Dr Katerina’s weekly chat about anti-ageing, skincare and how to look younger.

Transcription

Valerie Prentice: Hi everyone! Welcome to the weekly chat with Dr.‚ Katerina‚ Steventon. Today, we are going to talk about its springtime. The bluebells are out. The snow poppies, not snow poppies¢â‚¬¦

Katerina Steventon: No.

[laughing]

Valerie Prentice: Snowdrops¢â‚¬¦you know I have no idea of my flowers. The snowdrops are out and now this is the time that we actually got to look after our skin better after the skin¢â‚¬â„¢s basically it¢â‚¬â„¢s like hibernation, isn¢â‚¬â„¢t it? Spring time, the winter time.

Katerina Steventon: The winter time is a very different season for our skin than spring is. Now, it¢â‚¬â„¢s transitional period. Obviously, the weather is changing. The temperature is changing. The humidity of the air is changing.

Valerie Prentice: And also we are getting more sunlight.

Katerina Steventon: Yes, there is much more sunlight, but well, not that much. Yeah. So, we have a window of opportunity to do something fairly radical. In winter, we were fighting the coldness and our skin needed mainly protection. Now, it¢â‚¬â„¢s the time to actually boost the radiance, boost the glow.

Valerie Prentice: So, in like winter time, we had the heavier creams¢â‚¬¦

Katerina Steventon: Yeah, we had more oil-based moisturizers and we didn¢â‚¬â„¢t want to do anything that would actually stimulate the skin too much because the skin was fighting enough and it was more about preserving the status quo in winter and now it¢â‚¬â„¢s the time to actually spring clean and detox if you like and actually look at what this skin in winter suffered with. So, either these are build-up of cells and dry patches or there could be excessive oiliness or kind of dullness, you know, the tone, which we would all like to have even though it¢â‚¬â„¢s not there¢â‚¬¦

Valerie Prentice: Yeah, but even like in winter, we are doing our weekly facials, we got the masks, weekly exfoliants. Nothing would be compliant. Everyday we are cleansing and we got a makeup on most of the nights¢â‚¬¦

[laughing]

Katerina Steventon: And it is very, very important. Yes.

Valerie Prentice: And yet there is still more we have to do?

Katerina Steventon: Yes, there is this one step and we will speak about exfoliation, as well as peels and peels as a treatment and doing many, many cause of treatments right now before the sun comes out again and the sun will attack our skin enough and we will need to really venture into the sun protection.

Valerie Prentice: So, basically we got this little window now.

Katerina Steventon: Yes, we have about months, four to six weeks when we can do something fairly radical if you like and we need to boost the radiance, look at the smoothing our skin, mainly getting rid of the lines and maybe working on the wrinkles a little bit and depigmentation. Today, we will speak about the radiance and we probably know from my past interviews or from our chats that the more even the skin is, the more radiant it is.

Valerie Prentice: To get even is to get rid of dead skin cells and getting help in reduce of wrinkles and¢â‚¬¦¢â‚¬¦

Katerina Steventon: Yeah, through the winter, the metabolism of the skin was somehow slower. The skin goes from inside out and because the hydration was also compromised, the enzymes did not work as well and the shedding was partly kind of distorted. So, we end up with uneven skin patches, dry patches, which can¢â‚¬â„¢t see clinically visibly, but they are still there. So, what we need to do is give it a good peel and we will speak about peels and exfoliation.

Valerie Prentice: So, the difference between like you said mechanical exfoliation has got all the little grainy bits, you know, beads.

Katerina Steventon: Yes, yeah. Little beads again it¢â‚¬â„¢s very important that beads are round. This could be either yoyoba beads or polyethylene beads. Again, it depends on our take on the environment, which one you might use. Some of the products and you have picked some which are very popular in the regions. So,_____ uses both of them. For more sensitive skin, there is the new line of peeling from Clarence, which actually just uses a clay and the three dimensional power of clay, which swells in the pores and again absorbs that and the keratinocytes, the keratin plugs and really smoothes it and takes away mechanically. Again, mechanically. The superficial cells, which are just loosely, loosely attached.

Valerie Prentice: But the clay is like again you have to make sure your skin is properly diagnosed. Could I use this one?

Katerina Steventon: Yes, you would be able to use the clay. You would be even able to use the beads, but for you, because you are sensitive and you are prone to redness and the capillaries are fairly, fairly near to the surface. You will need to make sure it¢â‚¬â„¢s very smooth, it¢â‚¬â„¢s very creamy. You wouldn¢â‚¬â„¢t want to ever let it dry on your skin. You would want the whole procedure to be very pleasant. You don¢â‚¬â„¢t want the skin to feel abraded.

Valerie Prentice: The thing which I always find amazing, how I just really did not sensitive it was. I thought it was like¢â‚¬¦I used to be really into my clay mask and I thought it was really, really good if it dried out properly, destroying all the oil left and if it was reddened, I took the mask off. My face was red, it was really good.

Katerina Steventon: No, for your skin type, it actually has done some damage. The capillaries now are more dilated than they would be normally. So, it¢â‚¬â„¢s really oily skin type, which can take a clay mask. Actually, none of the masks should really dry on the skin anymore. You should take them off and wash off in a semi-solid state. You should dry a little bit¢â‚¬¦.

Valerie Prentice: You just need it for period of time and you leave it for ten minutes. So, you actually should put the mask on quite thickly.

Katerina Steventon: That¢â‚¬â„¢s correct and the weight of the mask is fairly important, as well as the fact that you are actually relaxed and you don¢â‚¬â„¢t wish to disuse mask having the masks¢â‚¬¦..you kind of really have the time-out period when you lay down and yes, it has to be let¢â‚¬â„¢s say about 7 grams. So, it is fairly lot¢â‚¬¦

Valerie Prentice: Oh, you push ingredients to holes¢â‚¬¦.

Katerina Steventon: Not every mask, but if it kind of deep cleansing masks then yes. There are masks, which are more nourishing and masks which almost act as the night-time moisturizers. We will talk about this some other time, but let¢â‚¬â„¢s look at some other products and kind of differentiate again the peel that is for the exfoliation. So, mechanical exfoliation is something we do on a regular basis throughout the whole year, again depending on the skin type. So, oily skin types probably thrice a week, kind of normal, a little bit middle-aged skin types probably once a week.

Valerie Prentice: So, only do once a week?

Katerina Steventon: Yeah, you would do once a week and some even less. So, probably every two weeks. However, it should be done. It¢â‚¬â„¢s a procedure that should be done. The peels then, we recognize two types of peeling. First is the acid peeling, which uses either glycolic acid from sugarcane. Again, this could be either artificially produced or derived from the source or lactic acid. These are the main acids. So, let¢â‚¬â„¢s have a look at some¢â‚¬¦.

Valerie Prentice: So, lactic acid is more like chemically-based and…….

Katerina Steventon: No, no, no. They both can be chemically produced or they could be derived from natural source. I would lie to see derived from a natural source, but depending at what brand you look at. These are brands like MD formulation and all the medical brands, which would probably go for the more artificial type. It¢â‚¬â„¢s cheaper as well. And then there are brands like Ren, which are organic and they really look at the sustainability and they can trace back actually the origin of the chemical¢â‚¬¦.of the ingredient they use¢â‚¬¦.

Valerie Prentice: Ahhh, okay. Yes, yes.

Katerina Steventon: So, probably this would be more up your street. However¢â‚¬¦

Valerie Prentice: Do you have a preference? Do you have a preference chemical or organic or………..

Katerina Steventon: I would like to think that eventually everything will become organic and sustained. However, it will have the efficacy, you know, the kind of mainstream and the medical brands have. I don¢â‚¬â„¢t always endorse just organic, wonderful, few oils mixed together in ______ . So, I don¢â‚¬â„¢t think that that bring always the result we are after and because I am so result oriented. I really want to see a difference, but not just the pampering side of the skin care. I want to see that the efficacy is there. One of the best products actually for the peel, but really not very good for sensitive skin, although they have two. One is for sensitive skin and one is not. It has 15% to 20%. So, over‚ the‚ counter product, it is a fairly strong product.

