Say Hello To Skincare’s Ultimate Power Couples

Don’t let fragile, wintry skin and boozy breakouts ruin your skin when the rest of you is ready to rock the party circuit.

It’s the season of champagne, bright lights, festive apps and Santa hats and we, for one, are thrilled. But as much as we love all the fun and fabulousness of the holidays, your skin can take a real beating. Cold, dry weather; warm, steamy bars; a little more alcohol and a lot less sleep can all add up to stress on your skin, compromising your barrier function and throwing your moisture levels out of whack.

Granted, if you have the skin of an angel, you might not notice issues with dryness, shiny foreheads or annoying breakouts during the party season. Well, lucky you because for the other 99.99999 percent of us, party skin often needs an extra bit of TLC to look and feel as high-spirited as our moods.

Here’s how to help get your skin on its merry way this festive season…

One Week Before

To truly get your skin in the right frame of mind for partying, you have to start looking after it early. A good week in advance, in fact. Of course, we know you have a great and consistent skincare routine up your sleeves, period, but there are three things you should really concentrate on in the week up to a big do.

1. Chemical Exfoliation

A great way to kick-start your skin into looking more plump, energized and fresh, is to embrace exfoliating acids. These are the AHAs, BHA and PHAs of the world and include powerhouses like glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids.

Try applying 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant daily to cleansed skin to help boost cellular turnover, improve collagen synthesis and give sluggish skin a real kick in the booty.

2. Facial Massage

A simple facial massage is awesome for improving lymphatic drainage and blood flow. It gets everything moving thus helping to remove toxins while boosting nutrients and oxygen to the surface of the skin – super important for the party season when salty snacks and boozy beverages zap all the life from your skin. Simply work your hands all over your face and neck while cleansing each morning and night, taking your time to lift and smooth the skin in circular motions. You could also invest in a face roller or gua sha tool if they’re your jam.

3. Energizing Serum

While we wouldn’t suggest doubling up on your coffee intake (ever!), adding topical caffeine to your skincare routine will do your complexion all sorts of favors. An incredible antioxidant and with lots of anti-inflammatory powers, caffeine is a fantastic way to counteract all those free radicals that stress, lack of sleep and a poor diet produces. Gold star right there.

Caffeine also energizes your skin by tightening the blood vessels and stimulating circulation. Say hello to brighter, firmer skin and less puffiness and under eye bags as an added bonus. Get involved by applying Caffeine Facial Serum to your skin morning and night.

The Night Before

Big night out tomorrow? Then the following are some super effective ways to ensure your skin is clean, clear, beautifully hydrated and ready to partay!

1. Double Cleanse

We’re not massive fans of double cleansing – it just seems a bit excessive, as a rule. However, do it gently and on the odd occasion, and it can truly help to give your skin a proper ‘clear out,’ leaving you with a smooth foundation for some serious party makeup (if that’s your thing, of course!).

To double cleanse with success, first use an oil-based makeup cleanser to remove makeup, sebum and any other oily stuff from your skin. Then, go for a water-based cleanser to get rid of other surface debris while boosting your complexion with skin-loving ingredients like vitamin C, minerals, aloe vera or plant extracts. We love Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser for a party season detox.

2. Facial Steam

Steaming your face increases perspiration to help remove toxins and boosts blood flow to get oxygen and lots of nutrients flowing to your skin. Win-win. What’s more it’s arguably the easiest and cheapest (aka: free!) way to give yourself the results of a spa-like facial in the comfort of your own home.

Simply place your face over a bowl of recently boiled water (although not freshly boiled, that’ll be too hot!). Place a towel over your head to trap in the steam and hold your face over the surface of the water without getting too close for about 10 minutes. Just remember to always follow with moisturizer. Speaking of which…

3. Layered Hydration

Before bed, baby your skin with as much hydration as it will take – without overloading it with heavy coats of rich creams that might block your pores, of course. That can be disastrous. The best way to crush this? With layers. First up, smooth on a moisture-magnet serum like Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum then wait a few seconds before applying moisturizer over the top. We have tons to choose from but a current favorite comes in the form of Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream which contains skin-reviving bakuchiol (just like retinol, but gentler on the skin!), plus snow algae to boost radiance and protect your skin from any party stress factors!

