True Radical Honesty From Our Community

National Girls’ Night is upon us, so invite your girlfriends over and indulge in a little you-time with our guide to the ultimate pampering girl’s night in.

Oh, how we love a national day of random celebration here at TruSkin. National Kitten Day? Count us in. National Chocolate Cake Day? Hells yeah.

Well, this month it’s time to gather up your besties because it’s National Girls’ Night on September 22. And yes, we know you don’t need a special occasion to embrace being female with your favorite girlfriends, but any excuse, right?

This year, we’re all about the self-love, so we want to celebrate with you and the girls with an awesome pampering night in. We’re talking facial steaming, exfoliation, some deep moisturizing and, of course, the odd glass of vino/hard seltzer/g&t or whatever else floats your boat.

Let’s do this!

First, Make Sure You're Properly Prepared

Before your girls arrive, set the mood by creating a cracking Spotify playlist. Choose some uplifting beats, embrace your favorite female artists and mix in some awesome tunes that have meaning to you and your friends. Great music? Priceless. Also, light some scented candles (come on, who doesn’t love a scented candle?), get some clean, fluffy towels ready and make sure your fridge is stacked with drinks and snacks.

In terms of a dress code, you’ve gotta go PJs all the way. And what do you think about prepping your friends for a totally off-grid evening by asking them to leave their smartphones at home. Too much? OK, then at least silence them (the phones, not your mates!), so you can enjoy each other’s company without getting sidetracked by random 'dogs with babies' videos on Insta. 

How To Boss A Spa-Like Facial

Pampering nights in might conjure up memories of creating face masks out of oatmeal and bananas, but heads up: you’re no longer 12 years old. So, ditch the kitchen cupboard ingredients, and let’s get serious.

Herein, a full-proof facial with proven ingredients your skin will love.

1. Cleanse

First, take some time to deeply cleanse your skin with our Charcoal Face Wash. It’s packed with activated coconut charcoal to detoxify your skin, plus hydrating aloe, nourishing essential oils and protective antioxidants. All these combine to offer your skin a gentle but effective cleanse that’s perfect for washing away all the dirt, oil and debris from the day.

Apply it all over damp skin, then use your hands and fingers to really massage it into your face and neck for a good couple of minutes. Take extra time over oily areas like your t-zone and be careful with the delicate skin around your eyes. You could even leave it on your skin for an extra couple of minutes to really draw toxins out from your skin. Time is totally on our side and heck, who needs face packs, anyway?

Rinse thoroughly, pat dry with a clean, fluffy towel and you’re done.

2. Steam

Facial steaming helps dilate your blood vessels to increase circulation and deliver oxygen and nourishment to the surface of your skin. Hello there, super glowiness. It also loosens excess oils and dirt that can become trapped in your pores, so steaming is ideal if you suffer with clogged skin or pesky blackheads.

Fill some bowls (one for each of you) with hot, but not boiling water, then cover your head with a towel and hover your face around 12 inches above the water for 10 minutes. After this time, sweep a reusable makeup pad over your face to remove all those loosened impurities, then spritz your skin with Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner to hydrate and refine.

NOTE: If you or any of your girlfriends have very dry, sensitive skin or are prone to redness or rosacea, this step is best avoided.

3. Exfoliate & Treat

Exfoliation is ideal for boosting cell turnover and sloughing away dead skin cells that have been lurking on the surface of your skin for too long. If scrubbing is your jam, do this after steaming, and before toning, or apply a gently exfoliating treatment serum after toning.

Chemical exfoliators usually come in the form of AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) like glycolic and lactic acid, or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) like salicylic acid. The difference is that BHAs are oil-soluble, so they’re way better for controlling sebum production as well as exfoliating oily skin types. AHAs, on the other hand, are water-soluble, so they’re best suited to normal, dry or combination skin.

After toning, apply a small amount of your favorite treatment serum all over. Our Tea Tree Serum is a great choice for oily or acne-prone skin, or try Vitamin C Super Serum+ to flood your skin with antioxidants and gentle exfoliation. 

