Experts / Scientists
October 12th, 2022
All our tips for a firmed and toned skin
As time goes by, have you noticed your face contour beginning to relax, your features tending to look hollow, and your skin less firm? Don’t worry, it’s not inevitable!
When you understand why this happens you can start pampering your epidermis with suitable skincare products, using the right application techniques. That will help boost your skin’s elasticity and you’ll see cleaner, better-defined lines when you look at your face in the mirror. We’ll explain where to start.
What causes firmness to fade?
Over the years, your skin experiences a drop in energy and cell renewal slows down. The fibroblasts that support your skin synthesise collagen and elastin less effectively. Since it is deprived of its “framework”, the epidermis loses its firmness and begins to sag.
But time isn’t responsible for everything. Your skin is very sensitive to its environment, and is often put to the test when external oxidative factors come into the equation: smoking, stress, sun exposure and pollution all cause it to lose tone and leave the dermis thinner. So they should be avoided!
What’s the best way to get toned skin?
Consistent yet gentle: those are the keywords here. If you follow a precise beauty routine and eat a healthy and balanced diet, your skin will quickly regain its firmness.
Stay on track with a regular routine!
Your epidermis will have the best chance of getting toned again if your skincare ritual is well established. So keep up the pace:
- Every day: go for products that are rich in peptides. These chains of amino acids stimulate natural mechanisms and revive the precious production of collagen and elastin. Also use daily creams packed with hyaluronic acid, a great ally for firmness! Finally, do some self-massage – by hand or using a roller or Gua Sha – because it promotes blood circulation and activates collagen production.
- Every week: revitalise it by applying a nourishing mask.
- Every 3 months: apply a peel. Peeling products are fantastic for renewing the skin. They stimulate regeneration by ridding the skin of dead cells and impurities.
- Intensive four-week regimen: go for low-level laser therapy or LED sessions to deeply improve your skin’s quality and take advantage of all the benefits of light.
Get into good habits
Protect your skin against the sun and UVA rays every day, because they can damage its elastic fibres. Don’t go out in the sun without having applied a sunscreen with an SPF of 50, which also works as an excellent anti-wrinkle shield!
And at night, make sure you get some restful sleep because that’s when the natural cell regeneration process is at its peak: while you rest, your skin is hard at work…
Eat a balanced diet
Give your body the essential fatty acids it needs, such as the omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9 found in rapeseed, borage, evening primrose or sea buckthorn oil, blue and fatty fish, rocket and hazelnuts. Make plenty of room on your plate for selenium-rich foods as well, such as seafood and legumes.
And above all, cut down on processed products and refined sugars (soft drinks, sweets, etc.) which speed up tissue ageing. Substitute them for fruit containing vitamin C such as guava, blackcurrant, citrus fruit and kiwi, which will not only keep your skin looking young, but also taste great!
Start inside!
Choose skincare containing vitamins C, E and A. Their antioxidants strengthen your skin’s natural defences. It will be better protected so it can fight more effectively against sagging. Also remember to include dried fruit, seeds and rapeseed, wheat germ, sea buckthorn, almond and safflower oils in your “firmness diet” because they are very rich in vitamin E (our favourite!).
Embrace plant-based superfoods such as goji berries, tea and certain key beauty spices such as paprika and turmeric. These are packed with antioxidants… and flavour.
Take care of your gut and skin microbiota. Composed of small, good bacteria full of resources, it keeps your body balanced by supplying its daily requirement of prebiotics and/or probiotics. Your skin is your first line of defence, so keeping it healthy works wonders on your inner well-being… and that shows on the outside!