True Radical Honesty From Our Community

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.  

Because eliminating bad skincare habits should always be a top priority.

We know there are many skincare sins you’d never commit in your wildest dreams. Going to bed in full makeup, for example, might be something you did in your drunken teens, but you now know better than that, right? Good, then we don’t need to lecture you about that.

There are also the beauty sins you know are really bad for your skin and you try to strictly adhere to them, but, well, life sometimes gets in the way. You know the ones we mean: wearing sunscreen every day, not picking spots and the like. Well, we have news for you, we’re not here to lecture you about those, either – your awareness and effort to get on board is enough for us. For now, anyway ;)

No, today’s lesson is to pinpoint a few other seemingly innocent beauty habits that can cause no end of problems for your poor old complexion. The ones you probably commit way more regularly than the main culprits, yet don’t even know the damage they’re causing.

Intrigued? Then here are five of the most important, not-so-innocent skincare habits we’d love you to shake off. Starting now.

Skincare Sin #1. Touching Your Face, Like ALL The Time

The skin on your face is super fragile and must be treated with the care and respect it deserves. You know that. We know you know that. But the thing is, looking after your skin isn’t simply about great treatments, awesome products and avoiding the lifestyle and environmental bad guys. Turns out, touching your face is another major no-no.

You may not be aware of this, but living on your skin is an intricate ecosystem of microorganisms called the skin microbiome. This microbiome includes things like bacteria, mites and fungi which may sound gross but they've evolved to keep toxins and invading bacteria at bay, so they play an extremely important role in the health of your skin and the strength of its natural protective barrier.

It makes sense, therefore, that keeping your microbiome balanced by treating your skin gently and avoiding chemical nasties is key. But did you know that the simple act of touching your face with your hands is just as important? No matter how often your wash or sanitize your hands, they carry millions of germs, allergens and bacteria from constant contact with the outside world (think door knobs, cell phones, money etc.). By touching your face or even resting your face on your hands you transfer all of these unwanted pathogens straight to your skin where they upset your microbiome and can trigger breakouts or worsen conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

How To Break The Habit: Not easy, this one, because touching your face is usually a sub-conscious act. The first step is to call yourself out every time you find yourself doing it, or better still, get others to call you out when they catch you at it. Then gross yourself out by thinking about what you’ve touched in the last few hours and how many other hands these same objects might have come into contact with. Baby steps like these will go a very long way.

Skincare Sin #2. Not Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Just a quick one while we’re on the subject of bacteria: clean your makeup brushes more regularly and do more laundry. Makeup brushes, pillowcases, face masks and towels are all breeding grounds for bacteria which, when transferred to your skin, spell absolute disaster (see above). Enough said.

How To Break The Habit: If you can afford it, invest in more pillowcases, face masks and towels so you don’t fall short while the others are being cleaned. And when it comes to your makeup brushes? Dermatologists recommend cleaning them at least once a week depending on how often you apply makeup, so set aside some time (Sunday evening works for us) for a quick but thorough cleanse using gentle hand soap and warm water.

Skincare Sin #3. Over-Exfoliating

We’re big fans of gentle exfoliation here at TruSkin, but anything above and beyond ‘gentle’ can lead to seriously bad news for your skin. Those of you with oily skin will know that very little beats the instant gratification of a really full-on face scrub that makes your skin feel squeaky clean, but you’ve got to stop that, because it’s not doing your skin any good.

Oily skin is caused by an over-production of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands in the dermis of your skin. This is mainly down to genetics and hormones, but your lifestyle and skincare choices certainly play their part in how much sebum your skin naturally produces. Exfoliating your skin too harshly and/or too often will make your skin feel drier and compromised, so instead of ridding it of unwanted oil, it actually does the complete opposite and makes it produce even more of the stuff. Exactly NOT what you set out to do.

Over-exfoliation can also damage and remove too much of your stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of your skin) which can lead to inflammation, dryness, irritation and discomfort.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it could be time to pare back your exfoliation routine.

How To Break The Habit: Look at your skincare products and assess anything that has exfoliation benefits. If you regularly use a physical scrub as well as products containing chemical exfoliating ingredients such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid and retinol, think about cutting back or temporarily ditching one or more. If your skin gets better after a few weeks, then you’ll know you were exfoliating way too much.

Skincare Sin #4. Using Face Wipes

We don’t mind fessing up to our excitement when facial cleansing wipes entered the beauty world all those years ago. We’d long been using baby wipes for on-the-go cleansing whilst camping, at music festivals or before bed when we couldn’t be bothered to properly wash our faces. So, facial wipes that had been created especially for adult skin which helped remove makeup and promised to care for our delicate complexions at the same time? Best beauty hack ever.

Or not.

The problem with facial cleansing wipes is that they don’t actually cleanse your skin that well, often just moving grime and makeup around your face. Most are also packed with alcohol, chemicals, fragrance and preservatives which don’t get rinsed off your skin after use. This is far from ideal for any skin type, but can be particularly irritating if your skin errs on the side of sensitive.

How To Break The Habit: If all those chemicals aren’t enough to put you off face wipes for good, think about this: wet wipes are terrible for the environment. The average facial wipe takes around 100 years to decompose, during which time they’re filling up landfills, clogging sewers and devastating the oceans. A way better alternative – if you’re looking for a quick cleanse – is to use a micellar water-based cleanser, instead. Or better still, wash your face with a gentle, effective cleanser like our Vitamin C Daily Facial Cleanser.

Skincare Sin #5. Not Patch Testing Your Products

Rushing in with a new skincare product like a bull in a china shop is something we caution our customers about all the time. Yet patch testing is still not on everybody’s radar. And that’s a big mistake.

The scary fact is, most skincare ingredients do NOT have to undergo testing or approval by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). Of course, most reputable manufacturers do their own thorough testing and research before formulating new skincare products and due to the strength and power of our active ingredients we’re one of those. But who knows if the same can be said for every single product you put on your skin?

Another thing: everybody’s skin is different and even your own skin changes over time. This means not all skincare ingredients are tolerated by every skin type. And what might have worked for you in your teens, might not be suitable as you get older.

All in all, active ingredients in skincare can be tricky to perfect in your skincare routine and flare-ups can happen to anyone, at any time. So, next time you invest in a new retinol cream, please do a patch test before applying it all over your face.

How To Break The Habit: Patch tests are easy, you just need a little patience. Simply apply a small amount of any new product to a discreet patch of clean skin such as behind your ears or on the side of your neck, then leave it for at least 24, but preferably 48 hours. If, during this time, something doesn’t feel or look right – think redness, burning, swelling or itching – your skin is clearly not happy with a certain ingredient in that product, so you should rinse it off immediately and discontinue use.

Mild reactions such as slight redness or tingling are OK, but anything worse is a red flag and obviously if these symptoms continue or worsen you should seek immediate advice from a skincare expert.

And there we go: five small skincare sins that should be pretty simple to eliminate. Not so bad, right?