What are lipids? Our expert reveals how this powerful active can transform skin
You've probably heard skincare fanatics rave about SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, but what does it actually do? What are lipids, and how could they get you closer to the best skin of your life?
We asked our Paul Edmonds London facialist Sunita to give us the goss on lipids. She shares juicy details on the beautifying benefits behind this powerhouse ingredient and how you can integrate it into your skincare routine for maximum results.
What are lipids in skincare?
Lipids are natural fats that we already have in the layers of our skin. They're essential for helping you heal from surface wounds and are fundamental in forming your skin's protective barrier. There are three main lipids used in skincare: cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids.
Cholesterol
"Cholesterol is great for replenishing moisture in the skin," Sunita says. "When you apply it in a serum, it can accelerate skin barrier recovery, especially in ageing skin or for people who use retinol."
Ceramides
Ceramides are crucial for skin hydration and are found in your skin's cells. They're also essential for preventing infection and stopping germs from penetrating your body. Sunita says, "when you use ceramides as part of your skincare ritual, they'll work synergistically with other lipids to hydrate and promote barrier function."
Fatty acids
"In skincare, fatty acids help with your skin's structural integrity," says Sunita. "I also recommend omegas 3, 6, and 9 in the diet to help my clients replenish the fatty acids in their body, which also improves them in the skin."
What's the benefit of a triple lipid formulation?
Lipids are great for the skin when used in isolation, but when you combine several in one formulation, they work miracles. This is because the lipids synergistically support each other to deeply hydrate, protect, and correct — that's what makes SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 such a powerhouse product.
"The reason it's called 'two four two' is because it stands for the percentage of those three separate lipids," says Sunita. "There's two percent ceramides, four percent cholesterol, and two percent fatty acids — three types of lipids which work together to restore the skin."
Because SkinCeuticals use such potent doses of lipids in their formulations, you're more likely to get results faster. Your skin could look noticeably hydrated, fine lines and wrinkles are reduced by up to 15 percent, and skin is firmer and softer.
"The Triple Lipid formulation corrects the skin barrier function, which gets eroded by age, sun exposure, and intensive treatments like peels, retinol, and microdermabrasion," says Sunita. "If my clients need deep hydration fast, I'll always recommend this."
For Sunita, the benefits go far beyond the physical effects of the serum on the skin — she also thinks Triple Lipid Restore is a beautifully sensorial product. She says, "it honestly feels like silk on the skin. It delivers so much hydration without overwhelming the skin, and the scent is just heavenly."
What skin type is the Triple Lipid Restore good for?
Triple lipid formulations like SkinCeuticals' are good for almost all skin types. Sunita recommends it as a must-have for ageing, sensitised, and severely dehydrated skin. She also advises her retinol clients to use it.
Sunita says, "if I'm getting a client onto an evening retinol system, I prescribe Triple Lipids alongside it to nourish the skin cell turnover. This is because, by using retinol, your skin will be dryer and could become flaky and itchy. You use the Triple Lipid Restore to improve the skin's tolerance to retinol."
Triple lipid products are also excellent for people with acne, combination, or blemish-prone skin. Sunita says she often sees patients who have stripped their skin with strong products and minimal hydration to reduce breakouts.
"By the time I see these clients, the skin is very dehydrated and getting tighter and tighter. It causes comedones and oil underneath the surface, but the skin can't release it because everything's become so tight. We introduce hydration to start plumping and loosening the skin around the pustules and papules so I can clear out the pores."
Read more on managing breakout-prone skin
Because lipids are such a quintessential component of the skin, Sunita feels almost everyone can benefit from it. She says, "to be honest, I prescribe it to practically everyone! There are very few skin types that won't benefit from lipids — very oily skin types are one of the only types that I wouldn't use this for."
How do you use Triple Lipid Restore in your daily skincare routine?
SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore can be used twice a day and works well alongside other products, especially antioxidants like Silymarin CF, Phloretin CF, C E Ferulic and other correctives. Because it's a hydrating serum, you'd use it toward the end of your skincare ritual.
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Although Sunita can give rough guidelines for using Triple Lipid Restore, she's quick to point out that you can't hope to get the full benefit without having a skin consultation first. She says, "I'll decide whether I want my clients to use it twice a day or whether they'd benefit from a single daily application. It all depends on what they're trying to achieve and what their skin is like."
Sunita usually advises her clients to use Triple Lipid Restore in one of two ways. You can use it twice a day, or you could mix a small amount into a day cream if you want something lighter in the morning.
Long story short, Sunita can't give SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore enough praise. As a facialist and skin specialist, it makes her job easier by moving her clients closer to their 'great skin' goals. She says, "it flies off our shelves — I'd prescribe it to almost anyone. In fact, I panic when we can't get it in stock because I know everyone wants it!"
Get your hands on SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 in our online shop or book a consultation with Sunita and the team to get your tailored, lipid-based homecare plan.