
DYK, Sunscreen Isn’t The Only Way To Protect Your Skin From The Sun?
Not that we’re saying sunscreen isn’t important. It is. It SO is. But couple your daily SPF with these other sun safety tips and you can be happy knowing you're doing everything you can to protect your skin from the sun.
While we love the sun and, well, couldn’t survive without it, studies show that sunlight is the number one cause of external skin aging. Now, we don’t like to point the finger, but this means almost everything you hate about your skin – fine lines, wrinkles, rough texture, lack of firmness, dark spots, enlarged pores, the works – is primarily down to sun damage. Dang.
We constantly bang on about the importance of applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen daily and make no apologies for it. But today, we’re here to give that particular lecture a temporary rest because we want to talk about all the other things you can do to protect your skin from the slings and arrows of the sun.
Make the below a top priority this summer (along with your essential SPF, of course) and who knows, you might ward off those visible signs of premature aging just that little bit longer.
Apply Topical Antioxidants
As we’re sure you’re aware, we’re massive fans of topical antioxidants here at TruSkin. And one of the main reasons we love them? Sun damage control.
Exposure to the sun is one of the biggest causes of free radicals – those pesky compounds which love to do a number on your skin, destroying important proteins and causing what’s known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress spells major bad news for your skin as it leads to the breakdown of collagen and elastin, resulting in lines, wrinkles and premature sagging.
The good news is antioxidants fight tooth and nail against free radicals to limit harm and keep your skin looking awesome for as long as possible. Studies have shown that two of the best antioxidants for sun protection are vitamins C and E. And more good news: we combine these two free radical-fighting powerhouses with hyaluronic acid in our Vitamin C Facial Serum. Apply it underneath your moisturizer and sunscreen daily to really amp up your protection game. But remember, antioxidants do NOT protect your skin from sun burn so don’t think applying a vitamin C serum makes you invincible from the sun. It does not.
Avoid Direct Sunlight Whenever You Can
Nothing beats lounging outside on a hot, sunny day. Actually, add a frozen margarita into the mix and now we’re getting somewhere. But sitting outside in the direct, midday sun? So not good for your skin. Shade always trumps sun, hands down.
Depending on the density and coverage of your chosen shady spot, sitting in the shade protects you from around 15 percent of UV light. Granted, this doesn’t sound like a lot, but when it comes to looking after your skin, we say every smidge of protection counts.
Look for a tree to sit under when picnicking in the park, or remember to take an umbrella if you’re going to spend a day out in the sun. And when looking to buy a new beach umbrella or awning, make sure you look for The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Approval which guarantees the fabric has reached the minimum requirements of 30 UPF (ultraviolet protection factor).
Wear Protective Clothing
Did you know what you wear can also have an impact on your level of sun protection? Plus, clothes don’t wear off like sunscreen as an added bonus. Simple choices like wearing loose fitting clothes, long sleeves or densely woven fabrics such as denim or wool are way more protective for your skin than tight, stretchy or sheer clothing.
Also, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation, dark or bright colors are way better than lighter tones because they help absorb UV radiation before it reaches your skin, adding further protection from sun damage.
Finally, don’t forget a good, tightly-woven hat that doesn’t show too much light through it (you can always check this with a flashlight). A 3-inch brim around the entire circumference is optimum, but if you’re a baseball cap kinda gal, think about adding some kind of drape over your neck and ears to protect those delicate areas.
Don’t Forget Your Sunglasses
Looking after the skin around your eyes is arguably even more important than the skin on the rest of your face. How so? Because this area is thinner and more delicate meaning it’s much less efficient at protecting itself from environmental damage. Also, between 5 and 10 percent of all skin cancers are found on the eyelids. Big warning, right there.
Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses all year round (even on cloudy days) and choose those that are 100 percent effective at blocking both UVA and UBA radiation. And remember, dry, dehydrated skin around your eyes will age you up super fast so always apply a hydrating eye cream twice daily. Try Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream which, on top of HA, contains hard-working antioxidants and age-defying ingredients like plant peptides, panthenol and botanical oils.
Think About Your Diet
Last but not least, up your sun protection from the inside out by making a few smart healthy eating choices. Laden your diet with antioxidant-rich fruit and veggies like kiwis, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes and broccoli and snack on almonds, walnuts and seeds to up your levels of omega 3 essential fats which help reduce UV-induced inflammation.
