The quest for great skin is something that makes many of us spend time and money on new products, treatments and approaches.
But what if the secret to your best complexion was as easy as five simple steps?
Australian facialist to the stars Melanie Grant recently shared her five golden rules for glowing skin, and the good news is they won’t set you back thousands.
Australian facialist to the stars Melanie Grant (pictured) recently shared her five golden rules for glowing skin, and the good news is they won’t set you back thousands
Melanie has looked after countless famous complexions, including Jessica Gomes (pictured), at her Double Bay Sydney clinic
Melanie said the first thing to remember is that good skin comes from within – a focus on sleep, lack of stress and an anti-inflammmatory diet is good for glowing skin
1. Good skin comes from within
It might be an obvious one, but Melanie – who looks after the likes of Jessica Gomes, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and Lara Worthington – said it really is important to focus on the inside as much as the outside.
‘Beyond getting sufficient sleep and avoiding stress, eating well plays a huge role,’ Melanie posted on her Instagram page.
While she clarified that she’s not a nutritionist, Melanie said that in her experience as a facialist, she’s found that the best skin results come from an anti-inflammatory diet.
‘Eat plenty of foods that are high in essential fatty acids, such as avocado, salmon, nuts and seeds to nourish the skin from within,’ she explained, adding that it can be useful to either limit or avoid gluten, wheat, dairy and refined sugar.
The facialist said the most important part of your skincare regime is SPF, which helps to ‘prevent pigmentation, burst capillaries and uneven skin, as well as helping you avoid saggy skin’ (pictured: Nicole Warne and Bambi Northwood-Blyth)
2. Remember SPF is king
While many will wax lyrical about the benefits of a good serum or moisturiser, Melanie said that it’s SPF that you need to remember is key.
‘While I see that treatments such as fraxel laser, IPL, light therapy and peels are very effective at repairing the most damaged complexions, a good quality broad spectrum suncream worn every day allows the skin to start repairing itself.’
Not only this, but Melanie said it will prevent pigmentation, burst capillaries and uneven skin tone, as well as helping you to avoid saggy skin caused by the breakdown of collagen from skin exposure.
Invest in a high factor and apply liberally.
Melanie (right) said that regular exfoliation is also key as you get older, because the skin’s natural shedding process slows down – exfoliating also helps serums absorb faster
3. Exfoliate regularly – especially as you get older
‘Fresh, dewy, polished skin is well hydrated and well exfoliated,’ Melanie said.
This is because when we age, the skin’s natural shedding process slows down, building up dead skin cells and making the skin appear grey, dull and lacklustre. ‘
‘Exfoliating encourages cells to shed. I love ingredients such as lactic acid which chemically exfoliates the skin,’ she wrote.
The good news is that once your exfoliators have been applied, serums, oils and moisturisers can penetrate deeper into the skin.
When we apply our serums and moisturisers, all too often we smear the product all over our face and the top of our neck – but Melanie said you need to go all the way down to the bust
4. Keep it simple
When it comes to active skincare, Melanie said ‘more is not more’.
Instead, you should unite your chemical exfoliants with the likes of more calming and nourishing products like natural moisturiser.
‘Using too many harsh or active products causes redness, sensitivity and dryness,’ she said.
5. Your face ends at your bust
When we apply our serums and moisturisers, all too often we smear the product all over our face and the top of our neck.
But Melanie said your skincare routine should in fact end at your bust or décolletage.
‘The skin is finer and more fragile in this area, making it even more prone to fine lines, wrinkles and discolouration,’ she said.
‘In this case, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.’
To find out more about Melanie Grant, please visit her website here.