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9 Important Skincare Questions Answered
this post is sponsored but all of the opinions expressed are my own
Friends, I am excited to bring you today’s post. I have gotten the inside scoop from Alexandra Soveral, founder of Soveral skincare about the questions you sent in from Instagram stories. I learned so much reading her answers and I know you will enjoy learning more as well.
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If you are new to Style & Life…a quick recap. Soveral skincare was founded by Alexandra Soveral. Alexandra received her Bachelor Honours Degree in Philosophy of Science and studied how the use of genetic engineering of flora will affect the world in future generations. Alexandra became aware of how irresponsible science is being used within the skincare industry. She decided to marry her interest in science with that of natural skincare and set up her own research lab into natural raw ingredients and their benefit on human health. After four years of research, Soveral was founded in 2005. This independent research has evolved since then and has become a fundamental part of what makes Soveral. As well as being a cosmetic product formulator Alexandra Soveral is also an Aromatherapist and Facialist, therefore focus was given to treatments as much as the product range and they too have evolved along the years.
I hope you enjoy reading this post…my mission at Style & Life is to bring you the products I use, love and know will work for you. Keep reading for some incredible advice.
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1. There is mixed advice about using an exfoliating cleanser…what do you recommend? Is there a benefit to having a texture in your cleanser or does it damage the skin?
Over cleansing is possibly the worst thing we can do for the skin. The idea that our skin needs to be exfoliated and be cleansed with solvents and other harsh chemicals (even natural ones) is a made-up solution to a non-existing problem. In fact, not cleansing the skin at all is better than over cleansing it. The health of our skin is derivative to the condition of its acid mantle that should be a healthy PH of around 4.5, which is a bit acidic and the right environment for good bacteria to thrive. A higher PH will create an environment for bad bacteria and other pathogens such as viruses to start colonies.
Another reason to not over cleanse and exfoliate is that we have just the right amount of skin layers that we need… we are perfectly designed, let’s not interfere with it. Each and every one layer we produce as its own function, even the almost dead skin cells.
If our skin has become overly dry and flaky, then doing a gentle salt exfoliation is good, simply massage fine sea or mineral salt onto wet skin and rinse off. A daily dry face brushing routine should ensure that any dead cells that are ready to be shed off are encouraged to do so, leaving the skin clear to breathe. The Soveral Natural Face Brushes are designed to do so and come with full instructions.
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2. Is having sunscreen in your moisturizer/primer/foundation enough or do you need to a separate sunscreen daily? If so, what brands of sunscreen do you recommend since most have so many chemicals?
Sunscreen should always be applied for when we unavoidably must be in sun, such as when on a boat, out shopping or sightseeing all day. When getting out and about your day choose to be in shade rather than being in the sun wearing sunscreen. The toxins they have and the way they block the skin is not healthy in so many ways.
We must also try to get a bit of sun every day without sunscreen, Vitamin D deficiency is on the rise, even in regions of the world where there’s a lot of sun. Vitamin D deficiency impairs the immune system… cancer is a deficiency of the immune system! In my book Perfect Skin, I give very clear guidelines on how to benefit from the sun in a safe way.
My favourite sunscreen is from Green People.
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s3. How much water should we drink every day for healthy skin?
In general, between one litre and two litres, very much depending on the size and structure of the individual. Everyone is different so no one guideline fits us all. It has to do with size and metabolism. Some people drink a huge amount of water and still have dehydrated skin. One must ensure that our gut is healthy to make good use of the water we drink.
Some people think that their skin is dehydrated when in fact it is dry. When the skin has a film of dry skin and its flaky, it means that its dry and dry skin needs oil whilst dehydrated skin needs moisture.
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4. What is the story with retinol…is it as effective as people say it is?
Retinol is very effective at accelerating the rate at which skin cells divide. New cells get pushed to the surface quicker because new cells are being born from underneath at a much faster rate. What usually takes 28 days will take 20 or 15 days, depending on the strength of the Retinol. This is what causes the peeling that sometimes occurs when using any Vitamin A product. The cells that are then on the surface are younger and the skin looks… of course, younger. However, those young skin cells are not fully formed and not able to cope with environmental stresses such as UV light, pollution, bad bacteria, etc. In my view, the interference of the rate at which cells divide is never a good thing for our general health and considering that Vitamin A (what Retinol derives from) is absorbed into the body through the skin tell me that there may be potentially dangerous health risks with prolonged use of high dosage topical Retinol products. Lastly, the overuse of Retinol may also exhaust the skin to the point of causing premature aging… this I have seen happening in many of the skin consultations I do, clients come to see me that is no longer responsive to Retinol and are left with aged, dull and tired looking skin.
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s5. How often should we get facials? Do you believe extractions are beneficial? I hear mixed thoughts.
Good face massage is wonderful and if we can get it once a month then that is the ideal. However, facials that consist of extractions, peels or anything else abrasive are best avoided altogether. Extractions were invented by skincare brands wanting to sell you products and treatments. When a pore is extracted, all the sebum is removed from it, this sends a message to the sebaceous gland to produce more sebum, in a few days the pore is filled again. Meanwhile, the wall of the pore is exposed to oxygen and this makes the cells inside the pore harden in order to protect the body from anything entering, such as viruses and bacteria. With constant extractions, the inside walls of the pores will become like the skin outside, causing permanently enlarged pores. The whole idea of extractions does not make any sense. The best thing is to remove just the first layer of sebum by using the Angel Balm, the fats in it will blend with the sebum which is then removed with the hot face cloth. This way every day we are just removing a layer, encouraging the pore to slowly shrink. This may take a few weeks so we must be patient and remember that for those already enlarged pores there’s not much we can do but to just keep them clean daily.
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6. What is the best body moisturizer?
I prefer a body oil because it’s much more effective. Make sure to use a plant oil and not a petrochemical. Massage onto wet skin straight after the shower and towel dry as normal. It’s a game changer!
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s7. Is it beneficial to have a separate Vitamin C product in your skincare routine?
Vitamin C in a high dose becomes an acid solvent for the skin, so no, I really don’t think it beneficial. Vitamin C is a good antioxidant for the surface of the skin but only in small doses, which are present in most natural products. Collagen is made in the Dermal layer, pro-collagen molecules are formed with the use of protein and Vitamin C, these will only reach the Dermal layer through the delivery of oxygenated blood to the skin. Ensuring a diet rich in lean protein and plenty of Vitamin C is essential. This coupled with good daily massage to bring the blood flow to the skin is what will encourage the production of collagen and elastin fibres. Remember to always massage the skin with a good face oil, never when its dry in order to not stretch it.
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8. What is your opinion about microneedling?
Anything that causes inflammation is not contributing to our health in the long term. Also, I have had many clients who have had all kinds of infections and adverse reactions.
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s9. What are your top 3 recommendations for healthy skin?
Eat a healthy and varied diet, as plant-based as possible and with plenty of good fats.
Make good sleep a priority in your life.
Massage the skin daily with a good vegetable face oil and keep it moisturised at all times.
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We hope this post was helpful to you. If you have other questions, leave them in the comments below and we will answer them for you! To shop Soveral skincare products, visit http://alexandrasoveral.co.uk/ or below.
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Bisous,
Rebecca
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