Yvonne's beauty tips

Step 1. Cleansing

The path to achieving fresh, rosy skin starts with cleansing. Many people wonder why using soap to wash your face isn’t a good idea. Unfortunately, ordinary soaps often dry out the skin and leave some dirt and makeup behind. This is partly because soaps tend to have far too high a pH (15-20). Yvonne Ryding’s products have a pH that matches the skin’s natural pH (5.5). This ensures effective and gentle cleansing. If you don’t cleanse properly, you won’t remove the outermost layer of dead skin cells, excess sebum, sweat and dirt. This leaves the skin grey and uneven, blocks the sebaceous glands and starts to form pimples, spots and enlarged pores even in those with dry and oily skin types, which can lead to problems with acne.

It’s important to use the right facial tonic. For normal and oily skin types, the wash efficiently removes the excess oil, temporarily closing the pores. For dry and aging skin, it has an important function in removing the remains of the cleanser without drying the skin out. You need to remember that ordinary tap water can contain large amounts of calcium. Water is harder in some areas than others. The calcium forms a film on top of the skin, sealing it. For this reason I recommend always using a face cleanser and tonic before using a moisturizer.

In the past, yeast extract was often used for deep facial cleansing. With this in mind, we’ve added it to our YR Facial Tonic instead of dehydrating alcohol, a common ingredient in many other tonics and toners. For moisturizing and anti-aging benefits, we have also added beech bud extract. Other active ingredients in YR Facial Tonic include cinnamon and lavender, included for their antiseptic and healing properties.

An extra tip for those with oily or normal skin is to try a steam treatment at home. Steam opens up the pores so that the ingrained dirt and harmful substances can be removed more easily. The muscle tissue relaxes and you feel incredibly clean. A small word of caution though – if you have very dry skin or a tendency towards burst blood vessels on your face, you should use steam with care.

Step 2. Cell renewal and freshening up

The epidermis consists of several layers. The uppermost layer consists only of dead cells. These gradually fall off and new cells grow from underneath. Once they have reached the topmost layer of the epidermis they are no longer alive. The entire process from a cell being formed to it being rejected as a dead skin cell normally takes 27-35 days. Disruption to this process can lead to a number of different skin problems.

Until the age of 25, cell renewal is not a problem for women. At the age of 30 however, cell growth starts to decline steeply and this is where it is important to stimulate cell renewal by removing the irritating layer of dead skin cells using a scrub. In our scrub, YR Facial Peeling, we have chosen to use small round grains from olive stones. The different sizes help achieve an effective and gentle massage with a polishing effect on the uppermost layer of the skin, removing dead skin cells.

It is important that the grains in scrub products are round (granular). If they have sharp edges they can irritate the skin rather than stimulating it. The scrub is massaged in with the fingertips using circular movements. A light touch is important. I recommend a facial scrub as part of your everyday evening cleansing routine. First cleansing, then a scrub, then a facial tonic and finally moisturizer. I promise that it will produce visible results!

Can we talk about the routine?

A little tip to help the skin remain clean and fresh is to use a face mask once a week after peeling. Your skin will thank you for it! The YR Herbal Mask is a wonderful blend of good things your skin will love. How do witch hazel, cinnamon, lavender, chamomile and rosemary sound? The herbal mask has a mud mask base and its main job is to deep cleanse the skin with an antiseptic effect while moisturizing and soothing stressed skin.

Step 3. Moisturizer

Your skin gets its natural moisture from the oil which is constantly produced by the sebaceous glands and mixed with sweat from the sweat glands. You lose a certain amount of moisture every day. The skin usually becomes dry after washing – especially in hard water areas. Evaporation increases with the aging process and this is accelerated by wind, sun, cold, central heating, air-conditioning and computers. The only purpose of the oils found in creams and lotions is to make the water evaporate from the skin more slowly. I advocate using vegetable oils. They maintain a good and even quality when it comes to retaining moisture in the skin.

Using carefully selected creams/lotions on your face leaves your skin in the best possible condition to retain its vital moisture. Use a moisturizer morning and evening after cleansing your face thoroughly. Don’t forget your neck and chest. These are also some of the most vulnerable areas of the body. A mild, light cream should be used for the sensitive area around the eyes. Our latest treatment Eye Focus Anti Puffiness Multi Lift works wonderfully?

The YR range of moisturizers have been enhanced with a number of active ingredients to help your skin remain soft, smooth and elastic despite the passage of time and the external stresses your skin is exposed to. Our day cream also contains a sensational ingredient called Antarcticine, a collagen booster found at the bottom of the glaciers in Antarctica. This is a special form of vitamin A, which is encapsulated and is not released until used on the skin. We also use Gatuline RC – vitamin C – which has re-moisturizing and regenerating properties. Another special ingredient is maize starch, which helps the skin retain moisture while also giving it a silky matte surface, a perfect foundation for long-lasting makeup. Our creams also contain vitamin complex and Coenzyme Q10.

Don’t base your choice only on the names of the creams or the age groups for which they are intended. Make sure you choose the cream that best suits your skin type.

Step 4. Body care

Did you know that the skin is the biggest organ in the human body? It is thickest on your hands and feet, thinnest around the eyes and lips.

Some important functions are essential to our survival.

Our skin has to:

• Protect the body from changes in temperature and to maintain a constant body temperature and constant fluid levels.
• Prevent the damaging effects of chemicals, micro-organisms, bacteria, viruses, soil, water and air, for example.
• Provide protection from physical stresses such as minor pressure, impacts and other minor injuries.
• Act as a sensory and communication organ passing on stimuli such as pain and touch. It can blush when we are embarrassed and grow pale when we are afraid.

Step 5. Hands & feet

Hands and feet can easily get forgotten in your daily skincare routine. We often don’t remember them until it’s too late. Although our hands are our most important tools, the first things we display when we meet new people, we tend only to care for them in the winter when they get really chapped and cracked. We easily forget our feet completely until the day we get our sandals out and our hard and cracked skin is revealed. If you don’t remember to moisturize your hands and feet with a protective and softening moisturizer as part of your daily routine, there are still a few things you can do to save the day.

For the hands:

Prepare a hand bath with hot water and a few drops of liquid soap. Massage your hands thoroughly with YR Body Oil, paying particular attention to the cuticles. Leave the oil to be absorbed for about 5 minutes. Take the time to relax while it does its work. Soak your hands in the warm water for about 10 minutes. Cut or file your nails and push down your cuticles. Carefully massage your hands with YR Facial Peeling, rinse and gently towel dry. Apply YR Herbal Mask over your hands and fingers. Sit down and relax for about 20 minutes. Rinse and towel dry again. Finally treat your hands and cuticles with nutritious YR Caring Hand Cream or YR Instant Repair. It’s a good idea to wear a pair of cotton gloves until the cream has been completely absorbed, or overnight. I promise that your hands will forgive you all those days of neglect and provide you with stunning results!