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Oculoplastic Surgeon and founder of MZ Skin Dr. Maryam Zamani believes that “a beautiful complexion starts with a consistent, daily skincare routine – less is more”.  Inspired by the women she advises, these clinically proven products are formulated to reveal, enhance and protect your skin with pioneering, anti-ageing ingredients.

MZ Skin, founded by Dr. Maryam Zamani working out of her clinic in Chelsea, London is a brand that has seen only growth since its launch. Dr. Maryam Zamani, a leading oculoplastic surgeon is an in-demand aesthetic doctor. “My journey began when my mother introduced me to skincare when I was about 14-years-old. She gave me a tinted moisturiser from Lancôme and it was the perfect shade of tan and I wore it religiously,” Zamani reflects. After medical school she moved to London and became involved in research using hyaluronic acid fillers and developed an interest in non-surgical treatments, leading her to do a Dermatology Certificate with Cardiff University. At this point she decided to take a break from her usual routine of using brands like Shiseido and La Prairie in favour of doctor skincare brands, however, she wasn’t immediately taken with what was available. “The formulations felt too medicinal and lacked the luxury sensory component that I loved so much, so I went back to Natura Bissé and Shiseido but added some pharmacy grade products I had formulated with the pharmacist and shared with a few close friends. Having a simple, manageable skincare regimen that works, is essential for producing excellent results. This is why I embarked on creating a scientifically backed, and clinically tested skincare line made by a woman for women. The idea was simple, to provide high-grade cosmeceutical skincare in synergistic combinations with a luxury feminine angle. A simple goal, with a less simple path. The creation of MZ Skin has been an enjoyable, frustrating, nerve-racking, beautiful journey and a true labour of love.”

Zamani’s less is more approach is more relevant today than ever as we strive to simplify and get more from doing the absolute minimum. “An effective skincare routine should be easy to use without too many steps. We do not need lots of different layers of skincare. We need skincare that works effectively and synergistically together. This is the philosophy with which I’ve created MZ Skin using actives to promote even, hydrated, glowing skin.” Below, we ask Zamani to share her skincare rules and reveal what we can do to look after our complexion in most the effective and efficient way possible.

Rule 1: Commit

The best routine is the one that you can keep. The principles are simple. Reveal, enhance and protect the skin. We need to reveal our skin with gentle but effective cleansing and exfoliating to make the skin receptive to other ingredients used. Then we need to enhance our skin with intelligent formulations of potent and active ingredients to bolster collagen production, reduce pigmentation and treat the skin. Finally, we need to protect our skin from harmful environmental factors.

Rule 2: Remember the essentials

As a previous sun worshipper in my misguided youth, I battle with pigmentation issues. For me, beautiful skin is clear, hydrated, and healthy. Blemished skin can make me feel and look dirty and unrefined. MZ Skin was born out of a need for clear, beautiful skin. Ingredients targeting pigmentation are always high on the radar and I think Retinols and antioxidants such as Vitamin C should be in almost everyone’s regimen as powerhouse ingredients. Hydrators are also excellent to plump and moisten skin for a natural glow-think hyaluronic acid. Stem cells whether plant or animal can also help boost collagen and elastin production while improving skin hydration.

Rule 3: Face your concerns

Younger girls want flawless skin without any blemishes or discolouration. In the social media era, girls want their skin looking like it does when it has a filter on it. On the other hand, more mature women look to reduce pigmentation caused by photo ageing and a clear palette. Another common concern is tired-looking eyes. The eyes often show the first signs of ageing. Dark circles, puffy lower eyelids, and dehydrated skin are common issues I see.

Rule 4: Know your products

Our Cleanse & Clarify cleanser is very popular. It has AHAs in it which help with decongesting the skin, reducing pigmentation and other irregularities in skin tone and helps prevent premature ageing. One of our best sellers is Brighten & Perfect, our Vitamin C corrective serum. Vitamin C is great for hyperpigmentation and evening out skin tones. We’re also widely known for our eye products, whether it be our eye masks or eye creams – Soothe & Smooth for dark circles and Depuff & Define for reducing puffiness. Masks are always a quick fix that gives a boost of hydration while soothing the skin. The MZ Skin Hydra-lift Golden Facial and Eye Treatment Masks are great for a quick pre-event fix to brighten the eye area, and give the skin a healthy glow. If you’re looking for some exfoliation to help smoothen the skin before an event, I would recommend the MZ Skin Radiance & Renewal mask, followed by our Glow Boost Ampules to achieve a radiant complexion.

