The Body Shop has released a new addition to their Drops of Youth family called the Bouncy Sleeping Mask (RM150), an overnight mask that does the hard work of repairing your skin while you go to bed. To tell us more about the mask, we speak to Dr. Terry Loong, The Body Shop’s first Global Independent Skincare Expert, who is originally from Malaysia but is based in the UK. In London, she’s known as the Skin Energy Doctor for her eastern and western integrative philosophy on skin so we also took the opportunity to ask her about hormonal acne which affects most women.
- Dr. Terry on the Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask
This daily mask is used as the final step in your evening skincare regime and Dr. Terry has created a special massage technique to apply the mask as well as calm you down before bedtime.
“I created this massage technique based on the lymphatic system of the face The lymphatic system is like the drainage system of your body – it’s all over your body but on your face it’s clusters to allow detoxification of your skin, to circulate the nutrients around your skin and allow absorption of the products deeper.” – Dr. Terry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhUnoEfXV2I
Can you still use a conventional mask while using the Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask?
It really depends. If you’re using a clay mask for your acne, it works very differently so yes, you can use a clay mask twice a week. But this one is more for everyday use to hydrate and repair the damage that’s been done.
Can you use it if you’re prone to acne?
Not a problem. What I find is, it somehow balances your oil. So in the morning, my skin is even, it doesn’t feel oily. It feels nice and plump.
Does the masque treat pigmentation?
What the mask mainly does main ingredient is hyaluronic acid which gives a boost of hydration which is important overnight and it’s got Edelweiss which has regenerative properties. When you regenerate, you’re regenerating new skin although it’s not specifically for brightening skin but as you’re regenerating, it renews skin.
- Dr. Terry on hormonal acne
A lot of times when it comes to individuals who suffer from hormonal acne, a lot of doctors prescribe antibiotics and a lot of pills but is it possible for them to stop relying on medication and just only use products?
I often get that question from my patients. Hormonal as you know, is internal and the external is supported so everyone’s different depending on how long they’ve been on medication. If the medication is trying to suppress it and if you suddenly come off it, it will come out flaring so what I would recommend is, if somebody wants to get off medication which is good in the long run because you’re avoiding the masking of the symptoms. You want to use ingredients that calms the skin when you stop medications suddenly. Body Shop has a great aloe vera range, I love the tea tree oil range. So for example, tea tree oil works very similar to benzoyl peroxide but has less side effects and is less reactive.
How can one rebalance their hormones if they suffer from hormonal imbalance?
I wrote a book in 2013 called The Hormonal Acne Solution – it’s on Amazon and Kindle – specifically for people who do not want to go on antibiotics, birth control pills and Roaccutane. Lifestyle is important. First of all, let’s look at what causes hormonal imbalance. We can’t help it, modern life is very stressful. The environment is more toxic, more polluted. Products that are chemically based, overuse of medication and overindulgence of food. There are a few things that cause hormonal disruption. One thing you can do is eat well, eat the right foods to support your hormonal production. Stress reduction or management and sleep is very important. Sleep is the number one thing because nighttime is when your skin repairs from the day. That’s why the Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask is great because it complements the whole sleeping-repair ritual.
When it comes to breaking out, some people say you have to extract it while some say extractions are really bad and opens up your pores and enlarges it. What is your take on that?
Your skin naturally needs sebum, it’s a natural lubrication on your skin to make it waterproof. If you have no sebum, you’ll be dry as a prune. What causes acne? When you have too much oil, you become a breeding site for bacteria. When you get an inflammation, it means you get a cyst at the back. You may not see anything but a small whitehead at first and this is called a cyst. When you get a cyst, you should not extract because it’s not ripe yet. But if you see something whiter on top, then yes, it needs to come out somewhere because you’ll be releasing the inflammation. With extractions, you want to make sure it’s a very clean technique. If it’s very small, exfoliation helps to get rid of the top layer so that it softens it. That’s why with the whole idea of inflammation or acne, I always tell my patients you want to calm the skin with ingredients like aloe vera. If there’s too much sebum the pore will expand. If the inflammation goes out, the pore can go back to its normal size but if bursts backwards, you could damage the pore.
What’s the new skincare trend for this year?
In Europe and globally, going towards naturally inspired products but harnessing the stem cell technology. Stem cell technology is quite a buzzword in the anti-aging industry but I think we will see more of it harnessing from nature. It’s also about how you use your skincare – positive beauty. In London I’m on the judging panel for positive beauty products. At the end of the day, you want to apply skincare with love because you care for your skin. I like to see skin as an extension of your soul.
Why do some dermatologist recommend against using toner?
There are so many toners in the market. I know some companies are very harsh and it strips skin of your natural moisture barrier. That is not good. And if your skin is the sensitive type and if you use it, it’s not good. It depends on the skin type and the product.
Any tips to achieve radiant glowing skin?
Have sex! There was a study in Denmark that showed that if you have sex three times a week for a year, you look ten years younger. So that’s 156 times a year. I’m not talking military style [laughs]. That’s too stressful and stress is a big thing. At the end of the day, our body is in repair and damage balance. The more repair, the better your skin is.
What’s your beauty regime like?
Sleep! It depends on my cycle. Have you heard of adjusting your skin care towards your menstrual cycle? During your cycle your hormones fluctuate and our skin changes accordingly and with that I found with each part of your cycle you use different skin care or different focus of your skincare. That doesn’t mean you need to buy four different types of skincare – it just means you have one range and you can choose.
Day 0 is the first day of your period, Day 28 is your last day. Day 14 is your ovulation, when your egg comes out. There are different hormones but I’m going to draw the main one which is estrogen, which I call the diva hormone. You need this to give you boobs and hips – to make you a woman but too much of it makes you a b***h! Estrogen keeps your skin firm, plump and glowing.
Week 1 – your period week where your hormones are the lowest, I call this the dry phase – you need more hydration.
Week 2 – estrogen is slowly increasing. This is your skin improving phase. This is focused on more exfoliating and renewing.
Week 3 – this middle part is your ovulation period. This is the glowing phase and you look your best. Your collagen production is at its best here. Anti-aging products or facials should be used during this phase.
Week 4 – which is the last part, PMS time. This is the oily, congested phase. Focus on reducing sebum and calming skin.
Throughout all phases, you want to make sure you hydrate and protect. UV in the daytime and nighttime to repair. I teach my patients this. There are so many products in the market – learn to read your skin so you know what products to use.
How long should I use a product for to know if it’s working?
Skin takes about 4-6 weeks to change and your skin is continuously changing. Women should know where they are now, then you can do something for the future. My philosophy on skin approach is you’ve got to balance your lifestyle, remedy the past, prevent for the future.
- Dr. Terry’s tips for healthy, beautiful skin
The Skin Fast Program – an easy way to detox your skin!
“I created this program called the Skin Fast Program and basically you use three products for three weeks. So it’s like fasting your skin and it’s like detoxing your skin. A lot of people don’t know what to use. I recommend doing this once every six months – three products for three weeks. What I found in my patients in their skin becomes less oily, pores become smaller or go back to what’s normal and those three products, one to cleanse, hydrate and protect.”
The Snap, Pout and Pinch Test to find out if you’re hydrated and if your products are working
Snap – Pinch under the eye area and let go. If it snaps back, your elasticity is good. Use this as a monitor.
Pout – Pout and look at the lines. If you have a lot of lines it means you don’t have a lot of fat pad underneath. When you relax your lips, see if you have lines. When the lines stay, it means your skin is weak because the elasticity is gone, If the lines disappear, then your collagen production is good.
Pinch – Pinch your skin. If it’s bouncy, then your collagen is good. When you pinch, look at your skin and if there are lines on top. What you want to see is a nice and smooth appearance.
Dr Terry’s ultimate motivation to be a doctor was to help her mother’s acne, eczema and psoriasis, skin conditions which deeply affected her confidence. Unfortunately her mother died suddenly whilst Dr Terry just started medical school in London. This loss made Dr Terry even more determined to make it her mission to help women and men look and feel healthy, youthful and confident. Currently practicing in London, Malaysian-born Dr. Terry is known as the Skin Energy Doctor.
