We ask Sue Dann, skincare expert at Dr Spiller Biomimetic, the secret to achieving skin that acts like young, healthy skin, no matter what the age.
Skincare expert at Dr Spiller Biomimetic and guru in the skincare industry, Sue Dann has been treating skin for decades. The Dr. Spiller philosophy is to formulate skincare products that reproduce the conditions found in young healthy skin. This mimicking of young skin biology is fast taking off in the industry right now so we got talk to Dann to find out more. Here’s what she has to say:
Firstly, what does healthy skin look like?
“Some teenagers are lucky to have it. It is radiant and plump,” says Dann. “It is well hydrated due to its protective covering of natural oils without the appearance of excessive oiliness.”
And on a biological level, what does this mean?
“It means skin is in perfect homeostasis, with all its functions working properly and its structures such as collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid fully intact,” says Dann. “This healthy, happy teenage skin is not the result of some miracle ingredient. It is simply a function of the perfect environment we find on that skin. The aim of a good skin care product should be to maintain that environment as closely as possible into old age.”
Why does the skin change as we mature?
“As the skin matures, our appearance changes because its structures change,” says Dann. “Collagen and elastin degrade, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles. It loses hyaluronic acid and therefore its plump and full look is lost too. Environmental damage can lead to pigmentation shifts. These structural changes can be addressed through corrective treatments. However, the appearance of the skin will always be optimized if we mimic the conditions found in healthy teenage skin.”
How can we go about creating healthy skin?
“The first step to great skin is to ensure healthy levels of hydration,” says Dann. “Even the best active ingredients cannot develop their potential in an environment of dehydrated skin. At best, the active loses much of its effectiveness. At worst, the active penetrates too quickly and too deeply into the skin resulting in adverse reaction.”
What ingredients are on your radar for achieving young-looking, healthy skin?
“The cosmetic formulator can choose from a large number of active ingredients,” says Dann. “Antioxidants are a must to prevent the damage that can be wrought to cells and to their environment by free radicals. The old favourites are vitamins A, C and E. Other vitamins such as B3 (niacinamide), B5 (panthenol) and B12 (cobalamin) are very beneficial for skin health. Botanical extracts are becoming increasingly popular because they typically offer a combination of trace elements with powerful properties. Aloe Vera, Green Tea and German Chamomile are good examples. In future we will probably hear a lot more about these substances, including even caffeine.”