By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 11th August 2010
We discuss the benefits of using medical grade skincare for healthy, beautiful skin with internationally-known skincare expert and cosmetic surgeon Mr Paul Banwell
Most of us have the potential for healthy vital skin. It is programmed into our DNA. But skin genetics are also heavily influenced by the environment.
Sun, pollution and natural ageing play a part in damaging the skin’s genetic code, resulting in DNA replication errors that can lead to premature wrinkles, dryness and blotchy brown ‘age spots’.
A good skincare regime can help create a positive ‘microclimate’ for your skin, protecting it from DNA damage and assisting in repair to skin cells. The difficulty lies in finding products and routines that actually work. This is where your plastic surgeon can help.
Increasingly, savvy skincare consumers are turning to their doctor for skincare advice and the best products. Mr Paul Banwell, a consultant plastic surgeon at The McIndoe Surgical Centre in East Grinstead, has been an early adopter of medical-grade skincare products for his patients.
“Skin is our presentation to the world and the first indicator of ageing. If you keep your skin in top condition, you look younger and fresher,” says Mr Banwell. “Good skincare is the logical first step in any anti-ageing regime. It isn’t difficult or complicated but you need to use the right active ingredients at the correct concentrations.”
Most doctors agree the fundamentals of modern skincare involve protecting the skin during the day and repairing any damage at night. Underlying these principles is the awareness that your skin has its own immune system that needs to function optimally for skin to look healthy and glowing.
The skin’s immune cells (called Langerhans Cells) can be overwhelmed by too much sun, leading to premature ageing and possibly skin cancer. Daily use of sunscreens is important, but medical experts are beginning to understand that this step alone may not be enough.
In addition to a daily moisturiser containing sunscreen, most plastic surgeons and cosmetic doctors are now recommending the use of topical vitamin B3 serum (niacinamide) and vitamin C.
Paul Banwell agrees. “Topical niacinamide has been shown to protect the skin’s immune cells, which may help prevent premature ageing and certain types of skin cancer. I recommend it to all my patients. I also prescribe topical vitamin C to be used every morning in conjunction with a sunscreen as it helps prevent skin damage caused by free radicals.”
At night, the ideal routine is a cleansing of the skin with a gentle cleanser, followed by a vitamin A preparation to repair damaged DNA. A mild exfoliant containing alpha and beta hydroxy acids is also good at removing dry, damaged cells. So which skincare products are best?
“All medical skincare products are good, but some are put together more cleverly than others,” explains Mr Banwell. “For my patients, I recommend a range from Australia called Rationale. Their understanding of sun damage is very advanced, and despite the harsh climate, I observed that women in Australia using these products looked considerably younger than their counterparts here in the UK.”
So remember, cosmeceuticals
– and the right cosmeceutical
products – could be the key to
great looking skin.
Available from: In the UK,
Rationale Skincare is now
available exclusively through
leading plastic surgeons,
dermatologists and cosmetic
physicians. Interested in
Rationale Skincare? Look at
the following website www.wellbournecosmetic.com or
phone 0845 2600 261. For
further information on Mr Paul
Banwell and the full range
of treatments he offers, visit
www.paulebanwell.com