Studies have also shown that foods which are high in beta-carotene may also play a part in protecting your skin from sun damage. These included sweet potatoes, bell peppers, carrots, spinach and butternut squash.
(Don't forget, however, none of these steps are as important as regular sunscreen. Always, we repeat, always protect your skin with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 lotion or moisturizer as the final step in your morning routine)
More About This Article

Georgia Gould
Georgia is an award-winning beauty writer who has been in the business for over 20 years. British-born, she began her career as a magazine beauty editor in London before moving to San Francisco, CA in 2012 where she now continues her love as a freelance writer and editor. As well as her editorial work, Georgia has created content for many high-profile beauty brands, including Clarins, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Simple and TRESemmé. Her passions include retinol (obviously), golfing, skiing and walking her beloved Schnauzer, Dave.
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One wish: to enjoy the tight, gravity-defying skin of 20 years ago. Sadly, it’s not going to happen, so the next best thing? Skincare ingredients that boost collagen and help your skin appear subtly firmer and just a tad more lifted.
Let’s get one thing straight: skincare cannot perform miracles. We’d love to be able to tell you that our new Caffeine Facial Serum can give you the skin of someone 30 years your junior or that our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub will eradicate every single one of your much-loathed dark spots after just one use. But we’d be lying. Skincare is awesome, absolutely. And yes, it can 100 percent help to subtly improve the appearance of acne breakouts, wrinkles and aging skin. But it has its limits. And knowing that your favorite moisturizer or prized facial serum can only do so much is crucial. Otherwise, you will always be disappointed. And that’s not what we want for you.
OK, so now this bombshell is out of the way and you understand that skincare ingredients aren’t going to give you an instant facelift or smooth out your laughter lines like fillers or Botox, here’s what they can do.
Choose the right formulation, crafted with thoughtful, clinically-proven ingredients, and skincare can very much improve the look, feel and health of your skin. And if you’ve ever woken up after trying a new serum for the first time, only to be greeted in the mirror by visibly brighter skin, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
So, which ingredients should you pin your hopes on if you’re specifically looking to lift and firm sagging skin? Well, skin starts to go south because of dwindling collagen supplies so boosting collagen production is your first and best bet. Bearing in mind everything we’ve just said about managing expectations, therefore, here are five topical favorites we believe are the most effective for encouraging healthy collagen and helping you on the road to firmer, more toned skin.
1. Peptides
Without blinding you with science, peptides are chemical compounds made from amino acids. They’re very similar to proteins, but where proteins are large molecules made up of long chains of amino acids, peptides are their baby cousins, containing much shorter chains. Why is this of interest? Because due to their similarity, peptides have the smart ability of being able to penetrate the skin where they work like little messengers, signaling for your cells to produce more proteins. And which protein is most abundant in your skin? Yes, you got it, collagen.
In simple terms, applying topical peptides encourages your cells to keep on producing collagen (and elastin, for that matter), thus helping to counteract the skin’s inevitable loss of this vital protein and staving off all that comes with it – namely wrinkles, lines and sagging skin.
Try: Firming Collagen Day Lotion which contains vegan collagen peptides, amongst other skincare powerhouses like ceramides, green algae, vitamin E and aloe.
2. Retinol
When it comes to boosting your skin’s supply of healthy collagen very few topical ingredients trump retinol. Ask your derm or any skincare expert and we bet 1,000 bucks they will agree. So, what makes it so darn good? Well, it’s been studied for decades and it never fails to deliver the same skin-regenerating results. You see, retinol has an innate ability to communicate with your skin at a deep cellular level to encourage a speedier production of collagen and elastin in a bid to heal and strengthen your skin. Simple as. Well, it’s not that simple, but that’s all you really need to know.
Of course, retinol isn’t for everyone – it’s so good, it can be a tad irritating for some skin types – but if you used it slowly and carefully, always patch testing it first, you’ll find it can be a fantastic way to help keep your skin firm and youthful-looking for years to come.
Try: Retinol Facial Serum which has been formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, helping it to be as gentle on your skin as possible.
3. Bakuchiol
If retinol isn’t for you but you’re looking for something that does almost the exact same thing and offers very similar results, allow us to introduce you to bakuchiol.
One of the newest ingredients to the skincare world (but an absolute keeper unlike other ridiculous ingredients that are all fluff and no function), bakuchiol is nature’s best alternative to retinol. How so? Because it works just like its long-running counterpart, stimulating collagen synthesis and accelerating cellular turnover at a deep, below-the-surface level.
