‘Rituals’ May Not be the Best Way to Re-Set Your Skin

The idea of a daily skincare regime or ritual is an attractive one. In life we create good habits by doing the same things over and over again. So it sounds like smart practice to identify some good skincare products, and then use them religiously, at predictable times.

The trouble with this approach? If deployed too rigidly, it trains the skin to rely on external support rather than triggering the metabolic pathways that help it return to its native state of health. In this way, your skin can become ‘addicted’ to products such as moisturisers that are applied daily, rather than triggering the biochemical mechanisms that let it hydrate naturally.

The same concept applies when you’re looking to stimulate other skin functions, such as anti-aging.

A typical skincare ritual to combat aging might involve a serum product recommended for morning application. You could follow this regime, but we suggest a variation. Alternate your morning serum with a night-time application, week and week about.

Change stimulates the skin to repair and regenerate. For example, it recruits stem cells and puts them to work we’re they’re needed. Everyone’s skin is different but we think this philosophy makes sense from a medical perspective.

At Ao we’re committed to this approach because our products are formulated by a team led by a Harvard-trained dermatologist, Dr Mark Gray, who has spent his career studying the mechanisms that determine skin health. He developed the concept of adaptive skin care, to ensure Ao products are always helping skin return to its native state of health.

There’s some exciting science starting to emerge, which backs up this approach. We look forward to sharing it with you.