Detox your skin and combat inflammation with these 5 products
Putting your best face forward is made easier when you know what’s holding you back. We combat the worst inflammation offenders – but the onus is on you.
Keeping up with everyday life is no easy feat. Between the arctic breath of the office air-con and your leisure activities, it's probably safe to say that whilst time may not have been unkind, it surely has given your skin quite the ribbing over the years.
If you're not heading to the pub to unwind after work, you're sprawled out on the sofa with crumbs the only indication of the greasy junk food you scoffed down. It might not sound like the worst idea, but these lifestyle choices all impact your skin in their own various ways. Let's not forget that your skin is your body's largest organ after all, and neglecting it can have a massive effect on your appearance and even your wellbeing.
Who can forget the infamous scene in Crazy Stupid Love where Ryan Gosling informs Steve Carrell's character that the "skin under your eyes is starting to look like Hugh Heffner's ball sack." This has to be one of the greater tragedies played out on our TV screens, the realisation dawning on Steve Carrell as he grimaces before the mirror and declares, "It does."
Our fast-paced lifestyles mean we're constantly exposed to harmful chemicals but rough, irritated skin and oily pores no longer have to be reluctantly endured. To help you on your quest to detoxify your skin, we've rounded up the best products to banish your skincare woes so you can walk into work holding that mug of yours high, sporting a newfound glow.
The offender: Office aircon
The same mechanism that keeps you from shivering at your spreadsheets is stripping moisture from your face. Leave the office at lunch for some skin-enhancing vitamin D and super-charge your H20 with celery, cucumber, strawberries and coconut water.
The offender: Salt
Those Pringles seemed like the perfect accompaniment to the Netflix binge. After all, potatoes are vegetables. The problem is the sodium chloride – too much of which causes water retention. Cue the puffy panda eyes.
What you need is niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that is practically Facetune in a bottle. One of the best on market is The Ordinary ‘Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%’,
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% Zinc 1% Treatment, R323 84
The offender: Sugar
Among the myriad other problems this sweet delight can cause when it comes to skin is the scourge of glycation. Over time, it harms the natural production of collagen and elastin.
Clearly cutting back is the answer but the benefits will be further increased when teamed with a product designed to promote new cell growth.
Colbert MD Stimulate The Serum, R4052
The offender: Booze
You know about breaking the seal right? Once you hit the loo for the first time during a night at the pub, it’s on. That’s because alcohol is a diuretic – as in it encourages the release of moisture.
Flash forward and you’ve got a past-its-best avocado as a face. We can’t spare you the hangover but we can help you hide it.
Obvs, you’ll need water - and lots of it. Also dab on Grown Alchemist ‘Detox Serum Antioxidant+3 Complex’, and give silent thanks that you knocked back some Powerade with your first drink. Give it overnight to work.
Grown Alchemist Detox Serum, R1056
The offender: Scratchy fabrics
The problem arises when material meets sensitive or freshly shaved skin. A two-step approach is required here. First, if you can spring for the upgrade, choose cashmere over wool and cotton.
If that’s not an option, slather on a thicker barrier cream that will inhibit irritation and redness. Apply half an hour before dressing and before bed.
Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue, R800
[Via GQ Australia]