Ask The Expert: Joanna Gardiner, CEO Of Elave Gives Five Skincare Resolutions For 2018

CEO Of Elave and skincare expert Joanna Gardiner has some easy to follow skincare resolutions so that 2018 will be your skin’s best year ever. 

Kick off the year with SPF

Dermatologists always recommend that we wear an SPF all year round. You may not think that we need it living in Ireland, but research shows that Ireland now has the highest rate of skin cancer in Europe.

This year, make it a priority to incorporate SPF protection into your daily skin routine. When searching for the perfect SPF, remember that people with sensitive skin can find it difficult to source a suitable product to wear every day. I suggest looking out for an SPF that is harsh chemical and paraben-free and look out for a non-greasy, matte formula that doesn’t clog pores and that will sit well under make-up.

Get into glycolic

The skin barrier on your face is gentle and often sensitive. Harsh physical exfoliators with beads, exfoliator brushes and abrasive materials are very drying and can break the skin or cause redness. I recommend using a gentle, chemical exfoliator like glycolic acid. Glycolic is a refined AHA or alpha hydroxyl acid that gently exfoliates the skin, stimulating collagen production. Incorporate once or twice into your weekly skincare routine to reduce the appearance of fine lines and reveal brighter looking skin.

Banish make-up wipes

Make-up wipes might seem like a quick and easy solution over the hectic Christmas period, but regardless of the product description, packaging can often mislead people into thinking that a solution-soaked wipe will cleanse and hydrate skin. However, if your skin is prone to dryness, the wipe will dry the skin out ten-fold. This is due to some wipes being produced with synthetic fabrics which aggravate the skin and the solution in which the fabric is soaked is often laced with harsh chemicals. Swap the wipes for a gentle foaming hydrating cleanser.

Drink more water

Water acts as a moisturiser, but from the inside out. I recommend drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, which will help boost hydration and rid the body of toxins, plumping and enriching the skin. Hydrating your body with more water will act as a protective barrier, and prevent skin from breaking down or letting in external particles that can cause break-outs and irritation.

Sleep more!

We say it every year, but make sleep a priority in 2018. When we sleep, skin has time to re-boot itself and the cells renew and produce collagen, which keeps elasticity in the skin, keeping it fresh and youthful. Sleep deprivation and dehydration from late nights out will take its toll on your skin first, so try to keep these to a minimum!

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