8 Healthy Skin Care Habits For 2020

It might seem like every year more and more skin care products and treatments are launched to the market promising youthful, radiant and clear skin, so how do you know where to start and what the essentials are for healthy skin?

Well, to help you we are sharing our healthy skin care habits and if you haven’t changed or upgraded your skincare routine for a few years, there are a few ingredients that you need to introduce which will make all the difference to your skin health.

1. Always double cleanse your skin, morning and night!

The first cleanse when you wash your face will remove any makeup, oil, and pollution from the skin. The second cleanse can then actually work directly on the skin to deeply cleanse and remove any impurities. This then prepares the skin for the absorption of your serums, boosters, and moisturizer to help increase penetration and efficacy, therefore giving you an even better result from these products.

2. Use a Hyaluronic Acid Serum

One of our favorite ingredients to help plump and super hydrate the skin is Hyaluronic Acid. This hero ingredient is now commonly found in serums and moisturisers but try and opt for a cosmeceutical formulation as the ingredient percentage is higher and importantly has an advanced delivery system into the skin. We love HydraCool Serum by iS Clinical which includes a low molecular weight Hyaluronic acid for deeper absorption.

3. Include Vitamin C in your skincare routine

Another brilliant ingredient that can be found as a serum is Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a master antioxidant that protects our skin against free radical damage. It helps to prevent the breakdown of our collagen and elastin fibers and is responsible for helping to produce new collagen fibers.  Not only that, but it also helps to brighten our complexion for the holy grail of glowing skin!

4. Include Retinol for antiaging

Retinol (Vitamin A) is the ultimate anti-aging ingredient and is a must if anyone is looking to slow down the aging process. Retinol is the most potent form of Vitamin A and, if delivered correctly and in the correct dosages to the skin can have an amazing effect on the way that our skin functions.

Retinol helps to stimulate our skin’s cell turnover which means we will produce more plump new skin cells more frequently, slowing down the signs of aging. It also helps to stimulate collagen and elastin production to reduce fine lines. If that wasn’t good enough, Retinol has other amazing benefits for the skin, including balancing oil production, reducing pore size and helping to improve skin tone and texture. Amen!

5. Use an AHA exfoliant (Alpha Hydroxy Acid)

Glycolic and Lactic acid are some of the better-known AHAs and are great for encouraging cell turnover, removing dead skin cells and revealing a smoother, clearer, more youthful complexion. It also helps to improve the absorption of serums and moisturisers. What’s not to love!

6. Always wear sunscreen

SPF is a must whatever the weather and whatever the season! Damaging and aging UVA rays are always around us causing sun damage regardless of the weather conditions! It’s not just sun exposure either, with the increased use of smartphones/ tablets and computers we are now exposed to a lot of blue light so it is so important to protect your skin from these harmful UV rays too.

We love the Tinted Gel Oil-Free Heliocare which has an SPF of 50, doesn’t clog pores and doubles up as a lightweight tinted moisturizer, so you can go without foundation.

Read our post on ‘How To Protect Your Skin From The Sun‘ to learn more about SPF and sunscreen.

7. Eat enough Omega 3 & 6

Eat plenty of foods high in Omegas 3 & 6, such as fatty fish and nuts. You can also supplement this with an oral vitamin on a daily basis. Just make sure that one tablet equates to 1000mg of fish oil. 

Omegas have numerous health benefits for our bodies such as improving heart health, supporting mental health, decreasing liver fat, supporting infant brain development, fighting inflammation, preventing dementia, promoting bone health and preventing asthma. Alongside all of this, it has huge benefits to the skin including hydration and reducing inflammation, making it even more essential for anyone suffering from eczema and inflamed skin conditions.

8. Your neck and décolletage deserves as much TLC as your face!

Just because your neck and décolletage (you know, the fancy French term for the delicate area around your clavicle and above the breasts) aren’t on your face, it doesn’t mean they don’t need the same kind of TLC. In fact, dermatologists consider the face and neck as a part of one skin unit because your décolletage is susceptible to the same signs of skin damage.

There are many products designed specifically for the area below the chin such as our Neck Perfect Complex which is part of the iS Clinical range.

Bonus tip – Get enough sleep!

Make sure you get enough sleep (apologies to all the mums of young children out there!). Sleep is needed to make our bodies function at their optimum. Getting enough sleep has a positive effect on everything from brain function and heart health to emotional well-being. 

Sufficient sleep improves our memory and alertness, curbs inflammation, reduces stress and obesity and generally helps us to live healthier and longer! While we sleep our brain is working to renew our cells (hello beautiful skin!), repair muscle and tissue and complete a whole host of other jobs vital for good health. So, turn off that phone and get a good night’s sleep!