Your super-skin kit

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Kelly Rowland
TONE
Darker skins are lucky: they get fewer
wrinkles. “High levels of pigmentation
offer superior UV protection and
delayed signs of ageing,” says consultant
dermatologist Dr Ophelia Dadzie. We’re
talking line-free skin until probably
your half century or beyond. Wow. But
there is one problem lurking: sagging.
“Black skin suffers from hollowing
under the eyes and prominence of
nasolabial folds (your ‘smile lines’),”
says Dr Dadzie. Collagen-plumping
creams can help: look for ones with
peptides and hyaluronic acid, or try
high-quality collagen supplements.
“Post-inflammatory pigmentation and
scarring are also big problems,” says Dr
Dadzie. Prevention is key, so be careful
not to overdo it when trying new
potent products at home.
Jessica Chastain
We all know our skin colour, but many of us need to
learn what that means when it comes to skincare
I
t may sound crazy – we all look
in the mirror every day amd
are totally aware of the colour
of our skin. But did you know
that every skin pigment comes with
a different set of problems? The good
news is that we’ve got the tips, tricks
and products to solve them.
Your super-skin kit
1
3
1
3
Your
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132
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TOP 3
(orange and red fruits and
vegetables) and green tea
combat all the key signs of
ageing,” says Dr Bunting.
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hi
Your super-skin kit
TOP 3
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a rris
2
1 Manuka Doctor ApiRefine CC Cream SPF20, £19.99. A
plumping, perfecting sunscreen. 2 Verso Day Cream SPF15,
£85. Retinol is the gold standard in anti-ageing, and this is
gentle enough for daytime use. 3 Imedeen Derma One,
£35.99. A supplement proven to make skin look younger.
2
1 Fountain The Hyaluronic Molecule, £27.99. The
first drinkable hyaluronic acid; think of it as an
‘internal filler’. 2 Indeed Laboratories Retinol
Reface, £19.99. Helps fade spots, smooth skin and
reduce acne bacteria. 3 Time Bomb Collagen
Bomb, £39. Helps build better-quality collagen.
Your
om
“When it’s clear and healthy, fair skin is luminous and turns
heads,” says cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting. But the
lighter it is, the more susceptible it is to sun damage: the No.1
cause of ageing. “White skin’s inbuilt SPF is only around
SPF3, whereas black skin’s is SPF13, due to differing levels of
protective melanin,” explains Dr Bunting. “UV exposure leads
to collagen breakdown and the
first wrinkles from your late
twenties on.” Which is why
wearing a daily SPF is a
PRIORITIES
no-brainer. On the plus side,
white skin is less at risk of
Avoid sunbathing
post-inflammatory pigmentation
“Wear SPF and save a fortune
(discolouration triggered by
in anti-ageing products in
your forties,” says Sam.
inflammation or wounds).
Intense pulsed light technology
Stop smoking
make you look 10-20
can
It
(IPL) is great for zapping dark
r than your real age.
olde
s
year
spots or thread veins, whereas
acne and pores can be helped by
Feed your face
ds containing lycopene
“Foo
lasers such as Clear + Brilliant.
Na
PRIORITIES
Be gentle
No scrubbing, pickin
g or using overly
aggressive products
.
Use a retinoid
This should control
acne and dark spots.
Apply SPF15 daily
UV rays will worsen
those dreaded
dark patches fast.
FEBRUARY 2014 COSMOPOLITAN
* 133
Freida Pinto
PRIORIT
Exfoliate
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TOP 3
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Add light
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Use a day crea
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Do so every da
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Lucy Liu
When God was handing out the ageing
genes, it appears he gave this skin type
the pause button. “Wrinkles tend to be
delayed, often not appearing until your
late thirties or forties,” says dermatologist
Dr Stefanie Williams. On the flip side,
she adds, “There’s a tendency towards
pigmentation, dark circles and dullness.”
Irregular pigmentation is where sun
damage, hormones or irritation can
leave dark blotches on your skin – but
you can fight back with products
containing kojic acid and arbutin.
Unsightly dark circles may also be
the bane of your life. “They’re often
inherited and are caused either by high
pigment levels or micro blood vessels
that have leaked, leading to purple/
black staining under the eyes,” says Dr
Williams. “I’d recommend an eye cream
containing vitamin K and antioxidants.”
Your
Zi
This skin wins the award for ‘best cheekbones
in the world’. Thanks to a killer combination of
porcelain skin, firmness and delayed sagging,
women with Asian skin have a toned advantage
over others. Luminosity is where they need to put
their energies. “An even tone is the key parameter
for beautiful skin,” says Thierry Passeron, professor
of dermatology at the University Hospital of Nice.
