Rejuvenate your skin: Getting the Scandinavian look
by Hanne, 2 December 2015
Scandinavians are often recognized for their great skin and complexion. Maybe it’s the fresh air, the cool breeze, or the lack of sun exposure that gives us this fortunate quality. It may also be those 5-6 weeks of paid vacation every year that lets us rejuvenate and recover from sitting in a dry office all day.
It’s true that the Scandinavian lifestyle may play a large role in creating a great complexion, but the products we choose also matters.
After years of working with skin in the US and Denmark, I know that we Scandinavians are a little bit ahead of the curve when it comes to skincare. At least when comparing the East coast of the US to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. I imagine the West coast as being a little more on the beat. The king of beauty himself, Danish Ole Hendriksen, resides in L.A. where he's developed his own brand based on Scandinavian principles. The success of these are shown in his client list which includes top celebrities that come to him from all over asking for advice.
In the US there’s either a lot of focus on organic skincare or - at the other end of the spectra - on products with harsh prescription formulas from the dermatologist. There’s not a lot in between. But that’s where the Scandinavian products fit in. They have good and strong formulas, which focuses on results while still trying to keep it as natural as can be.
What is beautiful skin?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it can be hard to answer this exact question, but there are a couple of obvious skin issues that can “ruin” the natural look of your skin.
Use our tips on how to turn on your Scandinavian beauty look and get a few steps closer to that radiant and healthy looking glow.
Battling a dull complexion
A dull complexion is one of the most common problems people encounter. Luckily, it’s usually easy to fix. It’s brought on by a lack of sleep, too much sun, too many cigarettes, the wrong diet, dehydration or use of the wrong skin care products.
Using a few extra or just adding the right kind of “pick me up” products can make a huge difference in your “natural glow”.
Try using a vitamin C serum under your daily moisturizer. It is amazing what it does for your skin. Drink more water and make sure you are getting enough vitamins. Always use SPF, even during the winter months, and ALWAYS clean your face every night. Too many dead skin cells can make your skin look grey, so you want to make sure it is well exfoliated in order for the new cells to actually benefit from the active ingredients you're applying to your skin.
The Super 3 Booster from Beaute Pacifique is one of my favorites for fixing a dull and lazy complexion. Beaute Pacifique is a Danish-based brand founded in the 90’s in Jylland. It’s known for it’s unique delivery system and special gentle forms of vitamin A. The Super 3 Booster is a night treatment. You’ll feel its active ingredients at work from the moment you apply it. If you feel it’s too much, you can use it every other night for about two weeks until your skin has gotten used to it. You can buy it at www.beaute-pacifique.us or through Amazon.
Hanne is a Scandinavian beauty aficionado. She's originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, and now lives in Annapolis with her husband and twins Finn and Fiona. Hanne has years of experience making people look beautiful. She graduated from the CIDESCO International Beauty School in Copenhagen in 1999. Since then she's owned 4 different spas in the Copenhagen area as well as founded and run the Danish beauty magazine, GO Beauty. After moving to the States in 2011 she's worked at Nectar Skin Bar in Washington DC and is currently working in Edgewater, MD at another salon.
Luckily it is easy to apply moisture to the skin. Simply use a hydrating serum morning and/or night cream and make sure to “seal it in” with a good moisturizer as well. I'm in love with the Face, Eye & Neck Cure from Amazing Space. Unfortunately, Amazing Space is not available in the US yet, but keep an eye out, because I am working on getting it over here.
Don't forget to exfoliate your skin every 3rd day. Use either a gentle scrub or a mild peel off mask. Removing the dead skin cells is a must when trying to cope with dehydrated skin. If you don't remove the dead skin, the moisture you apply will never really work where it is needed. It will just get mixed in with the dead skin cells and become the perfect base for bacteria growth.
Using SPF in the summer and a protective winter cream in the winter is important too. Freezing cold and dry/warm indoor climate in the winter will suck out all your natural hydration from the skin. Use a heavier winter cream to seal in hydration and protect the surface. In the summer, use SPF 30 or higher for both sun protection and again to seal in hydration underneath.
Rehydrating dry and weathered skin
Dehydrated skin happens simply when the skin doesn't get enough moisture. You may be prone to drier skin due to the lack of oil production within the skin. In that case you will actually need more oil and heavy creams and not a lot of hydrating lotions and serums.
For most of us it's all about more hydration. It's easy to get dehydrated skin. The water we drink goes straight to the places in the body were it is needed, so the skin is unfortunately one of the last organs to really benefit from it.
