The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends
The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends
Each week we’ll be bringing you the step-by-step daily selfcare routines of some of the biggest names in wellness.
Dr Alexandrides Yannis, Harley Street plastic surgeon and founder of 111Skin, is responsible for all those face and eye masks celebrities like Bella Hadid, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kim Kardashian post selfies of on Instagram.
With outposts in Harrods, Harvey Nichols and at the Bulgari Spa, he’s also a passionate advocate of cryotherapy and was one of the first people to bring the treatment to London. More recently, he launched the UK’s first heat chamber in the famous department stores.
Here, he shares his wellness rituals…
I wake up and do some deep breathing and stretching – especially if I’ve been operating the day before – to stretch out the muscles and encourage the blood flow around the body. I’ll then take a stroll and take my son to school.
The day starts with a tall glass of water with lemon to rehydrate. My family are big on breakfasts – we always have plenty of fresh fruit, eggs, coffee and freshly squeezed juice and my personal favourite – a family pancake recipe made from oats, cottage cheese, Goji berry powder and almond milk, which is free from heavy fats and carbohydrates. They’re packed with just the right nutritional balance to give me the energy and drive for the day ahead. I take mine with Greek honey from my family farm in Crete and some thick Greek yoghurt and fresh berries.
I try to exercise every day and mix my regime with a focus on high intensity training. The days I’m in the clinic for consultations, I will go for a run around Battersea Park in the morning or a session at KX Gym or a quick workout with the Insanity DVD. If it’s a surgery day, the mornings start early at the hospital and so I’ll opt for a run at the end of the day. It’s a great way to clear the mind after a long day in the operating theatre. My wife and I have two young sons as well so the weekends tend to involve some sort of physical activity too.
As a plastic surgeon, I consult with patients every day and advise that one of the most important steps in a skincare regime is to cleanse the face in order to keep the skin clear and healthy. Personally, I cleanse twice a day using our 111SKIN Cryo Pre-Activated Toning Cleanser as it’s a dual product to both cleanse the skin, gently removing any dead skin cells to encourage cell regenerations, and it also tones the skin too. I follow this with the 111SKIN Cryo Activating Hydra Gel as it absorbs quickly and protects against environmental aggressors throughout the day.
I try to always take a few quiet moments before the day starts. I like to think of all the good from the day before, reflect on the day ahead and make a plan for the day with a determination to make it the best and most, importantly, a happy day.
Lunch is always high protein, low gluten for me to avoid the afternoon slump so I tend to opt for a fish or meat option with brown rice or brown pasta.
I try not to snack but sometimes, the body craves it and so I will have a mix of nuts, dates and raisins – it’s actually a great snack prepared by one of the therapists in our clinic!
I always try to find time for a quick walk to get some fresh air and stretch my legs, whether I’m in surgery or at the office in consultations, or abroad in meetings with our stores and teams internationally. I find that it gives my mind and body a quick reboot and I can go back feeling reinvigorated.
I enjoy variety at dinner time. I don’t restrict myself in any particular way so I’ll most often have meat, chicken or duck being particular favourites, or fish.
I tend to stay away from alcohol, on a day to day basis, perhaps a glass of red wine at dinner. However, of course, if I’m at an event or a celebration of some sort, I will enjoy. I’ve always lived by the rule – everything in moderation.
In the evening, I cleanse my face to remove any residue on the skin from the day and to ensure that my moisturiser will be effectively penetrated into my skin. I then finish off with a deep moisturiser, my favourite being our 111SKIN Nocturnal Eclipse Recovery Cream that enables the skin to recover from daily pollutants for smooth and hydrated skin.
I’ve never had a problem falling asleep. We don’t have a TV or any monitors that emit radiation in our bedroom and I keep it very dark and quiet at night time – the perfect environment for me to get a great night’s rest.
If my schedule permits, I prefer a bath with crystals and salts as I find it’s not aids muscle recovery, but it’s also calming too. The days I may be more rushed, I’ll have a shower with an invigorating scrub.
I take the full spectrum antioxidant, 111SKIN Radiant Skin Beauty Dose every day. The vitamins and minerals work in synergy to boost levels of Glutathione which is the body’s most potent antioxidant. Glutathione support the body’s natural defence mechanisms and delays the signs of ageing as well.
I have massages on a weekly basis, sometimes even several times a week depending on my operating and travel schedules. I also try to pop to our Spa/Clinic at the Bulgari Hotel for a 111CRYO facial which I find a great boost to the complexion. We also take regular holidays too with the family, my favourite being the time we spend in Greece with friends and family where we eat well, swim, hike and laugh a lot.
I always make sure I have a few sessions every week in the 111CRYO chamber and brand new Heat Pod at either Harrods or Harvey Nichols. I have an active lifestyle on top of my heavy surgical and travel schedule and so I find the anti-inflammatory and muscle recovery benefits vital to my weekly routine. It also invigorates both the mind and skin, so it’s a great pick me up between surgery and the rest of my life. I’ve also tried acupuncture on and off for several years
If I’m feeling jet lagged or particularly tired, I will also have a 111 VIT-A-DRIPFUSION at my clinic at 111 Harley St. The selection of vitamin IV infusions are specifically catered to each person’s needs so I can get exactly the pick me up I need. My favourite combines B vitamins, magnesium and energy boosting amino acids which restore balance from the inside ensuring that not only do I look healthy but I feel it too.
I always advise my patients at the clinic that the best thing you can ever do for your skin is ensure you are first and foremost looking after yourself from the inside to out, i.e. drinking enough water and eating a balanced diet. Subsequent to that, a skincare regime tailored to your specific needs using potent ingredients is vital.
