Written by Madeline Calfas

Like most of us, I’m sure you’ve probably enjoyed yourself just a little too much over the Christmas break, and who could blame you. As a result, you may be feeling a bit bloated, puffy-faced and dealing with a post-sugar/alcohol/Christmas pudding breakout on your face.

But now it’s 2021, and this is the year to start giving your body and skin the attention they deserve. If we have learnt anything from the horrors of last year it’s that life is too short, and you never know what’s waiting around the corner, so it’s time to move those skin goals to the top of the list!

I’m sure we’ve all read many an article on the effects that stress and mask-wearing can have on our skin. But how exactly do you put all of that info into play? And how do you make sure you’re not moving into overkill when there are so many different treatments available?

The first step is to know what it is you are wanting to achieve. Is it to help your acne? Or is it to help get rid of any pesky pigmentation? Fine lines and deeper wrinkles? Or are you more after a way to get into good habits and ensure you keep the ageing to a minimum A la Michelle Pfeiffer? By knowing what you want, it will make it much easier to work out what it is that you need, whether it is microdermabrasion, skin needling or peels.

It is essential to realise though, that when it comes to skin, it is never just about what you do TO it. The skin is your body’s largest organ, so it’s about time that you stop thinking of it as merely the shrink-wrap that you come in, and start to appreciate the fact that it is every bit just as important as your heart, lungs and brain. Achieving your skin goals is really a multi-pronged approach - a combination of what you put on it, along with what you do to it, and a sprinkling of internal support to boot.

A Skin Program that combines both in-clinic treatment, as well as at-home skin care is going to give you better and longer lasting results than just a treatment on it’s own. Let’s say your goal is to get rid of the little fine lines you have noticed starting to appear on your face. The way to really fix these is to stimulate collagen, which is part of your skin matrix. However, the collagen cycle is around 100 days, so unless you are planning on having a bigger treatment such as a laser resurface or radio frequency micro-needling, or lots of light treatments (and I mean lots), chances are you wont really get enough oomph to get this ball rolling on a scale large enough to make much difference. Likewise, just doing your skincare at home, especially if it’s over-the-counter beauty products instead of pharmaceutical grade skincare, is not really going to be able to give you the results that you are after. Combining the two together really amps up the results of your treatment, as well as increases the longevity of them.

* An important side-note here is that a skincare routine doesn’t have to involve 45mins in the bathroom twice / day as you apply multiple creams and serums. Your skin can only absorb so much at the one time, and choosing fewer yet more effective products will give you far better results than trying to apply ever product you have ever heard or read about. I’m a huge fan of the K.I.S.S. Method!

On top of this, we need to factor in that your skin needs nutrients and nourishment just as much as your gut does. In fact, there is actually a direct link between your gut and your skin, so it makes perfect sense that by looking after your microbiome internally (in your GIT), you are also looking after your microbiome externally (on your skin). Supplements that are designed to support your digestion, as well as your liver and kidneys, are going to play an integral role in how well your skin ages. Nutrients such as Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Biotin, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Selenium and glutathione are amazing for a whole range of things, but in particular for skin health. If your body is lacking in these (and most of us are), then all the treatments and skin care in the world will not really be able to do more than a temporary fix. If you want long-term results, you need to address your skin from a nutritional perspective as well.

For those who like to dive in head-first, or those who might like a bit more hand-holding along the way, something like the Longevite Anti-Ageing Retreat is the perfect way to learn all things anti-ageing as it covers not just the topical treatments, but includes workshops on Gut and Skin health. This makes it a great place to start and gives you the information to really care for your skin on a cellular level.

Just remember that like most things, it’s 95% perspiration and 5% inspiration. Just saying you want it wont make it happen. Skincare practitioners can help, but really it’s up to you.