This article was originally published on wmagazine.com.
It’s the end of summer and reality sets in. The harsh fluorescent office lights replace the glorious sun and the implications become apparent. You notice the tan you returned from vacation with decided to bring along a pack of moles, freckles, and dry skin that’s crept up on your hands while you type away at your desk. Alas, sun damage is an inescapable part of life we must learn to live with. For many women, no matter how often you re-apply sunscreen, wear your hat and soak yourself in moisturizer, the sun gets you. This begs the quandary women all over the world are faced with: how do we repair our skin post-summer? Here, the most respected celebrity skin experts across America to weigh in.
Equal attention to complexion and body is a belief celebrity facialist Candace Marino holds dear. “The face starts at the nipple and ends at the scalp, so it should be treated with the same care, especially at the décolletage.” says Marino, whose roster of clients include Kourtney Kardashian and Miranda Kerr. As such, she uses a holistic approach to skincare while also integrating advanced medical grade products and procedures. Noted for her triple-cleanse method, she believes that in order to have hydrated, supple skin one needs a personalized combination of circulation, oxygenation, and stimulation to achieve ideal results. Read on for full breakdown of her skin tips for total body skin health.
We know a large chunk of good skin is indebted to good genes, diet, and lifestyle, but what about discipline for body skin care? How do we keep the skin below our necks looking firm, hydrated, and smooth?
Laxity is such an issue, especially for my clients who are older and in their 40s, 50s, or even 60s. But this can also occur in younger clients, too. There are several options to help improve the look and feel of that "crepy" skin. First and favorite is Radio Frequency, like Venus Legacy which is a non-invasive, no downtime treatment to tighten and improve the integrity of the skin. You can think of it as a controlled injury reaction. We heat up the tissue to the perfect temperature deep into the tissue causing this controlled injury scenario and in turn the skin goes into a healing response which creates an influx of collagen production which is one of the two most important proteins (the other being elastin) in keeping our skin plump, smooth, tight, and juicy.
These treatments can be done anywhere on the body [or face] and work best when done in a series but can definitely be a game changer. There is an insta-lifting effect I call it "the Cinderella effect" because you'll be lifted and tight for about 24-48 hours, but that is not permanent. Only some of the benefits remain, so layering additional treatments will have cumulative effect over time. This is definitely a longterm lifestyle treatment, meaning its not one and done. This should be incorporated on about a monthly basis and think of it as the workout for your skin. The goal is to imprint tissue remodeling.
Exfoliating the body is just as important since our turnover rates decline even faster on the body with the exception of areas where we shave. I love a good acid based moisturizer, something with lactic or glycolic acid, or Vitamin A, which will keep the cellular turn over and collagen production up. The Environ Body Kit is my go-to.
Cellular and tissue stagnation is not your friend for smooth youthful skin, so massage for oxygenation and circulation is also a key. Go for the Gua Sha or see a professional. My treatments use an exclusive deep tissue facial and body massage technique that is one of my favorite anti-aging practices for skin. Combining several types of pressure, tools, and techniques brings the skin to life and is a key to youthful skin.
Treat yourself to a hydrating toner all over your entire body with an hyaluronic acid to attach to moisture before applying body cream and then seal it in there. At night after a warm bath with magnesium and key essential minerals and afterwards apply body oil while the skin is still warm, this is a great body booster nourishing the skin transdermally and then sealing with essential oils. This replenishes and revitalized skin ongoing as we age.
What is a great regimen to start now that will still work ten years from now?
I always say that good skin is a lifestyle, and it takes commitment. It's so much more than the products we use. Our skin is greatly impacted by our environment and the state of our internal health. I've created a "pyramid of healthy skin" which has "what you put in your body" as the base, "what you put on your skin"daily as the middle and "the treatments you do to maintain" regularly as the top point of the pyramid.
