The key to a healthy-looking skin starts with one simple, yet essential ritual – cleansing. You might splurge on expensive serums and moisturisers but all these efforts in the name of dewy, fresh, and clear complexion may work against you if you aren’t cleansing your face and this step should NEVER be underestimated as it lays the foundation for all your other products.
Consider what the skin encounters on any given day. From make-up to dirt and bacteria, pollution particles and debris, these can all be a menace to skin. Whilst the likes of make-up and bacteria can cause blackheads and spots, pollution can cause premature ageing and unwanted skin sensitivity. In addition, dead skin cells accumulate throughout the day, the build-up of which can render it exceedingly difficult for your skincare products to penetrate. As well as removing make up and dirt on a nightly cleanse (ideally double), it’s surprising how much bacteria builds on the skin when you sleep at night, so you need to cleanse it off in the morning too.
Then there’s hormonal changes associated with menopause which can affect you in a myriad of ways having a huge impact on not only the body but the skin too. With rapid depletion of Collagen, Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid, skin loses tone, elasticity, and its ability to retain moisture. Yet those fluctuations in hormones can also cause patches of oiliness – you’ve never been further away from the teenage years, yet your skin is starting to behave like you were back in high school!
Finding the best facial cleanser for your skin type together with your preferred texture can be a daunting task but whether your skin is combination, dry sensitive or mature our NEW Age Benefit Melting Cleansing Elixir definitely deserves front row on your bathroom shelf. Modern, decadent, and incredibly hardworking it is an extremely gentle ‘make-up melting’ and ‘deep cleansing’ formula gripping any stubborn oils, grime, and debris to sweep away every last trace of the day.
Radiance boosting, hydrating, and skin plumping is the name of the game here and there has been no compromise made on its pro-strength age-defying formula for those who want serious results. Crafted with Alfalfa, a skincare ingredient that often flies under the radar, this is a nutrient dense plant which possess powerful free radical scavenging activity helping to reverse or prevent cellular oxidation – otherwise known as cellular rust! Oxidation is what causes something even as resistant as iron to degrade over time so imagine what it can do to your skin! Alfalfa is also abundant in powerful polysaccharides called Galactomannans, which provide an incredible anti-wrinkle retinoic effect without the unwanted side effects of traditional retinol formulations so can address issues of rough texture, wrinkles, dark spots, and loss of elasticity.
With the natural oils and lipids in our skin that make up around 50% of skin’s uppermost layer naturally depleting from our mid-twenties, this shortage can lead to all manner of issues from dryness to premature lines and skin inflammation. The addition of ceramide rich Oat Lipids and nourishing Algae Oil work in harmony to mimic and replenish the skin’s natural defence barrier thus locking in moisture leaving you with a pillowy post-cleanse complexion.
And of course, what Gatineau product would be without a hefty dose of peptide technology, the rising stars of the skincare sphere and clever little messengers that trigger skin cells to do a specific function for a particular benefit. Think of applying peptides to the skin as putting up scaffolding and rebuilding the infrastructure (AKA the collagen and elastin proteins that keep us youthful). Charged with Pea Peptides, carefully chosen for the fact they have one of the most balanced amino acid profiles (including bundles of Lysine) and high antioxidant power, these are motivating peptides which prompt skin into rejuvenation mode resulting in a plumper, smoother and firmer complexion.
And with the rebalancing cocktail of botanical oils including Meadowfoam, Jojoba, Sweet Almond, and Borage oil this ultra-conditioning cleansing balm floods thirsty skin cells with moisture as it effortlessly melts away make up and impurities without stripping the skin.
For me, this sings opulence not least for its plethora of innovative actives but also for its lavish yet light balm texture which seamlessly melts over the skin like satin as it works to cleanse and condition lacing the complexion with a delicate natural aroma along the way.
This is truly my cleanser of the moment as for me it combines ‘selfcare with skincare.’ Think minimal effort and maximum glass-skin results – but don’t just take my word for it…. the independent user trials speak for themselves!
Lucy x