Tenerife - 09.04.2010 -

The skin on the neck is also prone to showing early signs of ageing as it produces much less oil than the skin on the face.  Some ladies suffer from particularly dry skin on the neck and again can use a cream specifically for this area and this problem.  As skin enters its 30s and 40s, ladies need to step up and increase their skincare routine, using not only richer moisturisers including day and night creams, but also anti-ageing eye cream and a neck cream.  As skin gets older and becomes drier, you need to exfoliate more regularly and use nourishing and firming masks.  At least twice a week is ideal and the use of products containing vitamins A and C is great to stimulate collagen production.  Keeping the skin vitalised and glowing may take more effort, but it is worth it in the long run. 

Fifty plus

Signs of ageing become more obvious as skin reaches and passes 50.  Elastin has broken down, leading to loss of facial contours, for example sagging jowls and sometimes pigmentation problems brought on by menopause.  The body and its life processes are generally becoming slower, meaning that circulation has slowed down, leading to fewer nutrients and less oxygen being delivered from the bloodstream.  Any promotion of the circulation is well received and will always create improvement. 

Sadly the face becomes more rounded and loses its shape, deep lines and wrinkles become etched on the skin, eyes can droop and eyelids become non-existent.  Skin is dehydrated and sometimes even dry where oil production had decreased.  The skin becomes more sensitive to touch and broken capillaries on the cheeks are visible, sometimes this damage can also be the result of aggressively over-treating the skin in the past and this can prove irreversible.  All the above sound quite desperate but there are ways to combat the situation and a vigorous homecare routine can be adopted using gentle products based on plant extracts.  Lavender helps soothe the skin, collagen will help plump skin and fruit acids will help smooth uneven skin texture. Jojoba oils lubricate the skin to give suppleness.

Ladies of 50 plus should follow a cleansing routine using rich, creamy cleansers and non-alcohol based toners, aiming to nourish and hydrate the skin.  Exfoliation also becomes important for these ladies, encouraging the improvement of circulation and helping skincare products to penetrate the skin.  The skin can be gently exfoliated three times a week and this can be followed with a serum and nourishing masks.

There are many factors to take into consideration and a therapist can design a regime to best suit the client's needs, skin type and skin condition.  Whatever your age, education on how to care for skin is essential, if this education process starts when we are in our teens and the benefits of an effective skincare regime become apparent, there is no reason why vibrant skin with a hydrated texture cannot carry on throughout all of our development.

Nicola Roberts is the owner of Bellissima Hair and Beauty in Los Gigantes, Playa San Juan and San Eugenio Alto. For information or appointments please call 922 867 343, 697 902 361 or 922 719 355.

 


This article appears in the print edition 614 of Island Connections

Gallery: Skin through the ages Part II

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