True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Because one thing’s for sure, your skin will never triumphantly sing ‘Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.’

Whether you’re the type of person who hibernates as soon as a mere flutter of snow hits the skies, or you’re that girl who can’t wait to get outside to ski, snowboard, hike or enjoy a good old-fashioned snowball fight, there’s no denying that snow days can have major effects on your skin. Even if you’re not willing to step a foot outside, cranking up the heating is enough to send your skin all over the place. Couple with this with a few extra glasses of cab to warm your boots and, well, dehydrated skin is never more than a few snowflakes away.

Below, we impart some of our finest snow day skincare advice – because it’s nearly the holidays and we can’t have you walking around with sad skin now, can we?

Snow Day Skin Tip #1: Never Go To Bed Without Cleansing

Do we bang on about cleansing too much? Sorry, not sorry. Cleansing your skin twice daily is super important every day of the year, for obvious reasons. But in the winter, ridding your skin of surface debris such as oil, makeup, pollution and dirt isn’t the only reason cleansing is so vital. Cold, dry weather (as well as cranked up indoor heating) can be extremely drying on your skin which means your moisturizer needs to work doubly-hard. And how can it do that if you’ve not cleansed your skin thoroughly – especially at night after your skin’s been subject to a whole day of environmental onslaughts? Answer: it can’t.

Always cleanse thoroughly before bed with a gentle, but effective cleanser like Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser or Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser. Use lukewarm water so as not to upset your skin’s barrier function and pat dry (don’t scrub) with a clean towel. Then and only then can your serums and moisturizers really do their jobs properly. And, while we’re on that subject, may we suggest our super hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum to give your skin extra hydration before bed, followed by Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream? Thanks.

Snow Day Skin Tip #2: Drink A Ton Of Water

There’s little research to prove that drinking water directly hydrates your skin. However, dehydration can certainly have an effect on your skin so it’s important to note – especially on super cold days when it’s likely you drink less water due to feeling less thirsty. Dehydration can lead to dizziness, cramps, headaches and a lack of concentration, as well as less radiant skin, tired eyes and dry lips.

Word to the wise? Make sure you stay hydrated – and if it’s way too chilly for cold water, try hot water or caffeine-free herbal teas or coffee. A healthy hydrated body will always be reflected in the state of your skin.

Snow Day Skin Tip #3: Invest In A Humidifier

Not only do wind, frost and snow cause the air to be extremely dry outside, but cranking up the heating indoors does the exact same thing – zapping moisture from the air, stripping your skin of natural oils and causing it to be vulnerable to dryness and dehydration. Try to keep your heating at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, 58 at night, and invest in a humidifier for your bedroom to add moisture into the air while you sleep.

Humidifiers are awesome for balancing your skin’s natural moisture barrier and counteracting all the other winter stuff that can drip your skin dry. This not only stops your skin from becoming dry and dehydrated, but it also balances sebum production so your face doesn’t become super oily as a result. And double bonus, a humidifier will also help you sleep better.

Experts agree that somewhere around 40 or 50 percent humidity for your home is best.

Snow Day Skin Tip #4: Don’t Forget To Moisturize Your Lips

Dryness doesn’t begin and end with your face. In fact, your lips are often the first to feel dry, flaky and chapped. This is because the skin on your lips is extremely thin, fragile and contains no sebaceous glands to keep itself moisturized.

The best way to look after your lips on super cold, snowy days – and in fact, all winter long, is firstly to stop licking them. Saliva contains digestive enzymes which skin can irritate your skin. So, there’s that. Also, slather your lips in balm every night before bed and make sure you apply it just over your lip line as this is the area that’s often the driest. If your lips are flaky and peeling, you could also try exfoliating them gently with a damp face cloth a few times a week. Just remember to go gently so you don’t irritate your skin.

Snow Day Skin Tip #5: Up Your Sun Protection

The sun can be extremely powerful on bluebird days, reflecting right off that delicious white snow and straight on to your poor, unsuspecting skin. So, never forget to apply broad-spectrum SPF to all areas of exposed skin when you’re out in the winter sun. In fact, you’d be wise to up your SPF on sunny snow days because it can cause no end of damage. You have been warned.

But that’s not all. Even on dull, gray snow days, the sun is still there going about its skin-damaging business. It might not be hot or look ‘sunny’ per se, but the sun’s not gone anywhere and its damaging UVA rays (they’re the ones that ruin your precious collagen and age you up faster than you can say ‘hot cider, anyone?’) can penetrate right through those clouds. Mic. Drop.

