If beauty only comes from within then why is there a beauty industry? Obtaining beauty is such a personal and subjective matter that depends on upbringing, culture, genetics, and philosophy. I believe beauty is health and confidence that comes from within and on the outside. The obsession that the opposite to beauty is lines and wrinkles to me is misguided. After years of having conversations with clients and asking questions about their goals  it leads me to believe looking younger and being beautiful in the minds of most is often conflicted with the outside images, stories and pressures we see. It is not just media, it is the conversations with friends or colleagues and a general social dismorphia. When did we get so micro-focused on one element of the skin?

So where am I heading with the above slightly random observations above….well in the terms of our skin,  what really does make us look older? What should be our goals and desires be regarding our appearance?

After looking at thousands of skins from so many ethnic backgrounds the one thing I believe to be true is;  healthy  skin makes EVERYONE look better. I have been asked  countless times to guess peoples ages from looking at their skin and I am always wrong. I need more than just  a person’s skin to work with , I look at attitude, body language, hair and I am sure the list goes on in mind that I am not even aware of. What puzzles me is the obsession we have on lines and wrinkles being the number one culprit of evil doing and making us look older.  A healthy skin wears her lines and wrinkles as  a  secondary  feature which adds to the character of her face. You can not add all the lines and wrinkles on your face and put them into an equation and define someone’s age. I have clients who are in their 60’s and above and look so amazing because for years they have looked after their skin and have healthy skin

Now these beautiful women have lines and wrinkles and they collect with affection when they smile and laugh.  What you notice most about these women and  is how well they look, their lines and wrinkles are nothing more than an exclamation mark for expression. What all these women have in common is the inability for others to guess their age. The secret is too not look like a number, to be undefinable, she looks so good I just do not know!

So what is a healthy skin and how do you obtain it?   The hard part to define healthy in only visible terms.

A healthy  skin has optimal hydration levels, has a plush complexion and has minimal fluctuations due to life around us.To have a healthy skin hydration is one of the key elements. When the skin loses  its hydration,  it goes from being like a grape to a sultana. Grapes are full, juicy, smooth and plump and a sultana is tight, greyish and uneven in texture. Drinking water although important does not hydrate the skin.  Water hydrates the vital organs so that  the vital organs do not need to steal water from the skin. We lose water from the skin internally and externally therefore a combination of hydrating skincare and diet is the only way to maintain a perfectly hydrated skin.

Skin protection is the next biggest element to achieving a healthy  skin. When the skin’s natural protective elements are improved and stabilised, reinforcements are sent in,  as a result the skin can become  more stable which improves the complexion. When the skin is not being robbed and bullied by bacteria  and  free radicals  it is free to be happy and  healthy . Both hydration and protection are vital to support cellular function in the skin. A perfectly functioning skin is able to protect, defend, retain moisture, repair,  renew and allows the skin to be at its best condition.

If  any of the above elements are not in balance then they will  cause skin conditions that appear slowly of time  and  the effects will be seen stronger and harsher on the skin. A healthy skin with lines and wrinkles can still be ageless and look more beautiful  than a line free skin that is unhealthy.

A beautiful skin is like wearing your favourite underwear, it makes you feel good and no-one may really no why!