How To Deal With Tired, Hungover Skin
Skipping your zzzs is a one-way ticket to tired, dull skin. So, if you’re thinking of burning the midnight oil – perhaps with a little help from your vodka/wine/hard seltzer buddies – you’re going to need a few post-party skin tricks up your sleeves.
It may seem like a great idea at the time, but no sleep, coupled with way too many cocktails, not only equals a banging headache and zero energy for the next 24 hours, but it spells disaster for the state of your complexion. We’re talking puffiness, dullness, dehydration, maybe even a little irritation if you’ve a) eaten your weight in fast food and b) finally rolled into bed without taking off your makeup.
Thankfully, there are many ways to cure your skin’s hangover and counteract all those nasty effects of a late night. In fact, if you’re smart you can even go so far as to take a few precautionary measures the night before. Don’t fret, you don’t need to be dramatic and avoid late, boozy nights altogether, but if you swap out high-sugar cocktails (one word: glycation) for hard seltzers, or alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water this'll go a long way to preventing your skin from looking lousy the next day.
Too late for that? Then here are five of the most effective, post-party skincare must-dos – and trust us, we’ve tried them all ;)
1. Cleanse & Detox BEFORE Bed
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: DO NOT go to bed without first taking off your makeup. Overnight is when your skin goes through its most important healing and regenerative phase, but clogging up the surface with oil, bacteria, sweat, makeup and goodness-knows-what-else ruins your skin’s chance to renew itself. Makeup also clogs up your pores – especially if it contains oil or silicones – and you all know what clogged pores leads to (*cue Jaws music)…
So, before your head hits the pillow, wash your face and neck with a gentle, but deep cleansing face wash like Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash which also helps detoxify your skin and draw out impurities. And if you really are too beat, at the very least grab a biodegradable cleansing cloth. Just this once, of course.
Finish with Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to help hydrate and moisturize your skin as you sleep and come the morning, that old saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ will never be more true.
2. Massage Your Skin
The next morning you might want to do little more than lie on the sofa with just Netflix and coffee for company, but if you can face it, a cleansing massage will do wonders for depuffing and reenergizing your skin by boosting circulation and promoting lymphatic drainage.
First, grab a brightening cleanser like our Vitamin C Daily Facial Cleanser (side note: vitamin C also helps reduce damage from alcohol-induced free radicals) and apply this to damp skin, using the pads of your fingers. Press your fingers into the brow area and slide them up to your forehead a few times, then concentrate on your cheeks and work from each side of your nose, out towards the hairline. Do this a few times, then do the same over your chin and jawline before smoothing your fingertips up your neck. Just a couple of minutes doing this in the shower will really boost your glow. Promise.
3. Reduce Redness
Alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate which is why drinking a tad too much often results in red, flushed skin. To balance tone and reduce inflammation look for soothing ingredients in your morning-after skincare. Our Daily Facial Rose Water Toner is a great place to start, followed by Niacinamide Facial Serum. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is awesome for reducing redness and blotchiness. It also strengthens your skin’s barrier function to reduce moisture loss as an added bonus.
After cleansing, spritz your face with Rose Water Toner, then immediately apply a couple of drops of Niacinamide Serum all over your skin. Applying serum before your toner dries helps lock in moisture and counteracts the dehydrating effects of alcohol, fast food, zero zzzs and so on.
4. De-Puff Your Eyes
A big night out inevitably results in dark, puffy circles under your eyes. Why? Because all that bad stuff causes the blood vessels under the thin skin around your eyes to dilate, increasing blood retention and causing darkness and swelling. Lack of sleep also makes your levels of cortisol – the ‘stress hormone’ – go sky-high, altering the salt balance in your body and forcing it to retain water and cause unwanted swelling.
A great pep-up for your eyes is to pop a couple of cooled tea bags over them for five minutes. This might sound like an old wives’ tale, but caffeine has been proven to narrow blood vessels to help reduce swelling and dark circles. To further de-puff, brighten, moisturize and reduce redness, follow with Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream. For an extra cooling boost, you could even stash it in the fridge.
5. Most Important Of All, Rehydrate
Dehydration is the biggest issue for your skin (and in fact, your whole body) after pulling an all-nighter, and when your skin is dehydrated it looks dull, sallow and so much older (hello fine lines and wrinkles).
Drinking plenty of water is a great move for your internal hangover, but it’s not going to immediately benefit your skin. Dang. Instead, douse your face and neck with a serum containing humectant ingredients to draw water to the surface of your skin like a sponge. We love Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum which has been formulated with three super effective humectants: glycerin, aloe and hyaluronic acid. It also contains green tea, plus vitamins C and E to help reduce oxidative stress from damaging free radicals.
Finish your post-party-pick-me-up routine with Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer to seal in all that goodness and add a final boost of radiance… and bam. Late night, what late night?
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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This week, our September Spotlight Series highlights the always awesome Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum. Never a bad choice for your skincare routine, this hydrating treatment serum deserves all the love…
Unless you’ve been living underground for the past 10 years, you’ll have heard a lot of chat in the beauty world about hyaluronic acid. Granted, you might not know its chemical formula or the fact that it’s an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan (what the…?) but what you will know is that it’s touted as one of the most hydrating ingredients in skincare.
However, like its other top-of-the-class friends, retinol and vitamin C, hyaluronic acid (HA) isn’t just a one-trick pony. Yes, it’s an awesome humectant but it’s so much more than a tool for drawing moisture into your skin. It’s also super important for strengthening your skin’s barrier function to fight off irritation and premature aging. Oh, and it works hard to help keep free radical damage to a minimum. So there’s that.
In our opinion, almost all skin types can benefit from a boost of HA in its life, so if you’re yet to get on board and want to treat your skin to the best hyaluronic acid serum around (minus the eye-wateringly huge pricetag), here’s what you need to know…
Say Hello To Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum
One of our best-selling serums for all skin types, Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is your go-to if you want to cocoon your skin in delicious, nutritious hydration. And who doesn’t want that? After all, dehydration is one of the main triggers for accelerating premature aging, sucking the life out of your skin and highlighting fine lines and wrinkles. You see, your skin naturally contains a healthy amount of HA, but just like collagen, elastin and other important components that keep your skin in great shape, you lose a bunch of it as you age and subject your skin to the perils of the daily grind. Things like UV radiation, pollution, stress, poor sleep and smoking all work together to accelerate HA degradation and suck the moisture from your skin. And that’s why you have to do everything you can to retain what you have and replenish that which is lost.
A great solution for moisture loss is to include a butt-kicking humectant in your skincare routine. Humectants attract water from their surroundings and draw it into the epidermis where it holds it in like a sponge to moisturize the upper levels of your skin and reduce dryness, flakiness and cracking at the surface. If your environment has enough humidity, humectants will pull water vapor from here, but they may also draw it up from the underlying levels of your skin. And the best humectants in skincare? Glycerin, aloe and, of course, hyaluronic acid.
From the first use, you’ll notice how lightweight our Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is. That’s because combined with HA are other skin-loving ingredients, purposely included to offer you the ultimate hydrating experience without making your skin feel sticky or weighed down.
What Makes Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum Different From The Rest
1. It Offers Triple, Yes Triple Hydration
While our vegan, plant-derived hyaluronic acid has been crafted to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, we wanted more. Because when it comes to the health of your skin, we’re greedy for the best. So what did we do? We also pumped our Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum with aloe vera and kosher vegetable glycerin for triple-whammy hydrating effects.
Be afraid, dehydration, be very afraid.
2. Botanical Essential Oils Help Seal In Moisture
Humectants are fantastic for your skin, replacing moisture loss and helping to keep your barrier functioning properly. There’s no denying that. However, the thing with humectants is that while they’re great for drawing in moisture, they’re not so hot at keeping it there.
For humectants to work to their best ability, they need to be sealed into your skin with an emollient or occlusive ingredient like some kind of butter or oil. Otherwise all that moisture can evaporate into thin air, making the whole process kinda pointless. This is why you’re always advised to apply moisturizer on top of your serum.
Thankfully, we planned ahead for this kind of vicious circle by including organic jojoba oil into our Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum. One of the gentlest and most skin-friendly oils around, jojoba is a big favorite for locking in moisture without blocking up your pores. You see, we’re not just a pretty face.
3. We Also Harness The Powers Of Cica
Cica might not be in your everyday skincare vocabulary but this K-beauty soothing ingredient has been gaining popularity for a few years now. And it's well-deserved.
A staple in Chinese medicine for centuries to treat wounds, cica (which is often referred to as gotu kola or tiger grass) is a leafy green herb that’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids which all work in harmony to firm, repair and soothe the skin. It’s probably one of the best ingredients for soothing sensitive skin, calming inflammation and reducing redness. And these often come hand in hand with dehydration. You can see where we’re going here, right?
Look out for this guy on your ingredients listings. It’s going nowhere fast.
4. Where Would We Be Without Vitamins C and E?
Vitamins C and E are just too good to ignore, so we can’t help but include them in a ton of our serums. And Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is no exception. Topical vitamin C, however, comes in many guises, the most common of which is l-ascorbic acid which is extremely potent and often a bit much for sensitive, dry or dehydrated skin.
This is why, instead, we use sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) which is a salt form of vitamin C and way gentler on the skin. It’s the perfect partner to hyaluronic acid, upping its antioxidant prowess but without any risk of irritating the skin. Add in the soothing, emollient powers of vitamin E and you’ve got a total winner on your hands.
We think so, anyway.
How To Make Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum Work For You
Hyaluronic acid is easily tolerated by most skin types so this serum can be used daily, even twice daily if you like. Of course, we always advise patch testing any new product first (just in case!) but this treatment is one of our gentlest formulations so it’s unlikely you’ll have any unwanted side effects. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Always apply your serum to clean skin, after cleansing and before moisturizing. Pop no more than five drops into the palm of your (clean!) hands then gently smooth it all over your face and neck. You could also try smoothing it on while your skin is still damp to maximize all that extra free moisture. Just don’t forget to moisturize to further lock it all in. And if you fancy an added boost of HA for the eye area, why not try our super hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream?
Check them both out, right here.
Hyaluronic AcidThe September Spotlight: Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum
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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.
NiacinamideThe Products We Swear By For Bright, Dewy Skin
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When something as important as exfoliation comes in two completely different guises, how do you know which is best? Read on for a complete breakdown of the highs and lows of both chemical and physical exfoliation…
Exfoliation is one of the simplest, most effective skincare habits for transforming dull, sad skin into the brightest, healthiest-looking skin of your life. It works hard to smooth out annoyingly bumpy skin texture, reduce the frequency of pesky breakouts, decrease excess oil, and even minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
But exfoliation is often plagued by contradictions and it can be hard to navigate the facts. Should you or should you not exfoliate every day? Are scrubs better than exfoliating masks? Or is the opposite correct?
Of course, the truth usually depends on your skin type and its current condition (because, yes these are two very separate things), but one thing’s for sure, exfoliation takes on two very different forms. And it’s important you know what’s what so you can make the right decision about what’s right for you and your skin.
Before we go any further, however, let’s have a quick refresh on the basics. As you know, skin renews itself every day, shedding millions of cells as it produces fresher ones deeper below the surface. This process is called desquamation and it’s a pretty efficient way of keeping your skin fresh, healthy, moisturized and well protected from the slings and arrows of daily life. Like most good things in life, though, this process slows down as you age, allowing dead skin cells to hang around at the surface and encouraging dryness, dehydration, blocked pores and the formation of lines, wrinkles and other visible signs of aging.
The good news is that exfoliation – both physical and chemical – is here to save the day, sloughing off dead skin cells (as well as other nasties like grime, pollution, makeup and excess oil), boosting circulation, accelerating cell turnover and helping to keep your skin’s barrier function ticking along nicely. Technically, both physical and chemical exfoliation do the same thing. But they work in completely different ways.
So first up, let’s take a look at the most ‘classic’ and well-known form of exfoliation: the physical kind.
What Is Physical Exfoliation?
Physical exfoliation is the one you’ll be most used to. Remember those scrubs you made as an enthusiastic teenager that contained all manner of kitchen ingredients like mashed banana, oatmeal and yogurt? Well, thanks to the oatmeal, that’s a physical exfoliant right there.
Physical exfoliants are abrasives and basically include anything that requires some kind of manual force or motion in order to remove dead cells from the surface of your skin. Face scrubs, which contain grainy elements like sand, sugar, salt and fruit seeds, are the most obvious choice, but mitts, loofahs and cleansing brushes also fit into the same camp.
Then there are the professional treatments like microdermabrasion and dermaplaning. If you’re not acquainted with these, microdermabrasion works by combining microcrystals with a vacuum suction to exfoliate dead skin cells and stimulate collagen production. Dermaplaning, meanwhile, employs a tiny razor to gently shave the skin’s surface. This helps remove peach fuzz, but is also helps get rid of the upper-most layer of dead skin cells as an extra bonus.
Is Physical Exfoliation For You?
When used carefully, gently and not too often (two or three times a week is usually the sweet spot), physical exfoliation can be a great addition to any skincare routine.
We find they’re particularly great for:
* Improving poor skin texture
* Oily skin
* Boosting circulation
* A truly deep clean
* Instantly brighter skinIn? Then Try: Our brand new Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub which we’re super excited about. Abrasive without being too hard on your complexion, this delicious scrub harnesses our favorite type of vitamin C, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, alongside antioxidant-rich yuzu lemon (which is also naturally chock-full of vitamin C) to work on dull, lifeless-looking skin fast.
All this combines with the smoothness of Bora Bora white sand which is no ordinary sand. Ultra-fine, it's extremely gentle on the skin to help promote cell turnover and remove rough, dead skin cells without the irritation often experienced with inferior face scrubs. Add in some soothing, hydrating aloe and all this makes for the ideal twice weekly scrub in a nutshell. Although, fyi, no nutshells were used in the making of this scrub. Nutshells do not have a smooth, uniform shape which makes them notorious for creating micro-tears on the surface of your skin. And we do not want that for you.
What Is Chemical Exfoliation?
Instead of using physical movement to boost cellular turnover, chemical exfoliants use topical ingredients (usually acids) to dissolve and break down the bonds between dead skin cells so they slough away more efficiently. Again, there are skincare products you can use at home, but also professional treatments like chemical peels can offer very powerful results.
Most at-home chemical exfoliants use AHAs, BHAs or PHAs as a means to get the job done.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are water-soluble chemical compounds that are usually extracted from fruit or milk sugars. Glycolic acid is probably the most well-known AHA because it has a very low molecular weight which makes it very good at penetrating the skin. Sometimes, too good if your skin errs towards the sensitive side. And this is where lactic acid comes into its own. Lactic acid has a larger molecular size than its glycolic cousin which makes it way gentler and more readily tolerated by sensitive skin.
Unlike their water-soluble AHA cousins, beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are oil-soluble substances which means they’re able to cut through the lipid layers between your skin cells to penetrate into your pores and exfoliate your skin on a much deeper level. As well as being darn good at exfoliating your skin, BHAs also target and reduce excess sebum to clear and brighten the skin – that’s a big deal for anyone struggling with oily, inflamed or acne-prone skin, btw. Examples of BHAs? Frankly there’s only one worth mentioning, salicylic acid which has been studied for decades and proven to not only target pores and increase cell turnover, but to offer incredible antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Last, but not least, you have poly hydroxy acids (PHAs). Much newer to the exfoliation scene, PHAs are a new generation of water-soluble AHAs with all the benefits… but with less of the side-effects. The reason for their gentle nature is that they’re formulated with multiple strands, so they have a larger molecular size and are therefore unable to penetrate the deeper layers of your skin. Instead, they work exclusively on the skin’s surface to boost cell renewal without irritating your complexion. They’re basically your go-to if you have super-sensitive skin but are concerned about the visible signs of aging. Main players include gluconolactone (sometimes referred to as gluconic acid) and lactobionic acid which is an oxidized form of lactose and extracted from cow’s milk.
Is Chemical Exfoliation For You?
Just like their abrasive co-workers, chemical exfoliants work for all skin types as long as you patch test them first and use them as often (or as little!) as your skin allows.
They’re specifically good for…
* Sensitive skin
* Targeting dark spots
* Acne-prone skin
* Fine lines and wrinkles
* Enlarged poresIn? Then Try: 6% AHA, BHA + PCA Liquid Exfoliant which, as the name suggests, combines all three chemical exfoliants (and vitamin C, of course!) to gently but powerfully boost cell regeneration and promote brighter, younger-looking skin. Simply apply it to cleansed skin before your serum and moisturizer for a daily glow-getting fix and watch your skin continue to get better and better.
Skincare GuideChemical Vs Physical Exfoliation: Which Is Best?
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Good news: the most effective things you can do for your skin are also the simplest.
We know we don’t need to reiterate the importance of cleansing and moisturizing your skin every morning and night. Those kind of skincare practices are a given. However, there are plenty of other basic habits you should get into if you want to maintain the best skin of your life. Because taking care of your skin is way easier than you think – but there are still rules.
Read on for ten of our favorites.
1. Use Toner
Toner is often overlooked in the quest for fabulous skin. But here’s the thing. It might not be an absolute ‘essential’ like cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen, but similar to other skincare greats like serums, a good toner can provide a whole lot of love to your skin.
Typically water-based, think of your toner as like a primer for your skin, gently removing any last traces of grime from your pores, while balancing your pH and providing much-needed hydration. Depending on the ingredients used, certain toners may even help brighten, firm or clarify your skin.
Take Action: Introduce a toner to your morning and evening routine and you’ll notice the benefits almost straight away. Just make sure you choose well, steering clear of harsh alcohols and synthetic fragrances in favor of calming, soothing and balancing botanicals like rose water and aloe vera. Try Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner.
2. Prioritize Sleep
Great skin isn’t just about great skincare. Your lifestyle is even more important than the products you put on your skin. Sleep, for example, is crucial. Deprive yourself of a good night’s sleep and your skin misses out on valuable regeneration time in which collagen production amps up, cell regeneration accelerates, blood flow increases and antioxidants kick in to neutralize environmental damage.
Take Action: You must have noticed how much better you look after a quality eight hours of sleep time, right? Then do your damnedest to make that a regular occurrence. Your skin will look and feel ten times better. Stat.
3. Avoid Harsh Skincare
If you have sensitive skin, you'll already err on the side of gentle when choosing your skincare products. But, in all honesty, the same rule should apply regardless of your skin type. We know it’s tempting to choose oil-stripping products if you have greasy or acne-prone skin, for example, but honestly, they won’t help. In fact, they’ll probably make matters worse, causing dehydration and irritation in both the short- and long-term.
Take Action: Don’t be too harsh on your skin. Sure, choose products that are tailored to help your individual skin type (dry, oily, normal or combination) but avoid anything that’s packed with strong alcohols and/or unnecessary chemicals. Kindness is next to godliness. Or something like that!
4. Embrace Eye Cream
For some people, eye cream falls into the same ‘do I really need it?’ category as toner. And sure, if you’re young enough to yet be dealing with dark circles, puffiness, dryness and wrinkling around your eyes then fair enough, eye cream won’t be your highest priority. For the rest of us, however, eye cream is vital.
Gentler than regular moisturizer, eye creams are specifically formulated to deal with the thinner, more delicate skin around your eyes. Unlike the rest of your face, this area contains fewer sebaceous glands to keep it moisturized as well as less muscle and fatty tissue for strength and volume. So it really does need looking after.
