The Battle for Balance in The Skin

"The only thing that is constant is change" - Heraclitus

We talk a lot about skincare routines at Marina Miracle; we humans need routines, we need fixed intervals and set patterns so we can use our heads and strength on other things. Routines and patterns help us so we do not have to plan our route to work every day, the time you need to be there or whether you are going to have lunch or not.

What is the challenge of always having the same skincare routine?

The needs of your skin change throughout the year, month or even day. Yesterday I was out in the cold autumn air here in Oslo that starts to feel more and more like winter and I can notice my skin tighten a little. I would not have experienced the same on a nice summer day. I'm using Herbal Face Oil in the summer, but I often swap to Amaranth Face Oil in the autumn and winter to keep oils and moisture in the skin in balance.

If you try too much differently with the skin or use the wrong products, we can quickly create imbalance. Just like someone who balances on a trapeze line then we have to compensate to keep the balance. The skin is a fine-tuned organ that can be challenging to understand, you must know it and the history well to know what it needs. The skin is affected by what you eat, what you drink, medication, wind, pollution, temperature, exercise, sweating, products, etc. If you have long hair, the products in your hair will also affect your skin.

Make the balance available

The microorganisms we have in the skin layers are hard to track because we cannot see them. If you wash your face with the wrong PH, then these microorganisms may be damaged. The skin doesn't necessarily need a replenishment of probiotics (good bacteria for the skin) to counteract this, but we have it in our Sweet & Creamy Cleanser to make it available to the skin.

Normal skin type in summer may get dry during winter and need a moisturising mask. Our body tends to take what it needs, if you make it available, and discard the rest, and when the moisture mask is quickly absorbed, its what your skin needs. We do not all have the need for vitamin C or B supplements daily, but if this is available in the food we eat, the body will take what it needs when it needs it. If it is not available, you will eventually get an imbalance.

Balance in the skin is complicated; there are many factors, but it starts by listening to it, understanding it and compensating and adjusting when it needs it. It can be a fight and you will need good tools to win this match. If you see imbalances in the skin, think about the changes that may have caused this, think about the food you eat and the products you use, think about the weather that has changed. Routine is important, but the goal of the routine is to have a good balance and therefore the routine must change when life changes.

Written by Marina Engervik