A Dermal Therapist Weighs In On The Simple Skin Routines

Skincare doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. If you're looking for a routine that’s simple, yet powerful, you're in the right place.

We sat down with dermal therapist and Viviology founder James Vivian, to get the lowdown on all things simple skincare.

Here's everything you need to know to keep your skin healthy and glowing, without the overwhelm.

JV: Always start with the basics. Don’t underestimate what the correct cleanser, moisturiser and SPF can do to already start to improve the look and feel of the skin.

When it comes to finding the correct basic, it's always best to go with your skin type e.g. dry, combination or oily. From there, you can start to target your key concerns, such as blemishes, pigmentation, age management etc. with more targeted products.

It’s also extremely important to use your basic products for the right amount of time and to use enough e.g. cleanse for at least 60-seconds and apply enough moisturiser and SPF to get the job done. You’d be surprised in my clinic how often I see people underuse their skincare.

From here, you can start to introduce serums and ingredients that target your concerns. If it’s not a concern, don’t use a product to address it. Skincare routines should only include steps that you need it to.

JV: Double cleansing is great for make-up wearers where the first cleanse lifts and remove the bulk of the makeup from the skin and the second cleanse actually cleanses the skin.

Most of our clients at the clinic don’t double cleanse because they’re not big makeup wearers and because (most of them) subscribe to our 1-2 minute cleansing technique, they don’t need to double cleanse.

If you are one to double cleanse, you can always use your preferred cleanser twice or you can opt for one that is best suited to remove makeup, such as an oil, cream or micellar-based cleanser, and then continue with the right cleanser for you skin type.

JV: My most common advice last year was probably to tell my clients to moisturise more.

And it’s basically free advice because I was just telling them to use more of what they already owned. Of course people will go through their moisturiser faster but as I say to clients, skincare works on the skin, not in the jar/tube/bottle.

In my opinion, moisturising is all about creating a barrier between our skin and the world around us. Under-moisturising can lead to dry, irritated, dehydrated and barrier impaired skins.

The opposite here is of course over-moisturising but in my experience this rarely happens. Can’t recall the last time I told someone to moisturise less!

JV: Oh, it’s SOOOOOOO nice. It’s the final product we apply in our treatments at the clinic and it’s selling like hot cakes. It’s just a really lovely, lightweight, translucent SPF that doesn’t cost the world and that you look forward to putting on in the morning and reapplying throughout the day.

Creating an SPF was important to us. You can have the strongest, most luxurious Vitamin A and C in existence, but their effects are no match the consequences of the sun.

Moreover, living in Australia, our sun is so harmful to our skin and so many people are still spending either too much time in the sun or are not covering up properly when they are enjoying the sun.

There are always so many reasons not wear sunscreen so we wanted to create some formulations that are a joy to use and provide excellent protection.

JV: Something I tell my clients is to apply sunscreen before you leave the house. If you’re putting it on at 7AM and not leaving until 10AM, it’s probs not working anymore. So keep it on hand for when you actually need it! It's say it’s the reapplication of sunscreen that is often more important than the application as it does wear off pretty fast and can lift from swimming, sweating and friction.

UVA rays are just as strong in winter so if age management and pigmentation are your concerns, sunscreen must be an all day, everyday proposition. UVB radiation are the carcinogenic rays are are always stronger during summer and in the middle of the day. Proceed with caution especially during these periods.