If I asked you what your biggest skincare concerns were would you name just one? Some people might be lucky enough to name one concern such as fine lines, dryness or pigmentation but the truth is that we all have multiple skincare concerns and often it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to skincare. I have been known to mix and match my skincare for years in order to target several concerns at once but sometimes products don’t mix together well and my skin reacts in defense. I may use one product for hydration, another for pigmentation and another for fine lines. Does one product address ALL of my skincare concerns? Well, no not before but actually now, YES because the next big thing is here and it’s personalised skincare.
Personalised skincare is huge right now and again there’s no cream or serum that does it all nor is tailored for every single skin type. What works for me may not work for you and vice-versa. However, with personalised skincare you can actually tailor your product to target every skincare concern you may have.
Take me for example. My first skincare concern is pigmentation. I have diagnosed melasma pigmentation on my forehead so I have to be very careful in the sun and also have to avoid any laser treatments for fear of triggering the melasma and making it worse. Dealing with it has been a skincare nightmare. So, I’m always and forever looking for serums and creams that target pigmentation and dark spots on the skin.
My next skincare concern is hydration. I do travel a lot and my skin (although it’s oily) when examined at a deeper level can be found to be dehydrated from a combination of heat, sun and air-conditioning which of course we are all exposed to in the summer. In the winter it’s about the heating systems that really suck your skin dry so hydration, no matter the season, is always a concern.
My third skincare concern is volume. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve lost a bit of plumpness which is totally nature and completely normal. The architecture that holds our skin up (think collagen and elastin) decrease over time and like a crumbling building, our face falls too. I know I made that sound really, really depressing but it really isn’t I promise – it’s completely natural and normal. However, there are ways that we can combat these things whilst still accepting they are normal and natural occurrences.
One brand that I’ve been using awhile now is Artistry but previously I’ve only ever used their make-up (and loved it!). This was the first time I’ve delved into their skincare which is perfect timing as they have just launched tailor-made, personalised skincare range which is the Artistry Signature Select Personalized Serum. This is one serum you can tailor to your own skin (I will explain) and this one serum can contain the power of up to three serums in one product. So actually, this is really exciting because for whatever skincare concern you may have, you can now target multiple concerns with one product.
So how it works is that you have one Base Serum. The serum contains a whole host of incredible antioxidants (we need antioxidants in skincare to target free radicals that damage the skin) such as Acerola Cherry, Black Currant, Green Tea, Pomegranate and Spinach Extracts. I tested the base serum on its own and was happy to report that it sinks in quickly and leaves no greasy residue on the face. It’s a perfect priming serum as well before moisturiser and before make-up.
You need the base serum for the amplifiers (you can think of an amplifier like a booster) because the base serum helps increase the skin penetration of the amplifiers by up to 175% (WOW). I mean what’s the point of buying skincare if it isn’t going to reach the skin layer that you need it to reach right? This can be the point of difference in prices as well with many skincare products so it’s really important to know the science behind the brand and that the active ingredients are reaching where they need to go.
So, here’s where the action happens (I’m such a skincare nerd) – with the base serum you can add up to three concentrated amplifiers. There are five amplifiers in total for hydration, brightening, firming, anti-wrinkle and anti-spot. I think these five concerns pretty much cover nearly everything as well so if you mix and match them (up to 3 at a time) then you can target nearly any skincare issue.
As I mentioned previously, my main skincare concerns are pigmentation, hydration and volume so naturally I would reach for my three amplifiers of hydration, brightening and firming (to firm up skin that is experiencing volume loss).
Of course, if you have concerns about fine lines or wrinkles you can choose the anti-wrinkle amplifier or if you have concerns about pigmentation you can choose the anti-spot amplifier. The key is that you can choose what you want with one product. To mix in the amplifiers you just twist the cap to infuse and activate the targeted ingredients. The packaging is airtight and pressurized with nitrogen so you know that your amplifier is going to be fresh and potent when you infuse it into the base (it even makes a very cool whoosh sound!).
And with the 5 amplifiers you can actually create up to 25 personalised solutions. There are SO many varieties of serum you can personalise and create for your own skincare concern. And even though I know my skincare concerns I had a hard time choosing my amplifier simply as I wanted to put ALL of them in (don’t do that though!) because they all sounded so good. Therefore, I’m breaking down here what is in each amplifier so that will hopefully help you choose more precisely the one you actually need.
This amplifier contains hydro-probiotic technology (all of the Artistry skincare products are backed by technology and science) that helps your skin’s natural moisture barrier which ups the defense against anything bad (dirt, pollution, free radicals, UV). It also increases hydration by 233% (another WOW moment here) so if your skin is dehydrated this is the one.
The brightening amplifier helps your skin cells renew faster (i.e. exfoliation) which will reveal brighter skin over time. So, if your skin looks dull then this the one.
If you are concerned by fine lines and wrinkles (this also targets fine lines) then this helps to strengthen the skin’s structure (remember what I said about a crumbling building?) and you will notice a difference in one week after using this!
Back to the crumbling building analogy, if your skin feels like it has lost volume and feels deflated then the firming amplifier is the one to go for. It helps firm the skin so that it appears more sculped and defined.
If you do have pigmentation concerns and problems like me then you will want to reach for the anti-spot amplifier. It contains the magical ingredient of Vitamin C (super concentrated) that helps to even the skin tone, brighten it and reduce the formation of dark spots (i.e. pigmentation).
So, what would you reach for if you had to choose?
*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Artistry but all words/views/opinions are my own as always!
