Cosmeceuticals – workout for your face

Changing your kids behaviour sounds challenging? Changing your skins behaviour sounds impossible – well, so we thought. We aren’t quite sure which is the lesser of two evils, though with the help from the experts at ACTI – Canberra’s agile training ground for beauty therapists – we see light (and glowing skin) at the end of the tunnel.

ACTI are changing the game and pushing the boundaries to ensure Canberrans are finally happy with their skin. ACTI are teaching beauty therapists the secrets to achieving glowing, healthy looking skin for their clients. It’s all the products you see influencers using on social, but you’re too scared to drop dollars on because you don’t know how to apply them or which product is the most suitable.

Director and Trainer at ACTI, Elise is a qualified Dermal Therapist and Educator. She is an expert in skin analysis and diagnosis and provides advice on the type of ingredients you may need to achieve a healthy looking skin. Elise is passionate about helping her students become expert skin analysers who are equipped to treat almost any skin condition.

Elise gave us a quick ‘Cosmeceuticals for Dummies’ lesson, and we came out the other side very thankful for her insights:

What are cosmeceuticals?

Cosmeceutical skin care is a balance of cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredients that have both a cosmetic and therapeutic (medical-like) effect.

They are designed to treat the skin on a cellular level for healthy looking skin and beauty effects. The active ingredients used in these skin care products may work on a superficial level (such as exfoliants which remove dead skin cell build up) or might work on a deeper level to enhance or regular normal skin functions (such as vitamin A).

Many skin care brands will have a mini-range within the product line to target a specific concern e.g. acne, pigmentation, ageing, redness such as Medik8. This makes it really simple to prescribe skin care products for our clients.

Can anyone use them?
While the products do not require a prescription from a doctor, it is recommended that consumers seek professional advice from a beauty or dermal therapist to ensure they are using the best products for them to get safe and effective results.

When should we start?

The ageing process begins to really increase in speed after the age of 25. Collagen and elastin production begins to slow, hydration levels decrease and we start to see signs of ageing including fine lines and wrinkles, hollowing, uneven skin tone and texture, pigmentation etc. Cosmeceuticals assist with cell regeneration, collagen stimulation, and pigmentation removal (to name a few) to help fight the signs of ageing.

Cosmeceuticals should be a component of all skin care regimes. As they say, prevention is better than a cure. Don’t wait for the lines to form and think ‘maybe its time I started using good skincare’. The time is now.

How they help?

While most of us are concerned with the ageing process, cosmeceuticals are also corrective skin care products. Some are formulated to help regulate oil flow and skin cell turnover, others contain key ingredients to control pigmentation formation, while others are focused on keeping the skin functioning at a healthy level.

Medik8 is a fantastic cosmeceutical brand that is one of Elise’s personal favourites. Their range is extensive and has the right product for all skin concerns and conditions. From cleansers, to moisturisers and powerful anti-ageing serums, Medik8 has it all.

Who should I see for this advice?

There are multiple professionals you can see for skin care advice.

Number one are the beauty and dermal therapists. These therapists specialise in treating the two uppermost layers of the skin: epidermis and dermis. They know how to best manage a variety of skin conditions and prescribe cosmeceutical skin care.

ACTI is home to an advanced range of Cosmeceuticals. Elise suggests the below from ACTI: