By Alison McGill
Lindsay Lohan, Sienna Miller, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston are just a few celebs that have us wondering what’s their secret sauce for looking ageless. Obviously, the answer is about not just one thing, but several, which are part of disciplined self-care and professionally managed beauty regime.
There’s a lot of chatter surrounding the notion we are now living in the age of undetectable tweakments. Firmly on the ‘Out’ list: overly plumped pillow faces, trout pouts and deeply frozen foreheads. The goal today is looking absolutely fabulously like you, but with the caveat of a little beauty magic helping behind the scenes that has people not wondering if you had work done, but how you stay looking your gorgeous self as time ticks on.
Dr. Beatrice Copps is a medical and cosmetic dermatologist who practices at Dermapure Toronto. Copps shares she finds this newly perceived celeb phenomenon interesting because in her experience, most of her patients have always wanted their beauty treatment results to be natural and imperceptible.
“What has changed is people are becoming savvy to the fact celebrities are not naturally flawless, but they have great, natural looking work done,” Copps says. “The other part of this trend is the rise of many new treatments focused on regenerative aesthetics. It’s not just about filling and erasing lines, but rather focusing on improving the skin’s own collagen production, skin quality and facial harmony.”
Here, Dr. Copps details the best skin treatments to invest in now, as well as product and ingredient essentials, and her easy and effective morning/evening skincare regime.
What are the top skin treatments/technologies/tweakments of the moment?
“There are more than a few that I love, with the first one being skin boosters, which are a lightweight hyaluronic acid injectable different from a classic filler. It’s injected very superficially, and the goal is to plump up the skin, giving it a more hydrated, youthful look. I also love biostimulatory fillers because not only do they give you instant gratification with subtle volume correction. This treatment also helps to increase your body’s natural collagen over time which helps target any fine lines and skin quality issues. I’m also very into bespoke neuromodulator treatments using Botox. Neuromodulators will always be one of the most popular anti-aging treatments. Aside from its most common uses, such as for frown lines, crow’s feet, and forehead wrinkles, it can be used in so many other areas. Some of my favourites include along the jawline and neck bands to give a sculpted and lifted appearance to the lower face, or into the ends of the brows for a lift. When applied to the skin, rather than injected into the muscle, during micro-needling, it can also help decrease oiliness and improve skin quality.”
There’s also ton of buzz about exosomes. What are they are why are they game-changing?
“Exosomes are definitely the newest trend, and next big thing in aesthetics. They are little messenger cells derived from stem cells which promote collagen production, improve skin elasticity, and can help speed up recovery from procedures. These can be used during treatments like micro-needling, as well as used topically following procedures like lasers as a complement to help increase anti-aging and scar correction effects.”
What are the key products and/or ingredient essentials everyone needs to achieve a daily glow up?
“When it comes to skincare, less is more, and consistency is key. For a solid anti-aging skincare routine, all you really need is a sunscreen; a vitamin C serum like Functionalab’s Ellagic C+ Serum the daytime; and if you can tolerate it, a nighttime retinol like Functionalab’s 0.5% Retinol. You also need good hyaluronic acid to pair with your moisturizer. Everything else is a cherry on top and depends on individual skin concerns. If you are concerned with pigmentation, prioritize using a tinted mineral sunscreen every day and look for ingredients like kojic acid, tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and azelaic acid. If you have dull, textured, or acne-prone skin, you can also incorporate gently exfoliating ingredients such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid.”
What’s the perfect morning and evening skincare routine?
“In the morning, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, use a serum targeted to your concern such as a vitamin C, a moisturizer and sunscreen. I always tell patients I would rather they use their sunscreen as their moisturizer if they find it hydrating enough, rather than using a moisturizer with SPF as their only sun protection. This is because Health Canada regulates sunscreens, whereas moisturizers with SPF do not necessarily meet the same standards. For a nighttime, double cleanse, then use your retinol directly on dry skin, or after moisturizing which is a smart option if you have sensitive skin.”
