5 steps to create resilient skin

Do you ever feel that although your skin might look good one day, it doesn't take much to knock it out of balance? It could be a late night, a stressful week at work, or even a change in the weather, and suddenly you're dealing with dryness, redness or irritation that seems to appear from nowhere.   

If this happens more often than you’d like, your skin may be lacking resilience. “Resilient skin is about how well your skin can cope, adapt and recover from every day stressors such as UV rays, pollution, lack of sleep, chronic stress, dehydration or over cleansing,” says Dr Emmaline Ashley, Cosmetic Physician and Founder of Ashley Aesthetics.  

So, how can you tell if your skin isn’t resilient? “The tell-take signs are tightness, dryness, flaking, persistent redness, stinging or developing reactions to products that never used to bother you,” says Dr Ashley.  

“Basically, your skin becomes more unpredictable when under strain. Resilient skin, by contrast, heals faster, tolerates more and looks genuinely radiant and healthy, rather than just made up. It also stays youthful looking for longer.”   

But, resilience isn’t fixed and with the right care, skin can become stronger over time. So, how do you build more resilient skin? 

Strengthen your skin barrier 

“At the heart of resilient skin is a healthy skin barrier,” says Dr Ashley. “Your skin barrier is made up of lipids – ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. It acts like a protective shield.  When the barrier is intact, skin holds onto water, keeps irritants and pollution out, and bounces back quickly from daily stressors. Resilient skin is a barrier that’s doing its job well, but when compromised, water evaporates and irritants can penetrate more easily, leaving skin dry, flat, dull looking, and more prone to irritation.”  

Try: HydroPeptide Barrier Builder, a ceramide barrier repair cream specially formulated for damaged skin. It hydrates, calms and soothes inflammation and irritation, while protecting skin from environmental stressors. 

Ditch harsh products 

“If your cleanser leaves your skin squeaky clean or tight, it’s stripping the very lipids you’re trying to protect,” says Dr Ashley. “Instead, swap sulphate heavy washes and gritty physical scrubs for a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser.”  

Dr Ashley recommends choosing a cream or milk formulation, with soothing ingredients like glycerine. “One of the most common causes of a damaged skin barrier that I see is caused by over-vigorous daily scrubbing, or exfoliating by layering multiple acids. Exfoliating once or twice a week is plenty.”  

Try: Colorescience Barrier Pro 1-Step Cleanser, a gel cleanser that gently and effectively removes make-up, sunscreen, excess oil and impurities, without stripping the skin. The formula includes tri-molecular hyaluronic acid, prickly pear cactus and snow mushroom extracts. 

Support recovery and repair 

“Whatever your skin type, the single most powerful repair and protect step is a daily broad-spectrum SPF,” says Dr Ashley. “UV radiation is the skin’s biggest stressor, and sunscreen remains the most evidence-based way to protect your skin against sun damage and loss of youthfulness.” 

Dr Ashley recommends pairing SPF with an antioxidant such as vitamin C, as an extra layer of defence against pollution and oxidative stress. Reviews have indicated that applying topical antioxidant vitamin C serum with sunscreen can reduce and counteract free radical damage, and significantly help to reduce redness from sunburn.  

Try: Medik8 Daily Radiance Vitamin C SPF30, a lightweight, non-greasy moisturiser that contains stabilised vitamin C, broad-spectrum SPF30, hyaluronic acid and glycerine, to protect skin from UV radiation and free radical damage, help smooth fine lines and improve firmness. 

Be consistent 

Instead of looking for quick fixes, focus on a consistent skincare routine that will gradually build up your skin’s resilience. 

“Healthy skin is strengthened over time through regular care,” says Dr Ashley. “Cleansing gently, keeping skin well hydrated, using daily sunscreen and targeted ingredients for your skin type consistently will all help to support the skin barrier. “As your skin becomes stronger and more balanced, it will become more resilient and less prone to irritation, dryness and sensitivity.”  

Try: IMAGE Skincare Vital C Intense Moisturiser, a nourishing, hydrating moisturiser containing vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and peptides to replenish dry, sensitive skin and calm redness. 

Introduce targeted actives gradually   

Dermatologists agree that introducing targeted actives (e.g: retinoids and exfoliating acids) gradually, allows your skin time to adapt and minimises irritation. 

A recent review found that one of the most effective ways to minimise retinoid induced irritation such as redness, peeling and dryness, is to support the skin with hydrating and barrier repair ingredients, while introducing retinoids slowly.  

“Rather than layering multiple potent ingredients, use one active at a time,” says Dr Ashley. “Give your skin rest nights – where you skip strong actives one of two nights a week, and focus on hydrating and barrier support ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.”   

Try: Skinceuticals Metacell Renewal B3 contains a decent 5% hit of niacinamide, combined with a firming tripeptide concentrate and 15% glycerine for radiant, youthful looking skin. In a 12 week clinical study, it was shown to significantly reduce fine lines, improve firmness and skin luminosity.