Are You Getting The Most From Your Skincare Routine?

When it comes to looking after mature skin, moisturizer is great. Heck, it’s vital. However, if you really want to amp up your skincare routine, choosing the right facial serum is everything.

Serums can be tricky to get your head around. Some believe they’re nothing more than an ‘extra’ step in your routine – one that’s, frankly, not that important – while others happily include them in their routine, but then think they can do without moisturizer.

Wrong. And wrong.

Facial serums are, in fact, a vital addition to your skincare routine if you want to target specific issues and concerns that go above and beyond what ‘regular’ basics like cleanser and moisturizer can offer. You see, unlike moisturizers they have a very small molecular structure which allows them to penetrate your skin to channel active ingredients like retinol, vitamin C and peptides deeper below the surface – which is often where they’re needed the most.

Moisturizers, as great as they are, don’t do that. They are, however, essential for sealing in moisture which serums can’t do. And that’s why they make the perfect skincare team.

Navigating the serum world doesn’t come without its challenges, though. With literally thousands to choose from, how exactly do you make the right decision for your skin? What’s best for dealing with dark spots? Which ingredients should you look out for if you have particularly sensitive skin? And is there something out there that can tackle aging AND oily skin?

Below, we talk you through our top ten facial serums so you can make an informed decision on what’s right for you…

The Sensitive Skin Wrinkle Reducer: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum

As you probably know, retinol is ‘it’ for targeting wrinkles, dull skin and basically making your skin look ten times better. And nobody puts retinol in the corner, us included. But as incredibly effective as retinol is, it also has its downsides. Namely being the frequent cause of dryness, irritation and redness to sensitive skin types. Well this is where bakuchiol shines. Frequently touted as ‘nature’s answer to retinol,’ bakuchiol offers all the benefits of this anti-aging wonder ingredient, but with fewer (if any!) side effect. Our Rejuvenating Longevity Serum harnesses all this, alongside revitalizing snow algae and lingonberry stem cells to offer sensitive skin the healthy aging serum it deserves.

The Early Aging Treatment: Smoothing Collagen Serum

Collagen is one of the most important components in your skin, keeping it strong, supple and firm. But life’s a b*tch and once you hit your mid-20s your collagen levels start to dwindle by about 1 percent every year. That might not sound like a lot but you’ll sure notice it in ten years when your skin, well, just isn’t what it used to be. If this sounds familiar and you’re already seeing fine lines around your eyes and a little sagging around the jawline, our Smoothing Collagen Serum could be just what you need. It combines collagen peptides (vegan, of course), ceramides and a powerful blend of antioxidant-rich superfruits to kick-start collagen synthesis and help prevent your skin aging up before its time.

The Skin Brightening Superhero: Vitamin C Facial Serum

The OG of TruSkin and still a fan favorite, our Vitamin C Facial Serum is hard to beat if you’re looking for an insanely good facial serum to not only help glow up your skin but to protect it from the onslaught of environmental aggressors (sun, yes, we’re talking about you).

Like retinol, pure vitamin C can be a tad irritating if you’re not careful, but we cut out all of those risks by using a C-derivate called sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP). SAP is a salt form of vitamin C which makes it kinder to the skin and one of the most stable versions available in skincare. It’s a shoo-in for dull, aging skin.

The All-Round Nice Guy: Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum

While some people love to really hone in on the things they don’t love about their skin, others prefer a more rounded approach to skincare. And that’s why we created our Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum. Like an oral muti-vit supplement, but one you apply topically, this lightweight milky facial serum comes brimming with no less than 11 plant-derived vitamins, minerals and electrolytes to offer an all-in-one approach to youthful, healthier-looking skin. It helps improve tone, texture, firmness and hydration without having to rely on 10 other products to do the exact same job. Smart stuff.

The Mature-But-Still-Oily Skin Savior: Tea Tree Super Serum+

We don’t know about you but we specifically remember being told that our greasy, teenage skin a) would not be so oily as we got older and b) would age way better than our friends with drier skin. Lies, all lies. OK, so the oil might have a subsided a little and the wrinkles aren’t so bad, but still miracles definitely did not happen.

Oily, mature skin is not easy to manage. In fact, the words ‘balancing' and 'act’ come to mind. Which is why you should make tea tree oil your BFF. Due to its potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, tea tree oil is fantastic for treating super-oily skin, enlarged pores and breakouts. Our Tea Tree Super Serum+ blends it with hyaluronic acid to deal with dehydration, plus niacinamide and organic aloe. Gorgeous.

