Louise Thomas-Minns is a skin specialist and therapist

Question: Can we believe

Answer:? 

You can’t pick up a magazine today without the lure of a promise to look ’10 years younger’, or articles that hi-light ‘the 10 steps to turn back the clock’; yes we all know that the pull of the media is oh so powerful.

Take, for example, a certain high street chemists brand of a cream that when featured on Panorama sent the female population (and I suspect a few men) into a frenzy! This product flew off the shelves and all because a bunch of scientists decided that yes it is possible to get results from a tube.

One of my students, at the time, bought in said products and asked me what the ‘secret’ ingredient was…’quite simply’ I said ‘Vitamin A.’

I’m not alone in championing this vitamin and have been incorporating it into my treatments and homecare recommendations for the last 10 years. It is, to me, the skin vitamin. Capable of cell regeneration, repair of damaged cells, rejuvenation of tired skin and, oh yes, softening lines and wrinkles.

Then there’s good old Vitamin E. This has been a key ingredient in creams destined for our face, hands and bodies since our Grandmas were slapping it on. It’s a key anti oxidant that has the ability to wrap our cells in a protective blanket guarding against those nasty free radicals that steal our youth and that we can all get daily exposure to from the sun, smoking, pollution and excessive exercise to name but a few.

What about Vitamin C, lets not just think of this as a chewable supplement we take to ward off the common cold, oh no, to the skin its much more than that! It is a vital component in the production of Collagen, the fibres that give the strength to our skin, it lightens and brightens areas of uneven pigmentation, works like a support stocking for our capillary network and yes it does support the immunity of our skin fighting off harmful infections.

This blog wouldn’t be complete without mentioning ‘Peptides’, the new buzz word in ingredient technology you might think, but Peptides have been in use since 1975.

Peptides promise to, relax facial muscles, create a heal and repair response to stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation or lighten the skin, depending on which Peptide our products contain.

They are found in our bodies as they are amino acids, the pre cursor to protein production one of the main components of our skin, and are able to penetrate to a deeper level due to their small structures.

The main question posed by many, however, is as to whether any of these ingredients are able to get into our skin and have any positive effect? Well if you want my opinion my answer would be yes. One of the main functions of the skin is to absorb, however you do need to consider the levels of these ‘super foods’ for our skin.

Generally cosmetic (over the counter products) are restricted to low levels where as a cosmeceutical product (which should be prescribed to you by a skin specialist) can use much higher concentrations and it is these that I have achieved positive results with. I have favoured MD Formulations for over 10 years now and am a true ambassador for the positive effects these products and treatments can give.

Ultimately anti-ageing should be all about skin health and well being, not quick fixes to freeze, lift or plump out our facial features. Use of these types of ingredients coupled with advice to treat our skins from the inside out is our route to defying that process that we all fear….Ageing!!! and hopefully, by now, you’ll understand that as a skin specialist that’s exactly what I do for all my clients.

Louise Thomas-Minns CIBTAC CIDESCO BABTAC is a skin specialist and therapist with over 12 year’s experience. She is the owner of U Treatments, a beauty business that brings the salon to you and is about to launch a London skin clinic. She lecturers in, and is an NVQ assessor part time, in beauty therapy.
Her specialism in the skin and ingredient technology requires her to be a regular guest on Radio Norfolk and write for some national periodicals.
Visit www.u-treatments.co.uk or call Louise on 07810 872 633 for details of her bespoke treatment menu.