5 REASONS
YOUR SKIN
CARE ROUTINE
ISN'T WORKING
By Shari Shallard
S
ometimes skin care products you’ve used
happily for ages seem to suddenly stop
working their magic. You find yourself
having bad-face days with increasing frequency,
and it’s both mysterious and frustrating.
So, we talked to Clinical Facialist Kate Kerr,
Director of Kate Kerr London, about different
causes of these skin revolts and what you can
do to get your face back on track.
Challenge: Winter Skin
In colder months, Kate points out, the mix of
central heating indoors and blustery winds
outdoors can confuse your skin. “Dehumidified
air of a heated room strips moisture from the
skin leaving it feeling tight, dry and dull; it can
even exacerbate sensitivity and rosacea,” says
Kate. “The skin will often try to counteract this
by overproducing sebum to prevent moisture
evaporation. Add this to a build-up of dead
skin cells and you have increased risk of acne.”
Skin Solution: “To counteract dryness, turn the
temperature down a few notches and put on a
jumper instead,” suggests Kate. “Wash with a
gentle exfoliating cleanser to prevent build-up
of dead skin cells, to enhance product
penetration, and to help the skin look brighter.
Apply a Hyaluronic Acid-Based serum, as this
holds 1000 times its own weight in water and
will help counteract water loss, and drink plenty
of water.”
Challenge: Being Twentysomething
For many women, this is a wonderful time for
skin. “Up to age 28 we’re in our skincare prime
and our skin is at its best,” says Kate. So if your
skin is struggling, you may have too much of
a good thing.
Skin Solution: Focus on enhancing the healthy
functioning of skin cells by using antioxidants
and SPFs, and go easy on the moisturisers.
“Moisturiser on our skin’s surface sends a signal
down to its water reservoirs to halt production.
This makes skin sluggish and lacking in mois-
ture, so we reach for more moisturiser, thus
exacerbating the problem.”
Challenge: Being in Our 30s and 40s
Around age 28 we see a decline in collagen,
elastin and hyaluronic acid production.
“Collagen gives skin its strength, elastin its
ISSUE #09 | 2018 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 18