The Day Of

OK, it’s crunch time. Hopefully, if you’ve kept to your routine and added in a few choice extras, your skin is ready to glow – who needs makeup, anyway!? However, if you still need a little pick-me-up, try these last-minute glow-getting tricks.

1. A Morning Scrub

First things first: don’t overdo it with the exfoliation, people. If you’ve been applying a chemical exfoliant in the run-up to party time, a facial scrub might be a tad excessive. However, if you’ve not had time to get ahead of the exfoliation game, a face scrub is game-changing for instantly smoother, brighter-looking skin. Grab our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub as a matter of urgency, and smooth it all over your face and neck, using gentle circular motions to work it all over.

2. Vitamin C

We rate very little above topical vitamin C when it comes to rejuvenating ingredients that get the job done. So, apply the best vitamin C money can buy after cleansing  and feel smug in the knowledge that your skin has started off the day right. Sure, it may end the day a little tipsy and full of sugar and salt, but at least you started well and, hey, we have just as many great tricks for hungover skin as we do for party prepping!

Try our Vitamin C Super Serum+ for a punchy pack of skin brightening goodness.

3. Ice Globes

A favorite with makeup artists for prepping celebrities’ skin for red carpet events, ice globes are glass or metal wands that have balls on the ends and are kept in the fridge or freezer. They're kind of like rubbing ice cubes all over your skin without the watery mess or potential skin damage.

Awesome for depuffing the eye area, ice globes also work wonders on facial redness, inflammation and sluggish skin. Cleanse your skin first, then apply serum before working them over the skin for 10 minutes or so. Use upwards movements to lift your skin and add radiance, or downwards strokes to encourage lymphatic drainage and reduce swelling. But make sure you don’t press too hard as this could drag and damage your skin. 

Finish with moisturizer and you are ready to, well, get ready!

Do you feel like your already-supersized-pores are growing by the minute? They're not. But it might feel like they are...

Pores are the foundation of healthy skin. Of course, collagen makes your skin strong, supple and plump. And yes, elastin gives it that all-important bouncebackability. But without pores, your skin would be a dry, shrivelled up shadow of its former self. Not to mention the fact that your entire body would lose its ability to regulate its own body temperature.

As a quick reminder, pores are tiny, microscopic openings found at the surface of your skin right at the top of your hair follicles and sweat glands. They exist to allow important liquids (as well as other particles and gases) to pass through the surface of your skin. The human body has two types of pores: sweat pores which help regulate body temperature; and oil-producing pores that are found at the top of your hair follicles where they release sebum to moisturize and lubricate the surface of the skin. The good thing about sweat pores is that they’re so small you can’t see them making them of very little concern in the grand scheme of things.

Oil-producing pores, on the other hand, are just so annoyingly visible. So why?

What Determines The Size Of Your Pores?

Like your height, skin tone and color of your hair, the size of your pores is largely shaped by genetics. This means that yes, you can blame your parents, and yes, the size of your pores is pretty much fixed.

Of course, this is great news if you have almost invisible pores. Not so much if yours feel like they take over your entire face. But let’s get one thing straight: no matter how enlarged you believe your pores are when you study them in the mirror, they’re rarely as bad as you think. Because the truth is, nobody else scrutinizes your skin on the same level as do you.

Do Pores Get Bigger Over Time?

Yes and no. The size of your pores never really changes on a physiological level. So yes, all those half-truths about being able to ‘shrink’ your pores with alcohol-heavy toners or freezing cold water is a bit of a con. But there’s a little bit of truth in there because while the actual size of your pores doesn’t alter, their walls can stretch and expand, making them appear more pronounced.

Penny drops.

What Causes Pores To Stretch With Age?

Many things happen to your skin throughout your life that can cause the walls of your pores to become damaged and loose. Of course, regular aging plays the most obvious role as your collagen levels naturally decrease over time. Sadly, there’s not a huge amount you can do about your biological clock (there’s those genes doing their worst again!) but there are many other factors of which you can control that contribute to the rate at which your pores become slack. 

