So, I’m, ahem, now at the other side of 40 (only just though, and still accepting that) and I’m becoming more aware that I need to look after certain bits of me, that need that little bit more input, as I age…
I’ve started to take my skincare regimen more seriously and to make more effort, and being able to have a skin care analysis from Lloyds Pharmacy, to see what is actually going on with my skin, other than what I can see just in the mirror, was a great opportunity for me to then make some decisions about what skin care I use.
It’s very clever and free, takes about twenty minutes, and doesn’t hurt. You sit at the counter and the skin care specialist uses a special probe to analyse your skin, and tell you what’s going on below the surface. You find out what your skin age is, what it’s level of moisture and elasticity are and then you can work out what you need to either carry on with a skincare regime that is working, or find the right skincare to improve things.
I was very impressed. It’s a bit technical and sciencey, which always appeals to the slight geek in my, and it was simple and quick and the results were surprising, for me at least. The lovely lady who performed my skin care check was surprised when I told her I was forty (I liked her, she was nice 😉 ) and was able to give me some very helpful advice and direct me to products that would be helpful for my skin.
The geek in me liked the technology. Getting a bit of science now, let’s see what it says about my skin. It’s quick and painless, and very interesting to see the results.
I have very sensitive skin with a tendency to break out on my chin and nose (despite being forty my skin likes to think it’s still in it’s teenage years, I wish the rest of my body was like that, sadly it’s not!) so I was interested to hear about whether my skin was dry, oily or a combination of those things and what would be suggested to help. I also have psoriasis which flares up if I use products that are very harsh, so I have to keep that in mind when choosing skin care.
My skin on the surface is actually in reasonable shape, with good elasticity, and minimal sun damage (yay, for oily skin and also for my religiously slapping on sun-cream all these years and trying not to get burned) but dry underneath, and one side of my face is dryer than the other. I was surprised to hear that I wasn’t cleansing properly, and that actually whilst I worry about making my skin too oily, I need to be careful not to strip my skin of moisture, because then it goes into overdrive and produces more oil to try and stop my skin drying out. Makes sense. So, based on the analysis, I was recommended to use a specific cleanser and also a serum, plus a moisturizer for oily skin.
If you are wondering if you are doing the right thing for your skin, and think you might need to try something new, or you are just wondering whether your skin care regime needs updating, or you don’t actually use much in the way of skincare and would like advice on what you might need, then this is perfect for you. It’s actually really interesting and informative, and I found it very helpful, and based on the advice I was given, from my results, I have been using my new skincare products and regime, and am sure I can already see improvements. I would definitely recommended it.
You can find your closest Lloyds Pharmacy free skin analysis here. It might be worth a visit…
*I tried the skin analysis for free, and was very kindly given some skincare to try. All words are my own*