True Radical Honesty From Our Community

There’s nothing worse than spending a gazillion bucks on skincare, for it to go ahead and do zip. But if you know how your skin likes to do business and use formulations that contain researched, proven ingredients, you’re well on the way to nailing a great complexion.

We’ve all been lured by the latest gold-infused miracle skin potion that promises (but always fails to deliver) flawless, younger-looking skin in days. To be fair, wanting to believe glossy skincare commercials gets us all every now and again. But those days are over because we now know that a) skincare cannot perform miracles and b) the most important steps for achieving and maintaining fabulous skin only work if you know your skin type. Then and only then are you able to make informed decisions about which products to apply and what to realistically expect.

So, is your skincare routine working out for you? If not, think about what you could be doing wrong. Chances are, it’s one of the following…

1. Do You Know Your Skin?

Understanding your skin and knowing, not only your skin type, but how it to reacts to changes in the weather, the time of the month, even your diet goes a long way to nailing an effective skincare routine.

The best way for you to learn about your skin – right now – is to gently cleanse and dry it, then leave it for a few hours without applying any product or makeup. After this time, look at your skin in the mirror and touch it (with clean hands, of course). If it looks and feels pretty normal then, surprise surprise, you have normal skin. But if it's already shiny or greasy, you have oily skin. If it feels tight, maybe a little rough and looks flaky, you have dry skin. And if it’s a bit of both? You have combination skin.

Only by scrutinizing your skin in the moment, can you really know what’s going on with it at that particular time. Yes, you may have oily skin as a rule, but perhaps it’s currently feeling dry in certain areas thanks to a little dehydration from too many boozy nights. Or perhaps your skin is generally pretty normal, but it’s looking red and feels a tad sensitive due to your hormones or from using too many potent active ingredients.

Getting to know your skin in order to make informed tweaks to your lifestyle and skincare routine? Priceless.

2. Are You Nailing The Basics?

Eye creams, treatment serums and chemical exfoliation are all well and good, but you should never underestimate the powers of basic skincare – namely cleansing and moisturizing. The truth is, without a good cleansing and moisturizing routine, you may as well not bother with the rest.

Cleansing is the absolute foundation of great skin, helping to remove dirt, oil, makeup and bacteria from your skin that can clog your pores, cause irritation and age you up if left to sit around for too long. Good cleansing also prepares and primes your skin for the rest of your routine, allowing your products to penetrate the skin more effectively. To perfect your cleansing game, choose a kind formulation like our Daily Facial Cleanser which is ideal for most skin types and use it to wash your face twice daily – no excuses. Use your hands to gently massage it all over for one or two minutes to help boost circulation and encourage lymphatic drainage.

Another super important step in your routine is moisturizing, which should never be forgotten about. Depending on the formulation, moisturizing helps feed your skin with nutrients, but more importantly it locks in essential hydration to protect your skin’s barrier function. If you fail to moisturize morning and night after cleansing your skin will lose its strength and resiliency in no time.

3. Are You Being Consistent With Your Routine?

Making small changes to your routine is great if your skin is doing something it doesn’t normally do, but if it’s behaving as normal, a consistent routine is worth its weight in gold.

For the best results from your routine, always use your products regularly and as advised on the label. For example, potent retinols and antioxidant serums like our C-Plus Super Serum are best used just two or three times a week, whereas less powerful serums can be applied every day depending on your skin type. Of course, your skin’s tolerance may vary, but once you find your sweet spot, stick with it for at least a few weeks before upping your frequency.

4. Are You Being Realistic With Your Expectations?

Skincare that promises ‘miracle’ results overnight? All lies. While many ingredients have been clinically proven to offer awesome benefits for your skin (oh hi there retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and friends), they are never going to give you the same instantly dramatic results that you might get from Botox or fillers, for example. On the flipside, skincare costs way less and doesn’t involve needles or downtime. So, there’s that.

The main thing to remember is that yes, certain skincare products can give you instant moisturization, subtle brightening or cleansing benefits, but in order to work to their full potential, any product that works on a cellular level will need time (usually around four to six weeks) and a little bit of patience. So, don’t expect miracles. After all, those fine lines and dark spots didn’t just appear one morning; they built, grew and etched themselves into your skin over time. So, how can your skincare products possibly get rid of them overnight? Answer: they can’t.

5. Finally, Are You Overloading Your Skin?

One sure-fire way to irritate your skin and cause unwanted breakouts is to overload your face with way too many active ingredients.

You may think that bombarding your skin with countless serums containing high-performing vitamin C, glycolic acid, retinol and salicylic acid will give you a red carpet complexion much quicker than if you were to stick with one product, but oh how wrong you are. Unless these active ingredients have been carefully formulated into one treatment serum or a board-certified professional has prescribed them, cocktailing is a major no-no. Some ingredients should never be applied together, but do you know which ones they are? Thought not. So, instead, introduce serums into your routine one at a time to see how your skin tolerates it. It's also wise to patch test a new formulation before applying it to your whole face. And give it at least four weeks to take effect before dismissing it.

Or, if it's one of ours, falling in love with it;)

Too much effective skincare can lead to irritation, dryness, even breakouts. And we doubt this was what you had in mind when you carefully chose the products in your routine, right? So, let’s have a look at some of the optimum amounts of product you should be applying.

Skincare has moved on since the days of 'cleanse, tone, moisturize and done.' Nowadays, there are all manner of eye treatments, serums, facial oils and retinols to contend with. And while we’d never suggest you overload your skin with gazillions of products, a carefully curated routine that contains a gentle mix of antioxidants, AHAs, night treatments and sun protection will go a long way to achieving younger-looking skin.

But it’s not just about what you put on your skin. Turns out, how you apply them, when you apply them and even how much you apply is just as important. We’ve covered the hows and the whens before, so hopefully by now you’ve nailed the art of skincare layering and applying your products like an absolute pro. But are you sure you’re applying the right amount?

Knowing how much of your skincare essentials you need can be confusing business, so here are some basic rules to follow to get to know your products’ sweet spots.

Always Read The Label

The directions on your skincare labels are not just there to fill space or look nice. They’re important and should always be followed for the best, safest and most effective results. Granted, skincare products don’t need FDA approval but they must still adhere to particular guidelines. And one of these is that both the ingredients and the finished product must be safe to use according to its directions.

This means it’s always vital to read the instructions for a guide on how much you should be using. Obviously these guidelines aren’t set in stone, but they’re a great starting point.

Know The Basic Numbers

All products are different, but generally speaking the amount you should be using rarely differs from the following:

• Cleanser – a dime-sized amount is plenty to effectively cleanse your face and neck. Anything less might not be enough to gently remove bacteria, dirt and oils, whereas using more will just be a waste.
• Toner ­– go for around four or five spritzes if you’re spraying toner directly onto your face, or enough to saturate an entire cotton round.
• Serum – treatment serums such as antioxidants, AHAs and retinols are super lightweight, but extremely potent, so less is always more. Stick with two or three drops for your entire face and neck.
• Eye Cream – a single pump or pea-sized amount is the sweet spot for both eyes. More than this will overload the delicate skin around your eyes, resulting in puffiness and/or irritation. Not cool.
• Moisturizer – moisturizing creams, lotions and gels vary a lot, but as long as you choose the correct formulation for your skin type, a pea-sized amount should be ideal.
• Sunscreen – the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends about half a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face. This may sound like a lot, but failing to protect your skin increases your risks of premature aging and skin cancers. This is why sunscreen is one of the few products where scrimping is not an option. 

Understand That Your Skin Type Isn't The Issue

The amount of product you apply shouldn’t be dictated by your skin type. It’s far more important to choose the right product to suit your needs and concerns than to overload, or indeed scrimp on your application. For example, if you feel like you need to double up on your moisturizer, because your skin still feels dry, tight or dehydrated even after you’ve applied it, you’ve clearly got the wrong formulation and should up your moisturizing game with a richer or heavier cream or balm. Similarly, if you end up applying less moisturizer than the recommended amount because it sits on your skin and makes it feel oily or sticky, your product is likely too rich for your skin. In this case, switch it up with a lighter gel or lotion.

The only exception to this rule is if you wear heavy makeup and feel like your cleanser isn’t doing a good enough job. Gentle is ALWAYS the way to go so stick with a mild cleanser (tailored for your skin type, of course), but try a double cleanse on heavy makeup days.

Spread The Excess Elsewhere

If you do get a little over-excited and end up with too much serum or moisturizer on your hands, smooth any excess over your neck (which you should be doing anyway), décolletage or even on the backs of your hands. This is way more beneficial than smothering your face and increasing your chances of clogging your pores or causing redness or irritation.

And just think of the love you’ll be giving your neck, chest and hands as a bonus.

