The original post is located at www.elle.com
I’m a reformed pimple-popper, and the evidence of my impulses (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) has sent me on a journey to achieve clearer, brighter, and smoother skin. At this point, I feel like I’ve left no retinol and vitamin C serum untouched, and I’ve amassed a pharmacy’s worth of sunscreen. As a late-twenty-something, I’m also finding that fighting fine lines, especially around my eye area, has started to be top-of-mind.
Still on the hunt for a routine that tackles all of my concerns and gives me the results I crave, I couldn’t say yes fast enough when I was offered a personalized skin-care consultation with Jeanne Ng, a PCA SKIN-affiliated aesthetician at Kur Skin Lab in New York City. She promised to examine my skin and then curate a simple set of the science- and results-driven brand’s innovative product line that could help. Read on for her top recommendations—and to find out how they can work for you, too.
The HydraBright moisturizer is the new nightly treat for my skin. It’s like the sweet pastry you crave after a full-course meal, the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of a delicious sundae—it’s just that good.
HydraBright coats the skin in a whipped, almost airy blanket of nourishment, courtesy of a blend of niacinamide, squalane, and gallic acid. “This is a barrier-protecting moisturizer that also helps improve pigmentation, thanks to the niacinamide,” says Ng. “The ingredient helps break down excess melanin and increases your speed of healing, too”—which makes the formula especially ideal for banishing dark spots and acne scars.
The lightweight texture melts into my skin like butter, with a slight cooling sensation that feels soothing at night and helps perk me up in the morning. Not only has it left my skin looking bouncier and softer, it also gives my complexion a newfound radiance. If dullness and rough texture are concerns for you, this is the missing piece your routine has been waiting for.
Pro-Max Age Renewal is a new high-tech serum that uses a patent-pending Micro Growth Factor Technology (MGF) to support collagen production and address a lack of firmness. I’ll admit, the very idea of a growth serum can sound a bit unsettling—as in, what exactly is “growing” here? But in fact, our skin naturally produces its own growth factors, which are simply proteins that repair and protect to keep the organ healthy.
“Any type of growth factor in the skin is trying to turn over and create collagen content to create new skin cells,” says Ng. “As you age, these elastic fibers weaken.” And Pro-Max Age Renewal helps tighten those elastic fibers and make skin appear fuller and smoother.
I apply the featherlight serum after my cleanser and before the HydraBright moisturizer and sunscreen (in the A.M.). My acne scars and hyperpigmentation can cause my skin to look lifeless, but since using Pro-Max Age Renewal and HydraBright, I’ve noticed that my skin looks more supple, bouncy, and rejuvenated.
The thin and delicate area around our eyes is often the first place we are forced admit defeat in the battle to delay signs of aging, in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s-feet. Hydration is a key factor in combating these concerns, as well as sagging and dullness, says Ng, which is why she suggested I incorporate these hyaluronic-acid (HA) eye patches into my routine one to two times a week.
“Hyaluronic acid is a powerhouse for the skin—the skin likes it,” says Ng. These patches use HA of four different molecular weights in the form of tiny self-dissolving microneedles for deep ingredient penetration. The result is a supercharged dose of moisture.
As an avid late-night scroller, I often wake up looking as tired as I feel. I began applying these patches twice a week before bed and wearing them overnight. And behold: The morning after use, my under-eye area always looks plumper and revived.
Thanks to this experience, I finally feel like I’m seeing improvements in all of my skin concerns, and I didn’t even need an extensive routine to do it.
