True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Dark, under-eye circles getting your goat? Facial redness seriously starting to cheese you off? Then it’s time to take action against these common skin concerns. And thankfully, we know how… 

What’s your skin hangup, because we know you have one? Maybe even more than one. Come on, even the most perfectly porcelained among you will have something you hate about your skin. And yes, even if it is the tiniest of lines between your brows that nobody else notices, but you see EVERY TIME you look in the mirror.

When it comes to taking care of annoying skin issues like lines, wrinkles, acne and dark spots, a regular skincare routine doesn’t usually cut the mustard. But all it takes is that one awesome product to take your regime to a whole other level.

Here, we take a look at eight of the most common skin concerns you might face… plus what to do to minimize their effects on your skin – and your mental wellbeing.

1. Redness

Severe facial flushing can be caused by anything from rosacea and psoriasis through to eczema and seasonal allergies. And the most important thing here is not to even try to self-diagnose. Rosacea, for example, is often mistaken for acne which can lead to nothing short of disastrous results for your skin. So, first up, visit a skin specialist straight away to talk through your symptoms and treatment options.

If you think your skin is red due to harsh cleansing or irritation from potent actives in your skincare, you should also pare back your routine. Remove a facial serum from your regime for a few weeks and see if this helps. Or switch up your cleanser to a gentler formulation that avoids parabens, sulfates or harsh fragrances. This will help you understand if there’s a certain ingredient your skin has taken offense to. Rose Water Refreshing Toner is also a great shout for calming and soothing irritation.

2. A Shiny T-Zone

Excess shine around your nose, chin and forehead is due to too many overactive sebaceous glands in your skin which produce an excess of oil. And while shiny hair and shiny lips are all well and good, a slick face? Not so much.

The best ways to control excess shine are to avoid oil-heavy moisturizers, invest in some salicylic acid which cuts through oil like no other ingredient, and cleanse regularly, but gently, using a detoxifying ingredient like charcoal.

Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is just the guy for the job here. Containing activated coconut charcoal, it not only draws out toxins from your skin but also mops up excess sebum while it’s at it. Thankfully, it also contains aloe, glycerin and non pore-clogging lavender oil to keep your skin hydrated and balanced while it works it’s wonders. Because we're smart like that.

3. Dark Circles & Bags Around Your Eyes

Puffiness and dark, under-eye circles generally form as you age, when your skin loses collagen and therefore weakens and sags. Why is the area under your eyes so susceptible to aging? Because the skin here is thin, fragile and lacks fat and muscle to support it.

Dark circles are usually hereditary, but both conditions can be exacerbated by sun damage, cruddy sleep, stress, dehydration and irritation, so your first step to clearer, smoother eyes is to make better lifestyle choices. Our top three pieces of advice? Wear sunglasses outside, sleep with your head elevated and add a topical eye treatment to your daily routine. Peptide Eye Gel is the nuts for tackling dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles around your eyes.

4. Visible Pores

Your pore size is another skin grievance that’s determined by genetics and newsflash: it’s physically impossible to shrink them – even though many skincare manufacturers would like you to believe otherwise.

However, by keeping your skin healthy, strong and supple, you can definitely improve the look of enlarged pores. Of course, protecting your skin from the sun is super important as UV rays break down collagen and compromise the structure of your skin. Therefore always wear a lightweight sunscreen and introduce antioxidants into your regime to further boost your protection.

You should also look out for gentle cleansers and toners containing salicylic or glycolic acid as these boost cellular turnover and help remove dead skin cells which can hang around on the surface of your skin and block your pores. Try Ocean Minerals Super Toner which contains glycolic acid along with MSM and our favorite antioxidant, vitamin C.

5. Cracked, Flaky Skin

Cracked, flaky skin is usually a result of dryness (or eczema, of course). Dry skin is hereditary, caused by a lack of natural sebum and is not to be confused with dehydration which is due to a lack of water in the skin and can affect any skin type – dry, normal, oily, you name it.

