True Radical Honesty From Our Community

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.

Collagen is a pretty big deal. So you must do everything you can to preserve it.

When it comes to the look, feel and overall health of your skin, collagen is everything. Literally, everything. It makes your skin stronger, smoother, more supple and most importantly, it wards off premature fine lines and wrinkles. But, of course, as skin ages, your levels of this important protein fade dramatically, and that’s when the visible signs of aging are likely to start creeping up on you.

The bad news is that you can’t do anything to stop the sands of time. But the good news – because there’s always some good news in there ­­­– is that there are many other ways to ensure your collagen doesn’t leave town sooner than necessary. Because it’s not just natural aging that screws up your supplies…

First A Quick Refresher: What Is Collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. As far as your skin is concerned, research shows that it makes up a massive 70-80 percent of its entire structure, working hard to maintain strength, firmness and elasticity. As the clock ticks, however, your skin’s level of collagen starts to dramatically drop off at a rate of around 1 percent every year. Granted, that might not sound like a lot, but believe us, it becomes noticeable very quickly – especially if it starts in your mid-twenties, which is a real probability (gasp!).

So, Why Does Collagen Fade As You Get Older?

Biology for one thing; collagen loss is simply part of the natural aging process.

But that’s not all. Your lifestyle habits, diet, stress levels, sleep routine and the environment in which you live also play their part in how quickly (or slowly) your collagen degrades. And that’s where you come in…

5 Ways To Keep Help Preserve Your Collagen

1. Never Forget To Wear Sunscreen

OK, let’s start with the most important thing of all, shall we? Sunscreen. As the solution to most aging skin woes, a good quality daily sunscreen is every dermatologist’s and facialist’s number one choice for safeguarding good quality collagen. Full disclosure, it won’t magically make new collagen appear or even kick existing production up a notch. But what it does is far more important, and that’s to preserve the collagen you already have by reducing damage caused by the biggest collagen killer of all ­– the sun.

Why does the sun get such a bad rap? Because, frankly, it deserves it. UV radiation is the number one cause of external skin aging because it causes an influx of free radicals that weaken collagen fibers, causing them to break down and dwindle at lightning speeds.

Don’t want that to happen to your precious skin? Then do everything you can to stop UV from doing its worst by protecting your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. Try SPF30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C, it’s totally up for the job and is so lightweight and easy to wear, you won’t even notice that extra step in your morning skincare routine.

2. Take A Collagen Supplement

If you want to help feed your body from the inside as well as the outside, consider taking a collagen supplement.

Collagen supplements are powders, pills or drinks that are perfectly safe when ingested as instructed to help promote natural collagen production in the skin. Many of them use animal skin, bones or fish scales though, so if that grosses you out as much as it does us, try our Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement, which says a big fat no to animal-derived collagen. Instead, it’s formulated with vegetarian collagen combined with other skin-loving classics like vitamins C and E, plus biotin, a form of vitamin B known to promote cell growth and repair. Take two capsules every morning for breakfast and see for yourself just how effective they can be...

3. Sign Up To A Collagen-Boosting Diet

One of the most important changes to make to your diet – if you care about supporting and nurturing your collagen, that is – is to shun sugar. Sugar grabs on to collagen (and elastin for that matter) and forms things called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which break down all those important proteins, making your skin less plump, strong and firm. And that’s when things like sagging skin and wrinkles like to join the party. No. Thank. You. Try to reduce the amount of sugar you consume on a regular basis and your collagen will breathe a literal sigh of relief.

Then there’s all the good stuff you should eat more of to help support collagen production. These include collagen-rich foods like red meat and bone broth plus high-protein foods like fish, poultry, eggs, dairy and beans.

4. Apply Some Powerful Topicals

There are no end of collagen-loving ingredients out there, including vitamin C, glycolic acid and EGCG so rather than go on for hours about every topical skincare ingredient available, we’ll just concentrate on the two front-runners in the quest for quality collagen: peptides and retinol.

Peptides are structurally similar to proteins as they’re both made up of chains of amino acids. And this is good news because their similarity makes them almost unbeatable in their effectiveness at stimulating collagen production. Not only that but they’re very well tolerated by the skin, rarely causing sensitivities or irritation. Bonus points right there. Try our Smoothing Collagen Serum which is packed with vegan collagen peptides.

Then you have the mighty retinol which is total kick-ass – although not without its side effects, especially if it’s not treated with the respect it deserves. More researched than almost any other skincare ingredient available, retinol is proven to not only support collagen production but also to prevent future collagen loss. Yes, it’s that good. We, naturally, love Retinol Facial Serum but if you find it’s too much for your skin, NP, we also have our fabulous Rejuvenating Longevity Serum which contains nature’s gentler alternative to retinol, bakuchiol.

5. Try An In-Office Treatment

If you fancy adding on to a great skincare routine and an awesome diet, there are many professional treatments that can help kick your collagen into high gear. Light therapy, for example, is fantastic, as is microneedling which uses tiny, high speed needles to puncture the skin and create ‘micro’ injuries at the surface. This may sound like a dumb idea, but in actual fact microneedling tricks the skin into believing it needs to repair itself, thus triggering collagen production.

Not so dumb any more, right?

Just remember, these treatments are best left to the professionals so search out board-certified experts near you by asking for recommendations or doing some thorough Googling.

Love the idea of including retinol in your skincare routine but not sure where to begin? Then try our incredible Retinol Facial Serum, the focus of this week’s September Spotlight.

Retinol, as any beauty fan knows, is one of the absolute pinnacles of skincare ingredients. With an innate ability to ‘communicate’ with your skin at a cellular level to encourage skin turnover, boost collagen production and protect your skin from environmental damage, retinol is widely seen as the gold standard. And it truly deserves every inch of praise it receives. Use it consistently and your skin will be brighter, clearer, stronger and smoother. That's a strong statement, we know, but decades of research prove it.

So, what’s the catch? Because there's always at least one, right? Otherwise we’d all be dousing our skin with vats of retinol every minute of the day. Well, while retinol helps sweep away dead skin cells, clogged pores and dull, patchy skin, simultaneously softening fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots, it can be a pesky little ingredient to master, often causing unwanted side effects like redness, dryness and irritation. The problem is it’s just too good.

Thankfully, today’s retinol treatments have been carefully formulated to minimize unwanted repercussions. By combining this powerhouse with other skin-soothing and calming ingredients, it’s no longer impossible to work a retinol serum into your skincare routine – no matter your skin type.

Take our Retinol Facial Serum, for example which is one of our best-selling and most popular treatment serums here at TruSkin.

What Is Retinol Facial Serum?

A true gem for skin that needs a little assistance looking its best (and frankly, whose doesn’t?), our Retinol Facial Serum is a veritable go-to for enhancing your skin’s youthful appearance.

It gets to work on everything from fine lines and wrinkles through to dehydration, dullness, rough texture and uneven skin tone. And if you’re thinking all this comes at a price, you couldn’t be more wrong. Retinol Facial Serum is kind to both your skin and your wallet.

So, What Makes Retinol Facial Serum Different From The Rest

1. Our retinol is at just the right concentration for results, minus irritation

We truly wanted to create a retinol serum that offered the best of both worlds – great benefits, but minimal irritation. And while we could have gone down the easy route of using a retinol derivative like retinyl palmitate to make our serum extremely gentle on the skin we knew, deep down, that this wouldn’t have offered the same awesome results. And that’s just annoying all round. Therefore, we spent a long time (like, months!) formulating our serum to contain the ideal amount of retinol (yes, pure retinol) to deliver effective results, without making it impossible to use should you have anything less than super strong, will-take-anything skin. And the reviews speak for themselves…

“I love this product. I’ve been using it for years and at 73 have few wrinkles. I use the product daily and it does not irritate my skin,” explains Kathy from New Hampshire.