The Dehydration Rescue Serum: Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum

Unless you’ve been hiding under a very large rock for the past ten years, hyaluronic acid will be no stranger to you. To refresh, hyaluronic acid, sometimes known as hyaluronan, is a sugar molecule that’s found by the bucketload in your skin where it helps keep it cushioned, lubricated and hydrated by drawing in water like a sponge. Dehydration can be a major issue as you get older because your natural levels of HA disappear and your barrier function becomes weaker.

If dehydration is something you’re concerned with, you can’t go wrong with Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum. As the name suggests, it comes packed with oceans of hyaluronic acid alongside vitamins C and E.

The Dark Spot Destroyer: Vitamin C Super Serum+

Wrinkles are one thing but they’re not the only skin gripe we have to deal with as we get older. Dark spots, aka hyperpigmentation, are also a thing and they’re caused by an overproduction of melanin which happens as a result of too much sun, acting-out hormones or some kind of skin trauma like acne or a burn.

Sounds familiar, then add Vitamin C Super Serum+ to cart right this minute! Why? Because vitamin C was born to help fade existing dark spots and prevent new ones from forming. This highly powered serum also blends retinol for extra anti-aging prowess, plus niacinamide to soothe and hyaluronic acid to hydrate. Word is, it’s so good, you probably only need to apply it a few times a week.

The Overnight Rescue Remedy: Retinol Facial Serum

What kind of skincare company would we be if we didn’t have a retinol serum? Thankfully, we’re not those people. Say hello to Retinol Facial Serum which combines this anti-aging heavy-hitter with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, glycerin and aloe to help counteract and balance the strength of retinol. Contrary to popular belief, retinol is perfectly fine to apply morning and night but we prefer to save it for bedtime. How so? Well, retinol is ideal for helping your skin to regenerate as you sleep plus saving it for nighttime means you get to use a completely different serum in the morning, ha!

The Skin Harmonizer: Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum

Another one of our winning all-rounders, Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum is the absolute nuts for treating a whole bunch of skin types and concerns. Along with vitamins C and E, niacinamide is an effective antioxidant that works hard to help your skin neutralize damaging free radicals. It’s also fantastic at balancing sebum, calming inflammation and increasing the production of ceramides in the uppermost layers to help maintain a strong, protective barrier and more resilient skin.

The Skin Firming Friend: Peptide Facial Serum

Peptides are often talked about in skincare but they can be hard to get your head around. All you really need to know is that, like proteins, they’re chemical compounds made up of amino acids. Because of their similarity to proteins, studies show that peptides are able to penetrate the skin really well, signaling your cells to produce more collagen – undoubtedly the skin’s most important protein of all.

Proteins are key if you want to maintain firmer, smoother and more lifted skin, so it figures that anything you can do to boost collagen, elastin and keratin (all proteins in their own right) is a major plus for the look and feel of your skin. Peptide Facial Serum is just the job here, not only targeting your skin’s essential proteins but also helping to strengthen, hydrate and tone your complexion.

Knowing how to switch things up to get your skin ready for the day as opposed to ready for bed? Life-changing. Well, skin-changing at the very least.

There’s something to be said for nailing a consistent skincare routine. However, it’s not always easy to find your perfect product match. In fact, it requires much nurturing and tweaking – often over many years – to get your routine exactly where you want it. Whether you prefer to keep things basic or like to go all-out with every potion you can get your hands on, skincare is a very personal thing. But there are some fundamentals that every successful regime should abide by.

One of these is the importance of variation. And by this we don’t mean owning 75 moisturizers and just as many facial serums that you switch out more often than your underwear. Because, frankly, this is not the kind of consistency skin strives for. No, by variation we mean having a few different products in your arsenal that are tailored to your skin’s needs as they change from AM to PM.

Often brushed off as marketing hype, morning and night time skincare is, in fact, quite different. Do you really need separate cleansers, toners, eye treatments and exfoliators for morning and night? Absolutely not. These products are important, for sure, but they can definitely remain the same, no matter what time of day they’re being used. However, other products require a little thoughtful adjustment so they’re able to offer exactly what your skin needs as it transitions from day to night.

Never quite sure how to approach your morning and bedtime skincare routines? Then read on for the three most important products you need for each of these skinfluential times of day.

