HOW TO FIND SKIN BALANCE

For a vital, healthy complexion, focus on skincare formulas and treatments that reduce redness and even out blotches.

- BROOKE LE POER TRENCH

Word of mouth is a powerful thing in skincare. When I ran into a friend in her 60s looking remarkably well, she knew exactly what I meant when I gave her the coded compliment: "You look well!" In other words: tell me the exact serum/supplement/ machine underpinning your glow. “Oh, thank you. I've been taking better care of myself.” Patiently, I waited for specifics, knowing this was not radiance born of extra naps. "And I also had a treatment to help with the redness in my skin.”

We so rarely focus on issues around inflammation and redness, and yet it is something that plagues so many of us. Melbourne-based dermatologist Dr Katherine Armour, founder of Bespoke Skin Technology, sees this all too often.“Facial redness often worsens with age,” she says, noting that this is particularly so in Australia where the UV index is high for much of the year. “Fixed redness or obvious blood vessels on the skin may be caused by sun damage, but perimenopause and menopause also contribute to increasing facial redness.” Dr Armour explains that facial redness is also exacerbated by the loss of collagen in our skin, which occurs quite precipitously around menopause. “Up to 30 per cent of the skin's collagen is lost in the first five years post-menopause,” she says. Is it any wonder we're all seeing red, emotionally and literally, when we look in the mirror?

According to studies, facial redness actually contributes as much, if not more, to making us look less youthful than wrinkles or brown spots. The good news is that the right combination of skincare habits and ingredients can return the balance to your skin, reducing inflammation and pigmentation, and creating some much-needed damage control.

Block & fade