Wouldn't it be nice if we could just find that ONE product that would turn back the clock? Well, it would be nice but it just isn't realistic, sadly. Slowing or even reversing the aging process takes a commitment to your skin care regimen, your diet (and habits), your belief system and finding the cosmetic treatments that fit best with your budget and your skin care goals. At high altitude and in drier climates, we definitely have special needs! Here are a few tips:
1. Home care regimen: As we age, especially in harsher, less humid environments, it's essential to not strip the skin by over cleansing. An oil cleanser or gentle cleanser once daily in the evening is best to get rid of the day's sunscreen, makeup and environmental toxins. Oil cleansers are great because they don't strip the skin, yet remove all the bad stuff, leaving the skin soft. Post cleanse, add serums to damp skin with Hyaluronic acid. This is key in dry climates, plus adding an occlusive moisturizer to keep all that moisture from evaporating. Adding Vitamin C, peptides and a retinol that suits your skin type are also suggested. Sunscreen without chemicals (mineral based zinc oxide & titanium dioxide) should finish out your daily regimen. I also recommend deeper but less frequent exfoliation treatments such as dermaplane or microdermabrasion to ensure that your products aren't sitting on top of layers of dead skin. Every 4-6 weeks is ideal.
Recommendations:
Gopure has a gentle retinol for sensitive skin types or see your dermatologist for a prescription retinol. Use it with moisture to prevent excessive dryness.
Admire my Skin for a good brightening serum with hydroquinone, kojic acid and more. Or see your derm for a full strength hydroquinone.
Peak 10 Skin has wonderful and effective Vitamin C and Peptide serums, as well as eye serums.
Tantum Bella is my go to for facial oils, facial oils cleansers, gentle foaming cleanser and all in one serum with HA, peptides and calming ingredients.
Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream is the best occlusive cream I've found, love it
Andalou is my new fave facial sunscreen (Tinted BB cream with stem cells). Very hydrating and smells delicious.
Revision Nectifirm and Peak 10 Nectar are excellent for neck and decollete
2. Cosmetic Treatments: It's a sad fact that as we age our cells that produce collagen get really lazy. To keep them on track, we need to give them a little shock now and then. That can come in the form of heat, microtrauma or chemical peels. Superficial to medium depth chemical peels are the most affordable, but will take multiple treatments and require working up to a medium depth peel over time. Botox is the go to for expression lines. You have to stop the movement if you want to address the wrinkle. It is absolutely possible to just soften the lines without losing all movement in the face! Deeper treatments such as CO2 fractional, IPL photofacials and radiofrequency are VERY effective at addressing skin texture, firmness and sun spots, but require some downtime and can be a bit spendy. But if you have the budget and you want effectiveness, they are the way to go.
Recommendations:
If you are in Summit, Eagle or Park Counties, I'm a medical aesthetician and do in person consultations for free that will give you a game plan from products to cosmetic treatments and an approximate cost for everything. I also do chemical peels, dermaplanes and light microneedling. For any cosmetic medical treatments, I recommend A Wrinkle in Time medical skin care clinic in Vail. Sharon is the best injector you'll find anywhere and with Michelle can get your skin even and tighter. Contact me at fallondre@gmail.com or make an appt with the gals at AWIT at 970-331-1599. We can help!!!
3. Diet and Exercise: I think you know what's coming here...cut back on sugar and alcohol. Sugars contribute to inflammation in the body and alcohol dehydrates you. Moderation is key. Different diets suit different needs. I've been seeing great results for the past 6 months with intermittent fasting. It helps the body with cellular repair, insulin sensitivity and increases HGH (human growth hormone) all of which can help the skin. Greens, fiber, fats, proteins are all things that contribute to great skin. Collagen supplementation does seem to have benefits as well, not only for the skin but for other connective tissue in the body as well. Dehydration shows in the skin too, so drink up....And, of course, get the body moving. Dr. Mindy Pelz has a ton of great, informative videos on Youtube about intermittent fasting. Check it out!
4. Belief System: I honestly believe that what you tell yourself when you look in the mirror has and effect on your reality. So start the conversation with yourself with something that you like and focus on that, even if it's just that you love your eyes or you love the fact that your love for life gave you those smile lines. Work on deleting negative beliefs and vibrations in your life. Appreciate your skin for all that it's done for you and treat it with respect and love.
Recommendations: Jewels Arnes has a program for recoding your cells and addressing limiting beliefs that are contributing to the aging process. Check it out at newearthone.com, the DECU program. Seeing yourself in a more positive way is essential to staying young!
5. Exercising your Face: I know, sounds crazy, but we have muscles in our face that get slack over time and contribute to volume loss. There are quite a few free face yoga videos on youtube. You can do the exercises in your car (no judgement if you see me in my car making faces! ) or when you wash your face at night. Hey, it's free and it's painless. I have a few that I do on a regular basis and I do think it helps.
6. Keep your face out of the sun! : You knew it was coming...just do it! Especially at high altitude, sun damage is the biggest contributor to aging. Physical protection is key when you're out for long periods of time. I wear a Skrēn sun mask when out exercising (skrenwear.com) and a hydrating sunscreen all other times. I used to not wear a sunscreen due to how much they dried my skin, but the Andalou BB cream was a game changer for me. And if you are going to get on board with any cosmetic treatments, protecting your face will become even more important. To spend money on cosmetic treatments and then not protect your skin is like flushing money down the toilet, especially since some treatments can leave the skin more vulnerable to damage from the sun. Hats are cool!!! ;D
Well, I know it seems like a lot, but these are actually just the basics of skin care. Every person has specific needs, so this is just general recommendations. I do recommend getting a skin consultation to address YOUR skin care needs. Please feel free to contact me at fallondre@gmail.com if you have specific questions! I hope this helps a little!!