6 simple steps that will transform your skin

As the dermatologist behind many high-profile clients’ glowing skin, New York-based Dr. Macrene Alexiades MD, PhD knows a thing or two about creating healthy, strong skin amidst the stressors of a high-octane lifestyle. And, while she acknowledges that there are simple tweaks we can make to our lifestyle to slow down our skin’s aging process, she stresses that good skin truly can’t come without an effective skincare routine. Her own popular skincare range, MACRENE Actives, is formulated around DNA repair and uses a plethora of scientifically proven, ethically sourced plant-based actives to restore and treat skin. What's more, all of her products come newly packaged in recyclable glass, recycled paper and cartons with soy-based ink – and are free from any cellophane packaging. Here, she shares her simple secrets – and the products to use – to ensure you achieve your healthiest skin yet.

“Many women think that only surgery or procedures make a difference to how you look – this is no longer the case. Just as lasers or injections can impact the skin, so can the newest generation of highly active skincare formulations, namely MACRENE Actives. These products actually restore and rejuvenate the skin, thanks to thousands of the most scientifically and clinically proven actives delivered exactly where they’re needed in the skin, in a minimal routine. The key is in consistency. A twice daily delivery of these actives is the best way to restore skin – in the same way that brushing your teeth everyday is better than going to the dentist a couple of times a year.”

“Using skincare properly may seem straightforward, but many nuances with how you apply your skincare products can actually make them work harder. “When cleansing, take your cleanser down your neck and use lukewarm water, never hot water,” says Dr. Macrene Alexiades MD, PhD. “Pat your skin dry and, while still damp, apply your moisturizer to lock in hydration. I love to use a hazelnut-sized amount of Macrene Actives High Performance Face Cream, dabbed onto the four quadrants of the face and massaged in until it’s completely absorbed. You get 50 types of actives in this one application.

Next, you layer on your serum for another 50 actives. My cream is liposomally formulated, free of petrolatum, mineral oil or waxes, which means it delivers actives into the skin and you can layer you High Performance Serum for extra brightening and firming on top. Then you follow with the High Performance Eye, Lip and Neck and Decolletage treatment, amounting to thousands of actives that work together to restore and rejuvenate the skin.”

“I always say that you want to keep pace with the face. So, while it’s great to work out to stay physically fit on the inside, you need to treat your skin on the outside to match all the care and attention we give to the skin above our neck. Use the High Performance Neck and Decolletage Treatment twice a day when you’re doing your regular skincare routine on your face, but taking it down to your chest, too. And use the High Performance Body Cream – also twice daily – to get those face grade results from the neck down. It delivers 38 actives, including peptides and hyaluronic acid as well as skin brighteners, tighteners and cellulite reducers.”

“MACRENE Actives is the minimalist approach that is maximalist. Each product contains the maximum number of actives (more than 50) so that you can use just one or two products and meet all of your skin’s needs. This reduces energetic waste, fossil fuel consumption, packaging waste, shipping costs, and time. It maximizes efficacy because you’re more likely to apply a single product twice a day than a line of products, and so you get the best results. What’s more, the products now come packaged in recycled glass with wooden lids to eliminate excessive plastic as well as uncoated paperboard with vegetable inks, and compostable plant-based wafer seals. It’s a 360-degree approach to sustainability and health for your skin and the earth.”

“Running excessively, including running marathons, can cause a condition called lipodystrophy. This is when the fat in the skin wastes away making the face and body look gaunt and lined. To avoid this, keep an eye on your body weight and body-fat index and curb excessive running. What’s more, weight-lifting or sit-ups done incorrectly – where you use your neck muscles instead of your core – can cause straining of the muscles in the neck, forming cords, which in turn can cause jowels. It’s easy to prevent this. Make sure you strengthen your core when exercising – don’t depend on your neck muscles to pull you up!”

“Ensure you’re feeding your skin from the inside – which is what MACRENE Actives so aptly does for your body on the outside. I wish I could create a MACRENE Actives diet to restore all our organs, since I have mastered our biggest organ – the skin. The same ingredient rules I use in my products apply to your diet – eat plenty of antioxidants (berries, red grapes, citrus, herbs), flavonoids (coffee, cacao), vitamins and minerals (leafy vegetables), lycopenes (tomatoes), carotenoids (carrots, sweet potatoes), DNA-repairing ingredients (watermelon, seaweed) and essential fatty acids (sunflower seeds, olive oil).”