Big cheers all round.

2. Still worried about sensitivities? Vitamin E to the rescue!

Vitamin E is a great addition to any facial serum, but alongside retinol it’s crucial. How so? Well, as explained, retinol can be a tad drying so you have to make sure you're replacing all that lost moisture. And vitamin E is just what the skin doctor ordered.

Vitamin E has fabulous emollient properties, meaning that it helps fill in, repair and smooth the tiny cracks in your skin that appear when it’s dry and/or dehydrated. Sealing these cracks strengthens your skin’s barrier function, thus reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and helping your skin to retain vital moisture. That’s extremely important if you want your skin to stay soft, hydrated and irritation-free.

3. Retinol Facial Serum offers a three-pronged approach to hydration

While vitamin E soothes, calms and strengthens your skin’s important barrier protection, hyaluronic acid (HA), glycerin and aloe have also been included for extra hydration.

Known as humectants in the business, these ingredients work like water magnets, maximizing moisture in the air and pulling it into the skin, or even drawing it up from deeper layers of your skin to hydrate at a more surface level. And when you’re applying retinol on a regular basis, your skin is going to want and need as much surface hydration as you can give it.

HA is seen as the king of hydration but glycerin is just as good (some say it’s even better but we don’t like to play favorites!). And aloe? Well that’s a given for soothing, calming and hydrating the skin.

4. Organic green tea helps reduce redness and inflammation

Besides being the brew of choice for a bold caffeine fix, green tea makes for a fabulous skincare ingredient.

Thanks to its abundance of EGCG, green tea is a super effective antioxidant (just like vitamin e, HA and retinol), working hard to combat environmental stress. Furthermore, it’s thought to help reduce sebum production, soothe the skin and reduce inflammation. So if you’re using Retinol Facial Serum to help minimize acne breakouts, this will be music to your ears.

How To Make Retinol Facial Serum Work For You

Retinol Facial Serum should be applied to cleansed skin before moisturizing. But, to be honest, that’s a given for all types of serum. If you err on the side of sensitive, however, don’t apply Retinol Facial Serum to damp skin – dry skin is generally better for reducing irritation. Start by using it two or three times a week to allow your skin to acclimate, then slowly build up to nightly use. Oh and don’t forget to apply sunscreen EVERY morning.

The most important thing to remember when trying any new retinol serum for the first time is to patch test it on a small area of your skin first. This gives you reassurance that your skin is not going to freak out from any of the ingredients in your formulation. Our Retinol Facial Serum has been carefully curated not to cause issues for most skin types, but there’s always a small chance, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

To patch test your serum, apply a small amount behind your ear or on the back of your wrist and leave it for 24-48 hours. Fingers crossed you won’t experience any unwanted side effects during this time, and if this is the case you’re good to apply it to your skin as directed. However, if you feel any burning, pain or discomfort then you’d be wise not to continue. Don’t worry, though, as we have just the serum for you: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum which contains nature’s kinder answer to retinol, the mighty bakuchiol. Read all about that here. 

It’s official, retinol is the business for upgrading the tone, texture and general gorgeousness of your skin. But it’s a powerful force so it requires respect.

Retinol. Boy is it good. So good that it almost certainly deserves a spot in your skincare routine. Do you have fine lines and wrinkles you’d like to soften the look of? Retinol’s your guy. Do you have dark spots you’d love to brighten? Again, retinol can help take care of those. And what about acne breakouts? Are they more frequent than you’d like? Hello retinol.

No matter your skin goals, retinol usually has your back. And even if you have sensitive skin, there are ways of seamlessly working it into your routine without too many repercussions. You simply have to know (and follow) a few important rules.

