Beautiful skin gives us confidence but sometimes achieving it can seem as elusive as finding the golden ticket or in this case the magic ingredient.

Your age and your health are reflected in your skin. Healthy skin is radiant but when it is compromised it often appears blotchy, red, inflamed, dry, flaky and itchy.

Have you ever wondered what ingredient is best for your skin? Only to be left so confused by all the conflicting expert information, purported research, and clever marketing campaigns that A, B, C are no longer just simple letters of the alphabet. What makes it more confusing is that almost every expert, clinician, best friend, mother, favorite aunty or celebrity ambassador has their own secret product that they assure you is the holy grail for beautiful skin.

Factors such as age, genetics, health issues including diabetes and inflammatory disorders, sun exposure, diet, gut health, stress, alcohol and smoking all impact the appearance of our skin.  Not to mention hormones and the havoc they can create with significant skin changes during pregnancy and menopause or the plethora of other external and internal factors that can affect the radiance of your skin.

Most of us have probably tried every over the counter cream or serum, and possibly more than a few cosmeceuticals with varying degrees of success. Our bathroom cupboards are filled with an assortment of products designed to make us feel better about our skin, only to never use them because our skin has reacted, or didn’t like the way it felt on the skin.

Skincare and cosmeceutical companies are a part of a multi-billion dollar industry, all promising beautiful skin and a more youthful appearance. No wonder it’s so overwhelming to navigate finding the right products for your skin type.  With regards to finding the magic ingredient, and all the conflicting information available it often comes down to who you ask. So it’s definitely worth talking to a skin expert who can thoroughly assess what your individual skin needs are, then specifically recommend home care products and work with you to achieve your best skin.

Many skincare companies rely on a single ingredient and base their whole range around how amazing it is and it's myriad of uses. For example, Retinol, known as Vitamin A is widely considered one of the most important ingredients in skincare products. It is an essential nutrient that is vital for the optimal functioning of healthy, radiant skin. It is also proven to have anti-ageing benefits because it assists in the cellular turnover and healing, prevents breakouts, minimises fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen production, and helps to moisturise the skin.
Alpha Hydroxyl Acids, commonly referred to as AHA’s are naturally occurring chemical compounds. Due to their anti-ageing properties, they are often marketed as the magic ingredient needed to reveal younger-looking skin. Glycolic acid, which comes from sugar cane, and lactic acid from lactulose are used to help the skin cells turn over. This natural cycle of cellular turnover and renewal slows as we age, which causes a build-up of dead skin cells resulting in a more dull or congested appearance. These products gently exfoliate the dead skin cells and speed up this process to reveal a fresh, brighter and more radiant layer of skin.

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Not to forget Vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that can protect, repair and enhance your skin. It helps prevent premature aging by protecting the skin from external factors such as sun damage. Repairs and evens out skin tone by lightening pigmentation and brown spots because it inhibits the production of melanin. It also stimulates collagen production which can reduce the appearance of fine lines, and also hydrates and brightens the overall appearance of the skin for a more radiant complexion.

How can one magic ingredient do everything?

The truth is, it can’t. Although some specific ingredients can have multiple benefits, we can’t rely on just one. To fully understand why we need to appreciate that the skin is a vital organ of the body and part of a complex system. Just like the cardiovascular system or digestive system, multiple areas need to be cared for.

At first glance the skin seems like a relatively simple system to understand, that its primary function is to protect us, however, digging a little deeper we see how complex it is.

‘It protects us from microbes and the elements helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat and cold’
– Webmed 2014.

The skin has 3 primary layers, the epidermis which is the thin, outer water protective layer, the dermis which is made up of connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands and the deep subcutaneous layer that consists of fat and connective tissues.

Each layer of the skin consists of multiple different cells, each with very specific functions working together to regulate and maintain a state of homeostasis. Within the epidermis the most common cells are keratinocytes making up 90-95 % of your skin, they provide the strength and protection. There are also melanocytes which produce melanin, the pigment that gives our skin color, and the immune-boosting cells. The skin also has an extracellular matrix of collagen, elastin and fibroblasts, and lastly lymphatic and vascular networks.  Each of these aspects needs support both internally and externally to maintain optimal function. (Anatomy & Physiology)

With this in mind, we realise that we need to think in a much broader context, rather than just searching for one magic ingredient in a skincare regime, we need to ensure that the skin itself is healthy.

Think of your skincare products as food for your skin.

Feeding it a diet full of a variety of nutrients is essential for optimal health. Vitamins, minerals and good fats all play a vital role in contributing to cellular processes within our skin. They are designed to help regulate different processes, promote healing and reduce inflammation, they work as free radical scavengers and protect against oxidative stressors and encourage cellular growth. Essential Fatty acids contribute to our lipid bilayer and assist in maintaining healthy and hydrated skin.
There is no one magic ingredient, and every skin is unique with various needs. Therefore, ensure you choose a high-quality skincare range that incorporates multiple vitamins and minerals. At the very least a skincare range that includes Vitamins A, B, and C  coupled with AHA’s as these amazing ingredients will improve the appearance, texture and health of your skin resulting in a more youthful radiant glow.

Holistically treating our skin is essential to achieving the best outcomes.

Your lifestyle and what you eat is as important as what you put on your skin. A well balanced and healthy diet can improve your skin health from the inside out. Foods that look after your skin at a cellular level include watermelon, berries, pineapples, citrus fruits, cucumber, tomatoes, dandelion greens, and salmon.  It is also essential to drink more water. Lifestyle factors such wearing a sunscreen every day, reducing alcohol consumption, eating less sugar, quitting smoking and reducing stress, and will also have a huge impact on improving the health and appearance of your skin.

Healthy skin equals beautiful skin.