Sun Damage

Gosh, the sun gets blamed for a lot of skin issues. But we don’t apologize for that because it really is one of the worst things for the condition of your skin. UV radiation breaks down important proteins like collagen and elastin thanks to a build-up of free radicals. This weakens the collagen fibers that give your skin its structure, thus allowing the walls of your pores to become slack, weak and kind of baggy-looking. AKA more visible!

Picking Your Skin

If you have a tendency to pick or squeeze your skin, this not only irritates your skin as a whole, but it can seriously mess with the collagen and elastin fibers that keep your skin firm and supple. Scarring is the most obvious possibility from picking your skin, but you pores will also suffer as a consequence.

Excess Sebum

After puberty sebum production usually levels out to a somewhat more ‘normal’ rate. However, things can get messy again during significant hormonal changes in your life. Menstruation, pregnancy, the menopause, all of these periods in your life cause your hormones to become unbalanced and your sebum levels to fluctuate. And when sebum production increases it fills up your pores causing them to expand, stretch and appear bigger.

Slow Cell Turnover

When you’re in your 20s each skin cell has a life cycle of around 28 days in which time it is formed at the lower levels, moves up to the surface and then sheds. As with most biological functions, however, cell turnover slows down as you mature, causing dead cells to hang around longer than necessary at the surface of your skin. Like excess sebum, these dead cells have nowhere else to go but to clog up your pores. And clogged pores = saggy, enlarged-looking pores.

Bad Makeup Choices

Certain foundations and face cosmetics that contain heavy oils and thick butters can also block your pores, causing them to expand and become more noticeable. Make sure you scan the labels of your favorite makeup formulations to ensure they’re non-comedogenic. Non-comedogenic means they’re way less likely to block your pores (comedone is the fancy term for pore, if you didn’t know).

The Best Ways To Keep Your Pores Tight

After reading the above you can probably guess what you need to do to avoid your pores becoming damaged and saggy. But we’ll lay it out for you anyway, just to drive the point home!

1. First up, wear sunscreen. This is the best thing you can do to conserve the collagen you’ve already got while ensuring you’re still making quality fresh stuff. Apply SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C every morning as par for the course, and do your skin even more of a solid by doubling up your protection with an antioxidant serum underneath sunscreen. Niacinamide is a very good ingredient for smoother, more resilient skin so try our Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum.

2. Don’t pick your skin. Pimples or no pimples. Nothing good can come of this.

3. Balance sebum by gently cleansing and lightly moisturizing your skin come what may. It’s super important to keep your skin clean morning and night so that oils don’t build up at the surface. We love Tea Tree Super Cleanser+ which harnesses the power of tea tree oil to clarify the skin without leaving it feeling parched. Just remember, it’s equally as vital to follow with moisturizer so your skin doesn’t think it’s dry and overcompensate with more oil than you started with!

4. Exfoliate to boost cellular turnover. But don’t overdo it. Listen to your skin and exfoliate just once or twice a week if that’s all it needs. Our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub (which just won an industry award may we add!) is a fantastic way to keep your skin bright, clean and dead skin cell-free. Plus, it’s kind to your skin. Which is super important, at any age.

5. Finally, don't underestimate the powers of retinol. Retinol is an incredible way to boost collagen AND encourage healthy cellular turnover. That's great news for your pores. And for controlling acne. And for reducing the appearance of wrinkles. And... well, you get the picture. Try our classic Retinol Facial Serum once or twice a week to begin with, building up to nightly as your skin acclimates.

Heard about retinol sandwiching but clueless about what it is or whether you should be getting on that train immediately? Here’s what we know…

Retinol offers an incredible solution to many skin woes. Hate your monthly breakouts? Try retinol. Worried about wrinkles catching up on you way too quickly? Retinol’s your guy. It’s true, retinol is the gold standard in skincare ingredients – just ask your dermatologist; we’d put a lot of money on them being in complete agreement.

