A GOOD SKINCARE ROUTINE

By Jane Norman, PR & Marketing Manager:

NIGHT TIME

Now I am in my early fifties, I notice more and more that my skin isn’t the lovely taught, smooth, youthful-looking skin that it used to be, so these later years are all about doing things properly and I no longer resent the time spent on my bedtime routine. Yes, it does take some time, but I find it rather enjoyable.

Cleanse and tone

Whatever time I end up getting ready for bed (to be fair, this is rarely the early hours of the morning any more), I massage cleanser into my skin and remove with a shammy. I love seeing all that make-up on the cloth and how easily it rinses clean, before drying ready for the morning. Next comes lotion or toner which I always apply using one of Pevonia’s cotton gauze pads as these are just so easy to use and much better than cotton wool (if you buy the 4″x4″, you can then cut them into 2″x2″ squares!).

Serum/concentrate

Then I follow with a power-packed serum which I massage into my face and very importantly, my neck. I do flit between Pevonia’s Vitaminic Concentrate and ‘C’ Complexe with Oxyzomes. I love them both and use Vitaminic to counteract the dehydration caused by time in the sun, but also my skin is incredibly dry and itchy in the winter, which I am sure is caused by constantly moving between indoor heating and the outdoor cold and wind. This concentrate contains vitamins A and E and has the most enticing smell from the mandarin orange oil. The ‘C’ Complexe (vitamin C) is great for correcting photo damage and has a firming effect. It has a high percentage of hyaluronic acid within it too. With 10% active ingredients, these deliver benefits far beyond anything I can buy on the High Street.

Moisturiser

Once the concentrate has been absorbed into my skin, I seal it in with my moisturiser. Again, I use different products, but I am a fan of Stem Cells Phyto-Elite Intensive Cream and Marine Collagen Cream.

DAY TIME

My morning routine is a little faster, as there’s no make-up to remove and I prefer the feel of water on my face at this time. I love Phyto-Gel Cleanser. Like all Pevonia products it contains only natural ingredients and this includes ones that foam. It’s lovely and soft on the skin and can be used by the whole family. The CleanRefresh Foaming Oil Cleanser is also divine – it smells gorgeous, you don’t need a lot and it’s especially great in the mornings as its fresh, zesty aroma helps to wake me up as well as relieve my dry, itchy skin in the winter months. It’s so clever how it turns from an oil into a foam – I am terrified of anything oily on my skin as I used to suffer with very greasy skin before I was converted to Pevonia, so I tend to steer clear of such products. But once I was convinced to use it, I was totally hooked.

After I’ve then used my Lotion/Toner, I pop one pump of Hyaluronic Acid Hydra-Serum on the creases that have appeared either side of my mouth – I am sure they weren’t there in my forties, but now they are really rather prominent and I hate them.  As we age, our skin’s Hyaluronic Acid levels start declining; we need it to help our skin stretch and flex plus it reduces skin wrinkles and lines. So, this is now my must-have miracle worker to try to  decrease these 2 deep lines that now make me look like I have an upside down smile. I am starting to see a difference, albeit it’s a slow process.

Once, twice, and sometimes more, each week, I use an exfoliator; which one depends on my mood and requirements at the time. On average, I use Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser twice a week. However, I tend to take this on holiday with me and use it as a daily cleanser. I also use Enzymo-Sphérides Peeling Cream which I am a huge fan of. Pineapple and Papaya enzymes become active when massaged into skin with warm water. They digest impurities, sebum, toxins, blackheads and dead skin cells, leaving my skin super clean and silky-smooth. The other steps remain the same as my evening regime.

If I have time, I add EyeRenew™ Conceal & De-Age and YouthRenew™ Tinted Cream for protection against UVA and UVB rays, plus they give a great, natural-looking coverage. If I don’t have time, I try to remember to apply Pevonia’s Hydrating Sunscreen SPF40 underneath my moisturiser, to protect my skin from indoor and outdoor lighting – having written the blog about this, it made me incredibly conscious of the damage that I can put my skin under, especially as one gets older. You can find out more here.

Any make-up will depend on what I am doing next. During the summer and when my skin looks clear, I won’t add any foundation but just stick with a light bronzer, along with eye liner and eyebrow pencil  for my tiny eyebrows, plus a slick of Rapid-Restore Lip Balm to keep my lips soft and protected. I am useless at retouching make-up throughout the day, so rarely use a lipstick. When I do, I find them to be quite drying so I pop my Lip Balm over the top. I carry the travel size Phyto-Aromatic Mist in my handbag, so I can spritz my face after applying make-up and during the day when it starts to feel dry or uncomfortable.