True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Menopausal skin can be anything from slightly tricky to downright terrible. But wayward hormones needn’t get the better off you. You just need to know what to expect and get ahead of the game.

How times have changed. Rewind ten, maybe just five years ago and the ‘m’ word was never spoken about. This important life-changing period of time that happens to every single woman alive, literally brushed under the carpet as if it were some dirty secret. Total madness.

Thankfully, we live in different times and the menopause (there, we said it!) is now a topic we can openly talk about without feeling ashamed or, heaven’s forbid, old. Because it’s an important time and can bring a lot of unsettling uncertainties to any woman going through this perfectly natural stage of life. Hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, zero energy, they can all go hand in hand with the menopause.

And then there’s your skin which also has its own challenges to contend with.

How The Menopause Affects Your Skin

The menopause can be split into three stages. Perimenopause begins first, usually in a woman’s 40s (although it can start as early as your 30s and as late as your 50s). This period of your life refers to the time in which your body starts to transition out of your reproductive years and into the menopause. Your body’s production of hormones (mainly estrogen and progesterone, but also testosterone to a certain degree) starts to decline, your periods become irregular and a few of the classic side effects may come to fruition. Fun times!

Then you obviously get the menopause which is when your body’s hormones cause you to completely stop menstruating (which can take many years) and all those fabulous (said with a side of irony) side-effects get stronger and more frequent. More fun times. Once menopause is over and you’ve stopped ovulating for a year you’re then said to be in the postmenopause and will be forever more.

As you progress through these different stages, your hormones are all over the place which is never great news for the health of your skin. You see, hormone fluctuations can affect your levels of sebum (cue dryness). Not only that but they upset your collagen production which is already declining as part of the natural aging process (cue wrinkles and sagging skin). Estrogen is also important for helping your skin to retain water so when these levels decrease your skin can’t hydrate itself as efficiently (cue dehydration).

Of course, changes in your skin depend on your skin type but, no matter what, you can inevitably look forward to some kind of ‘unpredictability’ during the menopausal years of your life.

5 Ways To Care For Menopausal Skin

If you’ve started to notice that your skin is misbehaving a little more than it used to, chances are you’re in the stage of your life in which your hormones have become, shall we say, less reliable. Read on for a few effective ways to help keep your skin in check as your hormones are very much not!

1. Be Kind

The most important thing to remember? Don’t panic. Freaking out and overcompensating for dry skin, dehydration, breakouts or wrinkles that were never before is a sure-fire way to irritate your skin. Instead, be gentle with your skin, cleansing, toning and treating it with kindness and respect. Most importantly, avoid ingredients like synthetic fragrances and harsh alcohols that will strip your skin and generate further problems you didn’t sign up for.

A great way to do this? Switch out your regular cleanser for Soothing Cleansing Milk which is perfect for menopausal skin, nurturing and calming your barrier function while bringing vital hydration and even a little exfoliation to the table.

2. Moisturize To The Max

Research shows that the most common skin complaint during the menopause is dry, irritated, and often itchy skin. This is all thanks to lowering levels of estrogen (an important skin hydrator) as well as reduced sebum. Without both of these important moisturizing tools, water is able to escape more easily from the surface of your skin which leads to dryness, dehydration and everything that comes with it.

To help get ahead of this, you’re going to want to introduce a hydrating serum as well as a really good moisturizer into your daily regime. Try the kick-ass combo of our Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum and Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream every morning, and Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream before bed.

3. Use Smart Skincare Ingredients To Control Breakouts

Cell turnover becomes super sluggish during this time in your life which gives dead skin cells a free ticket to hang around at the surface of your skin and make your complexion look kind of dull. When it’s combined with wayward hormones it’s also asking for acne breakouts to do a real number on your skin. For most people these are mild and easily managed with healing, anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide and tea tree oil – well, hello there Tea Tree Face Wash and Tea Tree Super Serum+.

If you feel like yours are more serious and out of control, however, seek help from a dermatologist.

4. Look After Your Collagen

It’s thought that skin loses a massive 30 percent of its natural collagen levels during the first five years of the menopause. Sound like a lot, right? Yeah, that’s because it is. And collagen is extremely important for the strength, firmness and elasticity of your skin so you’ve got to do everything you can to keep it healthy and plentiful.