Rule #1: If It’s New, Patch Test It First

We get it, patch testing your skincare is yawnsome. But when it comes to active ingredients like retinol, it’s crucial. Because of all the over-the-counter ingredients you apply to your skin retinol is one of the most potent so, although unlikely, it could easily cause irritation, itching, stinging or burning.

Anyway, in the grand scheme of things, patch testing isn’t really that bad. You just need to employ a little bit of a patience. And we know you’ve got that in you. C’mon, it’s only 48 hours.

To patch test, apply a small amount of retinol to a discreet area of your skin like behind your ears, then monitor it for a couple of days. Chances are you’ll be fine and you can start to incorporate it into your routine. However, any uncomfortable reactions that feel worse than a bit of mild redness or tingling means the two of you are not a good match and you should not be using it. Sorry about that.

Rule #2: Apply It To Clean, Dry Skin

Some ingredients play really well with damp skin (hyaluronic acid and glycerin to name just two), but retinol is too powerful for that so we always advise you to apply it to clean, dry skin. Better yet, wait a few minutes after cleansing and toning and then apply it. This further cuts down your risks of irritation.

Rule #3: Remember, Slow & Steady Wins The Race

If your skin is not used to retinol, you simply have to start slowly so it gets used to the great powers that it contains. One of the biggest mistakes people make when using a retinol serum or moisturizer for the first time is to apply it every day. And that’s asking for trouble. You know that potential irritation we’ve been harping on about? Yeah that.

The rule is this: start slowly, employing the 1-2-3 step retinol rule. Step 1. Apply your product once a week for a week. Step 2. Apply it twice a week for two weeks. And step 3. Apply it three times a week for three weeks, spacing out your applications as equally as possible. If, at any time during these six weeks your skin feels irritated (yes, that word again!), return to the previous step until your skin acclimates. Then continue as you were. This whole process may take you up to three months but that’s OK, going slow will totally be worth it in the long run.

Rule #4: Try Sandwiching Retinol With Moisturizer

If you have dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin, a retinol sandwich might be right up your alley. And this technique is super simple. You just layer your retinol between two layers of kind-to-skin moisturizer. So after cleansing and toning, you apply a gentle moisturizer, wait a minute, apply your retinol treatment, then wait another minute before applying another thin layer of moisturizer.

What’s the point you may ask? Well, adding a thin barrier of moisture underneath your retinol gives your skin an extra layer of hydration which creates a buffer against the strength of the retinol. Think a reduction In redness, peeling, flaking and dryness.

Rule #5: Don’t Be A Retinol Mixologist

Did we mention that retinol is a powerful beast? We did, right? Then know that it should never be applied alongside other potent actives like glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Retinol plays well with calming and moisturizing ingredients like vitamin E and aloe vera, for sure, but if you start applying it after strong, exfoliating lotions or acne busting serums, you could be heading for a whole lot of trouble.

The secret is to alternate your actives. Try a vitamin C serum in the morning, for example, and retinol at night. Or go for retinol one day, niacinamide the next. Just keep them separate. Honestly, your skin will thank you for it.

Rule #6: Sure, You CAN Apply Retinol In The Morning, But It’s Best At Night

Contrary to things you may have read in the past, retinol does not cause sun damage. So this means that yes, you can theoretically use it in the mornings.

However, retinol is a very unstable ingredient and it quickly becomes deactivated by sunlight. That’s why it’s usually recommended for use at night time – so it can work its magic without the pesky sun getting in its way.

Rule #7: Always Apply Sunscreen Every Morning (No Arguments)

No matter how often or when you apply your retinol treatment, sunscreen is an absolute must. Retinol increases cell turnover which reduces dead skin cells at the surface and brings new, delicate layers to the top. So, don’t let UV radiation damage all that fresh skin before it’s had a chance to shine, OK? 

In fact, don't let UV radiation damage it at all. Generously apply a high factor (SPF 30), broad spectrum sunscreen that contains FDA-approved sun protective ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide every morning. It’s just common sense.

And, btw, our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen is literally ‘the one.’

