Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty #73
Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty is the definitive consumer guide to aesthetic enhancement in Australia.
Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty is the definitive consumer guide to aesthetic enhancement in Australia.
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Why you should<br />
know your skin type<br />
In a nutshell, if you don’t know your skin type, you may wind<br />
up using the wrong skincare products for your skin. Caring<br />
for the wrong skin type can aggravate existing conditions,<br />
or even cause new ones.<br />
‘Knowing one’s skin type is most important for<br />
establishing and maintaining skin health,’ says Dr Baumann.<br />
‘That’s really the first goal. From there, knowing your skin<br />
type – and the ideal ingredients for it – helps prevent wasting<br />
money on the wrong products, wasting time waiting for<br />
results that won’t happen and, the worst-case scenario,<br />
harming the skin.’<br />
‘Most people are not equipped to self-diagnose their<br />
skin type, particularly when it involves multiple concerns. In<br />
this case, it is recommended to seek advice from a qualified<br />
skin professional,’ says Vinson.<br />
Determining your skin type can be confusing, and<br />
most people misdiagnose themselves. Instead of trying<br />
to pinpoint the traditional skin type categories, think of<br />
your skin as a hybrid of categories. It is also important to<br />
remember that your skin type can change due to variances<br />
like environment, lifestyle and age.<br />
‘Nowadays there are excellent diagnostic tools available<br />
in clinics such as electronic facial scanners, which are<br />
able to identify skin concerns that are not always visible to<br />
the naked eye such as deep pigmentation, fine lines and<br />
high blood flow close to the skin’s surface which can result<br />
in redness,’ explains Vinson.<br />
How to care for<br />
your skin type<br />
Today there is an abundance of beauty treatment options,<br />
which can be as much a curse as a blessing. Using<br />
the wrong products may trigger reactions such as<br />
redness and flaking, causing people to incorrectly label<br />
their skin as sensitive or dry. Dr Baumann highlights that<br />
your skin type does more than affect the recommended<br />
skincare and treatments; it dictates them.<br />
‘For example, a “sensitive” skin type won’t be able to<br />
tolerate a cleanser with glycolic acid but a “resistant” skin<br />
type could use the same cleanser with a sonic cleansing<br />
brush and apply a retinoid every night without a hint of<br />
redness or irritation. Other examples would be that “tight”<br />
skin types don’t need to waste money on anti-ageing<br />
products, and “pigmented” skin types need to be careful<br />
with in-office treatments such as lasers and peels,’ says<br />
Dr Baumann.<br />
‘In terms of treatments, sensitive skin types should<br />
avoid chemical peels (although low-level salycylic acid<br />
can be recommended for certain sensitive skin types),<br />
skin needling and any aggressive clinical treatment,’<br />
advises Vinson.<br />
‘Pigmented skin should also be cautious of highly<br />
irritating ingredients and strong chemical peels as this may<br />
result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). This<br />
risk can also be reduced by using tyrosinase inhibitors for<br />
two weeks prior to treatment as this will reduce the risk of<br />
PIH,’ she adds.<br />
As for diet and lifestyle, Dr Baumann believes that if<br />
you’re prone to acne you should minimise your intake of<br />
dairy. ‘I also tell my patients to avoid sugar (as well as refined<br />
carbohydrates), especially if they are concerned about<br />
visible signs of ageing, since research has established that<br />
high blood sugar levels may damage the skin’s supportive<br />
collagen and elastin,’ she says.<br />
Oily skin types should avoid ingredients containing<br />
comedogenic oils and waxes such as coconut oil, as this<br />
will cause blockage of the pores. It is also recommended<br />
to avoid certain algae extracts as these can also<br />
be comedogenic.<br />
‘It is also not well publicised that SLS (sodium lauryl<br />
sulfate), the most commonly used foaming agent in facial<br />
cleansers, is highly comedogenic. Reach for cleansers<br />
that use naturally derived foaming agents instead. It is<br />
also wise for oily skins to avoid rich facial salon treatments<br />
as this can also cause skin congestion,’ Vinson says.<br />
To check for sensitivity and avoid skin reactions, always<br />
perform a patch test on the side of your neck when<br />
trying new products over a one-week period. ‘Anti-irritant<br />
ingredients should be added to the skincare regimen such<br />
as aloe vera, allantoin, Canadian willow herb and some<br />
of the new anti-redness and anti-inflammatory peptides,’<br />
says Vinson.<br />
No matter what your skin type, it’s important to remember<br />
that you should be religiously applying sunscreen, at<br />
all times of the year. Protecting your skin from incidental<br />
sun exposure is vital for helping to prevent skin cancer and<br />
the effects of ageing that come from the sun’s powerful<br />
UV rays.<br />
‘There is one product that is essential to all skin types:<br />
sunscreen. Opt for physical sunscreen in the form of zinc<br />
oxide or apply mineral makeup containing high levels<br />
of large-particle zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These<br />
products will act as a physical barrier to UV light, and will<br />
protect you throughout the day; sunscreen is truly your<br />
defense against ageing!’ concludes Vinson. csbm<br />
42 www.cosbeauty.com.au