You could also use this time to lie back for a few minutes with a couple of cold cucumber slices over your eyes. Cucumbers are great for reducing puffiness and hydrating the skin. And no, this is not an old wives' tale: it really works! You could then finish with a little extra Peptide Eye Gel for extra anti-aging prowess. Apply a pea-sized amount around your eyes, using your ring fingers to keep the pressure light and to avoid dragging this notoriously delicate skin.

4. Moisturize

Last, but not least, moisturize. For awesome overnight moisturization, we recommend Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to lock all that goodness in and start strengthening, healing and renewing your skin ready for a new day. This luxurious night cream is crammed with skin-loving ingredients like vitamins C and B5, plus cocoa butter, glycerin, botanical oils and aloe which work in harmony to blanket your skin with TLC. It’s the perfect cherry on top of your pampering facial cake.

Finally, Sit Back & Relax…

OK, pampering time's over, so now your skin’s clean and glowing, why not round off the evening with a classic ‘90s movie like Clueless, Pretty Woman or My Best Friend’s Wedding? Because you can never have too much Julia Roberts in your life. You could also bust out some board games or simply sit around and chat for a few hours. Just enjoy your friends and appreciate each other.

Oh, and before you turn in for the night? Don’t forget to plan your next get-together. National Girl’s Night should really be a monthly thing, no?

Struggling with acne breakouts even though you’re no longer 15 years of age? We hear you. Adult acne: it’s a thing.

Adult acne affects around 85 percent of adults across the world. Now, correct us if we’re wrong (math was never our strong point), but with the world population being around 7.8 billion at last count, and approximately half of the world population being between 25 and 65 that amounts to roughly 3.3 billion people being plagued with breakouts at some point during their adult lives.

More bad news: adult acne is more likely to affect women than men.

Dang!

Chances are, therefore, you know a thing or two about dealing with whiteheads, blackheads and/or pimples way past the age of 25, correct? But why do you get adult acne? And more importantly, what can you do to keep your pesky pimples in check?

Here’s five things you need to know to help you get a firm grip on your adult acne…

1. Adult Acne Is Caused By One Thing And One Thing Alone

Just like the breakouts you had as a teenager, adult acne occurs when your hair follicles become blocked with excess oil and dead skin cells, clogging up your pores and forming a kind of ‘plug.’ It’s as simple as that. Scrap that, it’s not simple at all, because this plugged follicle can then form into a number of things...

If the plug bulges out above the surface of your skin it creates a whitehead, but if it opens up, it will oxidize with the air and cause a blackhead. And you know all that bacteria that breeds on your skin? Well, if this infects your blocked pore, it will cause a much larger, angrier kind of beast – namely a papule, pustule, nodule or cyst. Or as you probably call it, a zit.

Most adult acne takes the form of zits.

2. Not All Adult Acne Is The Same

While the cause of adult (and indeed all) acne is always the same, it’s generally split into two different types: persistent and late- or adult-onset acne.

Persistent acne is when it never lets up from your teenage years, continually plaguing you with pimples and carrying on right the way through to adulthood. Late-onset acne, however, is the stuff that appears on any of you who didn’t have acne as an adolescent. Instead, it decides to strike later on in your life, just when you least suspected it.

Neither type of adult acne is fun and both have the same end result, but it’s worth noting the difference.

3. Many Factors Can Trigger Adult Acne Breakouts

While adult acne is caused by the simple process of excess sebum and dead skin cells blocking your pores, the reason this happens to you and not the next person are many.  Acne, as a rule, runs in the family, so first and foremost, you can 100 percent blame your parents. But this is not something you can control, so best not get too angry with them, OK? Instead, try to pinpoint your triggers.

According to the American Academy of Dermatolgy (AAD), most cases of late-onset acne are hormonal and occur during your periods or through the menopause when your hormones are literally all over the place. During menopause, in particular, your estrogen levels start to drop, while androgens like testosterone remain far more constant, creating an imbalance that causes your skin to freak out. If this is happening to you, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss a plan of action. Hormone replacement therapy can be a very effective way to keep your hormones – and therefore your skin – under control.

But it’s not all about genetics and hormones – there are plenty of other factors that can trigger your skin to break out. Chocolate and pizza? Baloney. But other things? For sure. Certain medications can overstimulate your sebaceous glands, for example, and stress is a real biggie. You should also be careful not to use pore-blocking skincare, makeup or even hair styling products if you’re spots are concentrated around your hairline. Any product that contains occlusives like rich oils and butters will create a physical barrier on the surface of your skin which will block your pores and play havoc with acne-prone skin. 

4. Acne Scarring Is Often Worse Than The Pimples Themselves

Sure, acne sucks, but the scarring it leaves behind? Way more annoying and far harder to get rid of.

To avoid your spots leaving scars, never pick, prod or press at them – and if you really can’t help it, at least wash your hands first and clean the problem area afterwards to prevent bacteria from spreading and causing inflammation (which is what causes discoloration and scarring in the first place).

Our Charcoal Face Wash is great for detoxifying oily skin and if you follow it up with Tea Tree Serum, you should be on to a sure winner. Tea tree oil is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory so it’s ideal for spot-treating specific areas of your skin that simply won’t behave.

Finally, always wear sunscreen. Post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIH) is a type of hyperpigmentation that occurs when trauma like an acne spot causes an overproduction of melanin in that area, turning the skin dark and patchy. And it often stays like this permanently. This is the same melanin that causes your skin to tan in the sun, so by protecting your skin from damaging UV radiation you’ll reduce your risks of PIH. Stat.

5. Retinol Is One Of The Best Ingredients For Treating Adult Acne

How to get rid of acne is the million dollar question and one that Google is asked by thousands of people on a daily basis. Of course, managing your triggers is a great start, but it’s not always that easy. Which is why awesome skincare is a must.

It’s tempting to want to scrub away at super oily skin with harsh cleansers and toners. Don’t do that, it’ll just make matters worse. Instead, the key is yes, to keep your skin clean and free of bacteria-inducing oils and debris, but to do so gently with calming, balancing products that are free of harsh chemicals and sulfates.

One of our favorite ingredients for helping treat adult acne is retinol. Most people think of retinol as the gold-standard in anti-aging and they're not wrong. But it’s also crackerjack for dealing with breakouts. Retinol works by communicating with your skin on a deeper level to decrease sebum production, reduce inflammation and, most importantly, help regulate skin cell turnover which stops dead skin cells from hanging around at the surface and clogging up your pores. What’s more, this means you get to create a better foundation at a surface level, so the rest of your skincare ingredients (salicylic acid, always a winner) get a better chance to do their job properly.

Try our Retinol Moisturizer for a gentle but effective way to reduce acne and keep your skin balanced and moisturized without weighing it down.

Final thought: If your adult acne is severe, persistent and painful, always visit your doctor or a dermatologist for professional advice and a targeted treatment plan. Chances are you might need more than smart skincare alone...

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Love your skin for its absolute brilliance at keeping you alive. Then, and only then, should you think about dealing with any little concerns you may have…

We’ve said this before and we’ll say this again: your skin is awesome. We know it’s hard to remember that when all you see in the mirror are lines, sun damage and/or pesky pimples. But know one thing – others don’t see these so-called flaws like you do. More likely they’re coveting your shiny hair or checking out your cute new pumps.

With this in mind, take a deep breath, smile at yourself in the mirror and congratulate yourself for continuing to do the best you can to maintain healthy, radiant skin. Then you can afford to think about what to do to minimize the stuff you’re not so fond of. After all, nobody’s skin is perfect…

So, what’s your gripe? Hormonal breakouts? Lines around your eyes? Glaringly obvious pores? Then let’s figure out how to deal with those, while trying to remember that a) they’re not the end of the world, b) they don’t define you and c) you are not alone.