The best way to look after dryness and cracked skin is to treat it super carefully. Avoid harsh chemicals in your skincare and never wash your face in hot water which compromises your barrier function and depletes essential fatty acids and lipids from the surface of your skin. 

It’s also a great idea to include occlusive or emollient ingredients in your skincare to help repair and smooth over cracks and reduce moisture loss. Our Vitamin C Night Cream contains some of the best emollients including cocoa butter, beeswax and botanical oils like jojoba, rosehip and evening primrose oil.

6. Frown Lines

You might be applying the best eye treatment to the lines around your eyes, but what about those pesky 11 lines that lurk right between your eyebrows? What can you do about those – without having to resort to a syringe full of Botox, of course?

Frown lines are caused by the natural loss of collagen and elastin as you age, coupled with repeated facial expressions like raising your eyebrows, squinting and frowning.

Facial yoga can be an effective way to combat a crinkly forehead. A great one is to open your eyes as wide as possible – without wrinkling your forehead – then stare at the horizon for 10 seconds, relax and repeat five times.

Of course, the usual suspects of stress, excessive sun exposure and pollution also play their part, so protect your skin with SPF and antioxidant serums. We recommend our super-powered Vitamin C Super Serum+ which is packed to the brim with antioxidant favorites like vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and retinol.

7. Hormonal Acne

Acne is the most common skin condition in the US and can affect any one of us, at any time in our lives. Research shows that hormonal acne, which makes you break out while dealing with hormonal fluctuations during your periods or the menopause, affects 25 percent of women in their forties and a massive 50 percent of women in their twenties.

Retinol is an awesome ingredient for treating and controlling mild hormonal acne because it boosts cell turnover which helps slough off dead skin cells and prevents your pores from becoming blocked. Retinol can be pretty potent, remember, so introduce Retinol Facial Serum slowly into your routine and always perform a patch test first.

If your hormonal acne is severe and manifests itself through deep, cystic bumps, oral medications might prove more effective.

8. Dark Spots

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, sun damage is the most common cause of dark spots which usually appear on your face, hands, shoulders and/or arms – yes, the areas that are most often exposed to sunlight. It goes without saying, therefore, that if you limit your time in the sun, and protect your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen every time you step outside, you’ll dramatically reduce your chances of developing sun-related dark spots. But you knew that.

Retinol, vitamin C and AHAs such as glycolic acid are also fabulous for dealing with minor, surface-level discolorations. Vitamin C has even been proven to prevent future dark spots from developing, so you’ve simply got to add Vitamin C Facial Serum to your daily routine if dark spots are your thing. And you really don’t want them to be…

Does drinking gallons of water really hydrate your skin? And can your skin be oily and dehydrated at the same time? Here, we sort through the facts from the fiction about skin hydration.

You’d think keeping your skin perfectly hydrated and moisturized would be simple business, right? But wait, aren’t hydration and moisturization the same thing? Actually, no. And that’s just the start of the whole confusing business.

Thankfully, you have us to help you get to grips with the correct – and best – ways to keep your skin truly hydrated and to understand, once and for all, what’s true and what’s total bull.

So, let us begin…

FACT #1: Dry Skin & Dehydrated Skin Are NOT The Same Thing

Like fine lines and wrinkles, you’ll often read about dry skin and dehydrated skin in the same sentence, as if they’re one and the same. Or are some kind of ultimate power couple that can never be separated. However, dry skin and dehydrated skin are very, very different things.

The most important thing to remember is that dry skin is due to a lack of natural oils (sebum) and is a skin TYPE that’s predetermined by your genes. Dehydrated skin, however, is due to a lack of water and is more of a skin CONDITION. Of course, dry skin can also be dehydrated but in truth, dehydration can affect any skin type at any time.

Things like cold weather, stress, lack of sleep and sun damage all contribute to dehydrated skin because these upset your skin's protective barrier function, allowing water to more freely evaporate from your skin's surface.

FACT #2: Drinking Water Is NOT The Best Way To Keep Skin Hydrated

The fact that your body is made up of around 80 percent water means you can’t argue that keeping yourself hydrated is beneficial to your overall health. Drinking plenty of water and eating water-rich foods like fruit and veggies is vital for maintaining the correct balance of your body’s essential fluids. It also ensures everyday functions like digestion, circulation, the elimination of toxins and your internal temperature balance all work properly. So yes, water is life.

But, and it’s a big but, does drinking water really keep your skin hydrated? Truthfully? Not as much as you might think. In fact, there’s no real evidence that water consumption plays any part in the hydration of your skin. The fact is, any water you drink goes straight to other essential organs first – sadly, your skin is way down on the list of your body’s priorities.

So, instead of expecting your water intake to miraculously give you soft, hydrated skin, look after its hydration levels through other means. This includes avoiding harsh soaps and cleansers, investing in a humidifier for your home and thinking carefully about the ingredients you put on your skin.

One word: humectants.

Experts agree that topical humectants are essential when it comes to skin hydration. Humectants are substances that grab water from the air or deep within your skin and pull it to the outermost layers to help repair and strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier and keep it soft, strong and hydrated at a surface level.

Some of the best humectants in skincare include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe vera, lactic acid, urea and honey. Retinol Moisturizer contains aloe, glycerin and hyaluronic acid for super powered skin hydration. Plus jojoba oil and shea butter help to stop all that water from evaporating from your skin. No need for thanks: that’s what we’re here for.

FACT #3: Facial Serums Are Ideal For Hydrating Your Skin

Of course, moisturizer is key for locking in hydration, but if you want to really up your moisture game, you’ve got to think beyond moisturizer. And this is where facial serums come into play.

Serums are quite different to moisturizers because they have a much smaller molecular make up. This means they’re way lighter and are able to absorb into your skin quicker and deeper. Unlike moisturizers, which contain either occlusive or emollient ingredients like cocoa butter, coconut oil and squalane to seal moisture into your skin, serums are usually liquid or gel-based meaning they don't seal in moisture. Instead, they contain active ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, hydroxy acids and peptides to offer benefits on a much deeper level.

If you're looking to turn up the hydration levels in your skin, a humectant-based serum will fill your skin with moisture, making it a must for rehydrating thirsty skin. Apply our fan-favorite Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum to clean skin, then finish with moisturizer to lock it in and help reduce TEWL (transepidermal water loss). Perfection.

FACT #4: All Skin Types Need Hydration (Yes, Even Oily Skin)

It’s a common misconception that oily skin doesn’t need to be hydrated. But the thing is, while oily skin has more oil-producing glands, this has nothing to do with its levels of water. In fact, oily skin is often dehydrated due to over-cleansing or using harsh skincare products, so hydration is possibly even more important for oily skin types than anyone else.

While we’re on the subject, moisturizing oily skin is just as important as hydrating it. If you fail to keep your skin balanced with the perfect combination of water and light moisturization, your skin will not only become dehydrated, but it will produce even more oils to compensate for dryness on the surface.

To help stabilize excessively oily skin, apply a hydrating serum after cleansing – again Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is perfect – followed by a light moisturizer that avoids pore-clogging occlusives ingredients like waxes, silicones and butters. We're obsessed with Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer.

FACT #5: Long, Hot Baths Dehydrate Your Skin

The simple fact is hot baths (and showers) draw moisture from your skin AND strip all the healthy fats and oils away. So, not only are they killers for your skin’s hydration levels, but they also cause dryness and may exacerbate conditions like rosacea, eczema, acne and psoriasis. You know how your fingers and toes often become wrinkly after a long, hot soak? Well, that’s a sure sign of moisture having been literally sucked out of your poor skin.

The answer? Shower in lukewarm water for five minutes max. And if you also love a weekly soak in the bath, limit your time to 20 minutes and, again, turn the water temperature down to lukewarm. Remember, if your mirror gets totally steamed up while bathing or showering, your water is way too hot.

When it comes to nailing selfie-ready skin it’s all about enhancing your skin to make it look and feel its absolute best. Who needs filters, anyway, right?

