As the authority and one-stop destination for all things beauty, Woolworths believes that great skincare starts with understanding your skin.
Today, skincare has evolved far beyond simply purchasing products; it’s about knowing what your skin needs at every stage of life and supporting it with the right combination of expert advice, high-performance ingredients, professional treatments, and innovative technology.
Woolworths Beauty continues to lead conversations that empower customers with expert knowledge and practical skincare insights. At the recent WBeauty Masterclass hosted at Woolworths Sandton City by GLAMOUR Editor-in-Chief Nontando Mposo and WBeauty Functional and Technical Trainer Nhlanhla Sibanyoni, the masterclass unpacked one of the most important foundations of healthy skin: the skin renewal cycle.
Understanding how the skin naturally regenerates is essential to building a skincare routine that supports long-term skin health, resilience and visible results.
With over 15 years of experience in skills development and training at Woolworths, including the past four years within the Woolworths Beauty division, Nhlanhla brings a wealth of expertise to the beauty space.
Renowned for translating complex skincare science into accessible, practical advice, she shared expert insights into how the skin renews itself and what consumers can do to support this process at every stage of life.
Through expert-led consultations, curated product offerings, and advanced skin analysis technology, Woolworths empowers customers to make informed decisions about their skincare journey. By combining science-backed solutions with personalised guidance, the brand continues to redefine how consumers approach skincare and beauty.
As we move through different stages of life, our skin’s needs naturally evolve.
During our teenage years, the focus is often on maintaining balance, managing breakouts, controlling excess oil, protecting the skin barrier, and ensuring optimal hydration.
In our teens and early 20s, the skin renewal cycle is typically at its most efficient, taking around 28 days. During this time, skin often appears naturally radiant, smooth and resilient, with a strong ability to recover from everyday stressors. This is also an ideal stage to establish healthy skincare habits and focus on prevention through hydration, antioxidant protection and daily SPF.
*Nhlanhla’s products recommendation
As we move into our 30s and 40s, the renewal process begins to slow down, often extending to around 35 to 40 days. At the same time, factors such as increased stress, busy lifestyles, hormonal changes, sun exposure and reduced sleep can further impact the skin’s ability to repair and renew itself. This is when concerns such as dullness, uneven skin tone, dehydration, fine lines and a loss of radiance may become more noticeable. Incorporating targeted ingredients and a consistent skincare routine can help support the skin’s natural renewal process during this stage.
*Nhlanhla’s products recommendation;
2. Shiseido Uplifting and Firming Cream
By our 50s and beyond, skin turnover slows even further, often taking more than 45 days. As collagen production declines and skin produces less natural moisture, it may become thinner, drier and more prone to uneven texture. This is when skincare plays an especially important role in maintaining skin health. Focusing on hydration, barrier support, nourishment and ingredients that encourage cell renewal can help the skin remain healthy, comfortable and vibrant.
Ultimately, every stage of life brings its own unique beauty. Understanding how your skin changes over time allows you to adapt your routine accordingly and care for your skin with greater confidence, intention and effectiveness.
GLAMOUR: What are some of the steps we can take to support the skin renewal cycle?
Supporting your skin’s natural renewal process doesn’t have to be complicated. Often, it comes down to consistency and making sure you’re giving your skin the right support to function at its best.
1. Exfoliate wisely
Regular exfoliation helps remove the build-up of dead skin cells on the surface, allowing newer, healthier cells to emerge more effectively. I generally recommend gentle chemical exfoliants, as they can be highly effective when used correctly. Look for ingredients such as Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs), which help improve texture, radiance and overall skin clarity without the need for harsh scrubbing.
*Nhlanhla product recommendations:
1. WBeauty Glow Toner : Look what I found in the Woolies app!
2. Prioritise hydration
Well-hydrated skin functions more efficiently and is better equipped to repair and renew itself. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid help attract and retain moisture, support the skin barrier and create the ideal environment for healthy skin turnover. It’s one of my favourite ingredients because it is incredibly versatile, works well with virtually every skincare ingredient, and can be incorporated into routines across all ages and skin types.