But retinol isn’t all moonlight and roses. In fact, many people find that it’s pretty devilish on their skin, causing all sorts of irritating side effects that, frankly, make it not worth the hassle. You know the score, think redness, itching, flaky skin and extreme dryness.

This is why you’ll see countless blog posts and viral videos about how best to make retinol work for your skin type without causing all the bad stuff. Spoiler alert: if you choose the right formulation and apply it slowly and carefully, most skin types can totally appreciate the benefits retinol has to offer.

Reckon you’ve tried all the tricks but still can’t get on with retinol on a regular basis? Then you have options. The first is to try bakuchiol which is a natural and far gentler alternative to retinol. We’re huge advocates of this just-as-awesome ingredient as it works in a similar way to retinol, encouraging cell turnover and accelerating collagen production. In fact, we love it so much that we based an entire collection of healthy aging formulations around it. Check out the range here.

The other options is to try retinol sandwiching, a ‘trend’ that #BeautyTok is all over, but one which, in fact, has been around for many years…

What Is Retinol Sandwiching?

Retinol usually comes in the form of a serum which is applied to cleansed skin before moisturizer. Retinol sandwiching, however, switches things up. Don’t worry though, it’s nothing too tricky but is a very easy technique. You simply apply moisturizer before your retinol serum, then another layer afterwards, creating the proverbial sandwich effect with the retinol being your filling and moisturizer the bread.

Why Is Retinol Sandwiching A Thing?

As skincare ingredients go, retinol is arguably the best but, as we previously mentioned, its benefits are often outnumbered by its downsides – especially if you have particularly sensitive skin. Of course, introducing it slowly into your skincare routine is a great way to reduce the risks of unwanted side effects because this allows your skin to acclimate to such a potent powerhouse.  

And there are many other ways to help you reduce irritation. One of which is the retinol sandwich.

Not to be taken literally (please don’t smother retinol serum over your favorite sourdough – like, ever), retinol sandwiching is particularly good for dry skin but can be a useful tool for reducing all kinds of irritation and sensitivities.

Why is the retinol sandwich so good for the skin? Well, it creates a kind of buffering effect, adding a layer of product between your skin and the retinol which helps to slow down its absorption and reduce its potency. Not to mention the added moisturization as an extra bonus. All this means that you’ll likely be able to use your retinol serum more frequently.

Does Sandwiching Make Retinol Less Effective?

Yes. Most moisturizers contain oils and water which kind of ‘dilute’ the retinol, making it weaker and less effective. But if you’re choosing to make yourself a retinol sandwich, you’re probably doing so because you have sensitive skin and want to reduce the irritation it may potentially cause. So making it weaker is kind of the point, right?

Is Retinol Sandwiching Right For Your Skin Type?

Honestly? That’s a question only you can answer. The truth is, if you use it wisely, most retinol formulas can be successfully built into your skincare routine without the sandwich method. That being said, nobody knows your skin better than you, so if you feel it may help you to enjoy the benefits of retinol, there’s no harm in trying.

All we can say is that if you want to give it a go, make sure to choose the right moisturizer for the job. Here’s a quick checklist for you.

✅ Go for a lightweight lotion. This will be better than a rich, heavy cream because it will at least allow a little of the retinol to get through to the surface of your skin.

❎ Avoid moisturizer that contains potent, active ingredients. Certain ingredients may react with the retinol and actually increase your chances of redness and irritation.

✅ Look out for gentle hydrating ingredients. Things like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe vera are your friends here.

Other Tips For Making Retinol Work For You

1. Always Patch Test Retinol First

Yes, patch testing is boring and certainly not for the impatient, but it’s important and a great way to know whether a certain ingredient is going to be the right match for your skin. Patch test any new retinol product on a discreet area of your skin first. Then leave it for 48 hours to check for adverse reactions before using it as recommended.

2. Use It On Dry Skin

Many ingredients play well on damp skin but moisture can increase the absorption of retinol, simultaneously increasing the chances of irritation. Better to be safe by applying it to skin that's dry.

