Anti-ageing is the number one skin concern of Australian women and our three key anti-ageing serums are Vitamin A, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin C.
A daily moisturiser is a must in your skincare regimen for keeping your skin hydrated and nourished. There are a number of different moisturisers on the market these days, but if there was one topical skincare product that can act as your insurance policy to prevent premature ageing and sun damage, it would be a moisturiser that includes zinc oxide as a broad-spectrum sunscreen. This is because the single most damaging element to human skin is UV light.
Synergie Skin ÜberZinc with 21% zinc oxide is an everyday facial moisturiser that will fight the harsh impact of solar and environmental damage. This formula will not only offer broad-spectrum UVA and UVB solar protection, it feels like a light, luxurious moisturiser and the non-comedogenic formula won’t clog your pores.
Would you recommend skin mask treatments?
Yes! If a mask is well formulated, it can turbocharge a good skincare routine. There are so many options for masks that it can be quite overwhelming to know which product is right for your skin. I would categorise masks based on your skin type or skin concerns.
For normal, dry, or winter-thirsty skin, I would recommend a hydrating mask with Vitamin B3, hyaluronic acid, and betaine. The Synergie Skin TriDration B mask is a hydration super booster that will deliver advanced hydration within just 5 minutes! I would suggest using this twice weekly and it’s a must-have party prep.
For ageing or dry skin, I would recommend a nurturing anti-ageing mask, like Synergie Skin MasquErase. This will nourish, repair, and smooth fine lines as well as stimulate collagen production while you sleep. I advise using this weekly, as this product will help hydrate and resurrect your skin from within!
For oily, acne-prone, or congested skin, I recommend a purifying mask with mineral clay, like Synergie Skin Detox anTiox mask. This mask will address congestion and leave your skin feeling clearer and purified. I suggest this be used weekly.
What are the do’s and don’ts of a good skincare routine?
I wish the only answer to great skin was great products, but they’re only part of the equation – albeit an essential one! There’s no single magic bullet for great skin. It really is about making good choices and moderation. Look at your day-to-day lifestyle, and try to adopt good habits.
Do
– Drink enough water (despite the myths, this includes tea, coffee and non-sugary sodas) – 2.1 – 2.6 litres per day is optimal
– Get enough quality sleep – even a couple of alcoholic drinks can affect your sleep
– Invest in good quality cosmeceuticals, starting with essential vitamin A/B/C serums
– Use mineral foundation with high levels of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
– Use sunscreen daily – EVEN IN WINTER!- Focus on eating ‘skin superfoods’ and fresh vegetables, at least 8-10 cups a day of a variety of colours. Try to minimise cooking time or eat them raw.
Don’t
– Eat too much sugar or processed food – try plant-based stevia instead. It has no negative impact on blood sugar levels and it’s natural
– Microbeads in exfoliants – these are used as cheap alternatives to effective mineral and plant-based exfoliants and play havoc with our marine ecosystem!
– As if smoking wasn’t bad enough, apart from all the health concerns we know about, tobacco smoke has a direct impact on skin ageing, sagging and wrinkles because it stimulates the skin enzyme matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-1), which destroys our precious collagen. It also slows down the ability of our clever fibroblast cells to make collagen and totally disrupts the healing cycle.
Describe the products you would use for a daily cleanse?
The optimal pH for any water-based cleanser is around 5.6 (slightly acidic). This is the natural pH of skin, so irritation is minimised and the normal acid mantle is maintained. A good facial cleanser must be mild and not disrupt the natural barrier function of the skin. Water-based cleansers, such as Synergie Skin’s UltraCleanse, are ideal for virtually every skin type including normal, combination and acne-prone skin.
How important is it to keep your skin well hydrated?
Water is the most important molecule for the human body and our skin is no exception. The outermost protective layer of our skin is called the stratum corneum (SC) and minimising the loss of water from this layer is vital. Keeping up the water levels in our SC depends on both our skin’s own natural moisturising factors and the oil molecules between the dead cells in the SC. Some of these plentiful oils in the spaces between our dead skin cells are called ceramides. These magic molecules act like a natural raincoat, preventing water loss and keeping our barrier strong. Low or altered ceramides have been linked to eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and other diseases when the barrier is compromised. Vitamin B3 is fantastic at increasing our natural ceramide levels.
In addition, these oil molecules form a mini army to stop water escaping (referred to as transepidermal water loss – TEWL). That dry flaky skin we see when we’ve spent too long on a plane or in a dry environment is a result of too much TEWL. If the water levels in our skin aren’t just right, then this magic barrier can’t work properly and this affects our skin’s natural ability to hold water, shed dead cells and have new cells replace the old ones.
Daily moisturiser is essential to your skincare regimen, and keeping your skin hydrated and nourished with Clean Science serums and moisturisers can fight the harsh effects that the sun and the environment have on our skin.
Apart from a good skincare routine, what are the essential elements you need to do to be kind to your skin?
1/ Avoid sugar. When you consume too much sugar, it becomes attached to the collagen in your skin, which develops into a process called ‘glycation’. Glycation leads to stiff, inflexible skin. If you lose the elasticity and flexibility in your skin, your wrinkles become deep, which increases the ageing process rapidly. It is also known that the older you are, the less sugar your skin can tolerate. If you are 45 years of age or older, your daily sugar intake should not exceed 160 calories per day – that’s approximately 10 teaspoons. To work out the sugar intake in your foods, divide the nutritional value in grams of sugar (on your product’s packaging) by 4. This converts the nutritional value to teaspoons, so if the packaging says 12g of sugar, that’s 3 teaspoons.
Remember to eat plenty of fresh veggies, small and regular portions of protein and keep an eye on your insulin and blood sugar levels. If you cut down your sugar intake, you will notice your skin becoming firmer and less dry in just a few weeks. Chromium supplements from your health food store will help to regulate blood sugar levels. Try products with Erythritol, Xylitol and Stevia. These are natural sweeteners that do not have the toxic effects of glucose and fructose sugar.
2/ Drink plenty of sugar free fluids. This will keep your skin plump and help to remove toxic waste products from the body.
3/ Of course, always remember your sun protection daily. A healthy diet is important for great skin, but sun protection is vital.
Can you share your favourite designers and the events you are most looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to seeing the new up-and-coming Aussie designers. Synergie Skin is proud to be going backstage for Karla Špetić and all their models will be walking the runway with fresh Synergie Skin faces. In addition, we are partnering with several other headliner and runway shows including Bondi Born, and Albus Lumen. It has been an amazing experience and I am so proud to be an Australian skincare brand supporting Australian fashion.