Whether you’re battling with redness or fed up with eye bags the size of a small country, here are five ways to make sure your skin is selfie-ready at all times.

1. Combat Redness

Red, blotchy skin can totally kill your otherwise Insta-ready complexion. And while we understand it’s hard to control certain flare-ups like alcohol-induced rosacea or hot, flushed skin, one of the most important pieces of advice for keeping redness under control is to cut back on your skincare regime. Yeah, we know that sounds like crazy talk from a company whose entire existence is based on selling skincare. But we care about your skin and don’t want you to suffer the consequences of a 17-step K-Beauty-style routine, when you could get the same (in fact, better) results from just three or four carefully chosen products.

If you think your redness is a sign of irritation from potent, active ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid or vitamin C, go back to basics with a gentle cleansing, toning and moisturizing routine. Our Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner, for example, is ideal for calming and soothing sensitive skin – what’s more it’s great for carrying in your purse for a cooling, refreshing spritz of hydration whenever you’re on-the-go.

2. Reduce Shine

Facial blotting papers are genius for instant oil mop-ups, but for a more permanent way to keep excess sebum under control, you’re going to need to get some balance in your skincare regime.

Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is a total score for mopping up oil without stripping your skin of essential hydration, so this is a good place to start. Then, after cleansing, you’re going to love Ocean Minerals Super Toner. Packed with mattifying witch hazel, exfoliating glycolic acid, strengthening peptides and hydrating aloe it’s the perfect all-rounder for oily skin types. After spritzing this all over your clean face, apply Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp. This'll help lock in water without leaving your skin feeling heavy or greasy.

3. Get Glowing

Are you always the one with tired, gray-looking skin? And, double blow, you continually find yourself photographed next to ‘that’ friend whose glowing complexion is literally lit from within? Group selfie: officially blown.

Dull skin is often a sign of poor turnover which is the natural lifecycle of your skin cells. Your skin has its own pre-programmed way of shedding millions of dead skin cells every day, but as you get older and life gets in the way, this system slows down and your skin can become sluggish, dull and dehydrated. Cue gray, sad skin. To boost cell turnover, try exfoliating your skin two or three times a week with either a gentle scrub or a chemical exfoliating treatment that contains a hydroxy acid like glycolic, lactic or salicylic. These types of acid help break down the ‘glue’ between dead skin cells so they shed more easily and pave the way for all that gorgeous fresh stuff underneath. Try a daily dose of Vitamin C Super Serum+ which not only contains salicylic acid, but vitamin C to further brighten a dull complexion.

4. Control Breakouts

While the truth is, nobody else really notices that pimple on your chin, you know it’s there and it can completely derail your selfie game. And sure, makeup can work wonders for calming red, inflamed breakouts, but you’re way better off trying to keep them under control with some deft skincare knowhow.

Acne is caused by blocked pores so keeping your pores clean and healthy is the best thing you can do here. First up, avoid products that contain occlusive ingredients because these will block your pores and cause no end of problems for the acne-prone among you. Occlusive ingredients are those rich, heavy balms, oils and butters like petroleum jelly, cocoa butter and coconut oil. These are probably things you tend to naturally steer clear of anyway, but if not, now’s the time to start.

Instead, only ever use non-comedogenic products which are way less likely to cause your pores problems. Salicylic acid is one of the best ingredients for oily skin because it boosts cell turnover and targets oils blockages to allow sebum to flow more freely to the skin’s surface. Tea Tree Super Serum+ combines salicylic acid with tea tree oil to help keep your pores clean and clear. Use it two or three times a week under a light moisturizer to keep your skin balanced, or spot treat problem areas daily.

5. Wake Up Tired Eyes

Skin on point, but eyes telling a totally different story? Nothing kills a great selfie like puffy, tired eyes – no matter how many different angles you try or filters you apply.

The best remedy for wide-awake eyes is obviously a great night’s sleep, coupled with plenty of hydration (White Claws don’t count), but if it’s too late for that, grab a couple of cold teaspoons and place these over your eyes for 10 minutes after cleansing. The cooling effect will constrict your blood capillaries while the light pressure helps drain excess fluid.