So you know that sunscreen you packed away in September? Get it back out because it should be a staple in your skincare routine all year long. Rain, shine, cloud, snow, the whole darn lot.

For even better sun damage control, apply an antioxidant serum underneath your moisturizer every morning. Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, niacinamide and ferulic acid are the cat’s whiskers at nuking sun-induced free radicals before they get a chance to do a number on your skin.

Try Vitamin C Super Serum+ which contains a curated blend of effective antioxidants, plus nourishing essential oils like lavender, ylang ylang and pink grapefruit to help seal in vital moisture.

Don’t forget to shower your skin with love this Thanksgiving. Because it deserves your thanks just as much as the other fabulous stuff in your life.

We don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is officially our favorite holiday. Time with family? Check. A day off work? Check. A great excuse to overindulge? Check. Most importantly it’s a time to reflect on the year and give thanks to everything you’re grateful for. Well, we bet that when you’re coming up with the list of things you appreciate, your skin’s not one of them.

And what a mistake that is.

Your skin is one of the most important parts of your body. You have around 21 square feet of the stuff and it’s not just there to plague you with lines, wrinkles, pimples and dark spots. It helps regulate your body temperature, prevents moisture loss and provides an essential barrier against injury, infection, trauma, disease and everything else the world likes to throw at you. So, give it a break already.

We understand it’s oh-so-easy to dislike your skin and complain about the bad stuff, but here’s the thing: you’re the only one who notices your so-called ‘flaws.’ Who else gets close enough to notice that tiny line between your brows? No. One. In fact, they’re way too busy coveting whatever it is about your skin they think they don’t have. Human nature. It’s a crazy thing.

Face it: your skin is pretty darn amazing. Every line, crease and freckle is a reminder of the roads you’ve travelled to get to this point in your life. And we think it’s time to celebrate that by showing your skin you care. Here’s how…

1. Be Positive About The Good Stuff

More importantly, don’t sweat the bad stuff. Sure, you might have a small acne scar on your cheek and yes, the skin around your eyes is nowhere near as smooth as it once was. But that’s just fine. So, instead of seeing only these things when you look in the mirror, smile at your reflection and be conscious of all the awesome features your skin has to offer. Maybe it’s looking particularly glowy today. And OK, you might have crow’s feet but what about that kick-ass smooth forehead of yours? Dang, you’re gorgeous.

Being positive will not only make you feel better, but it’ll immediately make you look happier, healthier and radiant. And showing gratitude has been proven to reduce cortisol levels in your body which will help balance and de-stress your skin. Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress hormone,’ you see. So, there’s that.

2. Shower Your Skin With Kindness

Treating your skin with a gentle, effective skincare routine is actually fairly simple. The motto is: less is more. Pare back the number of products you use (no, you don’t need 10 lotions, potions, essences and oils) and steer clear of nasty chemicals like parabens, sulphates, phthalates and PEGs which can upset the balance of your skin’s barrier function and exacerbate dryness, irritation and redness.

Start as you mean to go on with a super gentle cleansing routine using Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser and lukewarm – never hot – water. Hot water strips away the protective layer on your skin’s surface, sucking dry all those natural lipids and moisture that help keep your skin hydrated and healthy. After cleansing for a minute or so, rinse thoroughly and gently pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Vigorous rubbing is a major no-no.

The rest of your regime should consist of just three or four more products to work on your concerns and beautify your complexion. Of course, moisturizer and sunscreen are musts, but anything further is up to you. Our go-tos would be an antioxidant serum like Niacinamide Facial Serum plus an eye treatment like Peptide Eye Gel, but the choice is yours.

3. Try To Manage Stress

There’s no doubt life has been more stressful than ever these past few years, and this can take a real toll on your skin. Stress plays havoc with your sleep (more on that in a minute) and causes your body to produce higher levels of cortisol which encourages inflammation, depletes vital collagen and interferes with your skin’s healing process. Studies also show that stress compromises your barrier function making your complexion feel dry, dehydrated and exacerbating existing conditions like acne, psoriasis, rosacea and eczema.

Managing emotional stress is easier said than done, but small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Meditation, for example, is an extremely effective way to relax your body and mind; even some simple breathing exercises are great for clearing your head and lowering your levels of stress. Our friends at the Mayo Clinic have some great breathing tips, right here.

Also, set aside half an hour (or more!) every day for a little me-time. Go for a walk, read a book, take a bath, whatever you need to do in order to take time out will be worth its weight in gold for your mental health.

