The Beauty Girls Guide To: Stress, Skin and Superficiality

The last few months have been somewhat stressful for myself and my family and despite fighting what has sometimes felt like a losing battle, (were winning for the record) it’s the little things that seem to make or break my day. Despite sounding superficial and ridiculous, some days, I have felt the world is ending because my usually flawless skin has decided to look like shit, constantly.

Gone are the bright eyes. Gone is the clear and radiant skin. Instead I have bags under my eyes, dull, lifeless skin and pimple-like, (but not pimples) lumps deep within my skin that don’t seem to have any purpose but to piss me off.

Stress; late, sleepless nights; not drinking enough water and a bad diet are all contributing factors I am told, (the same advice I give to friends and followers who ask me about good skin). Two of these four things currently run true for me; I just never imagined it would actually affect me so much.

It’s also probably due to the inherent fact that I’m getting older. Stressed or not, as we get older, our skin can make us appear far older and more tired than we feel. From our twenties, deterioration begins as the collagen and elastin that kept our skin supple begin to break down. That’s an inarguable fact.

To counteract the crappy skin days I have been having, I’ve been using the wonder product, Gamma Hydroxy by Skin Doctors.

Gamma Hydroxy is a daily resurfacing cream that smoothes the appearance of uneven skin tone, acne scarring, wrinkles and the visible signs of skin ageing. The ingredients are blended together to have a cosmetic resurfacing effect so dramatic that with regular use, it has even been likened to a chemical peel. It’s designed to be used every day for 12 weeks, but my skin was so good after using this that I continue to use it for months on end.

It contains:

Glycolic acid
Belongs to the class Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), commonly known as fruit acids and occurs naturally in sugar cane juice. It is considered to be the most effective AHA because it has a small molecular structure allowing it to penetrate the surface of the skin more readily.

Lactic Acid
Also a type of AHA and is derived from sour milk and grain. Its benefits to the skin have been well documented for centuries, even Cleopatra's beautiful skin is attributed to her bathing in milk.

Both Glycolic and Lactic Acids work by loosening or breaking up the thick outer layer of skin. Through this microscopic exfoliation activity, these AHAs smooth the skin’s texture problems including acne, fine wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin expressions. They also have the fantastic benefit of kick-starting your skin into its natural regeneration, stimulating collagen and skin growth cycle.

Salicylic Acid
Classed as Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs), this type of acids can be a little milder than AHAs, but this doesn’t mean they are less potent. In fact, while BHAs essentially work the same as AHAs, they have certain talents that AHAs don’t have. Salicylic Acid encourages the sloughing of dead skin cells as AHAs do, but it also has the ability to penetrate into the pore, while AHAs do not. This advantage makes it very effective for improving blemishes, by breaking down blackheads and whiteheads, and clearing clogged pores.

It also happens to be a cosmeceutical, the new ‘buzz-word’ in skincare. Cosmeceuticals are the perfect fusion between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; Wikipedia defines it as being, cosmetics with biologically active ingredients purporting to have medical or drug-like benefits. It’s also a more natural and needleless option to cosmetic surgery. According to Avon, cosmeceuticals make you look stunning not stunned.

Companies who are producing cosmeceuticals claim that new-generation creams are just as effective as Botox in removing wrinkles, preventing sagging and reversing sun damage and enhancing collagen production. I am yet to try products that claim to nip and tuck without needles but I do more than recommend getting your hot little hands on Gamma Hydroxy and seeing how it works for you. As for battles to be fought, I have a much larger personal battle ahead and one that puts bad skin days very much into perspective.

Check out some other cosmeceuticals Beauty Bible likes below:

Bio Actives Skincare: Beauty Bible Editor Gracie is currently using the Bio Actives range and swears by it, so much so that she is getting one of their peels this afternoon care of Lucy and the Powder Room. Keep any eye out for her review.