Retinol is great. Irritation, redness and dry skin from misuse of this potent ingredient? Not so great.

If you’re interested in skincare, we imagine you’ll have read about retinol many times before. But reading about it and using it to great effect are two very different stories.

You see, retinol is not to be underestimated. Its potency, for which it is adored and revered by dermatologists and beauty experts all over the world, is both its superpower… and its downfall. And if you’re yet to try it, that’s probably the reason you’re so nervous. Yes, you’d love a piece of all that skin-replenishing goodness. However, the potential for irritation far outweighs its potential benefits.

Well, we think that’s a real shame. Because for all its strength, retinol really can be tolerated by almost all skin types and is a powerful weapon against the visible signs of aging and acne breakouts.

But only if you use it wisely, of course.

So, if you’re thinking of taking the plunge with retinol, but need a little reassurance and a few pointers to help you along the way, read on for the most important tips for first-timers…

1. Start Off With A Gentle Formulation

Retinol is part of the retinoid family which also includes other topical vitamin A derivatives such as tretinoin, Retin-A and other retinyl esters. Certain retinoids are only available by prescription and are extremely potent (hence the prescription!), but retinol itself is much weaker and readily available in low-percentage, OTC skincare formulations.

This is good news for first-timers because slightly weaker ingredients at lower percentages are going to be much kinder to your skin. If you’re still nervous, however, try bakuchiol instead of retinol. This wonder-ingredient is nature’s gentle alternative to retinol, offering very similar benefits with much fewer side-effects – if any. So, if you want to start off with the gentlest option possible, we recommend going for bakuchiol over retinol, hands down. And we have a whole range to try, right here.

2. Patch Test First

Patch testing any new product that contains active ingredients is important, but with retinol it’s absolutely crucial.

To do this, simply apply a small amount to a discreet area of your skin – behind the ear, at the back of your neck or on your inner arm – then wait 24-48 hours for signs of sensitivity. A little redness or tingling is fine, but anything that feels uncomfortable or looks super red and angry is a tell-tale sign that this particular retinol product is not for you. It doesn’t mean all retinol is off the table, but you might want to try something more suitable for sensitive skin. One word: bakuchiol!

3. Introduce Retinol Slowly Into Your Routine

If you start using retinol every day from the off you could live to regret it. So, after you’ve patch tested and been given the green light by non-irritated skin, start using your retinol product slowly at first.

Begin your retinol routine just once or twice a week to see how your skin reacts. Do this for a week or so then, if all is well, you can gradually build up to every day. And if things start to get too much? No problem, just reduce your usage back down again. It’s very easy to find your sweet spot if you just listen to your skin.

4. Always Apply Retinol To Dry Skin

Applying serums and moisturizers to damp skin can be a great way to seal in extra moisture. However, damp skin is also thought to absorb products quicker and deeper which is great… until your skin freaks out.

To avoid any risk of irritation, allow your skin to dry fully before applying your retinol product.

5. Alternate Retinol With Other Active Ingredients

Retinol plays well with calming, hydrating and soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe, green tea and vitamin E which is why you’ll find all of those beauties in our awesome Retinol Facial Serum. But it’s not friends with everything so be extra careful with active ingredients in the rest of your skincare routine.

Instead of piling on potent formulations all at once, we recommend alternating them. Try your retinol serum one night, for example, and then an exfoliating lotion like AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant or your favorite vitamin C serum the next. By doing this, you’ll limit irritation but still reap all of the goodness of some of the most effective skincare ingredients out there.

6. Don’t Forget To Moisturize

The thing most people hate about retinol? Dry, peeling skin. But this all part of the beauty of retinol doing its job, purging your skin while improving cellular turnover and encouraging all those dulling dead skin cells to beat it so you're left with a fresher, healthier-looking complexion.

This purging process usually only lasts around two to four weeks, but it’s no time to stop moisturizing or any other such nonsense. In fact, moisturizer is going to be your BFF right now so ensure you apply it morning and night after your facial serum. We also recommend going super gentle with your cleansing routine to strengthen your skin’s barrier function and help avoid further moisture loss. Try our Soothing Cleansing Milk which is a real winner for dry or sensitive skin.

And if you still find certain parts of your face are becoming drier and more flaky than others? Avoid applying retinol to these areas for a bit. Or only apply it once a week. Again, it’s all about listening to your skin and understanding what it does and doesn’t like.

7. Use SPF Every Morning

Although retinol doesn’t cause your skin to burn it does break down and become less effective when it’s exposed to sunlight. This is why it’s best used at night.

However, you STILL need to apply sunscreen every morning because all those fresh new skin cells require looking after. And subjecting them to hours of damaging UV radiation is not the way to go about that.

Apply Vitamin C Facial Serum in the morning for extra antioxidant safe-guarding, followed by SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C. We call this the ultimate sun protective power couple.

8. Finally, Don’t Give Up

One of the most important things to remember is that retinol takes time to work, so don’t expect to see results overnight. Most OTC retinol formulations require at least three, preferably six months for the true benefits to come to light.

Be patient and you’ll be rewarded in the end.

Fine lines and wrinkles are totally natural, but if you want to lessen their impact, you might want to take a look at some of these seemingly innocent lifestyle habits.

We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve warned you about the perils of the sun and its effect on the number and intensity of your wrinkles. Ditto for stress, smoking and a lack of sleep. But while these things are up there as the most common culprits of aging skin – the sun being the number one offender, of course – there are plenty of other everyday lifestyle habits you probably didn’t realize were affecting the rate at which your skin aged.

Obsessed with your Stanley water bottle right now? Well, for one thing, who isn’t? But for another, you might want to rethink that whole drinking-from-a-straw situation once you’ve read the rest of this article. You have been warned…

Drinking From A Straw

One of the main reasons smoking is so bad for your skin (toxic chemicals aside) is the repetitive motion of puckering up your lips. How so? Well, this repeated action contracts a ring of muscle around the mouth area called the orbicularis oris muscle. Over time, this causes your skin to lose elasticity. And you know those lines you see when you purse your lips? Instead of going away after you relax your mouth, they start to become permanently etched in.

Same thing happens if you drink through a straw all day long.

What To Do: As much as we know you love your Stanley Quencher try not to drink out of it 24/7. At home, switch it out for a regular glass and when you’re out and about go for a water bottle that doesn’t have a straw. Oh, and if you get offered a straw when you next order a gin and tonic in a bar, say no. Those fine lines around your lips – as well as the environment – will be forever grateful.

Your Smartphone

What would we do without our digital devices? They are pretty much everything in today’s modern world. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. However, your smartphone, in particular, plays a huge part in the health of your skin. For one thing, constantly looking down while texting, gaming, emailing and browsing can accelerate the formation of creases or bands around the circumference of your neck, aka ‘tech neck.’ Similarly, squinting and frowning at your phone can add even more lines and wrinkles both on your forehead and around your eyes.

Your digital devices also emit something called high-energy visible (HEV) or blue light which studies suggest are just as damaging to your skin as UV light. Blue light not only has the potential to disrupt your skin’s natural barrier function but it can promote inflammation, encourage discoloration and accelerate collagen damage which is a one-way ticket to fine lines and wrinkles.

What To Do: Use your phone less (ha, if only it were that easy!) and always hold it upright so your head isn’t looking down all the time.

You must also try our awesome Longevity skincare range. This collection of three healthy aging products contains lingonberry stems cells which have been shown to help protect your skin from blue light damage.

The Way You Sleep

Getting lots of quality sleep is majorly important for the state of your skin, but skincare experts also agree that the way in which you sleep carries just as much weight on your skin’s aging process. Sleeping on one side, for example, causes creasing on that same side of your face which can increase your chances of developing fine lines on one side more than the other. Similarly, sleeping on your front and smushing your face into your pillow every night creates repeated pressure on your entire face – a sure-fire way to invite fine lines and wrinkles to do their worst.