Take Action: We have three fantastic eye creams to choose from depending on your skin concerns. Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream is incredible for improving eye bags, while Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream is a must for hydrating and firming the skin around your eyes. But don’t forget Peptide Eye Gel, our fabulously lightweight, cooling gel that works on all the visible signs of aging. Use just a tiny amount of your chosen formulation morning and night.
5. Find A Simple, Consistent Routine
Consistency is everything. It’s as simple as that. However, what might work for your BFF might not work for you, so find your own way in your skincare life. Then stand firm.
Take Action: Sticking to a daily routine that’s simple and effective will go a long way to helping you reach your skincare goals. This may be applying Retinol Facial Serum every night and exfoliating twice a week; or it could be alternating between Vitamin C Facial Serum and Niacinamide Facial Serum. If it works for you, roll with it.
Of course, you can switch the odd product up every now and again to work with the seasons and help target certain changes that may occur in your skin. But don’t mess around too much, and definitely don’t switch out your products every month. This won’t give them time to do what they set out to.
6. Quit Smoking
Cigarettes are packed with thousands of chemicals which are terrible for the skin. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, the long-term effects of smoking include dryness, patchy skin, bags around the eyes, sagging and deeper-then-normal wrinkles.
“It is common for the skin of a 40-year old heavy smoker to resemble that of a 70-year-old non-smoker,” experts claim. We’ll just leave you with that for a hot minute.
Take Action: If you don’t smoke, don’t start. And if you do, there are many ways to quit. It might not be easy, and it’ll take time, patience and a lot of willpower. But we believe in you. Head here for help.
7. Wear Sunscreen
We may have said this before (ha, like only a thousand times!) but sunscreen is the most important product you can have in your anti-aging skincare arsenal. In fact, UV radiation is responsible for somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of all visible skin aging, helping to ward off premature lines, discolorations and sagging.
And yes, you do need to protect your skin from UV radiation every day of the year. Because, not only does UVA penetrate right through clouds but it also goes through windows to hit your skin when you least expect it.
Take Action: Go for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30. This will ensure you’re giving your skin sufficient protection from both UVA and UVB radiation. Apply it generously to any exposed skin (your face, neck and back of the hands as an absolute minimum), and choose a formulation you actually enjoy applying to ensure it seamlessly becomes part of your routine, like cleaning your teeth and brushing your hair. Good news: SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is so lightweight and easy to apply, you'll actually WANT to wear it.
8. Stop Touching Your Face
No matter how often your wash or sanitize your hands, they will always carry germs, allergens and bacteria that can transfer straight to the skin on your face. This can upset your skin’s delicate microbiome, potentially triggering breakouts or worsening existing conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
Take Action: We get it, touching your face is something you rarely realize you’re doing. But whenever you clock it, call yourself out. Hopefully over time you can stop, or at least reduce the amount of face touching you do on a daily basis.
9. Clean Up Your Diet
Whether it be chocolate, ice cream, Fritos or hot dogs, we all have our vices. And treats are fine in moderation, but too many can cause harmful compounds that attack your skin cells and really mess with the tone and texture of your poor complexion.
Take Action: The best diet for your skin is one that’s packed with antioxidant-rich fresh fruit and veggies, plus oily fish, seeds and nuts, all of which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Don't starve yourself of the good stuff (that rarely works), but don't go overboard and make sure the healthy stuff always outweighs the unhealthy.
10. Exfoliate
As you get older, exfoliation becomes ever more important as your skin’s rate of turnover becomes sluggish and dead skin cells start to outstay their welcome. This can leave your skin looking drab, dreary and extremely dull. Worse yet, it can block up your pores and invite acne breakouts to the party. Prefer brighter, smoother, more wide-awake skin than any of the above? Then you gotta exfoliate.
Take Action: Give your face a gentle exfoliation as often as you think your skin needs it. This could be as frequent as every day, or as little as once a week. It may also take a few weeks to figure out your skin’s sweet spot, but when you get there, trust us, it’ll be worth it.
Also, think about whether you prefer the physical action of a scrub or the simplicity of a leave-on lotion. The good news is we cater for both with our awesome Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub and 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant.
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