How to do this? With a healthy diet, good sleep, marginal stress (preferably none at all, but it’s OK, we’re all human) and some smart skincare choices. Namely retinol at night (is there anything retinol isn’t good for?!), alongside our fabulous Collagen range which includes Smoothing Collagen Serum, Firming Collagen Day Lotion and our Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement which contains vegetarian collagen (none of that animal stuff for us, thanks) alongside skin-strengthening vitamins, biotin and acai.

5. Apply SPF Like Your Skin Depends On It

Because, heads up, it actually does. Dark spots are likely to get darker, bigger and more prevalent during your menopausal years as decades of sun exposure combine with wild hormones, causing your melanin to lose control of itself. Your fine lines and wrinkles are equally likely to suffer thanks to a lack of collagen helping to reinforce the strength and plumpness of your skin. Sigh.

Our advice? Don’t leave the house without applying SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C to your face and neck. It’s packed with sun-protective zinc oxide as well as aloe vera to hydrate and nourish your skin and a TruSkin favorite, brightening vitamin C. It’s basically a skincare must. Every. Day. Of. The Year.

Useful or useless? We weigh in whether the products in your skincare routine can benefit from chilling out in a fridge… or not.

When it comes to making the most of our skincare routines there are many tricks and beauty habits we like to abide by. Using the right amount of product, rather than slathering handfuls on at a time, for example. We’re all over that. Keeping our towels, bed linen and makeup brushes clean. For sure. Not using face wipes every night to cleanse our skin. Never.

However, there’s one ‘trend’ that continues to do the rounds on Instagram and TikTok that we’re just not that into. Skincare fridges. Call us old-fashioned, but we just don’t see the need for buying an extra contraption for keeping our moisturizers cold. We’ve coped pretty well without one up until now, so is it really necessary? We figured, not.

But we’re nothing if not open-minded, so we decided to research this mini phenomenon a little deeper to find out if we’re missing something. Here’s what we found out…

What Is A Skincare Fridge?

Like tiny, shrunken versions of real fridges, skincare fridges are made specifically for storing your beauty swag, and they’re designed to allegedly help preserve the integrity of your products.

Usually around 12-15 inches tall, they come in all colors and prices (some will set you back a good few hundred bucks!), and many of them even have mirrors attached and LED lights inside.

Temperature-wise they usually sit around the 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit mark. And yes, that’s not quite as cold as regular refrigerators that are used for chilling and preserving your food. These run around the mid-30s.

Hands Up, Do They Work?

You’ve all read skincare labels that advise you to keep your products away from heat, humidity and direct sunlight, right? Well, there’s a good reason for this piece of important advice. These elements can cause certain ingredients in your products to separate or melt, ruining your products and giving them the shelf-life of an already-ripe peach.

To help preserve the longevity and efficacy of your skincare products, however, the general advice, is not to keep them in a fridge, but to store them at room temperature, away from windows where sunlight has the potential to screw them up. And if your bathroom or bedroom gets pretty steamy in the summer? Not a biggie. Most skincare brands put their formulations through endless numbers of shelf-life tests to ensure they remain at their very best, even with a few fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

OK, so does that mean skincare fridges are completely pointless if all of your products are perfectly fine stored at room temperature?

Yes… and no.

There are definitely a few benefits of keeping ‘some’ of your skincare products and tools in the fridge. How nice is it to apply a cool helping of after sun on your skin after a day at the beach, for example? And what about a soothing face mask that’s been kept in the fridge? Heaven.

Keeping gel-based products chilled offers a deliciously cooling effect on the skin which can help to soothe redness, calm inflammation and even revitalize tired eyes if you don't do on a daily basis. Now that, we can get on board with, for sure.

So, Which Products Are OK To Be Kept In A Skincare Fridge?

1. Skincare Tools

Things like gua sha stones, ice globes (for obvious reasons!) or jade rollers can feel incredible on the skin when they’ve been stored in a fridge.

2. Eye Gel

Try keeping your Peptide Eye Gel in the fridge to help reduce puffy eyes and calm irritation. Cold temps help reduce blood flow which reduces inflammation and swelling.

3. Facial Toner

Another good one to keep chilled, a cooling mist of toner is great if you live in a hot climate.

4. Vitamin C Serum (well, maybe!)

Some experts believe that because vitamin C is so unstable, it can be very beneficial to keep your vitamin C serum refrigerated – extending its shelf-life and helping it to remain effective for longer. Our Vitamin C Facial Serum, however, uses Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate which is a vitamin C derivative that’s way more stable than the pure stuff. This means that, sorry skincare fridge manufacturers, but we don't need you. 

