5 Ways To Give Thanks To Your Skin

Tired, stressed out skin can be a real party pooper. So get ahead of the game and up the skincare love with these simple beauty hacks.

Are you guilty of neglecting your skin during the party season? OK, so maybe ‘neglect’ is too strong a word. But if you’re already experiencing beat up skin that looks like it needs a fortnight in the Caribbean, chances are your skin is feeling the burn of one late night too many.

The holiday season can be stressful enough, however, so why add to your woes by putting your skin under so much pressure that it repays you with a whole bunch of unwanted holiday gifts like redness, dry patches, pimples and dullness? If you ask us, that’s just one stress too much.

We say a big ‘NO’ to stressed, partied out skin. Not by declining all the invitations. Heck no! But with the following skin-loving hacks that require zero effort (check) but offer maximum pay-out (check).

1. Double Cleanse Before Bed

Our motto is that if your cleanser doesn’t feel like it’s doing a good enough job on its own, then you need to think about the formulation you’re using. However, like all good rules in life, this motto is made to be broken! And during these times double cleansing can be a real lifesaver.

At this time of year you’re likely to be wearing more makeup, more often thanks to a crazy social calendar. Not only that but the combination of late nights, more booze, less sleep and more rich food is going to quickly make your skin feel and look super tired. And this is when problems quickly arise. If you’re a rosacea or eczema sufferer, for example, flare-ups will occur lightning fast. If you have oily skin, on the other hand, your sebaceous glands can go wild, producing more oil than ever and possibly leaving you with breakouts just when you don’t need them. You see where we’re going here…

One of the best ways to keep your skin under control during the holidays is to treat yourself to a pre-bedtime double cleanse. As you sleep, your skin goes into full recharge mode, regenerating new skin cells and repairing environmental damage. But how can it successfully do this when it’s covered in makeup and grime? The short answer is that it can’t. Instead, it’ll punish you with poor, rough texture; dull, dry skin and dark, puffy bags under your eyes.

Double cleansing can take on many forms but it basically means cleaning your skin twice to remove both oil-based debris (makeup, sebum and sunscreen) and water-based grime like sweat. Your first port of call is to massage some kind of oil-based cleanser into your skin to remove the oil-based surface debris. Then you wash with a cream, gel or lotion to finish cleansing and treat your skin according to your skin type or concerns. It’s a fairly simple process – although a little lengthier than regular cleansing – but in times of need it can work wonders for your skin and pores. Just remember, it's unlikely to be necessary every night, and stay away from overly harsh, perfumed or alcohol-heavy products. Keep it gentle with our range of awesome cleansing giants.

2. Laugh In the Face Of Free Rads

When you’re putting your body under more stress than normal, free radicals like to have a wild party of their own!

But what are free radicals? Well, without getting too sciencey on you, free radicals are unstable, highly reactive atoms or molecules that form in your skin when it’s subject to things like sun damage, pollution, alcohol, stress or a poor diet. Due to their unstable nature, free radicals seek out electrons from other, unsuspecting molecules in your skin to try and stabilize themselves. This is bad news because it creates even more free radicals, leading to what's known in the skincare biz as oxidative stress. This is probably all you need to know about those little free radical devils but needless to say, oxidative stress can cause serious damage to all the good stuff in your skin – namely collagen and elastin.

The good news is that antioxidants are able to donate electrons to free radicals to neutralize them and stop them screwing up the other, more important components in your skin. Your body has its own, hard-working antioxidant defense system but (isn't there always a but?!) aging weakens it. No surprises there! This means there inevitably comes a time when your skin needs help from other sources like an antioxidant-rich diet or topical antioxidants in your skincare routine such as vitamin C, niacinamide, green tea and vitamin E.

Our party season go-to is Vitamin C Super Serum+. And the best news is you only need to use it two or three times a week for awesome results. We suggest you get on board, immediately!