Now, let’s spring into action. Because being proactive about your ‘flaws’ (gosh, we hate that word) will immediately make you feel better about them. You see, it’s all about taking control…

Stress #1: Pimples & Blackheads

Freaking out over your breakouts will only make matters worse, as emotional stress causes your body to produce an excess of cortisol – aka the ‘stress hormone.’ Says it all, right? Too much cortisol in your system not only accelerates inflammation, but it screws up the natural pH level of your skin. This forces your sebaceous glands into overdrive, making them produce too much sebum which has nowhere to go but your pores. 

Take Action: First up, make sure you gently cleanse your skin twice daily to remove build-up of dirt, makeup, oils and bacteria. This is extremely important if you’re prone to breakouts and our Charcoal Face Wash is the ideal guy for the job.

Also, introduce a treatment serum into your routine, preferably one that contains anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients like salicylic acid and tea tree oil. Our Tea Tree Serum is carefully formulated to help unclog pores and soothe acne-prone skin. Plus it only needs to be applied two or three times a week for visible results. Gotta love that.

Stress #2: Fine Lines

Why is it that fine lines seem to suddenly appear out of nowhere? Cheeky little monsters, aren’t they? Usually found around expressive areas on your face such as your eyes, mouth and forehead, fine lines occur when repeated muscle movements like smiling and frowning cause your skin to become weak in those specific areas. In your younger days, skin can easily bounce back, but as time ticks on it becomes thinner, less elastic and hence the creation of lines.

Take Action: Expression lines around your eyes and mouth are all part of life but to minimize their impact, you must look after your skin’s barrier function. This uppermost layer of your skin is super important for protecting you from external toxins and pollution as well as for reducing moisture loss. Without a strong, healthy barrier, skin becomes dry, dehydrated and will look old way before its time.

To care for your barrier function avoid over-cleansing and over-exfoliating with harsh, oil-stripping chemicals. Instead, flood your skin with hydration (hello glycerin and hyaluronic acid), antioxidants and moisturizer, and apply sunscreen every morning.

Stress #3: Hyperpigmentation

Freckles when you’re 7-years-old might be cute, but brown patches on your face that get darker and bigger as you age? Kind of annoying.

Hyperpigmentation is caused by an overproduction of melanin (pigment) in your skin. Melanin production stays fairly uniform throughout your life, but when something throws it off, it causes certain areas of your skin to become darker than the rest, resulting in a patchy, uneven skin tone.

Take Action: Hyperpigmentation comes in many forms and can be caused by anything from hormones and acne, through to poorly healed bites, cuts and scrapes. However, most dark spots are either caused, or at least exacerbated by the sun. This is why protecting your skin from the damaging sun is so, SO important. Of course, you must apply a broad-spectrum SPF30+ sunscreen every morning to stop UV radiation from doing a number on your skin, but antioxidants are also great for fighting sun-induced free radical damage.

Vitamin C is a particular favorite of ours because it not only battles free radicals, but also works hard to brighten your skin. Clever. Apply Vitamin C Facial Serum every morning to cleansed skin – before moisturizer and sunscreen – for the ultimate in UV protection.

Stress #4: Enlarged Pores

Hands up if your pores drive you insane. Boy, do we hear you. The problem, however, is that the size of your pores is predetermined by your genes and you simply cannot shrink them. Because biology. However, sun damage, a poor diet and the natural aging process all contribute to them appearing more prominent because these stressors break down collagen and therefore work against the firmness of your skin. Allowing your pores to become blocked is also a massive no-no as excess baggage will cause them to stretch and appear bigger.

Take Action: Gentle exfoliation with a chemical exfoliator is a great way to keep your pores tight and free from clogging debris. Glycolic and lactic acids are very effective but if you also suffer with oily skin, there’s little better than salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that cuts through oil to exfoliate deep within your pores. It also reduces redness and inflammation as an added bonus.

Apply Tea Tree Clear Skin Serum twice weekly to get your exfoliating fix of salicylic acid, plus other skin-loving ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.

Stress #5: Puffy Eyes & Dark Circles

Thinner, drier and more delicate than the rest of your face, the skin around your eyes takes a real hit from aging – sometimes as early as in your twenties. This is because collagen and elastin starts to degrade around this time: cue fine lines and dark circles. Tissues also start to weaken, allowing fat to shift south and excess fluids to pool under your eyes: cue eye bags the size of a small country.

Take Action: Looking after the skin around your eyes is a delicate operation. Invest in an eye treatment like Peptide Eye Gel, but apply it very gently around your eyes, using only the smallest amount and patting it onto your skin with your ring fingers to reduce pressure and dragging. Aggressively rubbing your eyes damages collagen and weakens your skin which will make lines and dark circles appear so much worse.

Now smile! 

Because we don’t profess to know EVERYTHING about skin, but we like to help out as much as we can.

Incoming: the five most common questions we’ve received over the last year from you, our favorite TruSkin customers. Oh, and more importantly, their answers. Because what would be the point of questions without answers?

1. How Do I Choose The Right Products For My Skin Type?

Knowing your skin type is obviously the first and most important step here. Then and only can you make a considered judgement on which products and ingredients will best suit your skin.

To figure out your skin type, wash it with a gentle cleanser like Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser, then pat it dry with a clean towel and leave it for about an hour. After this hour, study your skin in the mirror and touch it. If it feels and looks pretty similar to how it looked immediately after cleansing, it’s normal. If it looks shiny and feels greasy to the touch it’s oily. Maybe it feels tight and looks patchy and dry in places? Then it’s dry. And if it’s a mixture of all three, it’s combination.

Once you’ve nailed this, it’s much simpler to build your routine. For oily skin, your regime should include products that contain ingredients like tea tree oil, charcoal and salicylic acid which cut through excess oils and help balance your skin. Check out our Charcoal Face Wash and Tea Tree Serum if you haven't already.... Don’t forget, however, oily skin requires moisturization and hydration just as much as other skin types so make sure you get a good fix of lightweight ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin – preferably in gel or lotion formulations. Avoid occlusive ingredients like rich butters and heavy oils as these create a barrier on the surface of your skin and block pores.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, occlusives are ideal if your skin is dry. Shea butter, olive oil, cocoa butter and coconut oil, for example, are perfect for locking in moisture and boosting your lack of natural oils, so make sure any moisturizer you choose is packed with occlusives, as well as humectants like HA, aloe and glycerin. Be careful around potent active ingredients like glycolic acid and retinol as these could cause extra dryness. But that being said, you don’t need to avoid them altogether. Just be wise, listen to your skin and always patch test new products before using them for the first time.

If you have combination skin, your routine should be based around balancing oily areas and moisturizing the dry ones. Again, hyaluronic acid is ideal for hydrating without overloading your skin, so definitely include this in your daily regime. And spot-treat oily areas with tea tree oil.

Of course, if you have normal skin, you can get away with most things (lucky you), but don’t get too cocky and throw caution to the wind or you could become plagued by irritation or breakouts. Be gentle with your skin and always patch test new products.

2. What’s The Correct Order For Applying My Different Skincare Products?

It can be tricky to know in which order to apply your products but you just need to remember one simple thing. After cleansing and toning, your products should always be applied in order of weight, from light to heavy. Thinner products can’t penetrate through the thicker ones, so this rule makes perfect sense when you think about it.

This means that first comes serum, then your eye treatment, followed by moisturizer and finally sunscreen. If you like to use a face oil, this should come between moisturizer and sunscreen.

Easy when you know.

3. Do I Really Need To Use Toner?

Ah, the million dollar question. Well, in all honesty, like most skincare products, whether you use toner or not is all down to choice and what you want to achieve from your routine.

But first, let’s get one thing straight: toners are not what you remember from years gone by. Most skincare manufacturers have realized that stinging formulations and squeaky clean skin are no longer what consumers want, so things like drying alcohols and eye-watering chemicals have been removed. Nowadays, toners are more about treating, hydrating or gently exfoliating your skin in order to prime it for the rest of your routine. Of course, they’re optional, but as are serums and eye creams, so if you want to do the best for your skin, we say go for it.