3. Go Slow And Go Steady

We’re all about the 1-2-3 retinol rule. When starting out, apply your product once a week only, for one week. Then apply it twice a week for two weeks and finally, go for three times a week for three weeks. This helps your skin build tolerance and allows you to eventually be able to apply it every night.

4. Apply Sunscreen Every Morning

Don’t let damaging UV radiation screw up all that fresh new skin retinol is helping to bring to the surface. Generously apply SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen every morning as the final step in your routine. 

But you knew that. Didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?

Ready to discover which powerhouse vitamins and minerals will ‘actually’ make your skin look and feel better than ever? Here's the lowdown on ten of the best… 

Skincare ingredients are ten-a-penny these days with all manner of alleged miracle workers available to spread and massage over your precious complexion. But the thing is, you can splash out hundreds of bucks on products, then you wait… and wait… and well, nothing really changes. ‘Disappointing’ doesn’t even touch the surface.

So which ingredients offer true, visible results and therefore deserve their coveted spot in your routine? Well, we believe the classics are rarely beaten. And in this case, the true classics are vitamins and minerals. 

Read on for ten of the most elite vitamins and minerals we have the pleasure to know. And, just so you know, we don’t like to play favorites, so we’ve listed them in alphabetical order. Because fair’s fair.

The Mineral Masters

1. Calcium

Calcium rarely gets shouted about in skincare but it’s actually a bit of an unsung hero. You’re well aware of calcium’s benefits for your teeth and bones, right? Well, it’s also a key component of the skin – reinforcing and strengthening its natural resilience by fortifying the barrier function. 

As skin ages, its barrier function can become compromised due to daily wear and tear (UV radiation is a huge offender, of course), plus poor skincare choices and unhealthy lifestyle habits. This can make the skin feel, dry and dehydrated because moisture is able to more easily escape from the surface of the skin. But not only that; a weak barrier function also encourages irritation and sensitivities that weren’t there before. Which is no fun.

The good news is there are many awesome ingredients out there that help counteract a substandard barrier function – calcium being one of them. Added bonus: it’s also been shown to encourage healthy cell turnover for brighter, clearer skin.

2. Magnesium

Like calcium, magnesium often goes under the radar as a skincare ingredient, but it’s a very important, stress-relieving mineral that works both inside and out.

While essential for regulating various important bodily functions (think blood pressure and nerve function to name just two), in skincare, magnesium has been shown to reduce irritation and inflammation. It does this by strengthening cell growth, lowering cortisol (the stress hormone), supporting DNA repair, protecting the skin’s barrier function and regulating important proteins that play a key role in the body’s inflammatory response.

Magnesium has also been found to be a pretty nifty skin hydrator, helping to prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while also driving extra moisture into the skin thanks to its electrolyte properties.  (PS: calcium and potassium are also electrolytes)

3. MSM

We have the utmost respect for MSM – which stands for methylsulfonylmethane in case you were wondering. You can see why we shorten it to MSM now, right?

MSM is a naturally-occurring sulfur compound that encourages your skin to produce healthy, plentiful collagen (a vital protein for strong, plump skin). It also works to protect it from environmental damage by increasing glutathione synthesis, one of the body’s most important, naturally-occurring antioxidants. Another thing: MSM has anti-inflammatory qualities which enable it to help decrease damage to the skin caused by other lifestyle baddies such as stress, lack of sleep and a poor diet. This makes it a shoo-in if you’re looking to win the battle against premature aging. 

4. Potassium

Another super important electroyte for boosting your skin’s natural moisturizing factor, potassium works hard to ensure balance and harmony at a surface level. We’ve mentioned electrolytes already (hi there calcium and magnesium) but just so you’re aware, electrolytes are minerals that carry a small electric charge. In skincare formulations, this charge helps to regulate pH, transfer nutrients throughout the skin and attract water in order to facilitate optimum hydration. All this ensures the skin cells function at their very best. And the result? Healthier-looking and healthier-feeling skin. Love.

5. Zinc

An awesome ingredient for angry or acne-prone skin, zinc, in its purest form, is known for its healing, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s extremely well tolerated by sensitive skin and helps to keep the skin hydrated and moisturized by balancing sebum, fortifying the skin’s barrier function and significantly reducing TEWL.