Of course, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, never be afraid to ask for help from a qualified health professional.

4. Get Plenty Of Quality Sleep

When you miss out on valuable zzzs, your skin is one of the first things to suffer. How so? Because sleep is the most important time for your skin to heal and regenerate. When you turn in for the night blood flow increases, transporting oxygen and nutrients to the skin to help nourish and strengthen it. Simultaneously, cell turnover accelerates to bring fresh, healthy skin cells to the surface; collagen production revs up and your natural antioxidant system kicks up a gear to reduce unwanted damage from the slings and arrows of daily life.

Sleep could not be more important for the health of your skin. End of. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours every night for a healthy adult, so try to hit this sweet spot as much as possible. Your skin will thank you for it – especially if you cleanse thoroughly, then treat it before bed with Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to boost radiance and help your skin renew itself as you sleep.

5. Think About What You Eat

A balanced diet is important, you know that. But it’s not just essential for your health; it can play a vital role in the overall look and feel of your skin. A diet that’s packed with sugar, for example, will lead to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products in your skin. These damage a lot of important good proteins, causing them to stiffen and weaken. Oh, and they’re aptly named AGEs which speaks volumes.

Too much salt can also trigger dehydration, eczema flare-ups, acne breakouts and is a devil on eye bags. And don’t even get us started on fried food and refined carbs. Skin's mortal enemies, right there.

Anything in moderation is fine, for sure, but make sure you get way more good foods in your diet. The key is to ensure things like antioxidant-rich fresh fruit, veggies, beans, lean poultry, fish and nuts outweigh the bad stuff. 

Now smile, relax and enjoy your skin. And it will do the same.

Because nobody’s perfect when it comes to their skin and beauty routine – not even us, gasp!

Why is it that along with colder, grayer days, we all seem to get a bit more lax with our skincare regimes? Maybe it’s because most of the skin on our bodies is covered up by knitwear… Which is valid. Or could it be that we’re just a bit less bothered about ourselves when we’re going out less and staying in more?

The problem is, some cold weather habits might seem innocent and harmless, but they’re actually far from it.

Here, we talk you through the five most damaging beauty habits to kick this winter. And trust us, come spring, you’ll be so pleased you don’t have to pick up the pieces of what could’ve been had you not heeded our advice…

1. Taking Long, Hot Baths

It’s Sunday night, it’s been a crazy week and all you want is a long, hot soak in a steaming bath with a glass of wine and some quality me-time, right? Well, we would never be so bold as to take this small pleasure away from you completely. But a few tweaks are going to make bath time a much kinder experience for your skin.

Scorching hot water, you see, compromises your skin’s barrier function, upsetting its balance and depleting the natural oils, fats and proteins that keep your skin protected, hydrated and healthy. This can leave it feeling dry, itchy and even inflamed – especially if you have skin conditions like psoriasis, rosacea or eczema. And even more so if you make it a regular thing.

Instead of bathing too often, shower in warm, never hot water for 5-10 minutes max. This is way better for your skin – as well as your water consumption. And if you can’t resist a weekly bath? Fine. Just remember not to go too scorchio with your water, don’t soak for longer than 20 minutes and, when you’re done, apply moisturizer all over your skin while it’s still damp. This will help lock in valuable moisture and avoid your skin from drying out like a prune.

2. Skipping Your Daily SPF

It’s funny how we don’t mind talking about certain beauty topics time and time again. And sunscreen is literally one of our favorites. Why? Because there are so many mistakes made when it comes to protecting your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. And one of the biggest is probably happening right now. And that’s winter sun protection.

Hopefully, you’re pretty strict about applying your facial SPF in the summer and think of it as part of your morning routine – like brushing your teeth and studying Instagram. But what about when the days get cloudier and colder and the sun seems to have checked out for the year? You’re probably a little more lax come fall and winter, correct? What a mistake to make. Sure, UVB rays (the ones that burn your skin) are lessened by the clouds, but UVA rays (the aging ones) are present all year round and penetrate right through those clouds.

This means you need to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day of the year to any skin that’s exposed to the sun. We recommend SPF30+ moisturizers that contain zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or a combination of both. Apply this on top of your favorite antioxidant serum for year-long protection.

3. Ditching Water For Coffee

Too many cups of joe can pay havoc with your skin, so as tempting as it is to up your caffeine intake as soon as Starbucks whispers the words ‘pumpkin spice latte,’ don’t.