Your Morning Skincare Routine

Life often gets in the way of awesome skin. Things like emotional stress, pollution, the sun, your diet, they all have their own ways of upsetting the health of your skin and throwing things way off whack. This means your morning skincare routine must, most important of all, set your skin up for a daily battle against everything life throws at you.

Morning Skincare Musts

1. Environmental Protection

So, life. As awesome as it is, it batters your skin with daily aggressors that encourage the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are few and far between at night when you’re asleep, but during daylight hours, they can overrun your skin, compromising your collagen supplies, screwing up your elastin and even messing with your DNA. This is seriously bad news for the health of your skin as it can accelerate fine lines and wrinkles as well as other skin peskies like dark spots, sagging, dullness and poor texture and tone.

Keeping your skin protected from free radicals, therefore, should be an absolute priority for your morning routine. And the best way to do this? With an antioxidant facial serum. Unlike other skincare ingredients, antioxidants work hard to neutralize free radicals, allowing your skin to go about its business without the risk of damage from things like the sun and environmental pollution.

Topical antioxidants include the likes of vitamin E, niacinamide and green tea but the real biggie is vitamin C – something we know rather a lot about, here at TruSkin HQ! Universally loved and clinically-proven to nix free radicals in the bud while also brightening the skin, we think of it as a non-negotiable morning essential. You should, too. So try our fan-favorite Vitamin C Facial Serum and get on that, this second.

2. Hydration

As well as to protect itself from the outside world, your skin’s other main job is to keep itself hydrated and moisturised all day so that its barrier function remains in optimum condition. Your skin’s barrier function is what keeps toxins and pollution out and moisture in so it’s vital to moisturize daily to keep it strong and in great working order. Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble in the way of dehydration, dryness, breakouts and potential irritation.

We believe daily moisturizing should be about lightweight formulations that you can layer without overloading your skin. Look out for serums that harness ingredients like hyaluronic acid and aloe vera which help to draw moisture into the skin’s top layers. Then follow with a light lotion that locks all that moisture in. We love the winning combination of Niacinamide Facial Serum followed by Firming Collagen Day Lotion which is deeply moisturizing but light enough for everyday wear.

3. And The Most Important Product Of All: SPF

Of course, sunscreen is futile before bed, but your morning skincare routine is nothing without SPF. You just can’t ignore the fact that the sun is the biggest skin ager and responsible for somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of external skin aging.

If you want to ward off fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin for as long as humanly possible you need to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning – rain or shine. Broad-spectrum formulations protect your skin from both UVA and UVB so that’s important to look out for on your product labels. Also, make sure to go with nothing below SPF 30 and stick with mineral formulations that are much kinder to your skin. Our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C checks all those boxes, so no probs there.

Your Bedtime Skincare Routine

As your body and brain go into rest mode, your skin goes into reset mode. Your environment has completely changed and gone are all the elements that have been going at your skin all day long. This makes night time the best time for your skin to heal and rejuvenate itself, ready to do it again tomorrow.

Bedtime Skincare Musts

1. Thorough Cleansing

Cleansing your skin is essential, morning and night, but at night time, after subjecting your skin to a whole day of sweat, makeup, oil, sunscreen, dirt, pollution and, well you get the picture, cleansing is everything.

Your product choices are down to you and your skin type, but always stick with gentle formulations that are free of harsh ingredients like sulfates and parabens. Sure, effective cleansing is important, but you don’t want to strip your skin completely dry or irritate your delicate barrier function. Our current favorite is our Soothing Cleansing Milk but, like we said, the ball is in your court.

When cleansing, take your time to thoroughly massage your skin to remove all traces of daily grime, and use lukewarm (never hot!) water to rinse well.

Double cleansing can also be a good idea before bed – especially if you like to wear a good amount of makeup during the day or are prone to oily skin that feels pretty dirty by the evening. And double cleansing is exactly what it sounds like. First, you use an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and sunscreen, then you followed this with a water-based formulation to wash away other surface debris and help target your skin type or concerns.

2. Rejuvenation & Repair

Unlike the rest of your body which takes a well-deserved break as you sleep, night time is when your skin gets busy. All the excitement from the day shifts your skin into regeneration mode, repairing damage and preparing it for the next day. During this time blood flow increases, collagen production accelerates, cell turnover doubles and your skin’s natural antioxidant system amps up. It’s like a well-oiled machine that really kicks into gear as the rest of you catches your zzzs.

