Beauty Q & A with John Gustafson

Our make-up, skincare and beauty guru solves all your beauty dilemmas

Hi John,

As always I am very thankful for your hard work and for your recommendations.  I am wondering if you can help me this time since so far I have found no answers from numerous beauty consultants.  As a full time working mother of one year old twin girls, I do get tired and short of sleep.  But I do my best to look after my skin and it is not in bad condition for someone who is 40 years old.  However I do like experimenting with products.  So my question is simple: which products and ingredients are not recommended to mix? Can mixing some ingredients do more harm than good? And also which products are good to mix for ultimate results? For example if I use a retinol based moisturizer (I use Retinol Intense by Chantecaille), can I also use an exfoliator on the same day?  Or can I use AHA products at the same time? Is there a simple guide I can find which would explain what can or can't be mixed? Your answer will be very much appreciated. 

Thank you in advance, 

Tanya

 

Tanya,

This is a really good question, but one that doesn't have an easy answer. And that is why in some cases, you are best to stay within a single range. By following a programme set out by a company, you don't have the fear of crossing over actions and causing problems. Saying that...BORING! If you are buying good products like the Chantecaille Retinol Intense, you are using things that have been well buffered and are lass likely to cause skin irritation. But even so, you would be best to not repeat the action with a manual exfoliator on the same day as well. The fear would be that you could possibly thin the skin and leave yourself less defence as you age.
In olden days (like 10 years ago in cosmetic terms...), you had to be cautious of using products that sped up your cellular renewal process and products that removed surface cells simultaneously. The problem was that the two processes would overlap and after a month or so you would start exfoliating away living tissue and cause irritation and redness. Not really so any more. The products are too well buffered and the pH balanced well enough that this is not really that much of a concern anymore. But be careful of doing too much. Use a product that completes one action in the day and another one in the evening. And don't go beyond what your skin actually needs. There is always the problem of doing things for your skin that it still has the ability to do for itself - thereby allowing the skin to become lazy and allow your products to do everything.
The best mix is to get a balance of cell renewal (both stimulating new and eliminating old), hydration, antioxidants, and cell communication. And the best guide for you to follow is your own skin. If it seems to be thriving and glowing under your tender ministrations: you are on to a good thing. If is feels out of balance, dry, irritated, dull, or uncomfortable...change. And a few really good products are a safer bet than a whole bunch of random ones!

Regards,

John

 

John

I am 46 years old and I have deep lines around the corners of my eyes and I try try try to keep them at bay with creams etc.  I have tried many different eye creams but I am currently using Estee Lauder Resilience (and the face cream as well).  But just lately my eyes are beginning to look extremely tired and very ‘crepey' just underneath the area of the bottom eyelashes.  I don't use any kind of makeup/concealer around the eye area as I feel that that if I do, it will just make the wrinkles look deeper. Can you suggest something that can help eliminate this crepiness, as well as softening the lines I already have?  I don't generally suffer with puffiness or dark circles, so that's something I suppose! 

Thanks,

Susan

 

Susan,

One of the very best I have found is Strixaderm Eye. They have all of their products independently trialed by the American Medical Association and the basic eyecream was found to reduce lines by 48% in 4 weeks and increase the moisture level by 105% in a week. The great thing about this eyecream is that you can use it right up to the lashline so you are treating the specific area you want treated. And the container is one of the most generous I know of. Traditionally eyecreams are 15ml. This one is 40ml for only £53. That means you can use it one other areas of concern such as lips and specific lines on the forehead as well. Don't confuse this with their other eyecream S.O.S. as that one deals with darkness and puffiness. I really like the Lauder Resilience Lift face products and know that this is a compatible combination, plus if you ever really feel you need a little extra cover under the eyes, you can mix a touch of this eyecream with your concealer to help prevent it from looking too heavy.

Good luck,

John

 

Hi,

I am 22 years old and have started noticing lines around my mouth and on my forehead and my skin is looking worn around my eyes and quite dull. I can own up to not looking after my skin the best, especially now I am in my 20s; I just use a daily facial scrub and an oil control moisturiser as I suffer from combination skin. I always feel like I need to give my face a good clean at the end of the day to get all my make-up off, so even though I've tried proper cream cleansers in the past, I worry that they aren't cleaning my face properly! I wondered if you could recommend good products (not too expensive) and a good beauty regime for my skin, I want to start taking care of it before the wrinkles really set in! I'd love to not wear any make-up and actually look healthy and not ill!

Thanks,

Kirsty

 

Kirsty,

Don't be too hard on yourself...once you start noticing little flaws, you tend to make them into something they are not. The most important thing is that you realise you need to start taking better care of your skin. As far as the cleansing thing goes, you can use any sort of cleanser that leaves you feeling clean. Creamy cleansers can leave combination skins feeling unsatisfied - myself included. But it is also important that you don't strip the skin. It should feel clean and comfortable. This alone will help to restore some of the brightness to your skin. Clinique, Clarins, N V Perricone, Lauder, and Shiseido all do face washes that will achieve the cleansing part of your routine for around £20. You just need to have a sniff and find one that you particularly like. More important is the moisturiser. You want something that will protect, hydrate, and brighten the skin. A product that contains antioxidants and an SPF will be the best bet for someone of your age. Lauder Daywear, Prescriptives All You Need, Clinique Super Defence, Lancôme Bienfait Vital, Olay Total Effects, and Shiseido The Skincare will all do the job nicely. Keep it simple and keep a watchful eye. You should only need to start building on this as and when you see problems. By looking for any product that addresses "first signs of ageing", you should be sure you are covering your bases. Protection equals prevention.

Have a good summer,

John

 

 

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