And Those That Should Never Go Anywhere Near A Fridge?

More importantly than those that can be refrigerated are those that must never be stored at anything colder than room temperature. Warning: it can do more harm than good…

1. Moisturizer

Just like Goldilocks, moisturizer hates being too hot or too cold. It needs to be just right so that any oils or butters don’t separate from the other ingredients.

2. Face & Body Oils

Cold temperatures can cause oils to separate and/or harden which is bad news either way. They’re way better off stored at room temperature and usually come in dark or opaque bottles to protect them from sunlight, anyway.

3. Clay-Based Products

Any cleansers or face masks containing clay will harden and solidify if chilled which makes them an absolute nightmare to apply. Don’t go there. Our Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser loves room temperature. Room temperature all the way, baby!

4. And Your Makeup…

…especially liquid foundations and concealers which often contain oils to give them a smooth texture and feel. You’ll ruin all of that if you keep them in a fridge. End of discussion.

Our Final Takeaway

So, should you invest in a skincare fridge or not? Honestly, we’re not going to rush out to waste our money (we’d rather spend it on SPF and new summer sandals, tbh!). However, if you like to use beauty tools to reduce puffiness and redness, or love to keep your eye gel cool to calm down under eye bags, go nuts.

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.

Because even if you hate the season of hearts and flowers, it’s always nice to treat your most-loved people to the gift of awesome skin.

Valentine’s Day is one of those times of the year – you either love it (no pun intended) or you simply could not care less. Then there’s Galentine’s Day which, thanks to ‘Parks & Recreation’ became a thing way back in 2010. And we kid you not, it really was that long ago.

Now, the haters are always gonna hate, but no matter how you feel about the season of love, showing your favorite people how much you care about them is always a good idea. So whether you want to honor your high school bestie, offer thanks to an awesome new ‘mom’ friend or celebrate your partner with treats you know they’ll adore, skincare is the perfect gift. PS: Yes, we’re biased. And no, we don’t care.

For Anyone Who Loves To Be Influenced

Packed with her favorite TruSkin products, the Exclusive Kylie Bundle by Kylie Cantrall is the bomb for all-round glowing skin. Containing Soothing Cleansing Milk for the gentlest facial clean-up, Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner for an instant spritz of nourishing goodness, the classic Vitamin C Facial Serum for gorgeously glowing skin AND a cute message from Kylie herself (because why not?), it won’t fail to light up someone’s day. And their skin for that matter!

For The Die-Hard Skincare Fan

Anyone who knows anything about skincare knows that a great complexion isn’t only about cleansing, moisturizing and protecting your skin from the evil ways of the sun. Sure, these beauty habits are super important, but what goes in your body is just as vital as what you put on your skin. Know someone that is really into their skincare routine and likes to ensure they’re doing everything they can to maximize their best skin? Then they will love our new Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement. Chock full of clinically-proven ingredients to help promote natural collagen production – which is literally everything for healthy skin – you might want to think about adding two to cart. One for them… one for you.

For Those Who Needs A Skincare Shake-Up

Do you have that one person in your life who needs to switch things up in their skincare routine? Ha, don’t we all. And our Daily Essentials Trio is just the ticket. For starters it comes with our best-selling, award-winning Vitamin C Facial Serum which is a fan favorite for many good reasons. You can read all about it here but let’s just say once tried, it’s a keeper. Together with Peptide Eye Gel and Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer this three-piece gem promises to fine-tune any skin type with zero hassle.

For Guys & Girls Who Love To Glow

Face scrubs are fine, but for truly radiant skin that almost glows from within, a more non-abrasive approach is what most derms and skin experts recommend. Chemical exfoliation can come in many guises – from professional chemical peels to at-home face masks – but our favorites are leave-on treatments. How so? Because you smooth them on after cleansing and then let them do the hard work for you. And we’re nothing, if not all for an easy life!

Fancy spreading this important message to your nearest and dearest? Then furnish them with our incredible 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant which works deeper and harder than any face scrub, without leaving the skin painful and irritated. Which is no joke if you know how that feels.

For The Person Who Loves A Set

We recently launched an entire new range of healthy aging products called Longevity and, together, they make for a pretty awesome gift set – even if we do say so ourselves. Skin aging can be an annoying thing to deal with but it happens to everyone, so we figured, why not embrace it with a complete skincare range to help you age gracefully and beautifully?

The Longevity collection includes a Rejuvenating Serum, Depuffing Eye Cream and Renewing Moisturizing Cream and each fabulous product contains bakuchiol, nature’s incredible alternative to retinol. You’ll also find other skincare greats such as hyaluronic acid, snow algae and lingonberry stem cells in there to complete the healthy aging regime. Gift them all. Then wait for the thanks to come back in droves.

For Your Favorite Gym Bunny

Some people love to spend hours on their skin, while others have no time for that and prefer convenient, effective products that help keep their skin healthy with no effort involved. Know that person? Good, because they will adore our Ocean Minerals Super Toner. Turbo-charged with glycolic acid, peptides, vitamin C and one of our favorite lesser-known ingredients, MSM, this toning spritz is the perfect wake-up call for tired, sad skin. It’s a beauty for revving up the skin after working out. Or as a post-cleanse treatment. Actually it’s great any time.

For The One Who Lives For Bedtime

Show us an adult who doesn’t love their bed and we’ll give up coffee forever. Actually we won’t but still, bedtime is the best time, right? And anyone who loves their bed is probably equally as enamoured with their kick-ass, night-time skincare ritual. Well, have we got the perfect treat for them. It comes in the shape of Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream and it’s the ideal way to restore, rejuvenate, nourish and moisturize the skin overnight. An extra punch of vitamin C also ensures the skin wakes up revived, bright and fresher than ever.  

For The Health Enthusiast

An all-in one super serum that floods the skin with vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and more? No, this is not a drill – our Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum is all that and more. But wait, you understand the benefits of vitamins and minerals, but electrolytes? What do they do to the skin that’s so special? One word: hydration. And lots of it. And we call that the best gift for radiant, healthy skin. 

Sad, sluggish skin getting on your nerves? Then it’s time to hit the refresh button.

When your skin looks kinda cruddy, it’s often your lifestyle habits that are to blame. Hungover skin? Never pretty. Stressed skin? Ditto.

The truth is, booze, sugar, smoking and stress all play their part in below par skin. For starters, sugar-laden booze and sweet edible treats expose your body to way too much glucose than it really needs. And this does nothing for your skin’s precious levels of collagen and elastin, creating advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which kill your radiant, youthful complexion and leave you with dull, dry skin that ages you up faster than you can say ‘pass the Rocky Road’.

Stress is a similar complexion killer, causing unnecessary spikes in cortisol, the stress hormone (which says it all, right?). An overload of cortisol in your system leads to all manner of skin issues including inflammation, excessively oily skin, blocked pores and hey presto, acne breakouts.

And don’t even get us started on smoking which, after baking in the sun all day, is probably one of the worse things you can do for your skin, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients, and literally suffocating your skin with over 7,000 collagen-destroying chemicals. Eesh!

Of course, reducing the amount of sugar you eat, cutting down on alcohol, not smoking and minimizing your exposure to stressful situations are all great ways to get your skin back on track. But they’re not always easy – especially the stress part! So, if you want to give your complexion a simpler and slightly more speedy detox it’s worth looking at your skincare routine.

Full disclosure: it’s not medically possible to get rid of your body’s toxins through your skin. However, keeping your skin clean and well moisturized will go a long way to ridding its surface of pollutants, impurities and dead skin cells. And this is vital in order to create a brighter, calmer and more hydrated, aka healthy, complexion.

Here are a few things you can do to help detoxify your skin for the new year...

1. Double Cleanse Before Bed

We don’t believe double cleansing is necessary on a regular basis, but when your skin looks like it needs an extra nudge in the right direction, it can be a very effective way to purge every last scrap of makeup, dirt, oil, sweat and debris. Plus, deep cleaning your skin helps create the ideal base on which to apply the rest of your skincare formulations so they’re able to function at a much higher level. Win-win.

To set yourself up for double cleansing success, you’re going to need two different formulations. The first should be an oil-based makeup remover to cut through makeup, sunscreen, sebum and anything else that’s, well, oily. Then you’ll need a water-based gel, cream or foam cleanser to wash away all the pollutants you can’t see, while helping to address any particular concerns you may have.

The cleansers you choose will obviously depend on your skin type but our Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is awesome for deep cleaning and detoxifying your skin. Use this after removing your makeup and you won’t regret it.

2. Steam Clean Skin Once A Week

In ‘ye olden days’, regularly steaming your skin was a given. And frankly, we should all start embracing mom’s favorite skin detox trick. Although, scratch the ‘all’. If you suffer with dryness or sensitivities like eczema or rosacea you might want to give this a miss because super-hot temperatures cause the blood vessels in your skin to dilate which can lead to further redness and flushing. Probably not what you were in the market for...

For the rest of you, however, steaming is a great way to boost blood flow, soften rough skin and deep clean your pores by loosening trapped oil and dirt. Hello clearer, brighter skin.

To nail the perfect steam clean, fill your sink or a large bowl with hot (although not boiling) water. Then cover your head with a clean towel and hover your face about 12 inches above the water for 10 minutes. You could even add some fresh herbs or essential oils like chamomile, lavender or rosemary to the water to decongest or soothe your skin.

After the 10 minutes is up, gently pat your face dry with the towel, then spritz Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner all over to cool, calm and whisk away those loosened impurities.

3. Don’t Forget To Regularly Exfoliate

Who doesn’t love to exfoliate their skin every now and again? Exfoliating helps boost sluggish cell turnover to encourage dead skin cells to hop it, rather than sticking around at the surface where they clog up your pores and make your skin look dull and pimply.

Exfoliation is pretty important all-year long, especially as you get older when your natural rate of cell turnover slows down. But if your skin is feeling more yucksville than normal, it’s more important than ever.

Chemical exfoliation is probably the most skin-friendly way to exfoliate as it reduces any friction caused from scrubbing away at your skin. Look for glycolic acid and salicylic acid which are two of the best chemical exfoliators found in skincare. Our new AHA/BHA/PHA Liquid Exfoliant contains this dynamite blend, along with skin-brightening vitamin C and gluconolactone, a super-soothing exfoliating acid that also helps hydrate sad-looking skin. 

4. Try Skin Cycling

One of the latest beauty trends to storm TikTok is skin cycling. And while we generally steer clear of faddish skincare whims, this one has real legs – especially for skin that needs a bit of a kick up the butt.

The brainchild of New York dermatologist, Dr. Whitney Bowe, skin cycling is a great way to enhance your night time routine without overloading your skin with too much, all at once. The basic concept is that you exfoliate one night, apply retinol the next, then give your skin two days off by applying moisturizer only. Then you repeat the whole process. Of course, you cleanse and tone as normal every night, but by spacing out your exfoliation and retinol application you reduce irritation or flare-ups. And by giving your skin two ‘recovery’ days you also allow your skin’s super-important barrier function time to heal and rebuild itself.

It's pretty smart when you think about it. Plus, it's a great way to decongest blocked pores while boosting skin turnover and helping to rebuild valuable collagen and elastin.

5. Hydrate, Hydrate & Hydrate Some More

Chronic dehydration is one of the most common side-effects of stressed out, over-indulged skin which makes rehydration imperative. Of course, drinking plenty of sugar-free fluids like water and caffeine-free tea is a great way to go, but your skin will actually benefit way more from topical hydration.

Ensure your skincare routine is literally overflowing with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe vera. These are all humectants which act like water magnets, drawing in moisture like little skincare sponges. Your best bet is to layer up a hydrating serum with a kick-ass moisturizer for the ultimate hydration. We love the combination of Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum and Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer which gives you the added skin-loving benefits of vitamins C and E plus green tea and jojoba oil.

PSA: an effective (but gentle!) cleansing, toning and exfoliating routine can work wonders – no matter how dry your skin.

Dry skin can be a delicate little beast, often cringing at even the thought of a regular cleansing, toning and exfoliating routine. But skincare has come a long way since the harsh products of yesteryear that were formulated to do their job… but often to the detriment of your skin’s actual health.

Hark back to those astringent cleansing and toning products from your youth. Full of bad alcohols, synthetic fragrances, colors and additives, they might have left your skin feeling squeaky clean, but that level of skin-stripping prowess was never really necessary. Not then. And certainly not now. And what about those deliciously scented face scrubs that were chock full of ‘natural’ abrasive particles like nut shells. Yeah, they may have sounded like they were doing real good – after all, they were natural, right? – but in actual fact, those sharp particles were probably over-stimulating your skin and leaving tiny micro tears in the skin’s surface. So not cool.

Thankfully, you no longer need to resort to such measures in the quest for beautifully cleansed, toned and exfoliated skin. Because those unnecessarily potent products still exist, for sure, but they now take a back seat to much gentler formulations and skin-loving ingredients.

