Fabulous Skin Care Guide for Day & Night (PM edition)

[By Cassandra W. Kwok]

PM Must-Haves: Repair & Rejuvenate

We all know that having a good night sleep will lead to a more fruitful day. Similarly, how you treat your skin before you hit the sack will affect how you look the following day. At night, your skin is at rest and is not being exposed to the environmental stressors that greatly contribute to dermal aging. While you sleep, your skin cells go into overdrive to help repair the damages incurred during the day. One should focus on providing adequate hydration and nourishment to keep our skin cells happy and healthy. In addition, a serious boost to its metabolism can be achieved with skin serums that contain effective performance ingredients targeted at one’s specific skin woes.

PM must-have #1: Age Fighters

If Retinoids aren’t part of your skincare regime yet, they should be. This vitamin A derivative penetrates deep within the dermis and evokes stimulation right where collagen fibers are created. It is considered one of the most miraculous ingredients for smoothing the texture of the skin, softening lines and wrinkles. In addition, it increases the rate of turnover of skin cells and thus tackles skin discoloration caused by UV rays and helps to unclog pores. In fact, Tretinoin was the first retinoid approved by the FDA to treat wrinkles. Retinoids causes photosensitivity and can further dry out and irritate aging skin as well. It is therefore judicious to use it ONLY in the evening and always wear a good sunscreen in the day time and keep your skin well moisturized with emollients, both day and night, while on it.

SW1 AGE DEFY Rejuvenating & Anti-aging Lotion

A gentler preparation that can be used nightly to fight visible signs of aging is the aptly named, SW1 AGE DEFY, a rejuvenating and anti-aging lotion which combines retinol with a powerful, natural moisturizing agent packed full of hyaluronic acid and vital collagen. It therefore not only fights wrinkles as you drift off into slumberland, but also effectively tones, lifts and firms skin while delivering long-lasting hydration.

Available over the counter from sw1clinic.com or online @SW1shop.com 

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) is another proven class of age fighting agents exerting their prowess best overnight. These are fruit acids which loosen the bonds between the complexion dulling dead skin cells that accumulate with age so they can be shed, leading to improved texture and more even skin color with added radiance to boost. On top of all that, they also enhance the reparative mechanism of skin cells, allowing other anti-aging ingredients to penetrate faster and work more effectively.

Sunday Riley Good Genes

Sunday Riley’s line are cult favorites and Holy Grail products to many skincare enthusiasts, formulated with just below prescription level concentrations so that they are potent yet gentle and non-irritating to the skin. Known for its immediate and dramatic effect on the skin, Sunday Riley Good Genes has been credited with smoothing, brightening, and plumping effect the day after using it a night cream. Formulated with pharmaceutical grade lactic acid that sloughs away dead skin cells and visually plumps wrinkles and fine lines, it also contains naturally brightening Licorice which reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation and lemongrass acting as a potent booster to enhance skin’s radiance.

Available online @net-a-porter.com

SW1 SLEEP MODE Skin Renewing & Smoothening Gel

SW1 SLEEP MODE is an oil-free Aloe Vera gel with 15% Glycolic acid and is highly beneficial for non-sensitive, normal to oily, and even blemished skin types. In addition to its anti-aging effect of increasing the rate of natural dead skin exfoliation to promote moisturization by renewal of native skin collagen, it effectively controls oil and helps fight bacteria to keep breakouts in check. It is best applied to cleansed skin and left on overnight to work its magic, and consistent use will help reduce daytime shine, clear up skin problems, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines too!

Available over the counter from sw1clinic.com or online @SW1shop.com

PM must-have #2: Skin Brighteners

Blotchy skin doesn’t reflect light as well and tend to make your complexion dull and older looking. Many women suffer from pigmentation problems these days, sometimes triggered by hormonal fluctuations like pregnancy or birth control pills, damage to the skin due to injury and prolonged unprotected sun exposure. Melanogenesis or the production of pigment containing melanocytes is a multi-step procedure that can be inhibited at different levels, leading to a boom in cosmeceuticals over the years. When you are shopping for creams for hyperpigmentation, look out for key ingredients such as hydroquinone, vitamin C, azelic and kojic acid, mulberry and soy produce.

Hydroquinone is one of the earliest available bleaching agent, highly effective in strength from 2 to 8%. However, rebound hyperpigmentation following monotherapy with Hydroquinone is fairly common especially in Asian skins.

SW1 SPECIAL EFFECTS Rejuvenating & Anti-Aging Cream

Consider instead combination products such as SW1 SPECIAL EFFECTS, with a Mequinol/Tretinoin formulation that replaces hydroquinone to keep those side effects to a minimum without compromising the overall lightening efficacy.

Skin brighteners as such are best applied at night asthese potent ingredients also make your skin more sensitive to the external environment such as sunlight or pollutants. Furthermore, excessive drying of the skin may also occur, requiring thicker moisturizers which might not work in your best interest in the daytime.

Available over the counter from sw1clinic.com or online @SW1shop.com

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PM must-have#3: Dermal Hydrators

Every night time skincare routine should end off with a suitable moisturizer of your choice. Your skin needs to stay well hydrated as you recharge overnight and ending off with a banging moisturizer will definitely allow you stay on top of your game. During the night, if you don’t have oily skin, dare to go for heavier moisturizers to replenish all the moisture lost during the day and attempt to lock in as much moisture as you can.

In recent years, Hyaluronic acid is the hot ingredient that has taken the skincare scene by storm. It hydrates and plumps dry aging skin by drawing water to the skin and for best results, it can be used liberally wherever your skin is dry and needs hydrating. In addition, Hyaluronic acid isn’t irritating and wouldn’t compromise the effectiveness of other skincare ingredients which you may be using together with it.

Epicuren Moisture Surge Hyaluronic Acid Gel

This is an all-natural, oil free moisturizer that locks in hydration to benefit all skin types. Containing Hyaluronic Acid, a natural moisture binder responsible for holding 1000 times its weight in water, this superior humectant deeply hydrates and plumps skin to help smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Keep in mind that skin care is more complicated than the benefit any single ingredient can provide. Just like your diet, one ingredient isn’t enough to keep you healthy.

Available online @epicuren.com

SW1 Revitalift treatments

Targeted to lift and hydrate tired and lackluster skins at the same time, the cutting edge Revitalift treatment is a safe and efficient procedure employed to replenish skin moisture to ideal levels for unparalleled luminescence, radiating the enviable glow of youthful-looking complexions. Thanks to an exclusive patented bio-synthesis process, the pure hyaluronic acid used is highly identical to our own skin’s polymer, and hence maintains high bio-compatibility and is readily incorporated for exceedingly natural looking results. Improvements are apparent even after the first treatment with close to zero downtime, and optimal outcome is achieved after 3 to 6 sessions done at monthly interval.

To find out more about Revitalift, reach out to the beauty experts@sw1clinic.com

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