3. Layer Up With Hydration

Dehydration is an absolute b*tch for letting your skin down, making it look dull and feel horrible. Of course, a little amount of dehydration is a given if you’re a fan of overdoing the G&Ts and don’t counteract it with plenty of water. So try to sip on H20 as much as possible.

Just as importantly for helping to curb dehydrated skin is to apply products that draw water to the surface layers. Our favorite humectants (the water magnets of the skincare world) are hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe so keep your skin in good supply of these through twice daily use of treatment serums and good quality moisturizers.

We have many superpowered serums like Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum which is incredible for pumping up moisture, but we also love Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which is one of the finest for boosting radiance and uplifting a gloomy, dehydrated complexion.

4. Perk Up Tired Eyes

What’s the first area of your skin to, without fail, give the partying game away? The skin around your eyes. The reason for this is that the skin here is slightly different to the rest of your face. It contains fewer sebaceous glands (cue dryness) and is around ten times thinner which makes it way more susceptible to the visible signs of tiredness and premature aging. Also, thanks to its natural thinness, underlying tissue and blood vessels become more prominent when you’re tired, causing shadows and dark circles.

But that’s not all. The skin around your eyes also contains a limited amount of fat and muscle which means collagen and elastin are even more important for maintaining strength and support. When your collagen and elastin become compromised thanks to too much partying, basically the poor skin around your eyes stands no chance of remaining its best.

So what can you do about pooped-out peepers? First, try to get early nights whenever you can. Obvs. Drink plenty of water day and night to reduce dehydration, and always keep a fabulous eye treatment in your refrigerator to apply morning and night to cleansed skin. Our new Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream is a real hero, or you could try Peptide Eye Gel which works like a dream on tired eyes.

5. Exoliate A Tad More Than Normal

Exfoliating too much can send your skin into a state of frenzy, but if you have strong skin and you feel like it needs a bit of a kick in the booty, a little extra exfoliation can work wonders.

If you like to use a scrub, try exfoliating once more a week during the party season, or try our new AHA, BHA and PHA Liquid Exfoliant which contains glycolic and salicylic acids as well as a gentle hydrating exfoliant called gluconolactone. It’s super effective yet gentle enough to use every day. Can we get an Auld Lang Syne for that?!

6. Feed Your Skin From The Inside

Finally, while you’re putting all manner of salty snacks and sweet treats down your throat, remember to save some room for plenty of good, nutritious foods. Fresh fruit and veggies are a given in any healthy diet, but also up your intake of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids to help regulate oil production and nourish your skin. You’ll find omega-3s in things like oily fish, seafood, nuts and seeds.

While we’re on the subject of looking after your skin from the inside, now’s also a great time to try our new Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement which helps to promote quality natural collagen production while improving hydration and fighting off those naughty free radicals.

It’s the perfect antidote to living the good life ;)

The truth is, glowing skin will always be in.

Oh, the heady heights of glowing, healthy skin. Whether you prefer to use the term ‘bright,’ ‘glowy,’ ‘dewy’ or ‘radiant’: we can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t want their skin to be described by one (or all!) of these words. Why is it such an elusive and lusted-after skin condition? Because no matter your skin type or how many wrinkles you do or don’t have, nail that radiant glow and everything else pales into insignificance.

But, how to get glowing skin? Now there’s a question that has as many answers as we’ve had hot dinners.

You can start with what goes in your body, of course, taking a look at your diet and ensuring you chow down on plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and veggies and cut back on things like booze, sugar, salt and processed carbs. This helps nix skin-damaging free radicals to ensure your skin turns over efficiently and remains healthy from the inside out, making it a great place to start.

There are also things like exercising outdoors to get your blood flowing, massaging your skin as you cleanse, getting plenty of shut-eye and faking it with highlighting makeup and shimmering face powders.

But skincare is our thing, so today we’re going to focus on that.