Our Ocean Minerals Super Toner contains collagen-boosting peptides to strengthen your skin, glycolic acid to encourage cell turnover and a whole bunch of antioxidants to protect your skin from the daily onslaught of environmental damage. Now, why wouldn’t you want to give your skin all that?

4. What Is A Serum Supposed To Do?

Serums are like the super-powered tequila shots to your 'gin and tonic' moisturizer. OK, bad analogy, but you understand what we’re getting at, right? Extremely potent, serums exist to deliver concentrated levels of active ingredients right where your skin needs them. Unlike moisturizers which are thicker and contain larger, heavy molecules, serums are super lightweight and have much smaller molecules which are able to penetrate your skin quicker and deeper.

This means that while they’re not an essential part of your routine (unlike cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen) they pack a real punch and can make a remarkable difference to the look, feel and health of your skin. If yours is feeling dehydrated, for example, and your moisturizer isn’t cutting the mustard, a hydrating serum is going to be exactly what it needs. Or perhaps your skin is feeling dull and needs a high-powered pick-me-up? Then a serum containing brightening vitamin C can reap a thousand rewards.

Serums might be tiny, but they’re invincible. Check out our range of serums for all skin types and concerns, right here.

5. What Does Vitamin C Do For My Skin?

Speaking of vitamin C, this is the one ingredient that seems to baffle you the most. But, the good news is we know a lot about vitamin C. Like, a helluva lot, so hit us with your questions as we love hearing from you…

In the meantime, what exactly is vitamin C in skincare and what are its benefits? Well, pure vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient and powerful antioxidant that’s produced synthetically for everything from cleansers and toners to moisturizers and serums. It’s actually one of the most highly studied ingredients in skincare so you know you’re getting the real deal, and it works hard to fight free radical damage to boost collagen production, even your skin tone and basically give you better, more glowy skin.

The only problem is that pure vitamin C is highly volatile and can be a little irritating, especially if you have sensitive skin. This is why we use a gentler, more stable version called sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or SAP to its friends. And yes, that includes you.

SAP is a salt derivative of ascorbic acid which converts to vitamin C once it’s been applied to your skin. This makes it way more tolerable while still being extremely good at its job. The saltiness is also why many of our vitamin C-enriched serums have a slightly cloudy look to them. Just remember, cloudy is good and a sure sign of brighter times ahead. For your skin and your mood.

Because looking good always makes you feel great.

And can we have a high-five for that?

#1: Yes, you absolutely DO need to apply sunscreen on cloudy days.

You all know the importance of generously slapping on sun protection before heading out for a day at a beach/park/backyard bbq. But what about the rest of the year? Must you? So, what’s the correct SPF value? And if you apply an SPF 30 are you doubly protected than if you were to apply SPF 15? 

The facts about sun protection can be fairly mind-boggling. But it's vital you know what's what. Not only is the sun accountable for around 90 percent of skin aging, but according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common cancer all over the world (including right here in the US). A staggering 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day and two people die of it every hour of every day. Now, we don’t know about you, but we find those statistics very worrying. 

The good news, however, is that most cases are totally preventable simply by protecting your skin. Of course, we know you’re not silly enough to use tanning beds, so we’re going to scratch that from the equation straight away. But even the most skincare savvy among you might not be aware of the real truth when it comes to looking after your skin in the sun. How so? Because there are way too many myths floating around about what you should and shouldn’t do. Sigh.

Thankfully, there’s a simple solution to that. Dispell these myths with pure, unadulterated facts. And we're so on that…

Myth #1: You Only Need Sunscreen On Super Sunny Days

The Real Truth: While it might sound like an urban myth, a whopping 80 percent of the sun’s rays pass right through clouds, causing just as much damage to your skin on gray, dreary days as they do on sunny ones. Just remember, sun damage is caused by UV radiation from the sun, not heat, so even though it feels cooler on cloudy days, those nasty rays are still very much there, just waiting to do a number on your collagen supplies and cause havoc to the DNA in your skin cells. UVB rays are certainly stronger in the summer (they’re the ones that burn), but UVA rays are the same strength all year round and they’re the long-term damagers that age you up and are the main cause of skin cancer. You have been warned.