The products you choose to help all this move along seamlessly are endless, so it’s really a matter of choice. Do you want to help target fine lines and wrinkles as you sleep? Then Retinol Facial Serum might be the one for you. Perhaps you want to concentrate on looking after your collagen? In which case, Smoothing Collagen Serum has your name on it. Then there’s Peptide Facial Serum which strengthens and protects your barrier function to help your skin rejuvenate.

We know they all sound amazing (and that’s because they are!) but try to resist applying more than one at a time. Helping your skin during the overnight regeneration process is great. Overloading it with too many actives? Not so much.

3. Deep Moisturization

Did you know, your skin produces less sebum while you’re asleep? Well, now you do. And hopefully this also makes you better understand the importance of deeper, more intense moisturizing at night.

You might, like us, hate the feeling of heavy creams during the daytime but there’s no better feeling than slathering your face (and neck, of course!) in a beautifully intense moisturizing cream that will nourish your skin and have you waking up with a soft, plump complexion.

Our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream is perfect for the job. It has that extra sprinkling of vitamin C to add a bit of antioxidant prowess to the party. Plus, it contains aloe to hydrate and our favorite beautifying compound, MSM to soothe, strengthen, firm and revitalize your skin. No effort required.

We love that for you.

Are social media skincare hacks harmful or helpful? To follow, our thoughts on five of the latest beauty fads doing the rounds…

Isn’t social media awesome? Well, it is, until it isn’t. You see, the problem with giving everyone a voice and a platform on which to share their skincare routines and DIY beauty hacks is that not ‘everyone’ is an expert. In fact, most people are far from it. Of course, there are plenty of fabulous makeup artists, dermatologists, plastic surgeons and aestheticians you can follow across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok and a lot of them have incredible advice to offer. There’s also a lot to be said for things like Facebook Groups where, if you struggle with chronic skin issues, you can connect, learn and find solace from others with similar concerns.

But then there’s all the other 'stuff' from people who have so much to say… about things they don’t know that much about. And this is the kind of information that can do more harm than good. This is why we’ve sifted through some of the most recent viral skincare fads you might want to be wary of. Instead, read on for the real truth about how best to take care of your skin.

1. Slugging

What Is Slugging?

Skin slugging might sound gross, but it’s become a huge deal on TikTok, with its hashtag currently notching up around 1.5 billion views.

Not to be confused with most people’s least favorite mollusk, slugging involves smearing a thick layer of petroleum jelly all over your skin as the last step in your nightly skincare routine. Do so and you’re guaranteed to wake up with the softest, most moisturized skin ever. So they reckon, anyway.

Is Slugging Good For Your Skin?

This trend started gaining momentum almost two years ago, but it will not go away. Therefore there has to be something in it, right? Well, petroleum jelly is an occlusive ingredient that creates a seal over your skin to help lock in moisture. So, sure, it will definitely stop water from evaporating from the surface of your skin as you sleep, we’ll give you that. However, petroleum jelly has no hydrating qualities. At all. This means it doesn’t really moisturize your skin, it just stops any moisture that’s already present from escaping from the surface of your skin.

Not only that but petroleum jelly creates a barrier over your pores, completely blocking them and causing no end of problems for oily skin types. Namely, breakouts like you will never believe.

Much Better Advice?

Rather than slathering your skin with what is essentially just ‘grease,’ you’re much better off applying night cream to not only lock in moisture but to help hydrate and feed your complexion with skin-loving ingredients like antioxidants, ceramides, peptides and/or vitamins and minerals.

Our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream is a great bet or why not try the combo of our new Rejuvenating Longevity Serum and Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream?

2. Potatoes For Pimples

What's It All About?

Dealing with acne can be a real struggle. Especially when you reach adulthood when you were promised your skin would be so much clearer. But it’s not common to be plagued by breakouts as you get older. In fact, research shows that around 25 percent of American women in their 40s suffer from some kind of acne.

It’s no wonder, therefore, that there are so many short-term hacks for dealing with pimples. Back in the day it was toothpaste and nail varnish remover (gasp!). Now it’s slices of raw potatoes. The idea is that you tape a small slice over your spot to make it magically disappear. Some TikTokers have even resorted to rubbing the whole darn thing over their skin.

Are Potatoes Good For Your Skin?

Don’t get us wrong, we love a potato as much as the next person. But on our dinner plates, not taped to our faces. So, why has this acne hack become such a thing? Ha, your guess is as good as ours but the main draw is that potatoes have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which are both known to help reduce redness and unwanted pigmentation.