There are many awesome ingredients and products out there that claim to rejuvenate your skin and freshen up your complexion, but what are the true tried and tested contenders? Keep scrolling for, what we believe, are five of the best products for glowing skin.

1. The Definitive Glow-Giving Facial Serum 

Let’s get one thing straight, there’s no better skincare ingredient for boosting a radiant glow than vitamin C. Vitamin C (otherwise known as l-ascorbic acid) has been researched to death over the years and it’s been proven to offer all manner of skin-boosting benefits – glowier skin being just one of them.

So how does this powerhouse work? Well, further to its antioxidant powers, which in themselves are great for strengthening your collagen supplies and improving cell turnover, it also helps slow down melanin production. Melanin, as you know, is what gives your skin its individual color and, when you expose your skin to UV radiation, it’s also what makes you tan. However, melanin production isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, many triggers such as unbalanced hormones and too much sun can make your melanin go all over the place, resulting in patchy skin, dark spots and hyperpigmentation. No fun. No fun at all.

We believe vitamin C should be a staple in anyone’s skincare regime, but we also understand that it’s a potent ingredient that can cause sensitivities in certain skin types. This is why we infuse all of our vitamin C products with a milder version called sodium ascorbyl phosphate.

When it comes to looking for your perfect match for brightening your skin, you could literally take your pick of our entire vitamin C range, but for a classic favorite, you can’t go wrong with Vitamin C Facial Serum. We believe it’s a winner. Over 140,000 people on Amazon agree with us. We rest our case.

2. The Moisturizer With The Most

If you’re yet to try our new Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream you are missing out. It doesn’t contain vitamin C – because choices – but it is powered up by another ingredient that’s already making headlines for all the right reasons: bakuchiol.

Bakuchiol is nature’s alternative to the mighty retinol. Extracted from the seeds and leaves of the babchi plant, it’s fast becoming hot property in the skincare world due to its extraordinary skin benefits (just like retinol) and lack of irritating side-effects (unlike retinol!). We mean no offense to retinol, of course, because it’s still one of, if not THE gold standard of skincare. However, it’s not for everyone and bakuchiol has undergone plenty of studies that show it’s right up there, stimulating collagen synthesis and accelerating cellular turnover in a very similar way to rid your skin of unwanted dead skin cells and help improve your radiance factor.

We have a whole collection of products that harness the powers of bakuchiol but for a great introduction to the range, try this deliciously smooth moisturizer that’s ideal for all skin persuasions, including sensitive skin.

3. The One That’s In It For The Long Game

Admittedly this one might not make your skin look immediately radiant but c’mon now, patience is everything. And in all honesty, this is unarguably the single most important product you could use for glowing skin, healthy skin, smooth skin, strong skin, the works.

So what is this too-good-to-be-true product we speak so highly off? Simple. Sunscreen. Now don’t roll your eyes at us in a ‘not that old chestnut’ fashion because we don’t bang on about sunscreen just to pee you off. We do it because we care about your skin.

The simple truth is that if you don’t protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays, your collagen supplies will dwindle, elastin will get destroyed, dark spots will appear and cell turnover will decrease. This all leads to dull, lackluster, sad-looking skin. And that’s just touching the surface. 

Ensure you apply a quality, broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning without fail to make sure your skin doesn’t get caught up in all that damaging nonsense.

Try our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen which also comes packed with sodium ascorbyl phosphate (that supercool vitamin C derivative we spoke of earlier) on top of hydrating ingredients like squalane and cucumber, plus vegan marine collagen to help target fine lines and sagging skin.

4. The All-Important Skin Exfoliator

If your pores are filled to the brim with sebum, sunscreen, makeup and dead skin cells, your skin stands no chance of being smooth and radiant. Dead skin cells, in particular, create the perfect storm for dull skin.

