The sun isn’t the only environmental factor you need to protect your skin from.

The fast pace of city life can be exciting but there is no question that it can have a negative impact on our skin. In the past decade, we have increasingly seen more research and data about environmental stressors and the effects it has on the skin.

Did you know that the skin of people living in a city is more likely to age 10 percent faster than those living outside of an urban area? This has been a big focus because pollution produces a number of highly reactive molecules, known as free radicals. Free radicals cause oxidative stress to our skin, which accelerates the breakdown of our collagen, producing wrinkling.

Air pollution is by far one of the worst enemies of our skin. It’s not only urban pollution but also smoke, acids, and debris from fires, cigarette smoke, construction sites and more.

Car emissions include tiny particles (solid or liquid) called PMs that increase wrinkles and age spots, as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which contributes to inflammation and premature ageing. Additionally, PAHs are a class of chemicals that occur naturally as a result from burning coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage and tobacco, that also cause redness and inflammation.

Many people who live or work in the city have chronic inflammation, which is difficult to treat, so prevention is definitely better than cure. Also there has been a sharp increase in various skin conditions such as eczema that has risen a lot in the last few years.

Our skin is nothing but a porous organ that can absorb nasties like cigarette smoke and fumes but at the same time it can take in protection in the form of targeted skincare.

Start with in-clinic treatments if required and follow with consistent home care on a regular basis. Ceramides, fatty acids, niacinamide and water-retaining ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin and panthenol, will help your skin build a strong barrier to fight off pollution, whereas vitamin C and antioxidant serums can reverse any prior damage from free radicals. Also, sunscreen products with broad-spectrum SPF are considered a must for your daily skin regimen to shield your skin against pollutants.

Don’t forget an escape to the country is always a good idea!

Between the night time wakings and feeding and the stress of having a child, falling or staying asleep can be difficult for a new parent. On average, adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep.

Unfortunately, most new parents lose sleep after the new baby is born for a number of reasons. You may lay awake anticipating your baby’s cry, or you may struggle to fall back to sleep after a nighttime feeding. Not only does lack of sleep impact your overall wellbeing and health, it can also damage your skin health and even cause premature aging. So, in theory, getting more or less sleep does impact your physical appearance.

Sleeping is the best way to help skin repair any damage done during the day. Your blood flow increases, collagen production restarts, and your facial muscles can finally relax. However, there are also numerous negative effects that lack of sleep can have on your skin.

Without enough sleep time for sloughing off dead cells and replacing them with new ones, skin can start to look dull, gray or sallow.

Lack of sleep can cause darker under eye circles, paler skin, hanging eyelids, more wrinkles and fine lines. It will also cause skin to age faster, and lower how well skin can recover from environmental aggressors such as strong wind or sun exposure.

While the best solution for sleep deprivation is, of course, increasing the amount of sleep you’re getting every night, sometimes that’s not easily achievable. These are some quick tips on how to improve the way your skin looks and feels even when you don’t get in those much needed hours during the night.

Wash your face before sleeping.

Don’t skip your nighttime skincare routine! Considering you’ll be going to sleep, it gives your skin more time to recover from daily aggressors such as pollution, sun exposure, wind, and so on. What helps it recover is creating a good nightly ritual that feeds your skin with actives that need to refresh and restore. Avoid falling asleep with makeup on. After a long, exhausting day it can be tempting to just fall asleep but ultimately it will cause more damage than good.

Applying your favorite eye product!

Maybe it can be difficult to correct dark under eyes caused by lack of sleep, but what can help is splashing some cool water, followed by a good moisturizing or tightening  eye cream. This will help with puffiness, reduce the swelling under your eyes and give you that much-needed refresh for the sensitive under-eye skin area.

Level up and improve your skincare routine.

A good skincare routine that gives you exactly what you need to get that fresh, nourished look even after your sleepless nights. With lack of sleep your skin is extra sensitive which is why a moisturizer is an ideal solution for that. Select a product enriched with antioxidants, that relieves inflammation and soothes skin while also protecting it from external aggressors such as winds, cold weather, heating and more.

A healthy, glowing complexion says a lot about your skin and diet. The condition of our skin reflects what we eat and highlights the importance of looking after yourself from the inside out. Food is fuel and our bodies function best when we provide it with healthy, balanced, and nutritious food.

Moisture levels

Drinking water regularly is one of the healthiest habits you can have for your skin and entire body. By drinking plenty of water throughout the day, you are providing your inner organs and your skin with moisture that has been lost through sweat and other natural processes.

Wrinkles

Healthy oils and omega-3 fatty acids have an amazing impact on skin health. These oils and fats can be found in fish, nuts, olive oil, and many more foods. By consuming these oily foods on a regular basis, along with healthy proteins, you can boost the collagen production in your skin. Thus, your skin gets smoother and suppler, which will help prevent premature wrinkles and skin sagging.

Melanoma

Melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer that often occurs from severe sun damage and lack of protective clothing and sunscreen. Exposure to UV rays promotes the formation of free radicals which can cause damage to components of our skin that are responsible for its structure and firmness – such as elastin and collagen. Over a period of time, this can result in more prominent fine lines and wrinkles. By maintaining heart-healthy diets rich with antioxidants, fish, and leafy greens, you fight free radicals, protect your skin, and some studies have shown that they can help improve skin texture.

Blemishes

Acne and acne scarring have long been a concern of dermatologists, and it is unclear exactly what foods may or may not affect how your skin develops acne. Nevertheless, it is best to stay away from sugary, highly processed food, and refined carbohydrates, which can contribute to increased blemishes.

Food groups to be aware of

Richly colored orange or red fruit and vegetables get much of their color from compounds called carotenoids, some of which can be converted into Vitamin A, which is essential for skin cell reproduction. They are also a great source of Vitamin C, which is essential for manufacturing collagen, and both carotenoids and Vitamin C are antioxidants, helping to fight free radicals which may cause damage to our skin and cause premature signs of aging.

On the contrary, it is best to replace refined carbs and sugars with ‘good carbs’, such as healthy vegetables, whole grains, and the wrinkle-fighting antioxidants found in fruits, which have a lower glycemic index – in turn, reduce the overall carbohydrate load in your diet.

When it comes to establishing a healthy diet, being mindful of what you’re eating is a great first step. What elements of your diet are good? What needs to be changed? Moderation is certainly key as the healthier the diet choices you make, the more it shows in your skin.

Instantly refreshing and revitalising, Eucalyptus Essential Oil has been around for hundreds of years. With long stems, circular leaves, and gum-infused bark, its tree is one of the world’s most widely cultivated plants.  The ‘eu’ and ‘kalypto’ in the word mean ‘well’ and ‘covered’ in Greek (ευ + καλύπτω) and it refers to the delicate membrane that covers the flower bud, which falls off as the flower grows.  Native to Australia, this potent element has a myriad of health benefits and has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years because of its antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal nature.

Benefits to skin

Heal

Its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic properties make this powerful element a natural healer. When used topically, it provides the optimal environment and elements to repair and strengthen the complexion, helping clear up acne and prevent future breakouts.

Purify

Rich in 1,8 cineole, this active ingredient present in Eucalyptus Essential Oil is known for its antibacterial properties.

To this end, Eucalyptus oil will remove dead skin cells, clear dirt and dust from the pores, boost collagen production, and cleanse the skin from any traces of environmental origins that can contribute to breakouts, pigmentation and dull skin. The result is a complexion that is purer and healthier.

Cool

Eucalyptus oil also has a cooling sensation on the skin since it contains menthol, which is a natural numbing agent.

Nourish

Eucalyptus Oil is known to moisturise the skin. Not only does it deliver an intense dose of hydration, but it also locks in moisture to help your complexion glow.

DÉCAAR solution

Taking all the benefits into consideration, DÉCAAR uses the oil in its unique formula of Phyto Lotion as one of its active ingredients.

Formulated with fresh leaf extract and oil of Eucalyptus as well as other natural botanical extracts, DÉCAAR Phyto Lotion is ideal for oily and irritated skin with acne breakouts. This expert formula reduces the appearance of enlarged pores, helping to keep them clean, refined, and smooth. It balances overactive sebaceous glands and delivers a matte finish.

Apply to the skin with a cotton pad after cleansing the face with DÉCAAR Purifying Cleansing gel to tone the skin. Finish your daily skincare ritual by applying DÉCAAR Oxygen gel, Rebalancing cream and Sun cream.

Hydrate

Once you are safely out of the sun, the first thing you should reach for after realizing you’ve been burned is your water bottle. When your skin is sunburned, fluid is drawn toward the surface of the skin and away from the rest of the body, which can lead to dehydration. Down one more glass of water than you think you need. Or, go for something like coconut water that hydrates while adding electrolytes back into your system.

Reach for immediate relief

DÉCAAR Delicate Soothing Gel is designed to take away the sting of a sunburn, calm redness, reduce inflammation, and promote healing. It is specially formulated to help restore your skin’s natural barrier function while soothing and calming irritation One of its active ingredients is aloe – a sunburn miracle worker. Aloe is a deeply moisturizing botanical and contains both glycoproteins, which help to reduce inflammation, and polysaccharides, which aid in skin repair. Panthenol is also blended along with urea and glycyrrhetinic acid, in order to deeply moisturize and calm skin.

DÉCAAR Delicate Soothing Gel is the perfect after-sun treatment, but is also great at any time of the year as an all-over body moisturizer. Especially for those that don’t always want a heavy cream or oil-based moisturizer. A few spritzes of this over the body will give you all the nutrients you need for all-day hydration without the feeling of any product lingering on the skin. Also, it is ideal to soothe skin after any hair removal procedure. The deep penetrating effect offers long lasting cool-to-warm soothing relief, skin becomes softer, firmer & smoother on the face and body. Rich moisture that protects skin from harmful external environments.

Moisture

A bath is always therapeutic. Not too cold to shock your system, but not too warm to irritate your sensitive skin. Scoop in a generous amount of hydrating bath milk and soak for as long as you need. Coconut milk is loaded with beneficial fatty acids to soothe your dry, itchy skin and reduce inflammation. It’s also naturally antiseptic so while you soak, you’ll be cleansed and moisturized at the same time. After toweling off, follow up once again with the Delicate Soothing Gel.

Protection 

When skin is already burnt, there’s nothing worse than further exposing it to harmful UV rays. For the days following a burn, try to cover up the affected area with clothing. If wearing long sleeves is just not an option for you in 100-degree heat, definitely be diligent about covering your burn in SPF as often as possible. Even if it’s cloudy, even if you think you’ll only be outside for a few minutes. To keep your skin safe from sun exposure, it is recommended to apply sun cream 30 minutes before going outside, however DÉCAAR SPF creams protect immediately. Exposure to sunlight has health benefits too. However the number of UV rays your skin can stand depends on a number of factors, such as an individuals’ complexion, genetics, time of day and location. Usually skin is only safe for between 5-30 minutes.

Like a mini workout for your face, face massages involve massaging key facial muscles and pressure points using your hands or a roller. Just a few minutes of the practice helps increase blood flow, reduce puffiness, and keeps your skin looking fresh, youthful, and fine line-free. The most common face massage technique is to use your hands to apply movements to areas of your face prone to puffiness, wrinkles, or muscle tension. The recommended massaging duration is three to five minutes, at least three times a week for best results.

Why you should face massage

Tones facial muscles and relieves tension

Most people hold a lot of tension in their face. When we feel stressed, tired, or concentrated, we tense our forehead and eye area, which causes wrinkles over time. A couple minutes of face massaging at the end of the day helps release that tension. Use lifting movements, especially along the neck and jawline area to keep your skin tight and energized.

Releases toxins

Using a lot of beauty products, environmental factors, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life can cause toxins to build-up within our skin, contributing to fine lines, puffiness, and breakouts. Facial massages increase blood flow, kick-starting lymphatic drainage in your face to flush out waste and toxins and keep your skin fresh and clean, both inside and out.

Boosts circulation

The movement of a quick facial massage sends a surge of blood and oxygen to your skin. This increased flow deflates eye puffiness brightens skin tone, and helps detoxify your skin. More oxygen sent to the skin equals increased collagen production and cell growth, resulting in a smooth, glowing complexion.

Improves product absorption

Massaging your face with your fingers in upward, lifting motions is a wonderful way to help your favorite products like moisturizer and serum absorb into your skin. Plus, it’s a way to make your daily skincare routine feel even more like a relaxing self-care moment.

Relaxation

Skincare benefits aside, face massages are just as good at relieving emotional tension as they are at calming muscle tension. They help you feel more relaxed and at ease at the end of a long day.