Take Action: Apply sunscreen to any unprotected parts of your face and body every day of the year. Your face, in particular, is constantly subject to exposure and it's very susceptible to aging so look after it with sunscreen and antioxidants. Try Vitamin C Facial Serum every morning before moisturizing for a super-powered hit of antioxidants including vitamin C, vitamin E, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid. Then finish with a broad-spectrum sunscreen. No arguments.

Myth #2: SPF 30 Is Twice As Effective As SPF 15

The Real Truth: Put your math skills aside here because standard principles don’t apply when it comes to sun protection factors. It’s kinda confusing, but the main thing to remember is that SPF 15 blocks around 94 percent of UVB radiation, then anything above that is incremental. An SPF 30, for example, blocks around 97 percent, while SPF 50 gives you approximately 98 percent protection. Even an SPF 100 doesn’t offer 100 percent protection, more like 99 percent.

Take Action: The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises sticking with something around the SPF 30 mark for day-to-day use, maybe SPF 50 if you’re out in the sun all day. We agree. Also, make no mistake that a higher SPF means you don’t need to frequently reapply. The truth is, ALL sunscreens last for the same period of time. This means that no matter what SPF you’re using, you must always reapply every two hours and immediately after swimming or sweating.

Myth #3: The Sun Can’t Damage Your Skin If You Stay In The Shade

The Real Truth: This is so very wrong. For sure, staying under an umbrella or tree is going to reduce your risk of burning, but while you might be shielding yourself from visible sunlight, those pesky UV rays are still able to reflect off nearby surfaces and hit you where it hurts. Sand, for example, reflects around 25 percent of UV radiation.

Take Action: By all means, sit in the shade (in fact, we advise it), but don’t think you can do this and get away with not wearing sunscreen. You must still regularly and generously apply your SPF. Oh, and try to find solid rather than dappled shade as any holes or gaps will allow a certain amount of radiation to penetrate your skin.

Myth #4: You Don’t Need Sun Protection If You Have Dark Skin

The Real Truth: Sun damage can get to everyone in the end. It’s true, skin cancers like melanoma are less common for darker skin types because dark skin contains a higher level of protective melanin. However, nobody is 100 percent safe from skin cancers because they can attack any skin color. What’s more, they're harder to detect in black or brown skin which means they often go undetected and can become more life-threatening.

Take Action: The same advice applies here: use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 for every day use and SPF 50 for full-on days in the great outdoors. No matter your skin color. Also, be vigilant when it comes to checking for unusual moles or dark spots and get anything you're unsure of checked out immediately.

Myth #5: The Sun Can’t Damage Your Skin When Driving

The Real Truth: Oh, if only this one were true. However, glass does not block UVA radiation. We repeat, glass does not block UVA radiation. You’re pretty safe from burning UVB rays (unless you have the windows open, of course), but the sun’s nasty UVA rays can still penetrate through glass, causing all manner of cellular damage and premature aging like dark spots, fine lines and sagging skin. Tinted windows offer a small about of protection but you can’t legally tint your whole front window anyway, so that’s kind of a moot point.

Take Action: Again, protect, protect, protect with a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s nothing less than SPF 30. The term ‘broad-spectrum’ means a product will protect your skin from UVA rays, not just UVB, and that’s super important here.
 
 

Spending time on your skin reaps fabulous rewards, but the good news is you can make a hassle-free routine just as beneficial. So, for those of you wanting to look awesome without too much effort, we got you…

Oftentimes, a low-maintenance skincare routine is the best one of all. Sure, a 10-step Korean regime might work for some of you, but are countless masks, scrubs, serums, oils, tinctures, essences and balms entirely necessary? We don’t think so. In fact, overloading your skin can be disastrous – ruining your skin’s protective barrier and causing all kinds of problems with dryness, sensitivities, breakouts and more.