One of the simplest ways to keep your skin clear from complexion-killing pore plugs is to use a chemical exfoliator like 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant two or three times a week. Chemical exfoliation works by using certain ingredients –commonly fruit acids – to break down the glue that holds dead skin cells together. By doing so, they’re an incredible way of forcing these unwanted cells to sling their hook so that the fresher, brighter ones can make their way to the surface. And unlike physical exfoliation which uses pressure and movement (like scrubs and cleansing brushes), chemical exfoliation, when done correctly, is far less damaging and irritating.

Our fabulous 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant combines a carefully crafted blend of three exfoliating acids along with organic reishi mushroom and hyaluronic acid to combat dehydration and help soothe and nourish the skin. Because, btw, dehydration will also kill your glowy skin vibes.

5. The Dewy Skin Spritz

Convenient and effective, our Ocean Minerals Super Toner is often glossed over in our line-up of skincare greats, but it’s a real goodie in the quest for a revamped complexion. Not only is it formulated with two key skin-brightening players – vitamin C and glycolic acid – but it also contains power-packed peptides, collagen-boosting MSM and over 90 revitalizing marine minerals. All this adds up to some serious love which helps to remove dull, dead skin cells, detox your pores and smooth the surface for a more balanced, even skin tone.

It's an awesome addition to your skincare routine and takes just seconds of your time to apply. So, why not?

Why not indeed.

What is glass skin and how can you get it? Read on for the lowdown on this shiny, dewy skin trend that shows no signs of going away.

Skin trends are an odd phenomenon. Unlike your hair and makeup which you can temporarily change with different colors, tricks, techniques and updos, your skin is what it is. Sure, you can improve its condition with better lifestyle choices and an awesome skincare routine, but you can’t fundamentally change the structure of the skin you were born with. It’s called genetics.

It’s still kind of cool to keep up with beauty trends that concern your skin, however. But, really, it’s all about trends in skincare, not actual skin. Think skin cycling, product personalization, skinimalism (which is still all over TikTok, btw), that kind of thing.

And the latest trend we (and the rest of the world) are into? Glass skin.

What Is Glass Skin?

Originating from Korean beauty practices where dewy, hydrated, uber healthy skin reigns above all else, glass skin is all about looking after your skin so that it looks and feels its absolute best. Pop words like ‘smooth,’ ‘glowing,’ ‘crystal-clear,’ ‘plump,’ ‘radiant’ and ‘fresh’ to the top of your skincare goals and you’ll be on the right track.

Glass skin is basically the skin ideal. We don’t like to think of it as skin perfection because that’s way beyond most of our reaches, but it’s about cleansing like a pro, layering on hydration and using skincare products and techniques (rather than piles of highlighting makeup) to help your skin look radiant and luminous. Just like glass.

Of course, getting your skin to behave in a glass-like fashion is not easy. If you have oily skin, for example, it can be a slippery slope from glowy skin to greasy-looking skin. Similarly, if your skin is dry, you’re going to need some darn good layers of moisturization in order to get glass-like skin.

It’s important, therefore to listen to your skin and adapt your glass skin routine to suit you.

That being said, there are a few key steps that can help you along the road. To follow, five of our favorites.

1. Try A (Gentle) Double Cleanse

Double cleansing splits the beauty world. Some swear by it, others believe it to be completely unnecessary. And us? Well, we sit somewhere in the middle. It’s very effective for those who sweat a lot, wear a good amount of makeup or have particularly oily skin. But it can be too much for sensitive skin types and is kind of pointless if you live your life wearing zero makeup. That’s our take, anyway.

If you want to have the cleanest, clearest skin of your life, however, and take care as you do it, double cleansing can be a great place to start. It’s also another K-beauty concept, so go figure!

Double cleansing is basically the act of cleansing your skin twice – first with an oil-based cleanser or makeup remover to dissolve things like makeup, sebum and sunscreen, then a water-based cleanser to rid your skin of other impurities like sweat and pollutants. By cleansing your skin twice you ensure you completely remove all kinds of debris that may have built up throughout the day. And by doing this you keep your pores clear and your breakouts under control. Because, while pimples and in-your-face pores aren’t the end of the world, they’re no friends of glass skin.

