Andy Millward - Facialist

PROGRESS LOADING.....

My client kindly allowed me to share her progress so far after she came to me a couple of months ago with a complex case of both eczema and rosacea, but with an allergy to tocopherols (family of Vitamin E ingredients that are often used as antioxidants to protect products from going rancid and extends the shelf-life), which are ubiquitous in skincare.

This is progress so far after 2x in-clinic sessions, combining Venus IPL & Byonik Laser, with a much adapted protocol to allow for allergies.

Thankfully I also managed to put together a barrier supportive routine from Dermaviduals UK with a couple of items that are free-from tocopherols.

We did the 3rd session today so we're both excited to see how much more the skin improves over the coming weeks.

We're currently living in the era of optimisation and maxxing everything but the sad reality is, the things people spend the money on, move the needle very little compared to being consistent with the basics day in, day out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti- any of the things I've listed here (except maybe the greens powder BS), but they will never be replacements for the basics that actually make the biggest difference;

Eating enough fibre.

Eating adequate protein (and yes plant based protein sources like tofu, tempeh and legumes are just as good....they also come with fibre).

Get adequate sleep and downtime.

Focus on mental health and de-stressing with breathework and meditation.

Prioritise a skin barrier focused routine and being consistent with the basics like cleansing and sunscreen before exploring fancy serums.

Support gut health through a variety of different coloured plants, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices etc

Exercise 3-5 times a week, preferably strength training focused with some cardio.

Socialise and spend time with friends and family....and no speaking over Facebook doesn't count.

If we could all just get these basic things right and be consistent with them (all of whichare evidenc-based btw), rather than trying to optimise every single aspect of our lives, I guarantee you will see big changes in your skin, gut and overall health.

Before you come for me in the comments and tell your favourite dermatologist or skinfluencer says "the best sunscreen is one you enjoy wearing"....yes I've heard the sound bites and I understand it's to encourage people to wear more sunscreen so comes from a good place but honestly, unless you see multiple faces a day and view sunscreen application under a woods lamp or UV camera, you don't observe the real-life usage that I see.

It's always the luxurious 'skincare' feeling sunscreens that have worn / rubbed / sweat off the soonest.

And it's always the client who says they love how it feels.

Guess what, I don't care. Sunscreen should perform. Sunscreen should protect. Sunscreen is functional. If it can feel nice, that's a bonus but it shouldn't be the number one priority.

The amount of clients I see who think they've got sunscreen on and literally haven't!

And yes I know sunscreen should be reapplied frequently but the vast majority of people don't because its impractical, costly and guess what, even with the most cosmetically elegant formulation, eventually after so many layers of reapplication it's going to not feel that nice!

Which is why I've always favoured long-lasting, high-performance sunscreens like EVY and Ultrasun, because once they're on they stay put for up to 8 hours, but yes they may not feel like a luxurious lightweight serum.
But suck it up because sunscreen performance isnt simply what filters they use or even the SPF rating on the bottle, it's also how well those filters stay put on the skin under normal wear and tear throughout the day (not a controlled lab setting).

Also remember what you layer under your sunscreen can impact its feel and performance. Consider if layering multiple products and then blaming the sunscreen for feeling heavy, that maybe it's not the sunscreen that's to blame!

Dear Clients, can you please stop making my job harder than it already is.

Social media has changed over the recent years but I'm finding it increasingly frustrating and exhausting how easily misinformation and disinformation goes viral and impacts some of the clients that come to see me.

From sunscreen causes cancer to plant toxins, and everything in-between.

Maybe I should start implementing a tax or levy if I have to spend more time unpicking all the misinformation to get you back up to a baseline knowledge or if you sway during treatment because some social media "expert" pursuded you to go against evidence based advice 😂 (I'm joking of course, but it does impact your progress if you go off-plan without consulting with me).