Of course, an effective eye cream, applied twice daily to clean skin will also help keep the skin around your eyes looking refreshed and youthful. Searching for an awesome all-rounder? Then allow us to introduce you to Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream which is bursting with hydrating hyaluronic acid, plus vitamins B5, C and E to help treat, heal and strengthen the delicate skin around your eyes.

Would you coat your entire face with Vaseline before bed or use hot wax to get rid of your blackheads? We say a massive ‘nope’ to such insane beauty fads, but there are tons of them doing the rounds right now and we’d like them to disappear. Pronto.

Don’t get us wrong, we love a beauty trend here at TruSkin. Orange lipstick for summer? We’re in. Skinimalism? Hells yeah. But skincare trends that go viral on the likes of TikTok and Reddit which can do more harm than good? Count us out.

Here, we take a look at five of our least favorite skincare fads currently doing the online rounds…

1. Slugging

What It Is: This latest K-Beauty trend might sound like some weird facial involving slimy mollusks slithering over your face, but it's actually about smearing petroleum jelly on your skin before bed. Currently loved by the internet right now, word is that if you spread petroleum jelly all over your face as the last step in your nightly skincare routine you’ll wake up with the softest, most moisturized skin ever.

What We Think: Petroleum jelly is what’s known as an occlusive ingredient which means it creates a seal over your skin to help lock in moisture. So on the one hand, yes, it will stop water from evaporating from the surface of your skin, leaving you with a softer, more hydrated complexion come the morning. But on the other hand, it offers no moisturization of its own and will completely block your pores making it a terrible idea for anyone with oily, sensitive or acne-prone skin. What’s more, petroleum jelly (also known as petrolatum) is a by-product of crude oil waste, so while it’s been approved by the FDA, it’s neither sustainable nor eco-friendly.

What To Do Instead: Rather than dousing your skin with what is essentially grease before bed, choose a night cream that contains a blend of humectants – water-loving ingredients that draw moisture into your skin – and emollients or occlusives to lock all that moisture in. Our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream is formulated with aloe vera, glycerin, cocoa butter and botanical oils – a far superior combination for hydrating and softening your skin as you sleep. Even if we do say so ourselves.

2. Using Hemorrhoid Cream For Puffy Eyes

What It Is: First Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist recommended applying Preparation H under your eyes to help minimize bags, then the Reddit masses started getting involved and all hell broke loose. Anti-inflammatory hemorrhoid creams like Preparation H are steroid-based and work by restricting the blood vessels to help reduce swelling, redness and irritation caused by piles. A butt cream that effectively reduces puffiness and swelling? Of course, someone was bound to try it under their eyes…

What We Think: Theoretically, this works. But just because something has the potential to reduce your under-eye baggage, it doesn’t mean you should necessarily try it. The skin around your eyes is thin and extremely fragile, so harsh hemorrhoid creams – which often contain potential irritants – can be very damaging to this delicate area. Not to mention the harm you'll cause if you accidentally get it in your eyes. Most hemorrhoid creams also contain hydrocortisone which can cause a significant thinning of your skin in the long-term, accelerating aging around your eyes and giving you wrinkles way before your time. No. Thanks.

What To Do Instead: Why risk the damage to your eyes and the surrounding area, when there are plenty of effective eye treatments out there? Our Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream, for example, is pumped full of hard-working, and more importantly safe ingredients for your eyes, including cucumber, licorice and Eyebright. Apply a tiny amount, morning and night, for brighter, less puffy eyes.

3. Placing Your Serum Dropper Directly On Your Skin

What It Is: You can’t spend five minutes on social media these days without seeing dozens of photos and videos of influencers and makeup vloggers placing skincare droppers directly on their skin. Oh. Dear.