That being said, a quick swipe with a ‘moisturizing’ face wipe before bed is never going to give you great skin, either. Poor cleansing? Not cool. Insufficient moisturizing? Ditto. And don’t even get us started on failing to apply SPF every day…

But if you do fancy cutting a few skincare corners – without compromising the look, feel and health of your skin – you can totally do so. You just need to know a few tricks of the trade.

Double Up Your Cleansing & Exfoliating Game

Cleansing is the absolute foundation of great skin and we will never tell you to be slap dash about the way in which you cleanse. It’s simply not worth it. However, one thing you can do if you’re in a rush is to exfoliate at the same time.

Simply apply your favorite cleanser to damp skin, then grab a clean facial mitt or washcloth and massage this all over your face and neck, using small circular motions. This is a great way to gently remove dead skin cells and boost circulation without irritating your skin. Just one word of warning: don’t use an exfoliating glove – they’re way too rough for the delicate skin on your face.

To Tone Or Not To Tone?

Never sure whether to bother with toner? Well, if you like the thought of firming, refining, balancing, hydrating and reviving your skin, a toner should be an important part of your regime. However, if you can’t be doing with the hassle of applying it with a cotton pad (and hate the thought of what those white fluffy things are doing for the environment), use a spritz toner instead. Both of our Ocean Minerals and Rose Water toners come in handy spray bottles and it takes just seconds to mist them over your face after cleansing. No brainer. Oh, and if you have a toner that doesn’t come in a spray bottle, buy a little reusable spritzer from Amazon and decant yours into that. Simple.

Invest In Products That Do More Than One Thing

You’ve got to love a product that offers your skin more than one benefit. Skincare that’s both time- and cost-effective? Hells yeah! After all, why should you apply six serums when one can do the exact same thing? Plus, by using just one professionally blended formulation, you get the benefit of knowing you’re not blindly cocktailing active, potent ingredients that don’t belong together. And that’s super important for the health of your complexion – especially if you have sensitive skin that flares up at even the mention of retinol, AHAs and friends. 

In our humble opinion, the best products that work overtime and serve more than one purpose are face serums. Light and fast-absorbing, serums are made of smaller molecules than regular lotions or moisturizing creams which means they're not only packed with active ingredients, but they’re able to deliver them right where your skin needs them. Of course, you can choose a serum to target one main concern, but any serum worth its weight should offer more than one benefit.

Take our Tea Tree Super Serum+, for example. Supercharged with a whole bevy of skin-loving ingredients, this serum deep cleans your pores and wallops excess oil, yet won’t dry out your skin like other tea tree oil products. How so? Because it’s also packed with hyaluronic acid and aloe to hydrate, niacinamide to soothe and botanical oils to strengthen and heal your skin. Even better news? You need only apply it two or three times each week, making it a mightily quick fix for your weekly routine.

Our Vitamin C Super Serum+ is another multi-correctional gem of a serum that’s packed with antioxidant properties thanks to vitamin C and retinol which together fight the signs of aging from all angles. It also contains salicylic acid to regulate oil production and boost cell turnover. Great for all skin types, it’s another serum you need only apply two or three times a week, yet it still manages to do so much for your skin.

No, this is not a drill.

Make Your Skin Work Hard While You Sleep

You’ll love this one, girls, because one of the most important things you can do for your skin is the least taxing activity of all: sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, so try to hit that sweet spot of eight hours as often as you can.

Also, while you’re catching your zzzs, this is the best time to help your skin renew and regenerate itself. Skin goes into overdrive while you’re sleeping: blood flow increases, cell turnover almost doubles and your natural antioxidant defense system amps up to heal and repair your skin from the daily onslaughts of environmental damage.

To help these functions work like clockwork, make sure your skin is fully cleansed before you hit the hay and apply a serum and/or moisturizer like our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream. Enriched with vitamin C, aloe, cocoa butter, botanical oils and vitamin B5, this rich moisturizer works hard to restore your barrier function to help heal, hydrate, strengthen and support your skin – while you do absolutely nothing at all.

And frankly, that’s got to be the BEST, most effective lazy girls’ skincare money can buy.