Valerie Prentice: So, you mean the acid¢â‚¬¦.

Katerina Steventon: That¢â‚¬â„¢s correct. This one specifically has combination of acids, but the main one in it is as like acids, which is something which works on the pigmentation. Again, really strongly gets rid of the superficial layers, evens very much the surface in terms of texture, but also the color and the pigment. So, that is one of the best products. It¢â‚¬â„¢s available through Space NK in this region, but people would sense a bit of tingling there and I always if there is any alpha hydroxy acids, I advise to air on the side of caution so you don¢â‚¬â„¢t become sensitive and dry and irritated. So, it is not for everybody really. That is probably the strongest products.

Valerie Prentice: See, the other thing is I would not touch this product.

Katerina Steventon: No, no. You would not touch this product.

Valerie Prentice: No, no. You wouldn¢â‚¬â„¢t touch the products. You probably wouldn¢â‚¬â„¢t even touch the lighter version, which is formulated for a sensitive skin. I think you are too sensitive for that. You know, people like myself, I really love that product. It just brings the glow, it brings the radiance. Its instant results. For people who can take it and boost skin, it¢â‚¬â„¢s resilient enough. It¢â‚¬â„¢s something special.

Katerina Steventon: We should speak also about papaya and pineapple-based products, which are, you know, they have different mode of action if you understand, where they work in a different way.

Valerie Prentice: And they work well together?

Katerina Steventon: No, these are all equivalent product. The same ingredient, I always look at the ingredients and then I look at brands, which I can use. And so this would be similar.Keels is not so much available. Again, that is something which would be available online. Elemis is a brand, a very good brand, which everybody knows. So, both of them, again enzymatically would shed the upper layer and smoothes the skin. Very good products. Again, be careful of the lengths of the application. They are milder than the alpha-hydroxy acids.

Valerie Prentice: Because you see, the one I have got, but the thing is you have never told me to actually leave it on. [11:09]

Katerina Steventon: No, no. You wouldn¢â‚¬â„¢t¢â‚¬¦¢â‚¬¦

Katerina Steventon: You wouldn¢â‚¬â„¢t for a long time. Yes. They probably cleanse the person¢â‚¬â„¢s T-zone, but for you for a very short period. Again, more resilient skin types would leave them for longer. People need to recognize that alpha-hydroxy acids are different more diluted to enzymes and there is time and place to use both of them. So, now it¢â‚¬â„¢s a preference. So, go ahead with your weekly exfoliation, but also do like a mini course of treatments for four to six weeks depending on the skin type. Again, follow the manufacturer and their advice, but us e either the enzymatic peel or the alpha-hydroxy peel. Again, unless you are sensitive to either alpha-hydroxy acids or the other enzymes.

Valerie Prentice: Again, it¢â‚¬â„¢s why you should actually talk to a professional¢â‚¬¦

Katerina Steventon: That¢â‚¬â„¢s correct and get properly diagnosed so that you know you are not damaging your skin in the long-term.

Valerie Prentice: Very, very important.

Katerina Steventon: Yeah, short-term damage you would see as a redness or irritation. So, the minute it starts tingling, you would really have to take it off and apply a moisturizer to repair the barrier.

Valerie Prentice: Okay, we will see you next week and we will talk about pigmentation. That¢â‚¬â„¢s always an important subject.

Okay, everyone! We have just been have been talking to Dr. Katerina Steventon and we are talking about the importance now we have got window to get the peels out and again very, very important just to go to a professional. Meet your beauty therapist in your local area and get your skin properly diagnosed, because you don¢â‚¬â„¢t want a situation when you reach my age and realise actually everything you have done really has not been the best for your skin and I could be actually be looking younger than I am today. So, hopefully, Dr.‚ Katerina will actually be looking after my skin as a point and I will be looking younger every week that you see me. So, we will see you next week. Thank you.