It's time to give your beauty routine a makeover
THE start of a new season is the perfect time to give your anti-ageing and beauty routine a makeover. We’ve rounded up our pick of the best new treatments and trends that are set to make an impact this spring.
This start of a new season is the perfect time to give your beauty routine a makeover
SUPER SKINCARE INGREDIENTS
Turmeric
This golden spice has been around for centuries but has only recently been getting the attention it deserves. The bright yellow powder is rich in antioxidants and has proven antiseptic and healing benefits. It suits most skin types and is particularly effective for treating eczema and psoriasis.
It also has anti-ageing benefits and has been shown to soften lines and wrinkles. Try: Oskia Restoration Oil, £62 (oskiaskincare.com), contains turmeric extract to boost radiance and can be used on its own, as a primer under make-up or applied over a moisturiser.
Superfoods
Greens aren’t just for smoothies. The latest trend in skincare involves harnessing the power of superfood vegetables in your beauty routine. This season expect to see everything from kale and Brussels sprouts to spinach being used in beauty products.
The vegetables’ super nutrients are rich in antioxidants that improve skin health. Try: Bobbi Brown Remedies Power Greens, £29.50 (bobbibrown.co.uk) contains fermented kale, Brussels sprouts and spinach while Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Mask Brightening, £8 (cultbeauty.co.uk) is packed with nutritious purple sprouting broccoli.
Vitamins
Vitamin C is essential for good health however it is also a hero skin ingredient. Known for its collagen-boosting properties, vitamin C can give your beauty routine a serious anti-ageing boost. Try: Mix a couple of drops of Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C, £58 (johnlewis.com) into your moisturiser.
Alternatively Alpha-H Vitamin Profiling Collection, £49.99 (cultbeauty.co.uk) is a collection of four vitamin-based serums that can be mixed and matched according to your skin’s needs.
Friendly bacteria
Probiotics play a vital role in keeping the gut healthy but thanks to their ability to repair damage and brighten the complexion, they are now increasingly used in skincare. Try: Next month sees the launch of Vichy Slow Age, £29.50 (boots.com), which is a gentle anti-ageing moisturiser.
Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and has antiseptic and healing benefits
It contains the probiotic bifidus, which promises to strengthen the skin’s barrier function against UV rays and environmental nasties as well as boosting hydration.
BESPOKE BEAUTY
Last year bespoke skincare and cosmetics were hugely popular and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Later this year Lancome will be launching a machine that scans your face and mixes a unique shade of foundation that is precisely tailored to your skin tone while other beauty companies are also queueing up to launch bespoke collections.
Urban Decay Soft Focus Effect Complexion Primer, £23 (urbandecay.co.uk)
This clever new colour-correcting primer contains pigments that adjust to any skin tone. Lightweight yet velvety the high-tech formula also fills in fine lines, minimises pores and controls shine.
Autograph Custom Colour, £12 (marksandspencer.com)
These colour-correcting drops can be mixed into most liquid foundations and help to customise the shade. There are four to choose from: purple to reduce sallow tones and give skin a brighter appearance, green to hide redness and improve coverage, light to lighten your foundation and dark to deepen the colour.
Top beauty therapist recommends a CHOCOLATE facial
Vitamin C is essential for good health
Mix Nature, from £6.90 (mixnature.com)
Create your own bespoke skincare products from face cream to body lotion by adapting the ingredients for sensitive skin, oil control, combination skin or anti-ageing. The company provides the base and you choose which ingredients to add, for example, moisturising hyaluronic acid or wrinkle-smoothing dragon’s blood extract.
AT THE CLINIC
Hydration boost
Profhilo is a new salon treatment that is designed to hydrate skin from the inside out, increasing collagen and elastin production and boosting radiance. The procedure takes just 10 minutes and involves having five injections of hyaluronic acid on each side of the face, just underneath the surface of the skin.
The hyaluronic acid then gradually spreads through the skin over the following weeks, leaving a radiant glow and a healthy plump complexion. Results last six to nine months. From £500 per treatment.
Chin up
Believe it or not the chin is one of the fastest growing areas for cosmetic enhancement. Aesthetic experts at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery’s spring conference revealed that the secret to looking younger is rejuvenating the lower face area by softening the deep crease between the lower lip and the chin using a dermal filler.
You can also rejuvenate the chin itself with a combination of Botox and fillers. Results are visible immediately and can take years off your appearance.
The DNA diet
A well-functioning digestive system is essential to good health but it is also important when it comes to anti-ageing. When the gut becomes sluggish the body doesn’t absorb nutrients very well.
Profhilo involves having five injections on each side of the face
This means skin, hair, nails, muscles and bones become undernourished and you start to look and feel older. Nutrigenomix is a new DNA testing programme that will help you make the best food choices for your genetic make-up.
While the core principles of a healthy diet remain the same whatever your DNA – eating a balance of protein, essential fats and antioxidants – our bodies also require specific nutrients as we go through different stages in life and to suit individual needs. For example, the test will show if you don’t have the enzyme that breaks down lactose, meaning you should avoid dairy products.
DNA tests cost from £250. Call 020 7436 4441 or see nutrigenomix.com
For advice on cosmetic surgery consult your GP. For more of Lesley’s tips see lesleyreynolds.com