Exfoliating your skin is an important part of your beauty routine. But is your exfoliation game doing more harm than good?

Skin exfoliation is a constant hot topic in the beauty world. Should you or shouldn’t you? How much is too much? And are scrubs better than acids? Well, these are all good questions, but the thing is, exfoliating your skin is not quite that black and white. Especially when it comes to the delicate skin on your face which is completely different from one person to the next.

Here’s everything you need to know to make an educated decision on how and when to exfoliate your skin. Because in all honesty, when you get it right, the benefits of exfoliation far outweigh the downsides…

Why Should You Exfoliate?

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead, hardened cells from the skin’s surface using some kind of physical or chemical stimulant. Your skin has its own pre-programmed way of shedding millions of dead skin cells every day – a process called desquamation – but aging and/or environmental damage slows this down. Sometimes from an average of 28 days up to 80 days. Eesh. When this happens all those dry, old cells get left behind for longer which causes your skin to becoms sluggish, dull, patchy, congested, dry and/or dehydrated. Exfoliation helps counteract this natural slowing down of desquamation by reducing the build-up of dead cells on the surface of your skin while promoting new cells to generate more efficiently.

So, what are the benefits of exfoliating your skin? Well, by removing dead skin cells and helping your skin turn over better, you simultaneously deep cleanse your skin to remove toxins, unclog pores, control breakouts, fade surface level dark spots, help smooth lines, balance oil production and so on and so forth. Basically, regular exfoliation gives your skin its best chance to look awesome.

Furthermore, dead skin cells act like a blockade to stop your skincare from working to the best of its ability. So, by removing the dead stuff for all that happy, healthy skin, you allow the active ingredients in your products to penetrate better and absorb into your skin way faster. Win-win.

What Are The Different Types Of Exfoliation?

Exfoliation is split into two different camps: physical and chemical.

Physical exfoliation is the classic method that commonly springs to mind when you think of exfoliating your skin – think scrubs, loofahs, face cloths, cleansing brushes and anything else that uses a certain amount of physical force to remove dead cells from the skin's surface. Physical exfoliation also includes professional treatments like microdermabrasion and dermaplaning.

Chemical exfoliation, on the other hand, is a process in which chemicals are used to break down dead skin cells, instead of a physical stimulus. The most common exfoliating chemicals used in skincare formulations are alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAS) such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids. These work by dissolving the bonds that bind dead cells together, allowing them to naturally shed. At the doctor’s office, chemical peels also come into this category.

3 Ways To Exfoliate Like A Pro

Exfoliation is awesome, but the problems come when you don’t do it properly. Here are our top three tips for ensuring your exfoliation game is totally on point.

1. Be Savvy About Your Skincare

Do you really know what you’re putting on your skin? No? Then it’s time to check out your skincare products and learn exactly what's inside them. It may be that, unbeknownst to you, your toner or serum contains an AHA or BHA, in which case you might not need to physically exfoliate your skin quite as regularly as you might think. Similarly, if you have a facial scrub that feels kind of abrasive, put a little on the back of your hand and examine its texture. Chances are if you think it’s too harsh for your skin, it probably contains sharp nutshells or ground fruit pits that are extremely damaging and can cause micro-tears on the surface of your skin. There's no place for that kind of exfoliator in anybody's skincare routine – we're looking for radiant skin, thank you, not red raw skin.

If you use a nightly retinol, this also needs to be taken into consideration as retinol can cause your skin to be more sensitive to regular exfoliation. The trick is, to know your products, know your skin and hone your routine accordingly.

2. Go Gently – The Only Way To Go

As with most things in skincare, exfoliation isn’t a one-size-fits-all. However, exfoliating too much and too often is a classic mistake that can cause redness, irritation, dryness, breakouts and plenty more where that came from. Most experts agree that two or three times a week is the sweet spot, but some of you may find you get better results when you exfoliate more often, while others might breakout if you apply anything more than a gentle lactic acid serum once a week. Our advice? Always err on the side of caution. If you’re only now introducing exfoliation into your routine, start once a week (especially if your skin is prone to dryness, redness and irritation), then you can build up to two or three times a week as your skin adapts. It may take time and a little trial and error but your skin will thank you for your prudence in the long run.

