MY SKIN ANALYSIS & NEW ROUTINE
I didn’t really know what to expect when going to see Dr Stefanie Williams at the Eudelo clinic, I was invited in to have a complimentary appointment and I jumped at the opportunity! I’ve never had my skin looked at in this way before and I found it fascinating to learn more about it. Let me tell you a little bit about how the appointment went…
It started with a consultation; a chat about my current skincare routine, things I’ve noticed about my skin, skin concerns, my exposure to the sun growing up… there were all kinds of questions asked. Dr Stefanie then took a look at my skin under a light to assess for herself but luckily I’m quite good with my skin so she knew what to expect going off what I’d told her. I was then taken into a side room to have my skin analysed by a special skin machine (that’s the official name for it I’m sure!). It took 3 close up photos of my face from different angles before printing out a detailed analysis showing results that the human eye can’t see. It measured UV spots, brown spots, red areas, texture and pores. We then went back into the consultation room to discuss the results.
I was pretty chuffed to see my results and Dr Stefanie was impressed too. The results are compared with other people who are the same age as you and have the same skin tone so it’s completely realistic. Anything above the line is considered above average and I scored very well in terms of sun damage, texture and pores. She think the machine couldn’t differentiate between moles and dark spots so we kind of ignored that one and then interestingly I was below average for red areas. I have never considered my skin red but I was told that because my skin is olive toned it may have been hiding the redness in my skin the whole time. Just because you might not be able to see the redness, it doesn’t mean it should be treated.
We discussed my current skincare routine and which things can be kept and then Dr Stefanie reccomended a new, simple routine catered to my skin type and my new exciting journey into my thirties (can you sense my sarcasm?). In the morning I can still cleanse using my Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel but I now follow that with the La Roche Posay Redermic C10 Fluide which is a serum that’ll help with plumping and fine lines. I then follow that (if I need to) with my Bakel Jaluronic serum which I was using before and then if I’m going to be out the office I’ll use the La Roche Posay Anthelios Comfort Cream SPF 50. In the evening I cleanse, then use the Bakel serum and then follow that with the La Roche Posay Redermic R but I have been introducing this slowly, only once a week for now. This is a 0.3% retinol that helps with texture and with wrinkles. My evening moisturiser is now the Skinceuticals Redness Neutraliser and then I finish with the Avene Physio Lift Eye Cream (when I remember!).
My appointment was pretty straight forward and I’m proud that the effort I’ve put into looking after my skin has paid off but I left the consultation thinking “wow, my sister REALLY needs to do that”. So we went back! Let me tell you about my sister Carly and her skin…
Carly (10 years older than me) has never worn makeup or properly looked after her skin before, I don’t think she’ll mind me saying that. The odd moisturiser here and there but no daily cleansing, serums etc in sight. The two things that I’ve always been concerned about when it comes to her skin is pollution damage, as she wears no makeup there is literally no barrier on her skin to protect it. Sun damage is also something I worry about as she’s not the best with SPF and again, her skin is more exposed. It’s hard to be taken seriously as the little sister so I knew that the super duper skin machine would make her realise that she needs to step up her game!
The results were amazing and showed Dr Stefanie and Carly that she in fact, as suspected, suffers from rosacea. Rosacea is the reason her skin is red, but more importantly why it’s so bumpy. She would previously describe her skin as sensitive and prone to “heat bumps” but in fact this was all due to the rosacea. Although redness can sometimes be covered by makeup, Carly was never able to use foundation because the bumps on her skin made it really difficult so although the redness is hard to treat I think once the bumps are under control she’ll have a much easier time. Rosacea is actually genetic so although it can’t be cured as such, Dr Stefanie was optimistic about treating it.
Step one was to prescribe two medicated creams, one for morning and one for night and then some tablets to help speed up the process. Step two, a new skincare routine to help in the longterm. As Carly’s routine is specific to her skin condition I don’t want to recommend specific products to you guys. We left the appointment and I think for the first time Carly felt inspired to change her skin habits. It’s an overwhelming feeling when you don’t know how to help your skin so being told what exactly to do has given her some clear homework to get on with.
Appointments at the Eudelo clinic are expensive, I think for my skin type it’s not necessary but it was without a doubt worth it for someone like Carly. I’ll try and keep you updated on her skin journey to see if things improve!