What To Do: A silk pillowcase can help reduce friction, but your best bet is to change your sleep position so you sleep on your back with your head slightly raised. This avoids repetitive face-to-pillow contact and stops excess fluids from pooling under your eyes which helps stop dark circles and puffiness. Extra bonus right there.

Forgetting To Wear Sunglasses

Squinting is another one-way ticket to fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes as it causes your periocular muscles to repeatedly contract. And if you continue to do this day after day you will soon see exactly what we mean when those cute lines around your eyes turn into deep crevices that just won’t go away. Squinting also contributes to those annoying vertical lines between your eyebrows – glabellar lines or 11s – making it a real no-no if you care about aging skin.  

What To Do: Wear shades whenever you go outside – even if it’s bright but not particularly sunny. This’ll immediately stop you squinting and will also protect the skin around your eyes from those damaging UV rays. And if you find yourself squinting at your computer or the TV? Well, it might be time for an eye test. Just saying.

Finally, to help keep the skin around your eyes moisturized and youthful-looking, apply an eye cream morning and night. Try our Peptide Eye Gel which helps support collagen production to minimize premature aging.

Allergies

Do you find yourself continually rubbing the skin around your eyes during the allergy season? This happens when your body’s defense system reacts to an allergen it feels threatened by. Mast cells in your eyes then release chemicals like histamine to try and get rid of these allergens which causes your eyes to become red, watery and itchy.

Allergy triggers can come from many things, including airborne pollen and pet hair, but the worst thing you can do for your skin is to vigorously scrub away at your eyes. This seriously upsets your collagen supplies, thinning your skin, wearing it down and inviting lines around your eyes to do their worst.

What To Do: If your eyes are constantly itching, the most important plan of action is to find out why, so talk to your doctor if symptoms persist. In the meantime, try eye drops and if you can't help but rub your eyes, reduce damage by using just the pads of your ring fingers rather than your whole hand. This will help reduce pressure and friction.

Swimming

We hate to knock any form of exercise but swimming in chlorinated water can be pretty harsh on your skin (and your hair for that matter!). Chlorine is great for sanitizing water and eliminating any contaminants that may otherwise cause infection and illness. But it’s not ideal for your delicate skin. In fact it’s a natural irritant that strips natural oils and moisture from your skin’s protective barrier. This is OK in small doses but if you swim every day and don’t protect your skin, this can potentially cause dryness and dehydration. And two things wrinkles love in order to thrive are dryness and dehydration.

What To Do: A pre-swim shower is a great way to reduce chlorine damage because if your skin is already wet, it will absorb less chlorinated water. Smart huh? Of course, you should also shower immediately after swimming and moisturize all over to replace lost sebum and hydration.

When it comes to your face, apply Vitamin C Facial Serum to fully cleansed skin after swimming. Vitamin C helps neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine. Follow with moisturizer and you should be good.

3 Of Our Favorite Wrinkle-Busting Skincare Products

1. Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement

Want to keep your skin looking its best for as long as possible? Then you simply have to look after your collagen. And what better way than with this daily supplement that’s literally brimming with clinically-proven, collagen-promoting ingredients like vitamin C, acai and biotin.

2. SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C

Did we mention that the sun is the biggest culprit when it comes to premature skin aging? We did? Yeah, well, we will continue to do so. We will also continue to laud the benefits of daily, broad-spectrum sunscreen for warding off the sun’s damaging UV rays. And this is an absolute must. No arguments.

3. Retinol Facial Serum

One of the most effective anti-aging ingredients in skincare, retinol helps stimulate cell turnover and up your skin’s content of quality collagen. This awesome facial serum also contains hydrating hyaluronic acid (take that wrinkles) and vitamin E (same). We love that for you.