Now you've nailed how often you exfoliate, it's time to tone down your technique. When it comes to physical scrubs, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends applying yours in gentle, circular motions to damp skin for 30 seconds, then rinsing with lukewarm – never hot – water. The most important thing to remember is never to scrub away at your skin: light strokes with the pads of your fingers should be more than enough to allow your product to get the job done without overstimulating or damaging your skin.

In terms of chemical exfoliation, different acids work for different skin types but again, go gently and always perform a patch test first. Lactic acid is a great place to start if you have dry or sensitive skin whereas salicylic acid is awesome for oily or acne-prone skin.

3. Always Follow With Moisturizer & Sunscreen

As well as helping to eliminate dead surface cells, exfoliation also removes essential oils and ceramides that work to moisturize and protect your skin. Therefore, it’s vital to replace lost moisture immediately after using any kind of exfoliant.

Humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin are fabulous for drawing water back to the skin’s surface, so look for skin serums containing one of these ingredients. Even better, try our Hyaluronic Acid Serum which contains both.

Next, apply an emollient moisturizer on top of your serum to help seal in hydration, then finish with a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin.

Exfoliation will increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun so, as always, sun protection is super, we repeat super important.

Excellent news: these genius skincare tricks will literally cost you nothing.

A consistent skincare routine is the first step to awesome skin, but did you know there are further ways to help make the most of what nature gave you? What’s more, some of the most effective skincare hacks are totally free.

So, without further ado, let’s check them out, shall we?

1. Wash Your Hands Before Cleansing

Cleansing is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine, but are you guilty of washing your face without washing your hands first? Yeah, you’re not the only ones. But do you really want to be transferring all that grime from your hands to your face? Thought not. Even if your hands don’t look dirty, chances are they’ll have recently touched any number of surfaces since you last washed them, so just give them a quick clean before cleansing or touching your face to reduce your chances of transferring bacteria, oils, dirt and other chemicals from one place to another. Fail to do this and you could increase your risk of sensitivities, irritation and acne flare-ups. 

Similarly, if you like to use a face cloth, make sure you wash it every day. Without fail.

2. Brave A Cool Rinse

Speaking of cleansing, a final rinse with cool water is an old but great Hollywood trick that helps soothe, tighten and depuff your skin. Charlize Theron is apparently a big fan of this hack (erm, we’d all love skin like hers, right?) and the legendary Joan Crawford swore by running an ice cube all over her face.

Cold water not only improves circulation to the skin to give you a fabulous, instant glow, but it acts like an astringent to help keep your pores in great shape. But remember, using cold water for your whole cleansing routine might not offer the level of cleanliness you’re after. We recommend (as does the American Academy of Dermatology) using lukewarm water along with an effective but gentle cleanser like our Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash to cut through oils and remove makeup and pollutants that may have built up on your skin throughout the day. Rinse thoroughly and then turn on the cold faucet for a quick final rinse with cool water.

3. Sleep On Your Back

When it comes to bedtime, one thing is almost as important as getting your eight hours of zzzs. And that’s the position in which you sleep. Lying on your front is the biggest no-no since smushing your face into your pillow is asking for wrinkles (aka sleep lines) to become permanently etched into your skin. This friction between your pillow and your skin can also trigger acne mechanica which is when skin flares up due to continued rubbing and pressure.

Your best bet is to sleep on your back as this keeps your face, and in fact your neck, well away from constant friction from your pillow. It also allows your night creams and serums free to do all their good work without fear of being absorbed right into your pillowcase – which is so not cool. Lastly, sleeping on your back helps minimize puffiness around the eyes as it reduces excess fluid from pooling. You know, gravity and all that.

4. Apply Skincare To Damp Skin

Applying serums and moisturizers to dry skin is fine and you’ll reap their benefits, for sure, but if you want to really get the most from your treatments, apply them when your skin is still slightly damp after cleansing. By applying serum or moisturizer to damp skin you help lock in extra moisture. Damp skin is also more receptive to skincare ingredients, allowing them to penetrate quicker and more effectively. It figures, therefore, that by improving absorption you get way more bang for your beauty buck. 

If you have sensitive skin, however, you should tread carefully with this one. Active ingredients like vitamin C and retinol are pretty powerful, so if your skin is reactive you might not want to up their potency. Instead, stick to applying them to dry skin – always performing a patch test first, of course. 

5. Try A Facial Steam

If you’re prone to acne, redness and flushing, you can skip this one as steaming will make your conditions worse. But for the rest of you, if you’re looking for a super cheap (read: free) radiance boost, you can’t go wrong with a facial steaming sesh.

Steaming increases perspiration to help remove toxins while simultaneously enhancing circulation to boost the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your skin. Win-win. It also helps hydrate your skin as long as you immediately (within a minute) apply serum and/or moisturizer to seal all that water in.

Don’t bother spending your hard-earned dollars on a high-tech facial steaming machine, however, simply place your face over a bowl of recently boiled water for 5-10 minutes, placing a towel over your head to trap in the steam. Just remember not to get too close to the surface of the water (ouch) and give it a minute or so to slightly cool down after boiling.

If this doesn’t sound like your jam, another option is to submerge a clean towel in hot water, then wring it out slightly, lie on your back and drape it over your face.  

Limit steaming to once or twice a week as any more than this could make your skin dry and dehydrated which is literally the opposite of your goal.

6. Keep Your Eye Gel In The Fridge

We don't subscribe to the ‘keep all your skincare products in the refrigerator’ idea, and would never recommend you waste your money on those cute, Insta-worthy beauty fridges that can set you back a couple of hundred dollars. Yes, they’re adorable, but quite honestly, they’re kinda pointless. After all, skincare products have to go through vigorous shelf-life testing before they’re released to market, so why should they need refrigerating? Answer: they usually don't.

There are two exceptions to this rule, however. After-sun, for obvious reasons, and eye gel.

Keeping your eye gel in the fridge will offer a delicious cooling sensation to the skin around your eyes, giving a doubly soothing effect. As an added bonus, the coolness will also constrict the blood vessels to reduce puffiness or swelling and help revitalize tired eyes.

If you suffer with morning puffy eyes, you should 100 percent try this trick. You won’t regret it.

Looking to ward off lines and wrinkles for as long as possible? Unfortunately, you can’t turn back time or stop the natural aging process, but a few lifestyle changes can make a whole world of difference.

Skin aging is a fact of life – and in all honestly, you should feel privileged to have all those years of wisdom under your belt. But natural aging (known in the biz as intrinsic aging) is OK, right? Because, unless you’re some kind of Hermione Granger, this is inevitable and all down to your genes and your body’s natural ability to heal and repair itself as you get older. Extrinsic aging, on the other hand, now that’s a whole different story…

Extrinsic aging is the term for anything that affects how your skin ages, other than your genetic clock. Smoking, sun worshipping, boozing, you know the drill. And it’s all this perfectly preventable stuff you need to work on if you want to maintain youthful-looking skin for as long as possible.

Here are ten easy lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent your skin aging up way before it should.

1. Don’t Over-Cleanse

Cleansing your skin is super-important, for sure, but if you scrub your face morning and night with products that contain harsh ingredients like sulfates, you’ll strip away all those good oils. You could also compromise your skin’s natural barrier function, causing dryness, irritation and all manner of other complaints that will accelerate skin aging. Instead, be kind as you cleanse, choosing products that balance and hydrate your skin, rather than leaving it high and dry.

If you’re in the market for a gentle, yet effective cleanser, our Vitamin C Daily Facial Cleanser is perfect for the job. It also contains 15 percent vitamin C for added age-busting, antioxidant powers. 

2. Buy A Humidifier

Living in a home that’s void of moisture is a terrible idea for your skin. How so? Because science. More to the point, dry air (particularly in winter) will suck every last drop of moisture from your skin. To counteract the effects of cranking up the heating or air conditioning, invest in a humidifier for your bedroom and/or home office – these are the rooms you spend most of your time in, after all.

Can’t afford a humidifier right now? Just place a bowl of water in your room to help add moisture back into the air.

3. Practice A Little Facial Yoga

Working out your face is a great way to improve circulation, build tone and help reduce sagging skin or unwanted expression lines. It’s also free and can be easily done while you’re at your desk, making dinner or watching TV.

Some of our favorite exercises include: puffing out your cheeks repeatedly; looking towards the ceiling and pouting for a few seconds; or opening your mouth super-wide, sticking your tongue out and roaring like a lion. Repeat each of these, five times a day and you’ll start to notice a real difference in the clarity and firmness of your skin.

4. Wear SPF Every Day

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the sun plays a major role in the way and speed in which your skin prematurely ages. And we have to agree, the sun is a complete disaster area. The problem is UV radiation – specifically UVA and UVB radiation. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin where they cause free radical damage and break down collagen and elastin. Meanwhile, UVB rays are responsible for tanning and burning which is just as bad for both your skin and your overall health – two words: skin cancer.

Stay out of the midday sun, for sure, and protect your skin whenever you spend time outdoors. We always recommend applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ to exposed areas, including your hands.

5. Eat A Healthy Diet

While anything in moderation is OK, a diet that’s super high in the likes of sugar, salt, processed meats, bad fats and refined carbs will be pretty rough on your complexion. Sugar and refined carbs, for example, attach themselves to proteins in your skin in a process called glycation which damages valuable collagen and can result in any number of aging concerns like wrinkles, dark circles, enlarged pores, the works. Meanwhile, an overload of salt draws water from your skin, making it more prone to dryness, dehydration and everything that goes with it.

Make sure you don’t overdo the bad stuff, while upping your intake of antioxidant-rich, collagen-preserving fruit and veggies. Avocados, broccoli, red bell peppers, watercress, blueberries and pomegranates all have powerful anti-aging properties. Also, don’t forget your omega 3 fatty acids – found in nuts and oily fish – to help keep your skin soft, supple and plump.

6. Never Forget To Moisturize

Just like gentle cleansing and sun protection, moisturizing your skin is one step in your routine that should never be dismissed. Yes, even if you have oily skin. Water (especially hot water) strips your skin of its natural oils, so always apply a lotion or cream after washing to reduce dryness.

Look for moisturizers that contain a clever combination of humectants (these draw water to the skin) and emollients (which lock it in) for the best results. We love our Vitamin C Daily Facial Moisturizer which contains jojoba oil, glycerin, shea butter and vitamin E, so it literally checks all those boxes. And more.

7. Quit Smoking

Do we seriously need to go here? OK, well if you are a smoker and the damage it can cause to your health isn't enough to make you stop, hopefully this will.  

“The more cigarettes you smoke and the longer you smoke, the more likely you are to develop wrinkles and other age-associated changes to your face,” explain experts at the Mayo Clinic.

Tobacco affects the elasticity, texture, tone and even the color of your skin. It also impairs healing and may worsen conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Not. Good.

8. Turn Your Frown Upside Down

Frowning contracts the underlying muscles on your forehead, so if you frown repeatedly it’ll cause annoying lines beneath your brows (AKA ‘elevens’) to become prematurely etched in. 

To reduce your chances of getting frown lines early in life, wear sunglasses whenever you’re outside to stop you from squinting. And if you find yourself frowning or squinting when you read, type or watch TV, it could be time for an eye test. Just saying.

9. Sleep. Lots.

Insufficient or poor sleep is one of the biggest beauty no-nos because overnight is when collagen production peaks to help heal, restore and repair your skin. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. So, come on y’all, Netflix will still be there tomorrow.

For some quality zzzs, make sure your bedroom isn’t too hot or cold, never eat a big meal before bed and… Put. Your. Smartphone. Down. The National Sleep Foundation also recommends using essential oils like lavender to help calm your mind and ease you into a good night’s sleep. Oh, and try not to sleep with your face smushed into the pillow night after night as this can exacerbate crease lines. And they might not spring back like they used to ten years ago.

10. Apply A Nightly Retinol

Last but not least, if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to embrace the mightiest of anti-aging skincare ingredients, retinol.

Retinol has an almost magical way of ‘communicating’ with your skin cells to make them produce more collagen and turn over more efficiently. This is excellent news for your skin because more collagen equals younger, firmer, plumper skin, while efficient cell turnover results in more radiance, healthier pores and fewer issues with pigmentation. This might sound too good to be true, but derms, beauty editors and every other skin expert you can think of swear by the powers of retinol (and its prescription-only cousin, tretinoin).

Retinol is a potent ingredient however, so you should always perform a patch test first, before slowly introducing it into your routine.

Just one last thing before we go. Remember, we don’t expect you to make every single one of these changes immediately (we’re not complete savages). But a little tweak here and there will make a whole world of difference. That is all.

Your skin would be nothing without collagen and elastin. So, you should probably know a little bit more about what they are and what they do, right?

Collagen and elastin are constantly written about in the beauty world. In fact, we challenge you to find one, just one skincare article that doesn’t mention them at least once. Bet you can’t. And the reason is simple: collagen and elastin are two of the most important proteins in your skin. In fact, they’re present in all your tissues and organs... but we’ll stick with skin for now. Because that’s what we’re good at, after all;)

What Exactly Is Collagen?

As previously mentioned, collagen is a protein. But it’s not just any old protein. It’s actually the most abundant one in the whole of your body and accounts for between 70 and 80 percent of all proteins within the skin. You’ll find it just underneath the surface of your skin, in the dermis, where it’s produced by a network of cells called fibroblasts.

What's The Function Of Collagen In The Skin?

Collagen provides structure and strength to your skin by acting like scaffolding to hold it all together. Remember how firm and plump your skin was in your teens and early 20s? Yeah, that was all thanks to an abundance of collagen. It's also a major player in maintaining healthy cell turnover which rids your complexion of dulling dead skin cells so new, fresh ones can replace them.

The sad news is collagen production dramatically decreases with age and environmental damage. The sun, of course, is one of the worst offenders, but things like eating too much sugar, smoking and poor sleep all play havoc with your collagen. And these nasties not only affect how much collagen your skin churns out, but also the quality of what it does produce. Dang.

What About Elastin?

Like collagen, elastin is synthesized by fibroblasts in the dermis. It’s the second most abundant protein in your body, but it only makes up around 2 or 3 percent of all proteins found in the skin which is small fry compared to its collagen cousin. This doesn’t make elastin any less important, however. Together, they work like a fine-tuned machine to maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin.

What's The Function Of Elastin In The Skin?

Elastin is about 1000 times more flexible than collagen so, while collagen provides support and strength, elastin gives your skin flexibility and elasticity. It's what helps your skin bounce back into place after you pinch it, for example.

Skin loses elasticity as you get older thanks to a natural degradation of elastin, but those same environmental and lifestyle aggressors also play their part. This is why as you age and are more exposed to the elements, your skin can become thin, loose and saggy.

What Are The Best Ways To Boost Collagen & Elastin In Your Skin?

The good news is all is not lost for your collagen and elastin simply because you’ve hit the wrong side of age 30. In fact, there are plenty of ways to help maintain and even boost your levels.

1. Don’t Let The Sun Beat Down On You

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the sun is bad news for your skin. Like, really bad. We understand there’s nothing better than the feeling of the sun beating down on your skin, but the damage it causes is just not worth it. UV radiation weakens collagen and elastin fibers, causing them to break down way quicker than normal. And trust us, age does a good enough job of that on its own, so don’t let the sun make things ten times worse. Instead, always protect your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen that contains at least SPF 30.

2. Get Plenty Of ZZZs

While your body and brain are asleep, your skin gets super busy repairing and recharging itself. Cells start to turn over quicker and collagen production amps up, big time. It figures, therefore, that if you skimp on your sleep, your levels of collagen and elastin will become seriously affected and your skin will never be able to live up to its full potential. Lack of sleep also produces higher levels of cortisol, the dreaded stress hormone, which breaks down collagen and elastin and welcomes premature aging with open arms.

The answer? Get your eight hours every single night and help your skin hydrate, restore and heal itself as you sleep with a super-charged treatment like our Retinol Moisturizer.

3. Cut Down On Sweet Treats

Simple carbs and refined white sugar? More stuff that might be temporarily good for the soul, but are in fact hell for collagen and elastin. And it’s all because of a process called glycation.

Glycation is when sugars in your bloodstream attach themselves to collagen and elastin and turn into ‘advanced glycation end’ products (AGEs). AGEs have no good qualities, but instead wreak havoc on all that lovely collagen and elastin, weakening them and making them become hard and inflexible. This makes your skin look dull and increases the visible signs of aging like sagging, fine lines and wrinkles.

Reduce your sugar intake by swapping out refined sugar, corn syrup, fruit juices and carbs for more protein-rich foods. Ha, easier said than done, right? OK, then at least try to cut down on the sweet stuff.

4. Protect Your Skin With Antioxidants

When it comes to what you put on your skin, some of the most effective ingredients for boosting collagen production and maintaining levels of elastin are antioxidants such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C.

How so? Because antioxidants are essential for counteracting damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that are created by your skin after exposure to too much sun and pollution. In order to stabilize themselves, free radicals steal electrons from collagen and elastin which causes no end of damage. The good thing about antioxidants, however, is they have the power to donate electrons without losing their stability which allows collagen and elastin to go about their business without fear of being broken down and damaged.

Try our C-Plus Super Serum for a potent antioxidant hit of vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide. Free radicals stand no chance...

The takeaway from all of this? Simple. Look after your collagen and elastin and they will do their best to look after you.