Zinc also has incredible protective qualities which is why zinc oxide is such a powerhouse in the sun care market. In fact, according to a 2019 proposal by the FDA, zinc oxide is one of only two sun filters undeniably proven to be a safe and effective barrier against the sun’s damaging UV rays (titanium dioxide is the other). Unlike chemical sunscreens which kind of absorb UV radiation and then break it down in the skin, mineral sunscreens like zinc oxide create a physical barrier which reflects UV rays away from the surface of your skin. We’re obsessed. 

The Vitamin Kings

1. Vitamin A

In the world of skincare, vitamin A likes to go by the name of something else: retinol. 

One of the most valuable ingredients you could have in your arsenal, retinol is the gold standard of skincare powerhouses and constantly recommended by anyone who knows anything about the skin. The reason? Simple, it works.

Retinol has been proven time and again to speed up cell turnover while stimulating collagen and elastin production and helping to keep the visible signs of aging (wrinkles, dark spots etc.) under wraps. However, its power is also its downfall so remember to always patch test a new retinol product before using it regularly, then introduce it slowly into your routine to give your skin time to acclimate.

2. Vitamin B3

Another skin nutrient that has a stage name, vitamin B3 is also known as niacinamide. And, we have to admit, niacinamide is a bit of a show-off, boasting a list of benefits as long as your arm.

Niacinamide is a very effective antioxidant which means it helps to neutralize skin-damaging free radicals. It also helps to boost ceramides in the uppermost layers of your skin which helps to maintain a strong, protective barrier function. Add to this the fact that niacinamide has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and it then becomes a great tool for reducing unwanted facial redness and pesky breakouts. If that wasn’t enough, its do-it-all attitude includes regulating oil production, minimizing the appearance of pores and reducing the appearance of dark spots. Phew.

And the best news of all? As powerful as niacinamide is, it’s also a softie at heart and suits even the most sensitive skin types.

3. Vitamin C

We’d be nowhere without the undeniable skin hero that is vitamin C. Our first baby was our Vitamin C Facial Serum which launched in the fall of 2013 and is still our best-selling serum to date – trust us, almost 150,000 Amazon reviews do not lie!

The thing about vitamin C is that it’s a proven antioxidant which makes it a great addition to your sun-busting morning routine. It’s also a mild exfoliant and has been shown to inhibit melanin production so is a fabulous choice for anyone seeking to boost radiance and help reduce the appearance of dark spots.

Vitamin C can be listed in your skincare ingredients in many forms, including l-ascorbic acid (the pure stuff), ascorbyl palmitate, sodium ascorbate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate. We know that’s a lot to remember, but our advice is this. Stick with sodium ascorbyl phosphate. Why? Because it’s one of the most stable, kind-to-skin versions so is able to offer all of the benefits with very little irritation.

4. Vitamin E

While it rarely grabs the headlines, vitamin E has been quietly looking after skin for decades.

Often seen on your ingredients list as tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate or alpha-tocopheryl acetate, vitamin E is another antioxidant that helps keep your skin safe from environmental harm. However, its main MO is to strengthen the skin’s barrier function by locking in moisture, soothing inflammation and calming irritated skin. And what makes this baby truly special? It plays nicely with almost every other skincare ingredient out there. In fact, pair it with vitamin C and you’ve got one of the most unstoppable protective power duos on your hands. 

5. Vitamin K

Last, but not least, comes probably the least known of the vitamin family, vitamin K. A fat soluble vitamin produced by the liver, vitamin K is also known as phytonadione and it plays an important role in heart health, bone growth and blood clotting, making it vital to your overall health. 

In skincare, vitamin K hasn’t undergone anywhere near the amount of clinical research as your As, Bs, Cs and Es. However, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. Because of its role within the blood clotting process some skincare experts believe that vitamin K has the ability to offer similar effects when applied topically to things like bruising, swelling, redness and excess blood that can pool under your eyes. This makes it an interesting one to watch if you suffer with dark circles.