Bakuchiol is extracted from the seeds and leaves of the babchi plant and has been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The reason it’s gained such momentum in Western skincare recently is that, granted, it's very similar to retinol, but more importantly it comes with way fewer unwanted side effects. Of course, its gentle nature means it works more slowly but if you sensitive skin and have patience, bakuchiol is a great choice for fighting the visible signs of aging –including sagging skin but certainly not stopping there!
Try: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum which combines bakuchiol with antioxidant-rich lingonberry stem cells and snow algae.
4. Vitamin C
If you don’t know by now how awesome vitamin C is then we’ve been doing something wrong! In our minds, this antioxidant wonder kid can do no wrong.
Like retinol, vitamin C is one of the most trusted and clinically-proven ingredients in the entire world of skincare. It’s known mainly for providing brightening benefits but never forget what an excellent antioxidant it is, offering the absolute best in environmental protection by neutralizing free radicals before they get a chance to destroy collagen – and believe us, that is exactly what free radicals will do if you don’t get in there first.
But it's not just vitamin C's antioxidant prowess that’s crucial for preventing collagen and elastin breakdown. Its highly acidic nature also works hard to boost your collagen and elastin levels. So there’s that.
Try: Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream which gives your skin a delicious overnight boost of protective vitamin C, along with skin-loving botanical oils like jojoba, rosehip and evening primrose.
5. MSM
Sure, we’re all about vitamin C for president here at TruSkin, but another of our skin-firming favorites comes in the form of methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM to friends like you.
Very well tolerated by even the most sensitive of skin types, MSM is a naturally-occurring form of sulfur. And if you didn’t know, sulfur is one of the most important elements in the human body, often touted as the ‘beauty’ or ‘healing’ mineral.
What does that mean for sagging skin? Yeah, we’re getting to that. And the answer is simple: MSM plays a key role in the production and composition of collagen and keratin. Its anti-inflammatory qualities also help decrease damage to the skin caused by lifestyle aggressors like stress, lack of sleep and a sugar or carb-heavy diet. Oh, and as an extra sidenote, MSM also boosts the body’s production of glutathione which is one of your most important, naturally-occurring antioxidants. Take that free radicals!
Try: Vitamin C Super Serum+ which partners MSM with its bestie, vitamin C. Why do they love each other so? Because vitamin C helps the skin readily absorb MSM, thus doubling up their combined collagen-boosting effects.
Anti-AgingThe Most Effective Ingredients For Sagging Skin
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Let’s get real, expensive skincare does not always equal better skincare. In fact, affordable brands are often the true heroes in your routine.
Ever asked yourself, is your $200 moisturizer truly worth it, or is it all glossy packaging and clever marketing? The truth can be a bit of a gray area, but at the end of the day, skin doesn’t give a hoot about hefty price tags. What it cares about is ingredients that actually ‘do’ something. For example, a great moisturizer should boost hydration and seal moisture into your skin. Sunscreen needs to protect your skin from both UVA and UVB radiation. And a good cleanser should gently but effectively clean the skin without causing irritation or stripping away its important barrier function. And honestly, products are perfectly capable of doing this without breaking the bank.
So, why are some products 10x the price of others? And, the most important question of all, do so-called ‘premium’ products honestly work any better?
What Makes Expensive Skincare So Expensive?
There are many reasons why luxury skincare products come with eye-watering price points. Some are valid, but not all of them are for the good of your skin. Here are the most common reasons you might have to shell out a little bit extra...
1. Fancy Packaging
Packaging is extremely important in the luxury skincare market. Shiny metallic boxes, beautiful glass bottles, gold embossing, they’re all used to create the illusion that what’s inside is of the highest quality and therefore worth paying more for. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
2. Clever Marketing
Double page ads in Vogue or huge TV commercials cost money – especially when a brand has bagged a big celebrity name to flaunt its wares. Well, this money needs to comes from somewhere. Guess where? Yes, your pocket.
3. Proprietary Ingredients
Proprietary ingredients are what set certain skincare products apart. But just because a product contains a unique ingredient this doesn’t necessarily make it more beneficial to your skin. More often than not, it’s the clinically proven ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, glycerin and niacinamide that do all the heavy lifting.
4. Potency Of Active Ingredients
While affordable skincare products are often formulated with the same ingredients as their pricier cousins, it’s true that sometimes they don’t contain as much. And this can be reflected in the price. Strong retinols, however, can irritate certain skin types, which doesn’t always make higher price points the best option. Working with your skin and using products that are beneficial, but don't sensitize or irritate, is important here.
What REALLY Matters When Buying Skincare
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not here to totally bash luxury skincare. If you can afford an expensive, bells and whistles moisturizer and it makes you feel good while, crucially, benefiting your skin, then no harm done. Oftentimes, even just the ritual of smothering your body in a beautifully expensive body butter makes it worth every cent.
However, if you’re really stretching yourself to buy something just because the latest A-lister told you to do so, but you’re not really seeing visible results, why bother when there are so many results-driven products out there that come at a fraction of the cost?
Instead of focusing on premium price tags, here are some smarter shopping tips for building an effective, affordable skincare routine…
Focus on Science-Backed Ingredients
Ingredients that have been clinically tested to benefit the skin are the single most important factor in any skincare product. Superheroes created scientifically in a lab include retinol, vitamin C, peptides, niacinamide, vitamin E, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and ceramides. Then you have all the natural botanicals that also work wonders on your skin. Think jojoba oil, green tea, aloe vera and tea tree oil to name just a few. Do your research and look out for these big hitters and you’ll know that a product is going to truly get things done.
Check The Running Order Of The Ingredients List
Skincare products don’t generally offer up the exact concentrations of their ingredients, but the label will give some of the game away. How so? Well, skincare brands are required by the FDA to print their ingredients in order, starting from the highest in concentration, working down to the lowest. When it gets down to 1 percent or less, however, they can be listed in any order.
All this is good to know because if a vitamin C serum lists its vitamin C way down the ingredients list, hovering around the bottom, this shows that it contains very little and potentially won't be as effective as one that lists vitamin C nearer the top. Make sure the good stuff is in the top half of a product’s ingredients label. It doesn't need to be at the absolute top (some active ingredients are way too powerful for that!), but top half is a good rule to follow.
The vitamin C in our Vitamin C Facial Serum, for example, is third on the list after water and aloe. That’s good stuff, right there – and it won't make your wallet burst into tears, either.
Understand Your Skin Type & Needs
Way more important than buying into fancy beauty brands with eye-watering price tags, is to be aware of your skin type and find products that work for you. Do a bit of homework getting to know your skin, then you can focus on the things you’d like to improve. Research ingredients that are proven to help certain concerns – eg. hyaluronic acid is fantastic for hydrating thirsty skin whereas tea tree oil can work wonders on breakouts – then do even more homework by looking into formulations that include those ingredients (in decent concentrations). This helps target your routine to suit your needs without buying into fluff your skin can seriously do without.
Don’t Be Duped By False Promises
Creams that promise to be ‘better than Botox’ are never to be believed – no matter their price. The truth is that skincare can only do so much. A 24k gold-infused moisturizer that costs you hundreds of bucks, for example, is unlikely to moisturize your skin any better than one that was $20. Because yes, gold is super indulgent but at the end of the day, it doesn’t moisturize your skin. It’s all the other stuff inside (which didn’t cost the manufacturer $$$s) that does all the talking, not the fancy fillers and inflated price.
Our advice? Stick to science-backed ingredients that are proven to benefit your skin.
Remember, The Right Product For You Is The One You Regularly Use
Doing your research and making informed decisions are extremely important because, while we’re big advocates of effective skincare that doesn’t cost the earth, there are some fantastic, pricey products out there… as well as some not-so-great inexpensive options.
Research, research, research. Trust us, you’ll know when you find ‘the one’ because you’ll look forward to using it. And that means you'll use it consistently and regularly and therefore be rewarded with the best, most visible results.
SkincareWhy Affordable Skincare Can Be Just As Effective As The Expensive Stuff
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Showing your skin love isn’t about overly expensive skincare products and complicated routines, it’s about being positive, listening to what your skin needs and reacting with kind. Here’s how to get on that…
Remember when you learnt in school that your skin is your body’s largest organ? Well, your teachers weren’t lying. The average adult human has around 22 square feet of skin which, even though it’s only a few millimeters thick at its thickest point, weighs around 8 lbs.
That’s a lot of skin right there.
If you’re here, we imagine you’re already into practicing good skincare habits. We bet you already cleanse like a pro, apply moisturizer vigilantly and rarely leave the house without slapping on your broad-spectrum SPF. Good work.
That being said, it’s easy to forget that skin sometimes needs a little extra love and attention. Whether the weather has been taking its toll, work has gotten on top of you or certain hormonal changes are happening in your life, understanding your skin’s needs and adapting your habits is crucial for making the most of your skin and encouraging a healthy glow.
In the market for giving your skin a little added TLC right now? Then read on for 10 proven skincare practices and lifestyle habits for showing your skin just how much you care.
1. Get To Know Your Skin Better
Before going any further, remember that your skin is totally unique to you so understanding when it’s feeling good and when it needs help is crucial if you’re striving for healthier-looking skin. Knowing your skin type (normal, oily, dry or combination) is the first step, but there are plenty of other factors at work here – your age, environment, lifestyle, diet, they all play their part and dictate how you should adapt your habits to suit.
Action Stations: To understand your skin better, cleanse your face with a gentle cleanser like Soothing Cleansing Milk, pat it dry, then look in the mirror without applying any other skincare products. Feel your skin and look at all the various areas of your face and neck to see what’s going on right now. Once you know this, you can think about what you can do to help.
2. Concentrate On The Good Stuff
It’s easy to reel off the things you don’t like about your skin – crow’s feet, breakouts, a sagging jawline – but when was the last time you thought about the stuff you do like? Being positive about your skin is crucial, not only for your mental wellness, but also for your skin itself. How so? Because when you know what you like about your skin you can accentuate and highlight these areas.
Action Stations: Do you have the smoothest forehead, like, ever? Then pull your hair back and flaunt it. OK, maybe you have the odd wrinkle or two, but good news, your complexion is fairly even in tone. Then don’t be afraid to go foundation-free. Show off your good bits, people, it’s very liberating. Plus, it stops you sweating over the other, 'not so great' stuff.
3. Boost Your Glow With Antioxidants
Facial serums are to skin what red lipstick and stunning earrings are to an outfit – the true icing on the cake. You see, serums have a smaller molecular structure than creams and lotions so they’re able to truly penetrate your skin and target your concerns.
Depending on what these are, we have a whole collection of plant-powered serums packed with ingredients to help hydrate, plump, firm, smooth and boost radiance.
Action Stations: Our bestselling serum, year after year is the OG, Vitamin C Facial Serum. Packed with skin-loving sodium ascorbyl phosphate (a gentle form of vitamin C skin loves), as well as soothing vitamin E and hydrating powerhouses hyaluronic acid and aloe, it’s the bee’s knees for great skin. Apply a few drops to your face and neck after toning and before moisturizing for better-looking, incredible-feeling skin in both the short- and long-term.
4. Take Compliments… And Return The Favor
Hands up if you’re terrible at receiving compliments? You’re not alone. But the thing is, people say nice things because they genuinely like or appreciate something about you and want to let you know about it order to make you feel good.
Action Stations: Next time someone tells you how great your skin is looking, smile and enjoy the compliment. They wouldn’t say it if they didn’t mean it. Plus, you’ll feel so much better than if you shrugged it off. Similarly, whenever your friends look good, let them know. Share the love!
5. Don’t Skip One Of The Best Skin Tonics Around
Toning used to be a vital part of any skin enthusiast’s all-important three-step skincare routine. Ask anyone older than 30 and they'll you that, back in the day, skincare was strictly about cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Then the world realized that most toners on the market were stripping the skin of essential nutrients and oils, and were, honestly, doing the skin much good at all.
Not so, any more. These days, toners are often the exact product your skin has been looking for, helping to increase hydration while cooling, reducing redness, calming irritation, firming, the list goes on.
Action Stations: The great thing about applying toner is that, sure, it might be an extra step in your routine, but if you choose a spritz formulation it'll only add on mere seconds. At most. Try our Ocean Minerals Super Toner after cleansing and before applying serum and your skin will instantly lavish the effects of radiance boosting vitamin C, glycolic acid, ginseng and MSM. All that from one spritz? You better believe it.
6. Watch Out For Changes In Your Skin
When skin is unhappy, it will tell you so. So don’t ignore it. The end. OK, not quite…
Action Stations: Pay attention to changes in texture and tone, increased sensitivity, irritation, breakouts and dry patches. These are all sure-fire signs that your skincare routine might not be cutting it, so adjust yours accordingly. If your skin is feeling irritated, for example, cut back on active ingredients for a bit to give it a chance to reset and ‘breathe’ again.
7. Know That Sleep Time Is Crucial For Your Skin
The term ‘beauty sleep’ didn’t occur by accident. Sleep, is in fact, the single most important time for your skin to repair and rejuvenate itself. When the rest of your body and brain are at rest, blood flow to your skin increases, collagen production amps up, antioxidants get to work and cell turnover picks up speed. Skip your important shut-eye and your skin loses out on all this important stuff. Not cool.
Action Stations: The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep every night for healthy adults. OK, this might not always be possible, but try to go to bed at the same hour every night to get into a regular pattern. Keep your room at a comfortable (neither too hot nor too cold) temperature and make sure it’s dark and quiet to optimize sleep. Also, make sure you help your skin out as it gets to work overnight. Cleanse before bed, apply a collagen-boosting serum like Rejuvenating Longevity Serum and follow with a rich moisturizer like Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream.
8. Carve Out Some Skin-Love Time
Giving yourself a DIY facial is a fantastic way to spend some quality time in your own company, improving your wellness and your complexion as a result. Facial massage, in particular, boosts circulation and helps lymphatic drainage to significantly improve the appearance of your skin. Not to mention how incredibly healing the power of touch can be.
Action Stations: Put aside 30 minutes each week to pamper your skin. This can be anything from giving yourself a facial massage to relaxing on your bed with a face mask and a couple of cold, used teabags over your eyes. Just remember to lock the door to ensure your kids, housemates or partner leave you well alone while you enjoy some much-needed me-time.
9. Exfoliate: But With Caution
We love skin exfoliation for removing dead skin cells, improving sluggish cell turnover and generally getting your skin’s glow on. However, it’s important to get the sweet spot just right. Too much and you could compromise your skin’s barrier function. Too little and you won’t experience the full benefits.
Of course your sweet spot depends on the strength and tolerance levels of your skin, but the general rule of thumb is that two or three times a week should do it.
Action Stations: There are two primary ways to exfoliate the skin: physical and chemical exfoliation. If you love the feel of a good scrub on your skin (that’s the physical version) try our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub which is fast becoming a favorite. But don’t forget, we also have our 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant for all your chemical exfoliating fans. Neither are bad choices. It’s simply up to you how you prefer to keep your skin ticking over.
10. Finally, Celebrate The Improvements
Healthy skin is a journey that requires time, patience and the willingness to adapt your routine and lifestyle as it changes. When you get on top of this, your skin is likely to reward you in the best way possible – looking better, feeling better and consistently behaving better. Big win.
Action Stations: Pat yourself on the back for listening to your skin, reacting positively and seeing results. And keep at it!
Skincare Tips10 Ways To Show Your Skin Some Self-Love
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Want to crush lit-from-within skin this spring? Then you’d better start your glow-getting routine immediately.
We don’t know about you, but this time of year is when we generally start thinking about getting our skin prepped and primed for spring. After all, brighter sunshine, longer days and warmer temps mean more time spent outside and so we want our skin to reflect the joys of springtime weather – bright, radiant and full of life.
Don’t get us wrong, we’ve done everything we can to keep our skin moisturized and looking good all winter long, but it’s not always easy, especially after the holidays when the focus has been more on wine and cheese than topical antioxidants and deep moisturization.
So what’s on the ‘must do this’ list for getting skin glowing and ready for spring? Follow these pointers and you’ll be well on the way.
1. Focus On Moisture
Winter is notorious for drying out the skin. You can blame the weather, for sure, because dry, cold air sucks all the hydration from the skin’s uppermost layers. But there are plenty of other things going on that ruin your skin’s moisture mojo. Central heating has to take some responsibility, as must things like hot baths and comfort foods.
If your skin is still feeling somewhat thirsty after battling the elements all winter long, stick with what you’ve likely been doing for the past few months. It’ll pay off eventually – promise. Invest in a humidifier for your bedroom to boost the moisture content in the air as you sleep and make sure your diet includes plenty of water-rich foods like cucumber, watermelon and tomatoes, as well as omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish and seeds.
As for your skincare routine, we love to layer a hydrating, nourishing serum under moisturizer as this supercharges the skin’s levels of moisture, without it needing to rely on super-heavy creams that can weigh it down.
Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is always a smart choice but you could also try our much-loved but often underestimated Peptide Facial Serum which combines three of the best hydrators we know – aloe, glycerin and panthenol – alongside collagen-enhancing peptides. Apply your serum of choice under moisturizer morning and night and your skin will soon have a brighter pep in its step. Plus, it'll feel downright amazing as an extra bonus.
2. Get Friendly With Exfoliating Acids
Chemical exfoliants are awesome for gifting your skin with a smoother (and therefore brighter) surface. Unlike facial scrubs which use grains like fine sand or salt and require physical motion to work, chemical exfoliants simply sit on your skin and go about their business with no effort at all. They work by breaking down the bonds between dead skin cells so they’re able to slough away quicker and more efficiently. Simple as that.
Furthermore, if you choose wisely and opt for a kind-to-skin formulation that harmonizes different kinds of chemical exfoliants, you may even be able to use it every day. Take our 6% AHA, BHA and PHA Liquid Exfoliant, for example. This hard-working, but never too hard-on-your-skin toner accelerates cell turnover with a perfectly balanced blend of glycolic acid (AHA), salicylic acid (BHA) and gluconolactone (PHA). And, yes, we know that might sound like a lot of exfoliating acids for one face, but fear not, we made sure to include just the right amount of each to gently exfoliate without leaving your skin feeling stripped or dry.
It’s the perfect product to give your skin the coveted glow you’ve been seeking since September said goodbye.
3. OD On Vitamin C
One of our favorite skin mottos is ‘when in doubt, reach for topical vitamin C.’ And do you know what? It’s never let us down. In fact, vitamin C is what’s known at TruSkin HQ as the ultimate brightening powerhouse. Not only is it one of the most trusted and tested antioxidants (reminder: antioxidants fight free radicals and keep your collagen levels in check) but it’s also thought to inhibit melanin production which means fewer dark spots, less patchy areas and a more glowy, even-looking complexion all round.
Of course, we don’t literally want you to OD on vitamin C. Some forms can be extremely potent and even a little irritating if you use them too much and apply them too often. So you have to tread carefully. Our advice? Introduce new products slowly into your routine, patch test them first, and stick with sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP). SAP is a salt form of the pure stuff which makes it more stable and therefore much gentler.
You'll find vitamin C, and more specifically SAP, in a ton of our skincare formulations so you really can pick and choose depending on your skin’s needs and preferences. Serums are the obvious choice, but since you're likely concentrating on hydration with your facial serum right now, how about trying our Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser instead? With a name like that, it would be rude not to.
4. Think Of Bedtime As TLC Time
You might be under the impression that overnight skincare is a bit pointless when you’re tucked up in bed doing nothing but dreaming of the teenage skin you wish you still had. But on the contrary, your skin does its best repair work when you’re asleep. Cell turnover peaks, collagen production revs up, blood flow increases and your body’s natural antioxidants system kicks in to help neutralize any pesky free radicals that may have built up during the day. Leave your makeup on and go to bed with dirty, unmoisturized skin, however, and all this good stuff becomes basically redundant.
To encourage the magic to happen, cleanse your face and neck gently but thoroughly before bed and start a slow-building retinol regime to naturally accelerate cell turnover and collagen synthesis. Our Retinol Facial Serum has your back here as it’s also infused with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to boost radiance and hydration both in the short- and long-term.
Mimic your morning routine by always following your serum with moisturizer. In this instance try Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream which contains that all-important, glow-getting vitamin C, as well as ‘nature’s beauty mineral,’ MSM which is one of the most underrated but overachieving ingredients for healthy skin. And we don’t say that lightly.
5. Make Massage A Must
We can think of little better for waking up your skin than a morning massage. The benefits of a facial massage are undeniable. For starters, it boosts blood flow and therefore allows more oxygen and nutrients to rush to the surface of your skin. Hello big-time glow! It also improves lymphatic drainage to help remove toxins away from the skin, reducing things like puffiness and inflammation. Not to mention how relaxing and stress-reducing a morning facial massage can be.
Don’t worry, though, we don’t expect you to learn all the tricks of the massage trade just like that. You can actually do this facial massage quickly and easily in mere minutes. You can also do it while cleansing, or applying facial oil – it totally depends on your jam.
Simply work your chosen product all over your face and neck, using the pads of your fingers, then sweep your fingers down your nose a few times, across your cheeks from the center outwards, then up and around your forehead. After your forehead, take your hands down to the middle of your chin and use sweeping motions to lift the skin up and out towards your ears. Finish with your neck, using the palms of your hands to perform light strokes from the base of your neck up to your jawline. Repeat this as many times as you like, using medium pressure to work the skin and get everything flowing.
Now, how long until March, again?
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