Article 25

How to structure your skincare routine

Melanie Grant is a leading global skincare expert and celebrity facialist with exclusive studios in Los Angeles and Australia where she offers specialist skin treatments, experiences and education.

When it comes to the best care you can offer your skin, start by learning more about the unique set of concerns you've been presented with, and then how to address them with specific ingredients and targeted treatments. It's more effective and sustainable to do less with the skin, in a better way. You'd be surprised at the results possible just by consistently using only a handful of the right products while keeping the skin clean, hydrated and protected from the sun and environmental aggressors. A good regime doesn't need to be complex, it just needs to be personal, allow for regularity and most importantly, to start with a solid foundation of products that you can rely on to do the heavy lifting for you.  

Rather than focusing on hero ingredients, following a strategic set of steps daily can help to keep the skin balanced and functioning optimally. In the day, focus on prevention starting with a gentle milk or oil cleanser to preserve barrier function, followed by an antioxidant serum and a broad spectrum SPF. I love Emma’s Skin Reset Serum during the day; the texture is so beautifully replenishing and contains a patented plant stem cell extract and bioavailable Vitamin C to shield from oxidative stress and regulate melanin production. It also has one of my favourite ingredients — niacinamide which is so helpful in strengthening the skin, regulating oil production and deters the melanin transfer to the surface layers of the skin.

“A good regime doesn't need to be complex, it just needs to be personal, allow for regularity and most importantly, to start with a solid foundation of products that you can rely on to do the heavy lifting for you.”

In the evenings, take the time to set the scene for a corrective approach with a double cleanse, followed by a gentle exfoliation. Removing anything that will impede the skin’s own innate processes of regeneration and repair overnight while you sleep really is worth it — it will ensure the other ingredients in your regime penetrate effectively as well.  
 
Follow this with a slow release retinol or retinol alternative to keep collagen stores in check and cell metabolism at its peak. Then, your eyecare and a nourishing cream rich in essential fatty acids, ceramides and peptides to seal everything in. Sometimes I’ll reach for a targeted treatment like the Supernatural Sleeping Mask.

Believe it or not, I’m quite slapdash with my skincare and love nothing more than an all-in-one. This mask is designed to support cell regeneration through a combination of specialised peptides, ribose, liposomal CoQ10, phytonutrients and saccharide isomerate to increase the skin’s own production of hyaluronic acid and in turn, collagen. I love to use an almond sized amount to carry out a firm, purposeful facial massage using the contours of the face, neck and decollete as a guide (always working against gravity!) before blotting off the excess and hopping into bed. A 3 step high-performance DIY facial that not only supports innate skin function, but enhances the results possible from the other actives in your regime. 

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