What We Think: Don’t get us wrong, droppers are great for helping you control the amount of product you apply to your skin and every single one of our facial serums is packaged in a glass dropper bottle. But you’re supposed to use the dropper to deposit a small amount of serum into clean fingers, NOT straight onto your skin. In fact, they should never come into contact with your skin. Why? Because skin contact transfers dirt, oil and bacteria from your face straight back into the bottle where it breeds. And that’s so not what you want. In fact, it’s the precise opposite of what you want and why most serums are packaged with glass droppers in the first place.

What To Do Instead: Dispense two or three drops of serum to clean hands, then apply it to your face and neck. Simple.

4. Waxing Your Blackheads

What It Is: Just thinking about applying hot wax over our noses to remove blackheads makes our eyes water, but this beauty hack is out there, people, and it seems pretty popular across Pinterest and TikTok. It basically involves applying hot wax (the same stuff used to remove unwanted hair) across your nose, then ripping it off, whisking away your blackheads at the same time. 

What We Think: This might be effective, but one word: ouch. Also, waxing the delicate skin on your face is asking for trouble if you’re not a professional because it can cause serious damage, pulling off the top layers of your skin and leaving you with red, sore, irritated skin. Soft wax (which requires a strip to rip it off your skin) is particularly damaging, but we say avoid this one completely.

What To Do Instead: The best way to deal with blackheads is to keep your skin clean and exfoliated. Gently cleanse with Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser which uses activated coconut charcoal to draw out toxins and cleanse your pores. You could also try spot treating stubborn blackheads two or three times a week with Tea Tree Super Serum+. This contains salicylic acid to boost cell turnover and help regulate oil production.

5. Iced Water Facials

What It Is: The concept of applying cold water or ice to brighten, tone and depuff your complexion is by no means a new one, but the iced water facial, as seen on TikTok, instantly had our teeth chattering. It involves dunking your face three times in a bowl of iced water for as long as you can bear it. Then repeating for 10 minutes or so.

What We Think: Cold temperatures constricts your capillaries which stimulates blood circulation to help reduce puffiness and inflammation while improving the tone and texture of your skin. But, while the odd splash of cool water after cleansing can, for sure, help boost radiance, submerging your face in iced water for too long can have the reverse effect, causing redness and  irritation. It’s especially bad news if you have rosacea. You have been warned.

What To Do Instead: A better way to get your glow on? Incorporate vitamin C into your skincare routine. Vitamin C is one of the most highly studied ingredients in skincare and has been proven to inhibit melanin production, therefore brightening your skin and fading hyperpigmentation. Not only that but vitamin C also helps fight free radicals, promotes healing and protects and treats your skin. Try our fan favorite Vitamin C Facial Serum. You won't regret it. And it's not going to freeze your brain, either.

June 20 marks the official start of summer, so let’s make sure your skin is 100 percent sunshine-ready, shall we?

The days are longer and the temperatures are rising. Yes, summer is here, people, so can we get a ‘hurray’ for arguably the best season of the year? 

Actually hold on a second, because heat and humidity aren’t always good news. In fact, they mean big (often bad) things for your skin. If you have an oily complexion, for example, summer can play havoc with a greasy forehead (not to mention sweaty bangs and annoying breakouts). And if you’re sun-sensitive, you'll know full well how tricky it can be to protect your delicate skin from that powerful ball of fire in the sky.

Want to get ahead of the game and ensure your skin is summer-ready, like now? Then here are five rules you need to get on board with.

1. Be Better At Cleansing

Do you often go to bed without cleansing your skin? Or maybe you’re a face wipe addict and simply don’t have the time for anything more than a quick swipe-and-go after getting up in the morning. Well, you might (and we stress the word ‘might’) get away with this every now and again in the winter months, but poor cleansing is seriously bad news in summer.

As temperatures and humidity increases, your skin’s sebaceous glands produce more oil to help protect it from environmental stressors. Couple this with an excess of sweat, dirt and goodness-knows-what-else and by the end of the day, your skin is pretty much covered in grime. And you think it’s OK to go to bed like that? Not cool. 

Instead of all this nonsense, cleanse your skin effectively but gently every morning and night. Use lukewarm water so you don’t dehydrate or irritate your skin and avoid harsh cleansers that strip your skin of moisture. Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash is an awesome choice in the summer, especially if you have oily or congested skin, or try Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser which is a great all-rounder for all skin types.

2. Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Routine (But Don’t Dismiss It Altogether)

Chances are you already switched out your winter moisturizer for a lighter formulation this spring, but if you’re still slathering your skin with rich butters, balms or creams, now’s the time to opt for a more lightweight lotion or gel. More humidity means your skin is less likely to dry out than in the colder months so, unless your skin is naturally super dry or dehydrated, it requires much less moisturization.

But, and this is a big but, don’t think you can skip moisturizer entirely, just because the weather’s heated up. This is asking for trouble – especially if you have oily skin. Dial it down, for sure, but if you leave it completely out of your routine, your sebaceous glands will go into overdrive, producing more oil and leaving you with super slick skin.

3. Exfoliate – From Head-To Toe

Gently exfoliating your skin with a light scrub or chemical alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acid (think salicylic, lactic or glycolic) is a fabulous idea all year round. And you could try our Vitamin C Super Serum+ if you’re looking for the perfect facial serum, btw. But what about your body? Sun’s out, legs out and all that…

Come the summer, it’s super important to regularly exfoliate your body, especially your arms and legs which are going to be exposed much more often than they were during winter. Exfoliating your legs also helps give you the perfect shave and stops those ingrown hairs from upsetting your perfect pins game. Try applying a small amount of Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash to an exfoliating mitt or loofah, then work this in circular motions all over your body in the shower. How frequently you exfoliate your body will depend on your skin type, but two or three times a week should do it. Just remember to go gently over your chest and décolletage as the skin here is very delicate. Oh, and always follow with moisturizer.

4. Amp Up Your Antioxidant Game

You know that protecting your skin from the sun is almost as important as the air that you breathe (you DO know that, right?). Well, research shows that topical antioxidants are another way to counteract sun-induced free radical damage that totally ruins your skin’s essential collagen and elastin supplies. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol and niacinamide work hard to neutralize cell damage therefore reducing inflammation and helping your skin repair and correct itself.

If you don’t have an antioxidant facial serum in your routine, check out our guide to help you find one for your skin type. Then layer it underneath your moisturizer every morning or night – don’t worry, our serums are super light, so they won’t weigh down your skin.

And of course, always follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30.

5. Pare Back Your Makeup

Finally, summer is the perfect time to lessen your makeup load. Summer beauty trends always dictate barely-there, glowy skin and 2021 is no exception. This season’s skin is natural, fresh and radiant – as it should be – which means you should pack away your heavy foundations for the next few months and try tinted moisturizer or BB cream instead. Use clean fingers to apply it all over your face and neck, or try blending it with a foundation brush for a flawless-looking finish.

For an extra pop of color, apply cream blush over the apples of your cheeks and if you want to nail one of summer’s hottest makeup trends while simultaneously celebrating not having to wear a protective face mask 24/7, orange is officially THE color to wear on your lips.

Concerned that the skin around your eyes is aging you up way faster than the rest of your face? Then it might be time to reassess some of your beauty habits...

Aging skin is a fact of life. Like the rising sun and the changing tides, it just happens. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit back and let it take its toll without a little fight, right? Sure, fine lines are a sign you’ve lived a great life. And the odd wrinkle here and there? No biggie. But if there are ways to maintain youthful-looking skin for as long as possible, then why wouldn’t you?

This is never more important than when it comes to the skin around your eyes. Super fragile and way thinner than the skin on the rest of your face, your eye area is one of the first places to show the signs of visible aging. At around age 20, lines start to form due to collagen and elastin degradation. You may also start to notice dark circles or puffiness thanks to tissues around your eyes becoming weak and saggy, thus allowing fat to shift south and excess fluids to congregate under your eyes.