For one thing, caffeine is a diuretic which means it makes you pee more, causing you and your skin to become dehydrated. It also constricts your blood vessels and therefore slows down your circulation which means less oxygen gets to your skin and less toxins get drawn away. This is why big-time coffee drinkers often have a sallow-looking or gray tone to their complexions.

Lastly, sure coffee contains some good stuff like antioxidants, but it can also raise the levels of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress hormone.’ Say no more…

Our advice, if you care about keeping the signs of premature aging at bay, is to stick to one cup a day – decaff if possible. And the rest of the time, drink water. Cold water might fill you with dread if it’s freezing outside, so if that’s the case, drink hot water. Or herbal tea. Simple.

4. Cranking Up Your Heating

If you live in colder climes, of course you’re going to need to turn on the heat inside. But excessive heat indoors that turns your home into a sauna will completely dry out the air. And this is seriously bad news for your skin. Think of it this way: the combination of low humidity and low temperatures outside already reduces your skin barrier’s function and its capacity to act as a protection from the outside world. Then, when you couple this with boiling temperatures inside, your skin literally has no chance of retaining water or staying hydrated and moisturized. Cue dry, dehydrated, itchy, red skin. Not good.

The ideal indoor temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 10-15 degrees lower while you’re asleep, so stick to these guidelines as much as possible. And if your skin still feels parched? Moisturize more often and choose formulations that are laden with humectants to draw in water and occlusives to lock it all in. Our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream is a great choice for your face as it contains aloe, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, cocoa butter, jojoba oil and many, many more ingredients to thoroughly moisturize your skin.

You could also try investing in a humidifier for your bedroom to help add moisture into the air – and consequently your skin.

5. Not Exfoliating Your Skin

Reckon your skin is too dry and so you give up exfoliating in the winter? Well, as much as we hate over-exfoliating, under-exfoliating can have just as bad an effect. You see, leaving all those dead skin cells sitting on your skin will make it look dull and stop the rest of the products in your regime from working to the best of their abilities.

But this being said, please don’t start scrubbing your skin like your life depended on it as this WILL make it extremely, red and irritated. Instead, use a gentle, chemical exfoliator twice a week.

Chemical exfoliators are serums, toners and moisturizers that contain exfoliating acids like glycolic, lactic and salicylic which break down the bonds between your dead skin cells and encourage them to slough off naturally. Try our Ocean Minerals Super Toner which contains glycolic acid as well as strengthening peptides and the mighty MSM, or go for Vitamin C Super Serum+ if your skin is oily. This hard-working serum contains salicylic acid, making it ideal for targeting and balancing excess sebum.

Now, bring on the summer. Jokes!

Taking a break from your skincare routine: a good thing for your complexion or more harm than it's worth?

Skin fasting is a real thing right now. But could you give up your entire skincare routine or even just part of it for a week? Maybe even longer? More importantly, should you? Here, we take a deep dive into this challenging beauty trend to see if it lives up to the hype…

What Is Skin Fasting?

Just like it sounds, skin fasting is when you give up part or the whole of your skincare routine in order to allow your skin time to 'rest.' You might forego your moisturizer for a day or so, or you could stop using your entire routine for weeks at a time if that floats your boat. This all counts as skin fasting; it’s simply the extent to which you fast that’s in your hands.

‘OK, but what’s the point?’ we hear you ask. Well, the idea is that your skin can become reliant on skincare products and so, after a while, it kind of stops functioning properly. By taking products away, the theory is that your skin can get back to business on its own, detoxifying itself and fixing its own problems without relying on countless serums and moisturizers to bear the load for it.

Another thought process is that it’s way too tempting to pile on a whole army of skincare products which can be pretty grating on your skin, breaking down your barrier function and resulting in a whole host of unwanted issues like redness, irritation, dryness and breakouts. By hitting the reset button on a weighty routine, you shift your skin back to its original state, allowing your barrier function to get back to doing what it does naturally – protecting, moisturizing, balancing and hydrating your skin.

Sounds Fair. So, Does Skin Fasting Work?

This all depends on who you ask. Speak to the latest skin fasting influencer and they might tell you their skin has never looked better after a week of being free from skincare products. Ask another and they’ll tell you in no uncertain words that it was the worst thing they ever did for their skin.

Which side of the fence do we sit? Well, the truth is, there’s no evidence that shows skin ‘gets used to’ products and then stops functioning properly. Nor is there any proof that taking a break from your skincare routine truly benefits your skin. None whatsoever. Zilch. Nada. It's an interesting idea, for sure, but in terms of scientific proof? We're yet to see any.

