There are different clues from your skin as to which type you are and what category of products you should use. Although sometimes these need to be blended. So, the main groups are as follows;
Dry or Dehydrated?
Its hard to discern between dry & dehydrated skin sometimes, because both look similar and feel tight. But 1 is caused by genetics and hormones and the other is caused by lifestyle.
Dry skin is caused by the lack of sebum [oil] in the skin. It finds it hard to hold onto moisture and is caused by genetics and hormones. It can be uncomfortable & itchy, but there are still treatments and changes that we can make to alleviate dry skin. A good measure for testing for dry or dehydrated skin is, when you apply your moisturiser in the morning, does your skin feel tight again during the day, but when you moisturise it, it feels fine? If it does, its just dehydrated!,
Dry skin can be flaky, itchy or cracked. Dry skin is always dry and only soothed with products, treatments and diet. Dehydrated skin on the other hand, can be comforted with products and treatments that will heal it. Hyaluronic Acid is very effective on dry skin, as it locks in moisture 1,000 times its own weight & serums like Vitamin B( asap’s Super B ) work particularly well with this skin type , Niacinamide heals and hydrates & Hyaluronic acid locks in moisture
Dehydrated skin also feels dry and can be flaky, but is reduced with care and attention. It has lost its water content and can be assisted with lifestyle choices, such as, more intake of fruit & vegetable, water, less alcohol, good environment (ex: less central heating) and good skin care & treatments.
These skin type, are prone to ageing younger , so it is very important to have treatments to relieve this condition, and use creams, serums and products to keep it moist. Taking Vitamin supplements like Omega oil 3,6 & 9 and B Complex , also work well with this dry/dehydrated skins.
It benefits a lot, from having help in the form of a weekly scrub to remove dead skin and promote new skin growth. This will bring vitality back to the skin and the new skin will be in better condition, & more receptive to serums and moisturisers. An example of good skin peels are asap’s Daily facial scrub and Guinot’s Gommage Parfait & Biologic. In a variety of forms. All work to remove dead skin cells gently, paving the way for what comes next…
Salon treatments such as Guinots HCE Hydradermie or Age Summum are fantastic for this skin type as is, asap’s Gym 4 the skin & Medi Facial Microplus+.
And just as important is how you cleanse your skin & remove your make up. I recommend a cream cleanser if your dry and don’t want to mix with water, or we have gentle washes from asap too. It depends how you like to clean your skin, and sometimes a mix of both is required, as new make up technology is longer lasting and takes more time to break down. I like these 3….
Asap’s gentle cleanser, soaps up beautifully and has Aloe Vera in it, so is very gentle, The daily facial cleanser contains Aha’s , so great for deeper cleansing, and Guinots lovely Hydra Friacheur is for those of you that don’t want to use water.
Now you can have dehydrated skin with oily too, so this is where we skin specialists start to mix products across the skin types. We sympathise with our oily skin suffers, because it can be hard to get it right and takes time. But its all about the ingredients in the products used that will get you results. Vitamin A, Salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid and Spf, all work for this skin type. We have an amazing range in asap & Guinot , especially dedicated to this skin , but asap’s main product is called Clear complexion gel, with salicylic acid, an exfoliating acid, that cuts through oil and penetrates deeply into pores to dissolve blockages. We have a fantastic Clear skin Body Gel if you have any breakouts on your back, and the results from using this are astounding on acne. Vitamin A serum will help control oil production. Hyaluronic makes the skin not get too dehydrated, as this can cause more problems and spf or Oil free Moisturiser , provides a matt appearance & protection. Our best sellers for this skin type are…
This skin type has fantastic results with salon treatments such as asap’s skin peels and Microplus+ Microdermasbrasion & Sonophorisis
And finally the sensitive skin. Now most Irish people think that they have sensitive skin and we do have a lot of red undertones in our skin. But sensitive skin is defined as often sore to touch, reddens easily by touch or change in temperature and products can sting this skin. So it is very important to get the skincare right!
Sensitivity often comes from dryness and dryness makes skin sensitive. Therefore, it is important to cleanse and exfoliate this skin type too, but very gently and carefully. Sometimes only when we reduce irritation first. This skin needs assistance in paving the way for penetration of further products, but they should be extra gentle and not aggressive in any way. Vitamin B Complex as a supplement works well with this skin type , as the Niacinamide calms irritation. This is in our Asap Super B serum , to be applied directly onto the skin to aid this function. This skin type does not like a lot of rubbing, so a gentle cleanse followed by our B serum & moisturiser to soothe and calm is all that is required, until we reduce the fragility of the skin. Products that are fantastic for this skin type are
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