Seven skincare secrets from Australia’s top facialist
SHE’S the Australian skincare expert celebrities swear by. But Melanie Grant’s top tips for getting flawless skin are surprisingly cheap and easy.
JESSICA Mauboy reckons “she’s the best in the business”. Lara Worthington says “she’s the only person I let touch my skin”. Rebecca Gibney has called her “extraordinary”.
Let’s talk about Melanie Grant. She’s the woman responsible for the glowing complexions of many of Australia’s celebrity and influencer set — and probably that luminous woman you noticed walking down the street today, too.
With 20 years in the skin industry and two Melanie Grant skin clinics to her name (one in Sydney, one in Melbourne), Grant has dedicated her life to helping women achieve the skin they want.
News.com.au caught up with the “skin whisperer” to find out her tips for incredible skin. Thankfully, they’re surprisingly simple.
1. YOUR FACE PRODUCTS SHOULDN’T STOP AT YOUR FACE
“Remember to include your neck and decollete when applying all of your skincare, especially sunscreen. This area is often forgotten and is, in fact, more prone to damage due to being thinner and having less oil glands than the face.”
2. EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE
“Exfoliation produces a dewy, radiant glow in a few minutes. Try an enzymatic exfoliating mask or a fine granular scrub to remove the build-up of dead skin cells, dirt and debris. Not only will your skin look fresh and polished your moisturiser will penetrate more effectively.”
3. THE PRODUCT ALL WOMEN SHOULD BE USING, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SKIN TYPE
“Wear a good quality, broad spectrum SPF50 sunscreen every single day. To make it easy choose a day cream/moisturiser with a built-in sunscreen so you don’t even have to think about it. You’ll not only be preventing further damage, by protecting your skin from the constant aggressors of UV rays, you allow it to repair and restore itself. Put simply, wearing sunscreen alone will actually improve the current condition of your skin.”
4. IF YOU YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR SKIN, TRY RETINOL
“If I were to choose one ingredient that truly changes the skin it would be retinol (a form of vitamin A). It really is the holy grail of skincare. Tried, tested and proven, it treats many skin conditions including large pores, fine lines, wrinkles, acne, blemishes, coarse skin texture, pigmentation and dull or uneven skin tone.
It works by speeding up the turnover of dead skin cells, making way for fresh new cells to come to the surface. It also thickens the deeper layers of our skin by stimulating the production of collagen as well as preventing collagen loss.”
5. DON’T FORGET TO APPLY EYE CREAM
“An eye cream is essential and shouldn’t be skipped. The fragile skin in the eye area is thinner than the rest of the face with very few oil glands to keep it plump and supple.”
6. LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN WHEN YOU TRAVEL
“I like to travel with a personal humidifying, breathing mask. It traps and recycles your own moisture in your breath and prevents dehydration and airborne viruses. My husband used to get embarrassed and pretended he didn’t know me when I first started flying with my mask [laughs] — now it’s just second nature. It really does help with jet lag and dehydration. I swear by it.”
7. SIMPLICITY IS BEST WHEN IT COMES TO SKINCARE
“The secret to great skin is that there is no secret. Like anything it takes diligence to achieve great skin. A consistent, simple home care regimen, wearing sunscreen every single day, eating well and getting sufficient sleep will yield true results.”
Edwina Carr Barraclough is a Sydney-based lifestyle writer and editor. You can see more from her on Instagram or Facebook.