We like to think we know a fair bit about how the skin works and correct us if we’re wrong but if you stop cleansing and/or exfoliating, how can your skin remove the daily build-up of dirt, oil, debris and makeup all by itself? Magic? Because that’s the only thing we can think of. Also, let’s think about moisturizing for a hot minute. You moisturize your skin to seal in hydration and balance oils, right? And this is especially important as you get older when sebum production slows down. Well, if you stop moisturizing, do you really think your skin is going to miraculously start producing its own natural oils? It won’t. Instead you’ll probably just end up with dry, itchy skin and more pronounced lines.

In fact, there are SO many better ways to look after your skin’s barrier function and care for your complexion than starving it of essential oils, hydration and antioxidants from your skincare routine. Here are five of the best…

5 (Much Better) Ways To Rejuvenate Your Skin’s Barrier Function

1. Pare Back Your Skincare Routine

Instead of fasting, think about giving your skin a little diet instead – especially if your arsenal of products has been getting out of hand recently. It’s tempting to slap on retinol, vitamin C and glycolic acid all over your skin day and night, but too many active ingredients is hell on your barrier function.

If this sounds familiar, streamline your routine to the essentials (cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen), then add in a few targeted eye treatments and facial serums to work on any concerns you may have. This will do your skin much more good in the long run than applying 15 (or in fact, zero) products on the reg.

3. Patch Test Your Products

Whenever you add a new product into your routine, don’t dive in head first and expect your skin to be cool with that. This is especially important if said product contains potent, active ingredients that have been included to work on specific conditions like dark spots, wrinkles or acne.

Everyone’s skin is different, and while every bit of research goes into products to make them safe to use, who’s to say your skin won’t be irritated by a certain ingredient or formulation? The best way to avoid irritation is to patch test ALL new products before applying them for the first time.

We have everything you need to know about patch testing, right here.

3. Review Your Cleansing Game

Cleansing is extremely important for healthy, clear skin, but if you cleanse too often, too vigorously or with super strong ingredients, your skin will hate you for it. In fact, one of the worst things you can do for your barrier function is to strip away all of its natural oils with a harsh cleansing routine.

That being said, don’t ditch cleansing altogether. Just be kind to your skin by using lukewarm, never hot water and avoiding skin-drying chemicals like sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES). These surfactants are often used in cleansers because they’re great at cleaning your skin. The problem is, they’re a little too good and can end up leaving your skin's barrier dry and compromised. We use gentler, more skin-friendly surfactants like and disodium 2-sulfolaurate in our Vitamin C and Charcoal Face Washes. Just saying.

4. Help Out Your Skin’s NMF

Your skin’s NMF is its natural moisturizing factor, an important part of the barrier function that consists of a clever blend of amino acids, minerals, peptides and other ingredients to help keep your skin soft, supple, hydrated and healthy. As you age and subject yourself to the daily grinds of life, your NMF slowly breaks down which is often why your skin becomes drier, more flaky and itchy over time.

So, what can you do to help out your NMF? You ply it with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients thanks to a fabulous skincare routine. Most dermatologists agree that ceramides are some of the most important ingredients for strengthening and restoring your NMF, so keep your eyes peeled for ceramides on your skincare labels. And of course, ensure your moisturizers contain a blend of humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe to draw water into the skin, plus emollient or occlusives like jojoba oil, shea butter and colloidal oatmeal to seal it all in. Try our TruSkin Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer if you want to nail all that... and then some.

5. Protect Your Skin 24/7

Finally, but just as, if not more importantly than anything else, you must protect your skin from that pesky sun. Studies show that UV radiation is responsible for 80 percent of the visible signs of skin aging and it can seriously damage the barrier function of your skin.

Protect your skin daily with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 + sunscreen and make sure you include plenty of antioxidants in both your skincare routine and your diet. Antioxidants are the bomb at quashing free radical damage caused by the sun and environmental pollution. They can’t and shouldn’t replace sunscreen, but they’re the ideal add-on. Topical vitamin C, for example, not only hits free radicals where they hurt, but can also boost the effectiveness of your sunscreen, so a C-enhanced serum is a great shout to add to your morning regime. Try our Vitamin C Facial Serum before moisturizing. Neither you, nor your skin’s barrier will regret it.

Now, what was that about skin fasting? No thanks. 

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?

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?