The skincare seven - top tips from a dermatologist

The exclusive Protinol technology inside our power duo - ANEW Power Serum and ANEW Power Eye Cream - helps to restore years of collagen loss and offers seven amazing skin benefits in just seven days. To honour the seven benefits in seven days, we asked our expert partner in clinical and aesthetic dermatology Dr Zoya Diwan, seven skincare questions.

1. What’s your biggest piece of advice for good skincare and how can people best look after their skin?

The best thing anyone can do for their skin is to start looking after it early and really educate themselves on the type of skin they have. For instance, is your skin sensitive, dry or oily? What’s your Fitzpatrick skin type (a scale that estimates the skin’s response to the sun)? Then, my advice is to stay away from trend-led products and gravitate towards evidence-based treatments and creams, backed up by research. There’s also no need to try and use hundreds of lotions morning and night! If you’re confident you can consistently use even just one or two products, that’s what’s going to give you the biggest change. Consistency is key with your skincare.

2. What would your first piece of advice be to someone worried about signs of ageing?

If you have concerns about signs of ageing, the best thing you can do is talk to someone qualified and experienced. They can educate you on all the different treatments you can explore to safely treat signs of ageing. There are so many options out there and once you’re informed, you can identify what works best for you. I always recommend starting with topical treatments, which are the least invasive method.

3. Why is collagen so important and what does it do?

Collagen is responsible for the skin’s strength and resilience, as well as the irresistible quality, texture and bounce found in baby skin. Collagen 3 and collagen 1 need each other to function efficiently. Avon discovered an ingredient called Protinol™, which works to restore both collagen 1 and collagen 3 (the collagen that’s found in baby soft skin!).

4. In your experience, do you think the most expensive products on the market are the most effective?

You don’t always have to spend a lot of money to achieve great results and the most expensive products on the market are often not the most effective forms of treatment! The key thing to look for, whatever the product might be, is the ingredients. If you’re ever unsure about certain ingredients in products, there’s lots of helpful information online that can help you understand how different ingredients work on the skin. I’m really excited by Avon’s patented ingredient Protinol™ - it has 20 years of research behind it, with excellent results, and can help restore years of collagen loss in just seven days.

5. Is it important to use a cream specifically designed for the eye area?

The eye area is fragile and sensitive, so it’s really important to use skincare which has been specifically developed for it. In fact, recent global research by Avon revealed that less than a third (31%) of people use a specialised eye cream despite 37% of people first noticing signs of ageing around the eye area.

6. Can you describe the ageing process for the eye area specifically? Is this different to how other areas of the face / body age?

From the age of 25, we start losing hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elasticity in the skin around our eyes. This results in reduced hydration and the appearance of fine lines. At the same time, we start losing fat and bone from the eye area, which causes the appearance of the skin above it to change. Imagine a dining cloth over a dining table. Then imagine that the dining table gets smaller, but the cloth stays the same size. The cloth will start to wrinkle and that’s exactly the effect we see happening around the eyes as we age.

7. Should you choose an eye cream which is designed to work alongside and compliment your other skincare products?

Many eye creams are developed to complement other skincare products. I recommend pairing Avon’s Anew Renewal Power Eye Cream with Anew Renewal Power Serum to achieve even better results, maybe even your best skin