Models have to be catwalk ready at a moment’s notice, despite all the long haul flights and long hours in heavy makeup, with little time to eat healthily or get enough sleep. All the same, models always seem to have nailed their skin regime, even while on the road, whether bare faced on their day off or fully dressed and walking the runway. So how do the professionals deal with unexpected break outs and under eye circles? For those of us who dream of throwing our foundation away, here’s a few of the best pointers from those pros of glow.
Let L’Eau Flow
Has there ever been a guide to better health and beauty that hasn’t mentioned the requirement to drink plenty of water? Hydration (i.e. guzzling 1.5 – 2 liters daily) is the most important rule to helping your body’s largest organ – the skin – function properly… particularly if you’re working long hours under stressful conditions. And every supermodel swears by it! It’s the most obvious but cost effective solution to cleaner, brighter skin.
For an easy way to up your fluid intake, switch out your morning coffee for a cup of your favorite pure green tea brand which contains skin-protecting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties and invest in a water carafe or BPA-free drinking bottle to keep on your desk at all times.
Beauty Sleep
It’s the age-old advice your mother gave you (and probably your grandmother, too) – get your beauty sleep. Sleep is not only critical for normal brain function (being able to concentrate during the day, regulating hormones to stop us craving sugar and snacks throughout just to keep going) but it’s also the time when your skin undertakes its deepest repair work.
Make sure you wash bedding on a high heat weekly to prevent zit-causing bacteria which can build up on pillowcases and dust mites which can irritate and flare up allergies. If your mattress is very old, you might want to think about upgrading your model to something a little more comfortable. Deep-sleep promotes a healthier rate of skin cell turnover, which is essential if you want to wake up looking well rested. For those of us not on a supermodel’s budget for redecoration, one new-on-the-market option is the Eve memory foam mattress, which presents itself as the high quality/reasonably priced choice, and has been the subject of a number of positive independent reviews.
Be Kinder
For those of us who suffer from blemish-prone skin, it can be tempting to ‘purge’ breakout areas with cleaning tools and harsh scrubs. However, dermatological advice in recent years has turned what we know about skincare on its head, advocating a gentler, more sensitive approach which moves away from electric face brushes and abrasion, as aggressive scrubbing can make your skin retaliate by producing more oil to compensate for the damage.
In another turn of skincare know-how, many dermatologists now also advocate using serums and face oils over the traditional moisturizer step in your daily skincare regime; a suggestion which might seem like lunacy for those with acne-prone skin. Surprisingly, many in the beauty community are discovering that face oils can actually be beneficial for zit-prone skin. By interrupting your skin’s natural oil-producing cycle after cleansing, the face oils replace bacteria-prone sebum with a natural alternative that discourages the formation of clogged pore whiteheads. Better still, the oil helps to heal old scars and even out skin texture. What’s not to love?