Rule 5: Shield from the sun

Everyone should be wearing a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreen. I recommend a daily SPF of 30 or higher. For moisturisers, I would recommend MZ Skin’s Hydrate & Nourish – a daytime moisturiser that contains Retinol and SPF 30 to simultaneously refine the complexion and protect the skin. We also launched the MZ Skin Tint & Protect, which is a skin-perfecting tinted moisturiser with SPF 30. The SPF helps protect the skin from photo-ageing while the tint corrects skin imperfections and finishes the skin with a youthful complexion. For anyone who wears makeup, Tint & Protect works great as an everyday skin base and feels much lighter on the skin than foundation.

Rule 6: Use Technology

I strongly believe that clients want to be able to treat and help their skin at home. LED stands for light emitting diodes, which are in different colour wavelengths that are then absorbed by the skin. LED uses photobiomodulation to stimulate collagen synthesis, growth factors and extracellular matrix production to reduce visible signs of ageing. MZ Skin’s LED can efficiently provide a red, yellow, blue and green light for multifunctionality. It can be used a stand-alone treatment as well as an adjunct to other aesthetic procedures and because it is non-ablative and non-thermal, there is no damage to the overlying skin epidermis or dermis.

LED is an excellent at-home treatment regime you can use on cleansed skin. I recommend cleansing the skin and either using the LED directly or with a hydrating serum. I would stay away from certain actives (Vitamin C or Retinol) but rather use more hydrating ingredients. You can use the mask up to three times a week for 10-20 minutes depending on the light and the intensity. I would recommend using it at a lower intensity at first and slowly increasing it if needed. It can work on normal skin but it is efficacious in helping heal skin after in-office procedures (such as peels, lasers, micro-needling) as well as post facial surgery. The red light strengthens and firms the skin to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Blue light helps decongest and clarify skin while green reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation. The yellow light soothes the skin from sensitivity and redness and lastly, white repair soothes and calms the skin for complete skin rejuvenation.

Rule 7: The Don’ts

Never workout with makeup and never sleep without washing your face. Be gentle with your skin and let your skincare work for you. I find that sometimes people can over-do exfoliation, which only results in more inflammation rather than healthy radiant skin. When using active ingredients, it’s not necessary to add more into your routine to make it effective. You need to pick and choose ingredients that specifically target your skin issues.

Rule 8: Think beyond skincare

Our skin reflects our physical and emotional health and is greatly influenced by lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, stress management and sleep. Sleep helps with everything. I think that wellness is now a lifestyle. Live well, feel well, look well. This means sleeping more, spending more time with family and friends and less on electronics. Mental wellness should always be a priority. Exercising regularly works wonders not only for your physical wellbeing but also for your mental wellbeing.

Dr. Maryam Zamani’s skincare routine

Morning

I wash my face with MZ Skin Cleanse & Clarify while I am in the shower. Afterwards, I also use MZ Skin Brighten & Perfect 10 % vitamin c serum to combat oxidative damage and promote collagen production while decreasing the appearance of pigmentation, a condition I suffer from.  And my last step is MZ Skin Tint & Protect or MZ Skin Hydrate and Nourish to help hydrate and maintain hydration on my skin while also protecting it with SPF.

Evening

Just like in the daytime, I wash my face with MZ Skin Cleanse & Clarify. Twice a week I use this or my MZ Skin Radiance & Renewal mask for deeper exfoliation while I am in the bath. I then use my soothe and smooth eye cream followed by MZ Skin Replenish & Restore mask and finally the MZ Skin 2% Retinol Skin Booster. The last steps of my nighttime skincare routine are for the lips and I am ready for bed.

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Images: Supplied