I can't stress monthly facials enough. I've seen some of the most beautiful women in their late 60s with no work done who have claimed that monthly facials starting in their 20s was the key to keeping their skin youthful. I compare getting facials to going to the dentist; facials should be done monthly. Cellular turnover ideally would be once every 28 days, but it is much more when we are young and slows down as we age. And, because our face is exposed to all of the elements daily, getting a thorough skin analysis, extractions, exfoliation, and massage can truly impact the way your skin presents its age and its actual cellular age.
A good facial massage alone will give the skin a sculpted and radiant glow; when we manipulate the tissue the cells of the skin are oxygenated by the increased circulation. Deep tissue massages on the masseter muscles, neck, and eye area not only improves your appearance but will truly change how your face holds stress, which can impact how you look. Long term benefits here are dividends that pay back big time
I'm a big fan of quarterly botox appointments to prevent deep lines from forming. Its always better to pre-juvenate than rejuvenate—prevent now or regret it later. It's much harder to correct damage that is already done than to gradually prevent or minimize the damage! Also, chemical peels help to fight the fight against signs of aging and actual cellular damage. I find them to be great for almost every skin type, and much safer for pigmentation than lasers. Chemical peels can drastically improve the skin color and texture and help to maintain a healthy glow. Pigment issues are one of the biggest issues and signs of age, and when we remove dark spots, red spots, and other hyper-pigmented spots from the skin, clinical studies have shown it can appear up to 12 years younger.
Do you believe in body scrubs?
Absolutely. Scrub away, and often! I love a good body scrub and feel that often we are so focused on our face that we forget that we have skin all over our body that needs care! That forgotten skin below the neck can call out the age on even the tightest and smoothest of faces. I'm also a big advocate of daily dry brushing at home. I keep mine right next to the shower and I spend five minutes doing my entire body before I get in. This not only helps remove dead skin cells but increases circulation, aids in lymphatic drainage, and can also eliminate toxins from the body and improve the appearance of cellulite, in addition to being an exfoliant.
Body scrubs are often considered a luxury, but I believe everyone deserves one at the change of the seasons when the skin can tend to go through a shift. Having a quarterly body scrub will remove all the dead build up of skin and allow for deeper hydration and a more luminous glow. What is a nighttime ritual everyone should do?
If there is one take away here it is the triple cleanse! For years I've been preaching to my clients the benefits of triple cleansing. It consists of three cleaning phases which I've named "melt, true, and glow." The first step is what I call the "melt cleanse" which is an oil cleanser (my favorite is Biossance) which is applied try to remove makeup. The oil emulsifies and helps to breakdown makeup and sunscreen from the day. Next is your "true cleanse." I like to use a gel based or foaming cleanser; my go-to is Restorsea Pro Foaming Cleanser because its nothing short of a religious experience. The foam feels beautiful when applied to the skin and helps to get the skin super clean without drying it out. The third cleanse is the "glow cleanse" because it has a gentle daily exfoliation of the actual skin cells now that they are exposed so you can eliminate them, have effective penetration of your night serums or creme, and wake up with glowing skin.
After the triple cleanse, your skin is ready to receive. Everyone should be using some form of retinol because it combats lines, wrinkles, and uneven tone and texture by signaling cellular turnover and collagen production. Retinol products can be scary because most people have experienced the adjustment phase of rough, red, and irritated skin after introducing a vitamin A product, but there great ones on the market that deliver the active form of retinol (retionic acid) into the skin with other hydrating ingredients to nourish with no irritation from converting into the active form. My favorite is SkinBetter AlphaRet because it combines two gold standard skin rejuvenating ingredients—a retinoid and lactic acid—which makes an inedible anti-aging duo. Afterwards, the skin should be nourished and prepped for bed- with great moistuirizer like Reparative Moisture Emulsion by IS Clinical which contains copper peptide growth factors which signal collagen production and strengthen the skin.
Are there any supplements you think actually help maintain good skin from within?
I think supplements can come into play when people are experiencing skin issues like acne, but for most clients I prefer to recommend a healthy diet full of nutrients. Your body processes and uses the nutrients from foods better than anything synthesized so the best thing you can do to maintain good skin from within is to eat clean; diet rich with healthy, beautiful organic vegetables can truly slow the aging process.
