9 tips to keep glowing

Keep your skin looking its best whatever your age.

1. Clean skin is important

Sun damage, irritating products, air pollution and blue light from digital screens can all impact your skin's natural barrier. But the right skincare routine can limit the damage and keep skin looking young. A good routine always starts with cleansing your skin, that way it receives maximum benefit from other products. Discover which cleanser is best for your skin type.

2. SPF is the magic word

We're all familiar with protecting our skin from the sun when we're on the beach, but the sun emits harmful UV rays all year round, even on cloudy days. That's why it's important to wear a broad spectrum moisturiser with SPF 30 or higher all year round to protect your skin from sun damage. Apply your SPF as the final step in your morning routine, 15 minutes before leaving the house. Read more about SPF and how it can save your skin.

3. Antioxidants can limit skin damage

Antioxidants help to neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals. Free what? Free radicals are atoms and molecules with an odd number of electrons. They're released by sunlight or air pollution, and float around in the body looking for electrons. Every interaction with healthy cells causes damage. Ouch! Luckily there are antioxidants to limit the damage. The list of ingredients that work as antioxidants is endless, but includes vitamin A, C and E, green tea, soy, pomegranate and grape extracts to name a few. Many of our products contain antioxidants, but we've added an extra dose to our serums. Stock up! Have you heard about our latest discovery? Bakuchiol, a multitasking, natural ingredient with plenty of anti-ageing benefits. Together with retinol, these two ingredients make the perfect team to target discolouration, wrinkles and fine lines.

4. Skin cells must communicate

If there's one thing that keeps skin looking young, it's that cells act young. This requires cell-communicating ingredients, which ‘talk’ with the defective cells by sending signals to stop producing bad cells and start producing healthier, younger cells. Niacinamide, peptides and retinol are all cell-communicating ingredients.

5. Exfoliating is key

Your skin sheds dead skin cells on a daily basis and renews itself from below the surface. When you're young, this is a speedy process, but as you age and skin gets damaged, it can take up to three months before your skin renews itself. The result: dull-looking skin. Luckily there are exfoliants to help remove dead skin cells. At Paula's Choice we have two types of exfoliants. AHA exfoliants are suitable for dry, dull skin and sun-damaged skin. BHA exfoliants are oil-soluble, allowing them to clean inside your pores. It's what makes them suitable for oily skin prone to breakouts. The anti-inflammatory effect of BHA also makes them ideal for rosacea-prone or sensitive skin.

6. You can replenish your skin's natural ingredients

Your skin has a natural supply of replenishing ingredients, that unfortunately diminish with ageing and sun damage. Imagine your skin as a brick wall, with your skin cells as the bricks and your skin's natural ingredients as the cement holding it all together. They prevent harmful substances from entering your skin's barrier and keep it moisturised. Examples of naturally-occuring replenishing ingredients include hyaluronic acid, ceramides and omega fatty acids. Fortunately it's easy to supplement these yourself.

7. A healthy diet improves skin

Some ingredients that are applied to your skin can also benefit it from within. Fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants such as vitamin C and E. Omega fatty acids are mainly found in oily fish, but also in various vegetable oils obtained from flaxseed, soy beans, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. Minerals such as iron, zinc, copper and chromium are essential for your health and most also work as antioxidants. Examples of foods rich in minerals include dark green vegetables, nuts, beetroot, eggs, oysters, beef, liver, dried fruit (such as raisins and apricots), beans and linseed. Off to the grocery store!

8. Age is not a skin type

Choose your skincare products based on your skin type and your skin's condition rather than your age. For example, oily skin benefits more from lightly textured moisturisers, whereas dry skin benefits more from rich moisturisers. We have a powerful anti-ageing collection specifically formulated for combination to oily skin and another for normal to dry skin.

9. Anti-ageing starts with a routine

Keep to a routine of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising (with SPF during the day). This way, you'll get the most from your skincare and will give your anti-ageing products a chance to work. Go to our Routine Finder to get a personalised skincare routine in less than three clicks.

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