*Nhlanhla Product recommendation
2. Wear sunscreen every day Sun exposure is one of the biggest factors that can disrupt the skin’s renewal cycle and accelerate visible signs of ageing. Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen helps protect the skin from UV damage, supports long-term skin health and allows the renewal process to function more effectively.
*Nhlanhla’s products recommendation:
Don’t underestimate lifestyle factors Healthy skin starts from within. Quality sleep, effective stress management, a balanced diet and staying properly hydrated all contribute to the skin’s ability to regenerate and repair itself. These everyday habits may seem simple, but they can have a significant impact on the overall health, resilience and appearance of your skin.
Ultimately, supporting the skin renewal cycle is about taking a holistic approach and combining the right skincare ingredients with healthy lifestyle habits to help your skin look and feel its best at every stage of life.
GLAMOUR: Does the skin renewal cycle depend on skin type? Yes, to some extent. While every skin type follows the same fundamental renewal process, the rate at which skin cells regenerate can vary from person to person.
For example, oily skin often has a faster turnover rate, which can sometimes contribute to congestion and breakouts if excess oil and dead skin cells accumulate on the surface. Dry or sensitive skin, on the other hand, may experience a slower renewal cycle, which can lead to dullness, rough texture and increased sensitivity over time.
This is why a personalised approach to skincare is so important. Understanding your skin type, concerns and individual needs allows you to choose products and treatments that support your skin’s natural renewal process rather than disrupt it.
We hear so much about wellness and beauty being connected. Can poor sleep affect skin renewal?
Absolutely. Sleep plays a critical role in the skin’s natural renewal and repair processes. While we rest, the skin shifts into recovery mode, working to repair daily damage, regenerate cells and restore balance. When we don’t get enough quality sleep, these processes can become compromised, often resulting in skin that appears dull, tired, dehydrated and less radiant.
In many ways, sleep is one of the most effective beauty investments you can make. Healthy, well-rested skin is often a reflection of what’s happening internally.
And can we safely speed up the renewal cycle?
You can make a difference with the right approach. Ingredients like chemical exfoliants and retinol can help support renewal, but they should always be introduced gradually and tailored to your skin. Pushing the process too hard can compromise the skin barrier. I always advise you to listen to your skin, skincare products shouldn’t burn or irritate your skin; this is a sign that the ingredient being used is not the best for your skin type.
Can you talk to us about the benefits of using skin analysis devices and how both technology and beauty experts can help identify someone’s unique skin concerns and create a more tailored skincare routine?
One of the most exciting developments in modern beauty is the way technology is helping us better understand our skin. Skin analysis devices and AI-powered diagnostic tools provide deeper, more personalised insights into the condition of the skin, allowing us to move beyond guesswork and make more informed skincare decisions.
These technologies can assess a range of factors, including hydration levels, oil production, sensitivity, wrinkles, pigmentation concerns and melanin levels within the skin. By identifying concerns that may not always be visible to the naked eye, they help create a clearer picture of what the skin truly needs and enable more accurate product and treatment recommendations.
At Woolworths Beauty we have introduced advanced skin analysis devices in our Sandton and Eastgate stores. These devices provide customers with a comprehensive assessment of their skin health, helping to uncover specific concerns and guide them towards solutions that are tailored to their individual needs.
The technology extends beyond skincare, too. Our devices are also able to analyse hair and scalp health by assessing factors such as sebum levels, hydration, dandruff, follicle health and signs of hair thinning. This allows us to take a more holistic approach to beauty and wellness, recognising that healthy skin and healthy hair often go hand in hand.
Following the analysis, our WBeauty advisors use these insights to recommend products and routines specifically suited to each customer’s concerns and goals. The result is a more personalised and effective approach to beauty.
That said, while technology is an incredible tool, it doesn’t replace the value of human expertise. The most effective beauty experiences happen when innovation and professional guidance work together. Our beauty treatment rooms offer specialised services delivered by trained beauty professionals who can provide expert advice, recommend targeted treatments and help customers get the most out of their skincare routines.
Ultimately, technology helps us understand the skin more deeply, while beauty experts help us translate those insights into meaningful, results-driven solutions. Together, they create a more personalised, informed and effective skincare journey.
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