Mukti Founder Shares Her Top 7 Essential Skincare Secrets

Blog Credit: Mukti Organics

Learning how to achieve healthy skin and address your specific concerns can sometimes feel like an unobtainable challenge. There is so much to know when it comes to skincare products and beauty treatments, and often, the information we see online and on social media is conflicting and overwhelming. Founding Mukti Organics in 2000, Mukti has spent the last 24 years formulating organic products that epitomise her passion for holistic wellness, knowledge of ingredients, and efficacious blends that feel luxurious to use. With over two decades of experience in formulation and a background as a skin therapist, Mukti shares her 7 non-negotiables when it comes to maintaining beautiful, healthy skin.

Good Morning Habits

Never leave the house without some form of skincare! While it’s completely fine for the morning routine to be less extensive than the evening one, create healthy habits by ensuring that AM skincare is a staple of your getting-ready routine. Some individuals experiencing very dry or depleted skin may find it isn’t necessary to cleanse their skin when they wake up (once at night being adequate) however, moisture and protection throughout the day is crucial for anti aging skin care. Well moisturised and hydrated skin also ages much slower than dehydrated skin.

Protect From the Elements

Part of your morning routine should include protective ingredients. Antioxidants are a good example, and exactly why we frequently see vitamin C products typically being used in the mornings. We encounter more free radical production during the day than the evening, not only as a natural biproduct of mitochondrial function (greater during waking hours) but because of psychological stress, pollution, UV, even certain pesticides, and preservatives in our food. Antioxidants work to counteract free radicals and prevent ageing.

Set Yourself Up for Overnight Success

As part of our circadian rhythm and endocrine system, the skin goes through different processes at night and is resting, repairing, and recovering as we sleep - as do other parts of our body. The evening skincare routine is a prime opportunity to replenish and nurture the skin with ingredients that assist with these cellular processes. Richer moisturisation, for example, as well as peptides, vitamins, ceramides and botanical extracts which repair damage or help to rid the skin of stressors accumulated throughout the day, are the keys to a great evening routine.

Exfoliate As Needed

Exfoliation has now become an exceptionally trendy component of modern skincare, with a huge portion of the market’s products containing exfoliating acids like lactic, glycolic, mandelic, salicylic, and phytic acids just to name a few. Now imagine if you purchase a cleanser, toner, serums, and moisturiser all containing acids, and use them all each day. For most individuals, this is an extreme and unnecessary amount of exfoliation, and the skin will soon become inflamed and barrier impaired. We are seeing this all too frequently, often leading to sensitisation, reactions to topical skincare, and inflammatory conditions like dermatitis. Exfoliating products should be used sparingly for most individuals 2-3 times per week is adequate. When combining acids across multiple products, I recommend the ‘skin cycling’ approach - exfoliating products one night, followed by nourishing products the next, and/or vitamin A in the case of resilient ageing skins.

Treat Inflammation First

At some point, you may be faced with multiple skin concerns at once. If one of them is based around sensitivity or inflammation, this should always be your primary concern, and addressed first before anything else. For example, if you are experiencing sensitivity due to barrier impairment, but are also wanting to reduce your pigmentation, you should first focus on products that will calm, soothe, nourish, restore, and repair the skin. These include niacinamide & vitamin b, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, occlusive film-forming moisturisers, and botanical oils. Pigmentation can be reduced with ingredients like vitamin As and Cs, acids like glycolic and ferulic, and other brightening botanicals, however - these can be too strong and stimulating for sensitive skin and may worsen an impaired barrier. Always be kind and gentle to the skin until the sensitivity has subsided.

Prioritise Wellbeing

Another major cause of inflammation in the body is cortisol, this being our primary stress hormone. The skin is not immune to the hormones released by the brain, including the secretion of cortisol. This can directly lead to skin inflammation, creating and/or worsening inflammatory disorders like rosacea, eczema, dermatitis, and barrier disruption. Those experiencing these conditions can benefit greatly by prioritising their mental wellbeing and engaging in relaxation and mindfulness exercises not only to improve their quality of life but also the health of their skin.

Wear Sunscreen, Even Indoors

Thankfully, Australians are much more sun savvy today than we were several decades ago. However, many are still under the impression that skincare sunscreen is only necessary when outdoors. Those wanting to protect their skin from premature ageing, or who are concerned with pigmentation, should consider making sunscreen a primary part of their daily routine. The ultraviolet light spectrum consists of several different wavelengths of light, and different wavelengths penetrate the skin differently. The short wavelengths responsible for burning (UVB) are almost eliminated by glass. However, the longer wavelengths (UVA) which can break down collagen and elastin, and stimulate pigment production, can penetrate through the windows of our homes, cars, and offices. UVA is present all day whereas UV is strongest between the hours of 10am-3pm. Whilst it is important to produce our daily dose of vitamin D, the sun is considered the number one contributor to skin ageing. While these tips may not be enough to address more complex skin concerns such as acne, advanced ageing, or pigmentation, they are some of the most important foundational steps for establishing protected, healthy, functioning skin, and should serve as your baseline for any and all skincare routines.