Face Forward - latest techniques and products to help minimise the damaged skin

Long summer days taking in the sun’s rays can wreak havoc with clients’ skin. We look at the latest techniques and products to help you minimise the damage
Whether your clients have opted to holiday abroad or remain here in the UAE, the likelihood is that the majority – despite their best intentions – will have had some form of damaging sun exposure during the summer vacation. In addition to premature ageing, skin complications ranging from sensitivity to dehydration may be apparent when clients arrive for their next facial or skincare consultation. We ask industry experts how best to treat delicate, sun-ravaged skin through in-salon treatments and the latest skincare products.

Thirsty skin

In the UAE, the constant air conditioning combined with the arid weather means that our skins are constantly thirsty, and in the summer they can become positively parched.

Jacqueline McCumiskey, managing director of ENER Beauty, which partners with brands including HydroPeptide and Linda Meredith in the UAE, explains how damaging this can be. “Dehydration has a tremendous ageing impact on the skin cells and tissues,” she says.
“With less water content in the skin layers cells will die off much quicker, collagen will break down faster and the ageing process will most certainly speed up.” To replenish skin, products containing hyarulonic acid are recommended. The natural acid, found in great abundance in young skin, plays a strong role in tissue hydration, lubrication and cellular function and is able to hold 70 per cent more water than any other natural substances. “There are some great machines these days that will infuse and increase hydration like the ‘Hydrafacial machine’, which can be used with HydroPeptide products for ultimate results,” says McCumiskey.

“HydraFacial uses patented technology to cleanse, extract, and hydrate using peptide-infused serums. Hydropeptide skincare contains the highest amount of peptides in any results-driven skincare range. These intelligent cellular communicators give signals to the skin cells to function in a more efficient way while stimulating collagen and elastin production.”

Laura Arakelyan from Madi International, which partners with Thalgo in the UAE, suggests clients use a professional homecare regime with rehydration as the main focus. “Source Marine - professional and retail products - from Thalgo is a comprehensive range that has been specifically developed for dehydrated and dull skin,” she says. “The Professional Source Marine Treatment lasts for one hour and is inclusive of Hydration and Radiance Treatments,” she says. “The complementary retail products are available for every skin type including home-use hydration ampoules. There are even specific tinted BB creams developed by Thalgo to use for dehydrated skin.”

On the sensitive side

Sun-damaged skin can also become highly sensitised and therefore it is important to proceed with caution when treating clients who are just back from a summer vacation. While we know that freshly sunburned skin is a contraindication to treatment, skin that has been tanned over a prolonged period may also need to be soothed and rebalanced.

Dr Erich Schulte, founder of the QMS Mediocosmetics range, says: “In the summer months, we often see an increase in sensitivity in the skin; this can be from a mix of causes such as pollutant particles or higher temperatures.” He advises using a product that calms while repairing. “The QMS Sensitive Skin Re-Balance with Repair 3 Complex delivers multiple benefits to clarify and calm the skin as well as helping it regenerate the skin’s basic functions.”

Mauren Villalobos, training coordinator at Natura Bissé Middle East says the Spanish skincare line also has a range of products that are perfect for tender skins. “When skin is damaged, it is necessary to give it extra care and the NB Ceutical Collection from Natura Bissé – specifically designed for skin sensitivity – will be the perfect ally. “The collection will reduce redness and soothe skin, aiding its recovery and providing anti-ageing properties.”

Smooth operators

Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanin is overproduced in certain spots on the skin and one of the main causes is exposure. It results in flat, darkened patches of skin that are light brown to black in colour, and can vary in size and shape, and causes the skin to look more aged.

Dermalogica has designed the Dermalogica Powerbright TRx system to tackle pigmentation through gentle exfoliation. Lisa Marie Williams, educator for the Healthcare Group, which partners with Dermalogica in the UAE, says: “For pigmentation, exfoliation is a great step to resurface and brighten the skin. “There are products that can be used to stop pigment production, resurface and brighten the skin therefore giving great results to treat and correct pigmentation. “The Dermalogica Powerbright TRx system consists of a serum a day cream with SPF50 to protect from the sun and a night cream that gently exfoliates and brightens. If clients use this targeted system they are guaranteed to see results within six to eight weeks.”

Sara Chemseddine, founder of the Repère Care skincare line, advises using vitamin-infused products to lighten the skin: “Salons and spas can also focus on using and recommending products that are high in Vitamin E and K, to treat hyperpigmentation, as both act as mild lightening agents and help repair sun-damaged skin,” she says. “Products such as The Night Repair Serum from Repère Care, which contain vitamins in addition to other antioxidants, are recommended. This serum can be used during in-salon or spa treatments and at home as part of a balanced skincare regimen.”

Line of defence

Although sun exposure may peak in summer time, in the UAE clients should be seeking sun protection year round. In addition to daily SPF, regular treatments and use of products with vitamin C, collagen and oxygen offer a great line of defence against the sun.

“Oxygen is nature’s most powerful healing element, and by infusing it into the skin, healthy cell regeneration will increase and fines lines and wrinkles will visibly reduce,” says McCumiskey. “For oxygen to work efficiently it requires a carrier that will hold it deep in the layers of the skin and slowly release its healing properties. “The Linda Meredith Oxygen Machine propels pure oxygen into the structure of the skin and is used in the Linda Meredith Vtox Facial and Haute Couture Facial. “There are many oxygen treatments available but what makes the Linda Meredith oxygen treatments unique is the combination of medical-grade oxygen and the vitamin-enriched serum. The air around us contains 75 per cent nitrogen and 20.8 per cent oxygen and through a special filter within the machine, the nitrogen is converted into oxygen allowing almost 96 per cent oxygen to be delivered into the skin, at five litres per minute, producing amazing results.”

Collagen cure

Chronic exposure to sunlight can stimulate an excessive production of free radicals, which cause the degradation of collagen and elastin fibers and affect the skin through wrinkling, scaling, dryness and mottled pigmentation, leading eventually to photo-ageing.

“Collagen is the most important protein in the skin. it can store approximately 300 times its own molecule weight in moisture and is vital to the skin’s elasticity,” says Dr Schulte, whose QMS range is built on restoring lost collagen in the skin.

In addition to skincare, yearround supplementation can provide an additional form of skin protection. “Supplementation with collagen peptides and antioxidants can nourish and protect the skin, both activating the fibroblasts, in order to produce new collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, and fighting the damage due to free radicals generated by UV rays,” says Sara Sibilla, senior clinical and scientific research manager at Minerva Research Labs and spokesperson for the Collagen Gold line of supplements. “For these reasons, it makes sense to take a nutraceutical containing both collagen peptides and antioxidants before summer, to protect the skin against sun damage and photo-ageing and all year round to support and nourish the skin, to make it healthier and stronger.”

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a great way to maintain skin health year-round and is proven to be beneficial to the skin, brightening tone, boosting collagen levels and producing an antioxidant effect.

Yong-joo Jeon Ph.D is Hyundai IBT’s director of product development, which creates the Vitabrid vitamin C range of products, available in the UAE. He advises: “Living in a large city may cause people to feel that their skin has been dulled over time by air pollution. Overall skin quality may have decreased due to constant bathing with irritants such as chlorinated water. “We suggest addressing these concerns by recommending Vitabrid C12 Face Brightening Powder, which utilises an advanced form of vitamin C that penetrates the skin. It can be added to a normal moisturiser and it preserves the vitamin C within skin-friendly mineral layers. Once it is applied to the skin, it releases active vitamin C continuously for over 12 hours, permeating through the skin layers down to the dermis.