Cleansing and moisturizing are basic tenets of skincare that most of us have worked into our daily routine, but for stellar skin that refuses to age, top aestheticians have some tried-and-true tips they tell all their celebrity clients.
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Drink More Water
Drinking water has all sorts of health and wellness benefits, and that includes healthier skin. “In my practice I look at a client’s skin with a holistic approach, I could see a lot of what is going internally and emotionally because very often the signs of distress will show up on the skin. The number-one aging sign is lack of hydration,” said celebrity facialist Cinthia Lomeli.
Dehydration makes the skin look dull and fine lines and wrinkles look deeper, giving skin a pruning effect. “My number one anti-aging tip is to drink water. Other anti-aging tips that I give my clients are to try to avoid stress or have a healthy outlet to release stress.”
Exfoliation Is Key
Exfoliation is crucial, as it helps to remove dead skin cells and lets your skin breathe so it can produce new, fresh cells. “If you exfoliate regularity, your hydrating products will absorb easier,” said celebrity facialist Ildi Pekar, whose clients include Miranda Kerr and Irina Shayk. A good exfoliator shouldn’t dry out the skin.
“I incorporated Helichrysum, Chamomile and CBD into our I PEKAR Exfoliating Face Polish. These ingredients have many antioxidant properties that keep your skin dewy. After you gently polished your skin, you can leave not the exfoliator for a few minutes to fully enjoy the benefits of the rich ingredients,” said Pekar.
Full-Coverage Skincare
When applying serums, moisturizer, face oil, sunscreen or any facial product, don’t stop at your jawline! “Continue your regimen down your neck and chest to keep these highly visible areas from premature aging, sagging and discoloration,” said Sonya Dakar, whose celebrity clients include Katherine Schwarzenegger and Alexis Renn.
Avoid Inflammation
One of the most important things you can do to prevent the signs of aging is reduce what is now being referred to as inflammaging. “Inflammation happens internally as well as from external factors and causes stress to cells that leads to things like dark spots, lack of skin elasticity, and fine lines that we associate with aging,” said celebrity esthetician Jeannel Astarita, whose clients include Elle Macpherson, David Burtka and Brooks Nader.
“Often, when people think that they have sensitive skin, what they are actually experiencing is reactive, inflamed skin that is easily triggered by almost anything. This is due to what is called an inflammatory cascade whereby inflamed cells will cause irritation and damage to their surrounding cells,” said Astarita.
“To calm inflammation, whether it is occurring from sun exposure, overheating after a workout, acne, etc, I always recommend that my patients use frozen muslin baby washcloths as a cold compress. I tell them to wet a few cloths, ring them out, put each one in an individual Ziploc bag, and stack them in the freezer,” said Astarita. This way when your skin is having an inflammatory reaction, you have them on hand right away. “The cold muslin fabric will actually absorb heat to reduce redness and swelling and stop that cascade,” said Astarita.
Sun Protection
“My top tips I tell all my clients is not only to wear sunblock—naturally every derm or aesthetician’s number-one tip—but to reapply. Often times my clients are left confused as to why they’ve developed new sun damaged skin, and when asked, nine out of 10 times they did not use SPF correctly,” said Adriana Martino, esthetician and founder of SKINNEY Medspa, a favorite of Hailey Bieber and models including Devon Windsor, Elsa Hosk and Georgia Fowler. “You can’t apply your sunblock in the morning and expect it to last into the afternoon. So, read as directed. Try using a broad spectrum, paraben-free SPF like Elta MD 41 Physical, which is my favorite.”Rely on Retinoids
Think you don’t need it? Rest assured, you do! As we get older collagen starts to deplete, which causes the skin to sag and cause wrinkles. Using retinoids will reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production,” said celebrity esthetician Vanessa Marc, whose clients include Winnie Harlow, Zendaya and Normani.
Invest in Serums
Using a serum is essential if you want to improve the condition of your skin and slow down aging. “The molecules in a serum are much smaller than in a moisturizer, so it is easier to absorb and deliver nutrients to the deeper levels of the skin,” said Pekar.
Always Remove Makeup
Since the skin goes into repair mode at night, sleeping with your makeup on can prematurely age the skin. “During the day, the skin is fighting against oxidative stress and when you sleep in your makeup, you don’t give your skin the opportunity to recover,” said Dakar.
And Lips, Too
“Many people forget to care for the lip area when it comes to SPF, and I like to remind everyone that glosses are only attracting more UV light to the lips!” says celebrity facialist Candace Marino, whose clients include Miranda Kerr, Jackie Cruz and Grimes. “I love the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment which contains SPF 15,” says Marino.Don’t Forget Your Hands
You’ve worked hard at keeping your face looking great; the same should be done with your hands. “To avoid sun spots and crepey skin, apply SPF on hands daily to delay sun-induced damage while protecting against ultraviolet radiation rays to keep your hands healthy and youthful,” says Dakar.