If you fancy giving double cleansing a go, do it at night only – when your skin has the most build-up on its surface – and use the gentlest formulations possible to avoid drying out your skin. We have plenty of incredible cleansers to choose from but our Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser is a smart option for step two as it also helps amp up your radiance at the same time.

2. Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliation is another awesome step to do at night because it’s a fantastic way to slough away dead skin cells and accelerate cell turnover while you sleep, helping you to wake up with smoother, brighter-looking skin.

Whether you choose a chemical exfoliant like 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant or a physical scrub like Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub our most important advice is not to go too crazy. Be extra gentle with your skin, exfoliating just once or twice a week, and if you feel like your skin can’t handle that, cut it back to find your sweet spot.

Exfoliation is awesome for glass skin, irritated skin is not.

3. Invest In A Hydrating Toner

Toner might feel like one of those skincare steps you can really do without, but it can be a fabulous way to start boosting your hydration levels as early as possible. And glass skin is nothing without hydration.

Unlike the toners of the ‘80s which stripped all the life from your skin, modern day formulations are crafted to balance your skin’s pH levels, up its moisture content and prepare your skin to soak up all the goodness from the rest of your skincare routine. They really are the first step to ultimate skin hydration – which is basically the opposite of their predecessors!

Our Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner, for example, contains just one ingredient – pure Moroccan Rose Water – to gently refresh, hydrate, soothe and refine your skin, while Ocean Minerals Super Toner is charged with powerful minerals, vitamin C and glycolic acid to revitalize and hydrate a dull, flagging complexion.

Apply your chosen formulation immediately after cleansing and then get ready to start building on this great hydration foundation with the rest of your routine.

4. Layer Up With Serum

Facial serums are your next port of call for the dewy skin of your dreams so don’t miss this important step – night and day. Serums are able to penetrate your skin much better than moisturizers which is why they’re often packed with concentrated active ingredients to treat your skin at a deeper level.

In terms of glass skin goals, the best ingredients to look out for are water-loving humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, alongside vitamin C for brightening, vitamin E for soothing and niacinamide for smoothing texture and improving tone. Fruit acids are also a good shout for encouraging cell turnover while peptides help improve firmness and keep collagen synthesis in good working order.

Of course, you don’t want to overload your skin with too many actives (cue irritation!) so choose your serums wisely and if you want to work on a few different concerns, try using one serum in the morning and a different one at night. You could also try our incredible Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which is fantastic way to target a whole number of skin concerns.

Just remember to apply your serum immediately after toning to help seal in moisture, and use just a small amount. More than a few drops is a total waste.

5. Finish With Moisturizer (& Sunscreen EVERY Morning!)

Last but not least, in fact last but most of all, is moisturizer – the final step in the glassification (hmm, made-up word?) of your fabulous complexion.

Now is not the time to look for mattifying formulations but instead go for the richest moisturizer your skin will take. That’s what’s going to help seal in all that hard hydrating work you’ve already accomplished. If your skin is oily, you’ll want to steer clear of super heavy creams and butters in favor of lighter lotions, but if your skin is dry, they’ll lap up all that richness.

Ingredients like fatty acids, ceramides, shea butter and sunflower seed oil are ideal for imparting a gorgeous glow and truly moisturized complexion – even better when combined by brightening antioxidants like vitamin C or the hydrating powers of aloe vera.

We’re currently loving our Firming Collagen Day Lotion in the morning and Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream before bed, but we have plenty where those came from, right here.

To finish, don’t forget to generously apply SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C every morning without fail. Sun protection might not seem the obvious choice for nailing a glass-like complexion but if you allow the sun to destroy your collagen it’ll age you up at lightning speeds and your skin will never have the plump luminosity that glass skin requires.