Expert Interview
“Health is the future of beauty”
The perfect beauty routine must be able to do one thing above all: be fun!
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Which trends are important? What does a good skincare routine look like? BRIGITTE talks to a skin care expert.
Individual skin care is increasingly becoming the focus of our beauty routine. The range of products, active ingredients and gadgets is huge – so where to start? Which skincare trends are becoming important, what can we do without? How do I recognize which active ingredients my skin needs? We spoke to an expert: Elsa Devillechabrolle works as Head of Medical Communication at L’Oréal’s pharmacy brands and answers our questions.
Trends, active ingredients, routine: what is important in skin care
BRIGITTE: How do I know which active ingredients my skin needs?
Elsa Devillechabrolle: Every skin is individual, so there is no blanket answer. You have to get to know your skin and its needs. After two days you can see whether you tolerate a product and the active ingredient. After a week you can feel the first results. Patience is the key to success here: the best results are only achieved after 4-8 weeks of use.
What does a basic skincare routine look like?
Supporting and protecting the skin is the be-all and end-all. Gentle cleansing is important to optimally prepare the skin and individually tailored care to strengthen the skin’s needs.
And how can I supplement this basic structure with active ingredients?
A serum is the perfect solution for injecting active ingredients into the skin in a targeted manner after cleansing. Different ingredients can be used here depending on your needs: antioxidants, vitamin C, niacinamide or hyaluronic acid are perfect active ingredients that are very useful in high concentrations in a serum.
That sounds like a lot of different products. Where should I start?
Eye care should be used as the first step in the care routine. Then gently massage the serum in with your fingers to help the product penetrate the skin. In the last step, sun protection should be applied. It not only helps against sunburn, but also prevents premature skin aging and allergies – and is a must in the care routine at any age.
Do I really need products with a sun protection factor every day?
Yes, because UVA rays reach the skin all year round – not just in summer. Products with a sun protection factor are a preventive measure that is really worth it. Pigment spots and wrinkles in particular are extremely intensified by UVA, which is why UV protection is the best anti-aging solution.
Retinol, hyaluron, niacinamide: Can all active ingredients be combined with each other without hesitation?
Not quite. Non-irritating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid are ideal as support and can be combined with all other ingredients. The same applies to niacinamide: the ingredient not only has an excellent calming effect, but also efficiently reduces pigment spots. It can be combined with other active ingredients without irritating the skin.
And where should you be careful when combining?
With a powerful anti-aging molecule like retinol showing great effectiveness, it’s important to be mindful of your tolerance. Mixing these powerful molecules with other ingredients can work well, but it also increases the skin’s potential for irritation.
Which skincare trends can we look forward to in the coming months?
Health is the future of beauty. We have noticed this increasingly in the last two years in particular. That’s why L’Oréal’s dermocosmetics brands (Vichy, La Roche Posay, Cerave and SkinCeuticals) specifically rely on highly concentrated ingredients and at the same time minimalist formulas that were developed with dermatologists. Especially trendy: serums! But sun protection also remains an issue and is becoming more and more socially acceptable against skin aging.