What are you using on your face at the moment?

The weather has suddenly changed from blissfully warm to icy cold. I can’t believe that I was sitting beside the sea in Lyme two days ago, warming in the sun, and now I am back in tights and cardigans. All too easy to adjust one’s clothing requirements, but what about our faces, which bear the brunt of changing weather, central heating and pollution? It would seem sensible to adjust one’s skin care routine as one does one’s wardrobe, but I am constantly amazed that not only do women not do this but that many of them are still using the same products they were using ten, or even twenty, years ago! Yet, the skin is a changing organ, and how we care for it needs to change according to its current requirement; after all most of wear different clothes from what we wore when we were younger (I do still rather hanker after a Ra-Ra skirt, but would prefer to avoid the 16-61 syndrome!) The skin’s condition changes, often quite dramatically, throughout life, and its vicissitudes, and it makes sense to give it optimum care by changing how we treat it accordingly.

A client recently told me that she has been using Normalising Day Oil for the last ten or so years. Here is the official description for NDO which is now called Clarifying Day Oil (presumably for the purposes of clarity!)

“Clarifying Day Oil is a fast-absorbing daily moisturiser which balances excessive oiliness, refines the appearance of pores and reduces the appearance of blemishes, for a calm, beautiful complexion."

So while it might be suitable for a teenager with acne, it is not necessarily so great for a woman of 36, with dry patches and incipient wrinkles, who might benefit from a more hydrating cream rather than a drying one. I suggested that she tried Rose day cream for her (now) dry skin and to layer the oil on top when she went running, for extra protection, as she loves it so much. Her skin is much happier now, and looks healthy, moister and less stressed, which of course means she is happier with it and less stressed herself.

I suppose the moral of this story is to see your local Dr Hauschka Esthetician regularly, so she can have a good look at your skin; you get the maximum benefit of her expertise and treatments and your skin can look its absolute best. Unlike other facials, it is safe, and even recommended, to have a Dr Hauschka treatment before a big event, as you will not experience breakouts but just gorgeous healthy skin - the “radiant glow” - that is the trademark of Dr Hauschka devotees.