They also contain exfoliating and oil-reducing properties and feel nice and cool on the skin which is a big deal when you have a big, throbbing red zit on your chin. So maybe, just maybe, they might offer some short-term benefits. But little more than that.

Much Better Advice?

If you’re an acne sufferer, you’ll understand that short-term fixes are all well and good but, in truth, it’s all about the long-term. This is why we prefer to treat and control breakouts with smart skincare that’s been specifically (and safely!) formulated for the job. Products that contain science-led and dermatologically-tested ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil and AHAs are going to offer your skin way better benefits than a bag of your best russets. Sorry, but they just will.
 

3. Sunscreen Contouring

What Is Sunscreen Contouring?

If we had to choose just one viral beauty trend that gets our blood boiling the most, it would be sunscreen contouring. Stupid at best, downright dangerous at worst, sunscreen contouring is when you apply sunscreen to select areas of your face and body only, in order to intentionally create tan lines for a contoured effect.

Some people have taken to applying a lower SPF to areas of their face they want to tan more, and a higher SPF to those they want to remain pale and ‘highlighted’ but either way, this is bad news. 

Is Sunscreen Contouring Good For Your Skin?

Absolutely not. Not even slightly. The sun is responsible for almost 90 percent of skin aging, accelerating the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging and dark spots. This means it’s absolutely essential to protect ALL exposed skin to the damaging effects of UV radiation. Because tan skin = damaged skin. End of story. Not only that, but c’mon people, skin cancer.

Much Better Advice?

First, in order to truly protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun, you need to apply SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen every day to all areas of exposed skin. The alternatives are just not worth it. And if you do want to create contours on your face and body such as highlighting your cheekbones, sculpting your nose or defining your abs, stick with a self-tanning lotion or makeup. Easy. And way less damaging.

4. Lemon Juice As Toner

What's It All About?

Pure lemon juice. As toner. Simple as that.

Yes, lemons are astringent, yes they’re packed with vitamin C and yes, vitamin C is awesome for the look, feel and health of your skin. But when life gives you lemons, do not squeeze out their juice and use it to tone or brighten your face.

Is Lemon Juice Good For Your Skin?

Citric acid can be an incredible ingredient in many topical skincare treatments, offering great antioxidant qualities and helping to fight environmental skin damage. However, skincare products are formulated in certain ways and use very specific concentrations of ingredients in order to help benefit your skin without causing irritation. Pure lemon juice, however? The opposite. Applying it in its pure form can seriously irritate your skin, screwing up your barrier function and causing long-term issues with hyperpigmentation and sensitivities. It can even burn your skin if you’re not careful.

Keep yours for the G&Ts and leave lemon skincare cocktailing to the pros, OK?

Much Better Advice?

Get your fix of vitamin C from a facial serum that contains sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) which is a gentle and very effective form. Our Vitamin C Facial Serum is always a big favorite but we also have the mighty Vitamin C Super Serum + which really amps up your glow factor. We like to use it twice a week, alternating between this and the OG.

5. Face Taping

What Is Face Taping?

This cheeky little trick has been used by Hollywood’s finest for decades so sorry, TikTok-ers, but you did not invent this one. Also known as wrinkle taping, the idea behind it is that you strategically place sticky tape on your face, usually overnight, to lift the skin, reduce muscle movement and therefore reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s most often used under the eyes, at the edges of the cheeks, over the forehead or across the chest area.

You can also use face tape to provide an immediately lifting effect, keeping it on for an event, for example, whilst camouflaging it with heavy makeup.

Is Face Taping Good For Your Skin?

As an immediate wrinkle-reducer and skin-smoother, face taping is actually pretty effective. But it’s a very short-term fix and takes a lot of clever makeup artistry to cover the tape and make it look natural.

As an overnight solution however? Yeah, we’re not convinced. For one thing, the glue that’s used on the tape can be super irritating for some skin types, especially if it’s used under the eyes where your skin is thin and extremely delicate. And for another, leaving the tape on for long periods of time can clog your pores and encourage breakouts. The phrase, ‘out of the frying pan, into the fire,’ comes to mind.

Much Better Advice?

Two words: effective skincare. Cleansing and exfoliating regularly, treating your skin with daily antioxidants, applying sunscreen daily and using age-defying ingredients like retinol, bakuchiol, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C? So much better than silly old face tape that might be OK for ten minutes but will do no good in the long-term.

Try our new Smoothing Collagen Serum, Firming Collagen Day Lotion and Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement which are great for healthily preventing premature aging.