“A major concern for Asian skin is the appearance
of actinic lentigos – numerous light-brown-to-black
spots that appear on the face and décolletage area,
caused by excess melanin synthesis.” Darker and more
plentiful than freckles, these radiance-zapping spots
won’t fade in winter. “Daily use of a skintone corrector is imperative,” says Thierry.
Look for products that contain powerful
active ingredients such as kojic acid,
arbutin or vitamin C.
Bingbing
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Your super-skin kit
2
Your
TOP 3
PRIORITIES
3
Sleep
A good eight hour
s a night will help
keep dark circles
and dullness at ba
y.
Use a quality eye
cr
Bright eyes will lift
eam
your whole face.
134
* COSMOPOLITAN FEBRUARY 2014
3
m
r
Pa
1
1
1 Pevonia Lightening Gel, £46. Packed with
brighteners such as azelaic acid, arbutin and
mulberry. 2 Lancôme DreamTone 2, £69.
Advanced anti-age spot technology bespoke to
your skin colour. 3 Zelens Z-22 Absolute Face
Oil, £65. Oils are popular in Asia for their unique
illuminating anti-ageing properties.
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2
lle
y Co
“For that all-important
glow, I’d recommend a
course of mild glycolic
peels once a year, or
try Hydrafacials
(Hydrafacial.co.uk),”
says Dr Williams.
in d
re resilient skin.
Salon
solutions
Your super-skin kit
e r N a g ra
Add antioxidants
For stronger, mo
Sh
e
1 La Roche-Posay Biomedic Pigment Control, £29. Kojic
acid keeps dark spots at bay. 2 Aveeno Positively Radiant
Daily Exfoliating Cleanser, £5.99. With soy and microbeads
for brightening. 3 Omorovicza Reviving Eye Cream, £75. A
does-it-all eye cream with vitamin K and arnica.
You asked, we answered
Read our experts’ responses to YOUR
skin questions at Cosmopolitan.co.uk/
tonecommandments
135
“Mediterranean skin is generally thicker as the collagen it
contains is denser,” says dermatologist Dr Suchitra Badvey.
“This means skin is often problem-free – it’s less prone to
acne, dryness or fine wrinkles than other skin types.” But
you do have one battle on your hands: melasma. This
patchy brown discolouration tends to appear on the
forehead, cheeks, nose and top lip. Annoyingly stubborn,
your best bet is to zap it religiously with kojic or azelaic
acid. “A gentle skin peel (eg, with 25% lactic acid) or IPL
can also help,” suggests Dr Badvey.
Your
TOP 3
PRIORITIES
Wear sunscreen
-L
o
This will help preve
nt
pigmentation.
J
Apply antioxidants
Your super-skin kit
1
“Add unsaturated
oils into
your diet, such as
oily fish
or olive oil,” advis
es
Dr Badvey.
ex
a Chung
Al
han
Ri
3
1 Bioderma Sensibio H20, £9.99.
A gentle cleanser that prevents irritation.
2 Medik8 White Balance Click, £45. A
potent melasma fighter with kojic acid
stored in the lid. 3 SkinCeuticals Phloretin
CF Gel, £150. Your daily antioxidant fix
in a lightweight gel.
It’ll vary according to your genetic mix
but, in general, mixed-race skin ages more
slowly than white but faster than black. Dr
Marko Lens, skin cancer and anti-ageing
specialist, says, “This skin type also tends
to age ‘well’ because it’s usually oily due to
more active sebaceous glands.” Annoyingly,
this can mean open pores, so exfoliate
regularly or try a gentle chemical peel,
but avoid lasers. Watch out for mottled
pigmentation on the nose or forehead. Dr
Lens’s top tip? Prevention is everything, so
use a skin-tone corrector and SPF every day.
na
Kim Kardashian
136
2
Think oils
Pe
nél
o p e Cr u z
For general lighte
ning and
anti-ageing powe
rs.
Your super-skin kit
2
3
1
1 Guerlain Dark Spot Corrector Pore
Minimizer, £85. Lightens dark spots and
tightens pores. 2 Elizabeth Arden Prevage
Anti-Aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser,
£38. Enzymes and microbeads reveal
smoother, brighter skin. 3 Clinique Even
Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45, £26. High
UV protection with a sheer appearance.
BY KATE TURNER. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY, XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM, THE PICTURE LIBRARY LTD, PA PHOTOS, FEATURE FLASH, WENN.COM, PHOTOSHOT, EROTEME.CO.UK, DAVID FISHER/REX FEATURES, FILM MAGIC,
WIREIMAGE, STUDIO 33. FOR MORE ON DR SAM BUNTING, SEE DRSAMBUNTING.COM. FOR MORE ON DR OPHELIA DADZIE, SEE LONDONETHNICSKIN.COM. FOR MORE ON DR STEFANIE WILLIAMS, SEE EUDELO.COM
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