What’s the best skin care? - By Jane Dooley

The huge amount of different skin care ranges on the market today, is enough to make your head spin!

Let’s start at the beginning, Skin care essentially refers to products that are used to support and care for the skin. They can be classified into 3 groups:

Cosmetic skin care, Cosmeceutical skin care and Cosmedical skin care.

1. Cosmetic skin care is a standard, store-bought ‘beauty product’. It temporarily and superficially improves the appearance and feel of your skin and is often thought of as a maintenance product. Cosmetics skin care is best used on skins that are not looking for any skin correction or prevention of ageing. As cosmetics, they have no real ability to create any structural change or deliver any long-term results for serious skin issues. They simply don’t have the power to actively correct targeted skin concerns such as minimising the signs of ageing, pigmentation, acne etc.

Although many cosmetic products may contain some of the same ingredients found in their professional counterparts, the percentage is too low to provide any long-lasting or skin correcting effect.

2. Cosmeceutical skincare is considered “active” skin care and can commonly be found in skin clinics and beauty salons. They represent the marriage of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The powerful combination of active ingredients in cosmeceutical products can actually improve the condition of the skin and its underlying health.

3. Lastly, Cosmedical skin care is the merging of medical grade actives and cosmetic science. Cosmedicals are considered the heavy weapons of skincare and these products are found in skin clinics, dermal clinics and doctor’s offices. Often described as an advanced cosmeceutical, they have the ability to target not only present and past skin damage but also provide the skin with an element of prevention for the future. Cosmedics are based on medically and clinically documented blends of actives including vitamins, peptides and antioxidants and are used with chiral and encapsulation technology to enable the deepest delivery possible. These ingredients offer desired outcomes by reaching the various layers of the skin and actually changing the way skin works for an overall improvement in skin health and complexion.

Does more expensive always mean it’s a better product?

Not necessarily, it’s not always the most expensive products that are the most effective. There are many skin care products that are higher in price due to extravagant packaging and marketing.

What really matters is the amount and quality of the active ingredients, not the multi million dollar ad campaigns in glossy magazines.

Is it really worth using cosmeceutical and cosmedical products?

Absolutely! If you choose to invest in your skin by nourishing it with science based active skincare, you will certainly thank yourself later. With the advancements in skin care formulations and ingredient technology we are blessed to be able to dramatically slow down the skin ageing process. We are so lucky to be living in this day and age where a well looked after skin will look years younger and healthier than our past generations.

You really do have the power to make a huge difference to your skin in the next 5, 10, 20 years plus!

At Nectar Day Spa we use and recommend O Cosmedics.

If you would like more information on the best skincare for you please call us on 02 46286280 or email us on info@nectardayspa.com.au

If you would like to restock your skincare, you can purchase O Cosmedics online here.