Phew!

If you have dry skin, chances are you have your moisturizing routine totally down. But if you’re yet to find a cleansing, toning and exfoliating routine that works for your complexion and leaves your skin bright, clean and fresh without making it feel tight and uncomfortable, read on for a few pearls of wisdom…

Your Cleansing 101

The number one rule for ALL skin types is to choose the kindest cleanser possible. And this is never more important than if you have dry skin.

Unlike dehydrated skin which is deficient in water, dry skin contains fewer sebaceous glands and often has a slightly compromised barrier function that lacks the oils and lipids required to lock in moisture and keep your skin soft and supple. This is why cleansing can swiftly cause further dryness and even mild irritation if you don’t take extra care.

The first golden rule for cleansing dry skin is to know which ingredients to avoid. And the biggest no-nos, in our opinion, are sulfates like sodium laureth sulfae (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES). These bad boys are very good at cleansing the skin, lathering up like nobody’s business to strip away every last drop of oil, dirt, makeup and residue. But that’s the thing, you don’t want your skincare to suck all the life from your skin – and the same goes for every skin type, tbh. Instead, you want your cleanser to gently remove surface debris without upsetting the balance of your skin. You also want it to nourish your skin and, if at all possible, even put back a little moisture.

The good news? All this is totally doable. Simply search out soothing cleansers that contain humectants like aloe vera, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, plus fatty acid-rich oils to help reduce dryness, dehydration and irritation. Oat and rice milk are equally awesome for dry skin because they contain tons of natural nourishing, calming and exfoliating compounds like lactic acid. They’re also anti-inflammatory which make them a fabulous choice if you have conditions like eczema or rosacea.

Our Must-Try: Soothing Cleansing Milk

Your Exfoliating 101

Some folks believe exfoliation is dry skin’s arch enemy, causing even more dryness, itching and redness. Not so. Granted, some exfoliating products and treatments can be sensitizing for dry skin but choose wisely and exfoliation can be a very beneficial step. You see, dead skin cells can build up on the surface of your skin – whatever your skin type – and if you already have dryness, this can make flaking and dullness so much worse. And we imagine that’s probably not what you’re looking for in life.

So what’s the answer? Well, daily exfoliation is rarely the way to go for you as this can over-stimulate your skin and leave it vulnerable to irritation. Physical exfoliants (those that require movement or pressure like scrubs, brushes and mitts) can also be too invigorating for dry skin, so our advice is to stick with chemical treatments that use kind-to-skin exfoliating acids to encourage cell turnover.

Chemical exfoliators use chemicals (no surprises there!) to break down the bonds between your skin cells. This allows them to naturally shed without you having to rub or scrub the skin. They’re generally split into three types: AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) and the lesser common PHAs (poly hydroxy acids). AHAs like glycolic and lactic acids are water soluble and commonly used for all skin types; BHAs like salicylic acid are oil-soluble which makes them incredible for oily skin types; and finally, PHAs are gentler versions of AHAs so ideal for dry or sensitive skin. Phew. Science lesson over.

Just remember, even the most forgiving of chemical exfoliants can irritate super-sensitive or dry skin so choose your formula wisely, always patch test first and start slowly by applying it just a few times each week.

Our Must-Try: AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant

Your Toning 101

Toner is a funny guy. Nowhere near as important as cleanser or moisturizer (or sunscreen for that matter – although that’s another lesson for another day), it often slips through the net. In fact, we could go so far as to say that it’s generally a little unloved.

But it’s the quiet ones that often hold the most useful super powers, and toner can actually be darn useful in the quest for fabulous skin. If you choose well, there are plenty of toning treatments available that offer all manner of post-cleansing, pre-moisturizing benefits. Think brightening, age-defying, firming, clarifying, the works.

For dry skin, toners can be just the ticket for boosting your skin with extra hydration and moisturization – especially if they contain those infamous humectants which draw in water like magnets. However, stay well clear of any formula that contains even a hint of those devils of the alcohol world – alcohol denat, methanol, propanol and isopropyl. These can just about be tolerated by stronger skin types but will frequently cause irritation and inflammation if used on dry skin.

Your motto should be to keep it simple with fewer ingredients. Also, look for calming, soothing and balancing botanicals like rose water and aloe vera. These will always be your best friends and will never let you down.

Our Must-Try: Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner