Is Your Skin Prepared For Summer?

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.

Because it's almost time to wave winter goodbye and welcome the season of sunshine and glowy skin. 

Good news, people: you and your skin have made it through winter and spring is officially in the air.

So what should you do to ensure you’re doing the best for your skin as the weather changes and the temperatures rise? Well, we believe that a great skincare routine should, first and foremost, be as consistent as possible. Do you have a darling cleanser you could not live without? Then stick with it. Love your night cream more than life itself? Then you keep doing you. However, as the year passes and the weather transitions from winter to spring, there might be certain products in your routine that, while might have worked great in the colder months, suddenly feel a bit much.

Crazy rich moisturizers and heavy treatment masks, for example, are all great when dry, cold temps outdoors combine with dry, warm air indoors, sucking all the life and moisture from your skin. But do you really need them once humidity increases and the mercury rises? Probably not.

Instead, here are five important ways to get your skin (and your skincare routine) ready for spring…

1. Exfoliate More Regularly

Exfoliation often takes a bit of a back seat in the winter when the thought of exacerbating dryness and upsetting your skin’s barrier function far outweighs the potential benefits of exfoliation. And we get that. Dry, cold weather dehydrates your skin and can even cause irritation, so why on earth would you want to mess with that by overusing facial scrubs or exfoliating acids?

In the spring, however, humidity levels increase which offers up more natural moisture for your skin to soak up and hydrate itself with. This means skin becomes more resilient and is able to tolerate regular, albeit gentle exfoliation to boost cell turnover and freshen it up for sunnier days ahead. Also, if your skin is anything like ours, by the end of winter it definitely could do with a little radiance boost.

We recommend our 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant which is non-abrasive and a gentle way to exfoliate your skin. But don't get us wrong, it still packs a good enough punch to boost sluggish skin turnover and wake up your collagen supplies. Depending on your skin type, you can use this exfoliating lotion every day but always patch test first, and if you have super sensitive skin, try it just two or three times a week.

2. Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Regime

There’s no better feeling than smothering your face and neck with a rich moisturizer in the winter months. But as the weather gets better and your skin starts to hydrate itself more efficiently (and maybe sweat a little more)? Not so much.

Spring and summertime are when lighter moisturizers come into their own. Unless you have very dry skin all year round, now’s the time to move away from heavy, occlusive ingredients like cocoa butter and mineral oils in favor of lighter, hydrating humectants and emollients. Humectants, which include the likes of glycerin and hyaluronic acid, draw water into the skin’s top layers while emollients like jojoba oil and squalane help to lock moisture into your skin without clogging up your pores.

Feel like lightening up for spring? Our favorite moisturizer for this time of year is our Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer which also contains an added glow-getting boost of vitamin C. Speaking of which…

3. Embrace The Benefits Of Vitamin C

It’s wise to go easy on potent, active ingredients like retinol, vitamin C and glycolic acid in the winter when your skin is drier, more dehydrated and easily irritated by strong ingredients. However, as humidity levels rise your skin becomes way more tolerant to powerful ingredients.

That’s why we believe spring is the best time to introduce some topical actives into your routine. And what better than vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a freakin’ amazing antioxidant, making it the perfect choice when you’re spending more time in the great outdoors. Because, sun damage. What’s more, it also helps your skin tone remain even and bright by keeping melanin production under control.

We have a whole bunch of winning vitamin C formulas but for the most powerful boost try our Vitamin C Super Serum + two or three nights a week under moisturizer. You could even alternate it with our classic Vitamin C Facial Serum if that floats your boat. We don’t think you’ll regret it.

4. Breathe Life Back Into Your Pores

All those heavy moisturizers and weighty makeup choices can sure weigh down your pores, so now’s a great time to give your skin a detox. Or a spring clean, if you will.

Cleansing in the winter can be a real juggling game because skin becomes very needy in the moisture department during those cold, dry months. However, come spring you can afford to introduce deeper cleansing ingredients into your routine – if that’s what your skin needs, of course.

Don’t fall into the trap of over-cleansing your skin with a routine that’s packed with chemicals, however. This will dry out your skin and fool your sebaceous glands into thinking your skin needs more oil. And the more oil your skin produces, the more likely it is to bind itself to bacteria, dirt and makeup, stretching your pores and asking for trouble, aka breakouts.

Instead, choose gentle, effective cleansing products that harness balancing ingredients like tea tree oil, coconut charcoal and kaolin. Wash your face in lukewarm, never hot water, and use a light massaging technique to thoroughly cleanse your skin without over-stimulating your pores. Try our Tea Tree Super Cleanser + to help kick-start dreary, end-of-winter skin.

5. Be Extra Vigilant With SPF

Of course, you’ve been routinely applying your SPF all winter long, right? RIGHT? Well, if you haven’t, then a) shame and you and b) best you rectify that right now.

While UVA rays are able to penetrate through clouds and are present all year long – rain or shine – the intensity of UVB rays increases in the warmer months when the earth is closer to the sun. Of course, they’re at their peak during summer, but if ever there was a time to start being more strict with your SPF, spring is it. Start now and it’ll become a habit before you even know it.

We recommend applying SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C every morning as an absolute must. Even if you hate the feeling of sunscreen on your skin, this sheer, lightweight formulation is sure to win you over.