Of course, intrinsic aging (the genetic type of aging that’s totally out of your control) can’t be helped, but what about all the other stuff that contributes to how your skin ages? These you can do something about. So, let’s have a look at the top five beauty habits that could be aging up your eyes way before their time…

1. Squinting

Your facial expressions play a major part in where lines and wrinkles form on your face because repeated muscle movement compresses skin cells and causes weakness in your skin. When you’re young, no problem, your skin just bounces back, but as you age and your skin naturally loses volume, elasticity and suppleness, fine lines, then deep-set wrinkles will inevitably take up residence –especially around your eyes.

This means squinting is a big no-no if you want to avoid crow’s feet for as long as possible. Wear sunglasses whenever you go outside in the daytime (any excuse for a new pair of shades, we say) and if you find yourself squinting when you drive, watch TV or are working at a computer, it might be time for a vision test. Just saying.

2. Not Applying Eye Cream

Like toner, eye creams are constantly up for debate. Do they really work or are they just marketing hype to get you to spend more money on skincare you don’t actually need? Well, obviously we’re a little biased, but ask any dermatologist and they will agree, eye treatments are an essential part of an effective skincare routine. Here’s the thing, not only is the skin around your eyes thin, fragile and susceptible to damage, but it also contains less sebaceous glands than the rest of your face which makes it more prone to dryness. This means it needs more moisturization and benefits from other targeted ingredients to tackle concerns like dark circles and bags – stuff that isn’t an issue for the skin on the rest of your face.

So, if you’ve been dismissive of eye treatments for years, now's the time to get on board. And we have two awesome options for you – all wrapped up in fancy new packaging, but with the same super effective formulations we know you’ll love.

First up, there’s our moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream which contains everything the skin around your eyes could ever ask for. Think peptides, vitamin C, glycolic acid and thirst-quenching hyaluronic acid which work together to protect, hydrate and refresh your skin, while helping improve the look of dark circles, lines and puffiness.

Next, there’s our fabulous Peptide Eye Gel, a lightweight treatment that contains a whole host of powerful actives to instantly cool and refresh tired eyes, whilst also helping combat the other signs of visible aging around this delicate area.

Ignore the haters, eye creams rock. Debate over.

3. Applying Your Eye Cream In All The Wrong Ways

While we’re on the subject of eye creams, even the most effective treatment will be wasted if you don’t apply it properly. And by this, we mean with great care. None of your rubbing or full-on massage, thanks very much.

Here’s how to nail it. First, cleanse, tone and apply your facial serum, then comes your eye cream or gel (yes, always before moisturizer). Using clean hands, apply a tiny, pea-sized amount of product all around your eyes, using your ring fingers to ensure you don’t apply too much pressure. Either pat it into your skin, or smooth it gently around your eyes, but never pull on the skin as this will drag and damage it.

4. Constantly Rubbing Your Eyes

The odd eye rub is fine, but if you find yourself continually man-handling the skin around your eyes, you’re asking for trouble. For a start, touching your eyes with unclean hands transfers dirt and bacteria, causing irritation and redness. Which is not cool. Aggressively rubbing your eyes also does a real number on your collagen supplies, thinning your skin and wearing it down over time. Also uncool.

To help reduce the damage caused by rubbing and scratching your eye area, avoid using your whole hand. Instead, gently target irritation using the pads of your ring fingers only. Also, if your eyes are constantly itching, try to get to the bottom of why it’s happening. Chances are it’s being caused by some kind of allergy or airborne irritant which can be treated with eye drops or antihistamines. Bottom line, however, is itchy eyes can be due to any number of reasons so talk to your doctor if symptoms persist.

5. Sleeping Poorly

You all know that lack of zzzs is a recipe for skin disaster, but what about the way in which you sleep? Sleeping on one side, for example, creases the same areas of your face, increasing your chances of developing fine lines in those areas. Also, sleeping on your back is terrible for the skin around your eyes – and in fact all over your face – as, again, smushing your face into your pillow causes creasing and, over time, accelerates the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

Your best bet is to sleep on your back, with your head slightly raised. This not only avoids face-to-pillow contact, but it also stops excess fluids from pooling underneath your eyes.

So, you see, time isn't the only thing to blame for aging skin around your eyes. You have to take the hit, also.