PSA: pair vitamin C with other effective skincare ingredients and it becomes next-level good.

Vitamin C is basically our middle name here at TruSkin. Don’t get us wrong, we love any skincare ingredient that offers real-life benefits to your skin that you can actually see and feel. Retinol is one of the first that comes to mind, but also bakuchiol, its plant-derived cousin has also become a permanent fixture in our daily routines.

However, there’s something about vitamin C that makes it hard to beat. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s been proven to fight environmental stressors and thus protect your skin from all the damage that comes from exposure to things like smoking, pollution and, quelle surprise, UV radiation. It’s also known to inhibit a certain enzyme in your skin called tyrosinase which helps keeps melanin under control and reduces your likelihood of developing sun-related dark spots and an uneven skin tone. And if you’re worried about the potency of pure vitamin C on your skin? Don’t be. L-ascorbic acid (the pure stuff) packs a pretty mean punch, for sure, but there are many kinder-to-skin derivatives out there, including our favorite, sodium ascorbyl phosphate which is gentle, but oh-so-mighty.

All this is great, but one of our absolute favorite things about vitamin C is that it partners so well with other true greats. So which ones are worth your time? We’ve rounded up the vitamin C pairings we believe are pretty unbeatable.

Vitamin C + Vitamin E: The Ultimate Antioxidant Duo

As skincare couples go, vitamin C and vitamin E are an unbeatable little double act. You know that phrase, ‘you complete me’? That's these two, in a nutshell.

C and E are both potent antioxidants and proven to neutralize damaging free radicals which form in the skin when it’s exposed to environmental nasties. This helps reduce oxidative stress, slowing down cell damage and thus helping to preserve important proteins in your skin like collagen and elastin. As you know, these are super important to keep your skin strong, soft, clear and youthful-looking.

Of course, vitamin C does a pretty good job of this on its own, but if you combine it with vitamin E you automatically amp up both of their superpowers with zero effort at all. You see, vitamin E strengthens and accelerates vitamin C's protective abilities by preserving its stability and efficacy. Meanwhile, C stops E’s age-fighting powers from depleting as it fights off those free radical bad guys.

Vitamin E is also great at soothing and hydrating the skin as an extra bonus. Together, they're the ultimate fighting champions.

Try: Vitamin C Facial Serum

Vitamin C + Sunscreen: Great Alone… Even Better Together

As we’ve drummed into you by now, sunscreen is the number one way to fight off external skin aging, reducing your likelihood of developing everything from lines and wrinkles through to dull skin, sagging and dark spots. Any broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a decent SPF of at least 30 is going to effectively shield your skin from sun damage. No arguments there. However, there’s one way to make your sunscreen work even better. And that’s by pairing it up with vitamin C.

Studies show that vitamin C makes sunscreen work harder by neutralizing more free radicals than sunscreen is able to do on its own. It’s also thought to help your sunscreen absorb more UV radiation.

The truth is that sunscreen is only able to shield your skin from around 50 percent of the number of free radicals caused by the sun. And not only that, but even the most highly protective sunscreens that boast SPFs of staggering numbers can only protect your skin from around 98 percent of UV radiation. This means a certain number of UV rays are always going to sneak through. Ditto free radicals.

C to the rescue. And how!

Try: SPF 30 Sunscreen with Vitamin C

Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid: The Hydrating Power Couple

Vitamin C plays pretty well with most skin types – especially if you stick with the skin-loving sodium ascorbyl phosphate – but still, everyone’s skin has different levels of sensitivities so irritation can never be counted out.

So, what’s a great way to reduce your chances of flaring up? By ensuring your skin’s barrier function is strong and well hydrated. Of course, gentle cleansing and moisturizing is key, but another effective trick for rehydrating your skin is to couple your vitamin C with the master of moisture: hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a type of polymer that acts as a powerful lubricant and humectant. More technical jargon, we know, but humectants are water-loving components that suck in moisture and hold onto it like a sponge. They’re essential for keeping the skin hydrated, plump and smooth and, as humectants go, HA is kind of a big deal. Just one gram of the stuff can hold up to six liters of water.

HA is very gentle on the skin and works like a dream with most other skincare ingredients, especially vitamin C whose anti-aging and texture-enhancing abilities get enhanced like nobody’s business by the powers of HA. HA can also counteract any sensitivities or dryness you might experience from vitamin C. Major plus points.

Try: Vitamin C Super Serum +

Vitamin C + MSM: The Collagen Protectors

It upsets us that MSM isn’t center stage like vitamin C and retinol, but hey, not everyone can be the leading lady, right? But don’t let that fool you because, just like any great movie, the supporting actors are just as important. Often even more so. And MSM is all that… and then some.

Not familiar with the powers of MSM? Well, to quote its full name, methylsulfonylmethane is a natural-occurring form of sulfur that’s often referred to as the ‘beauty’ or ‘healing’ mineral. Does it deserve such a nickname? Absolutely. Its inherent ability to encourage blood flow, fight inflammation and boost collagen makes it a total whizz-kid for the skin. Simple as. It also works darn hard to fight environmental damage by helping to enforce your body’s natural defense system, so there’s also that.

In skincare, vitamin C helps your skin to readily absorb MSM, doubling up their combined collagen love and working extra hard to fight off the visible signs of premature aging.

Try: Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream