True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Fine lines and wrinkles are totally natural, but if you want to lessen their impact, you might want to take a look at some of these seemingly innocent lifestyle habits.

We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve warned you about the perils of the sun and its effect on the number and intensity of your wrinkles. Ditto for stress, smoking and a lack of sleep. But while these things are up there as the most common culprits of aging skin – the sun being the number one offender, of course – there are plenty of other everyday lifestyle habits you probably didn’t realize were affecting the rate at which your skin aged.

Obsessed with your Stanley water bottle right now? Well, for one thing, who isn’t? But for another, you might want to rethink that whole drinking-from-a-straw situation once you’ve read the rest of this article. You have been warned…

Drinking From A Straw

One of the main reasons smoking is so bad for your skin (toxic chemicals aside) is the repetitive motion of puckering up your lips. How so? Well, this repeated action contracts a ring of muscle around the mouth area called the orbicularis oris muscle. Over time, this causes your skin to lose elasticity. And you know those lines you see when you purse your lips? Instead of going away after you relax your mouth, they start to become permanently etched in.

Same thing happens if you drink through a straw all day long.

What To Do: As much as we know you love your Stanley Quencher try not to drink out of it 24/7. At home, switch it out for a regular glass and when you’re out and about go for a water bottle that doesn’t have a straw. Oh, and if you get offered a straw when you next order a gin and tonic in a bar, say no. Those fine lines around your lips – as well as the environment – will be forever grateful.

Your Smartphone

What would we do without our digital devices? They are pretty much everything in today’s modern world. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. However, your smartphone, in particular, plays a huge part in the health of your skin. For one thing, constantly looking down while texting, gaming, emailing and browsing can accelerate the formation of creases or bands around the circumference of your neck, aka ‘tech neck.’ Similarly, squinting and frowning at your phone can add even more lines and wrinkles both on your forehead and around your eyes.

Your digital devices also emit something called high-energy visible (HEV) or blue light which studies suggest are just as damaging to your skin as UV light. Blue light not only has the potential to disrupt your skin’s natural barrier function but it can promote inflammation, encourage discoloration and accelerate collagen damage which is a one-way ticket to fine lines and wrinkles.

What To Do: Use your phone less (ha, if only it were that easy!) and always hold it upright so your head isn’t looking down all the time.

You must also try our awesome Longevity skincare range. This collection of three healthy aging products contains lingonberry stems cells which have been shown to help protect your skin from blue light damage.

The Way You Sleep

Getting lots of quality sleep is majorly important for the state of your skin, but skincare experts also agree that the way in which you sleep carries just as much weight on your skin’s aging process. Sleeping on one side, for example, causes creasing on that same side of your face which can increase your chances of developing fine lines on one side more than the other. Similarly, sleeping on your front and smushing your face into your pillow every night creates repeated pressure on your entire face – a sure-fire way to invite fine lines and wrinkles to do their worst.

What To Do: A silk pillowcase can help reduce friction, but your best bet is to change your sleep position so you sleep on your back with your head slightly raised. This avoids repetitive face-to-pillow contact and stops excess fluids from pooling under your eyes which helps stop dark circles and puffiness. Extra bonus right there.

Forgetting To Wear Sunglasses

Squinting is another one-way ticket to fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes as it causes your periocular muscles to repeatedly contract. And if you continue to do this day after day you will soon see exactly what we mean when those cute lines around your eyes turn into deep crevices that just won’t go away. Squinting also contributes to those annoying vertical lines between your eyebrows – glabellar lines or 11s – making it a real no-no if you care about aging skin.  

What To Do: Wear shades whenever you go outside – even if it’s bright but not particularly sunny. This’ll immediately stop you squinting and will also protect the skin around your eyes from those damaging UV rays. And if you find yourself squinting at your computer or the TV? Well, it might be time for an eye test. Just saying.

Finally, to help keep the skin around your eyes moisturized and youthful-looking, apply an eye cream morning and night. Try our Peptide Eye Gel which helps support collagen production to minimize premature aging.

Allergies

Do you find yourself continually rubbing the skin around your eyes during the allergy season? This happens when your body’s defense system reacts to an allergen it feels threatened by. Mast cells in your eyes then release chemicals like histamine to try and get rid of these allergens which causes your eyes to become red, watery and itchy.

Allergy triggers can come from many things, including airborne pollen and pet hair, but the worst thing you can do for your skin is to vigorously scrub away at your eyes. This seriously upsets your collagen supplies, thinning your skin, wearing it down and inviting lines around your eyes to do their worst.

What To Do: If your eyes are constantly itching, the most important plan of action is to find out why, so talk to your doctor if symptoms persist. In the meantime, try eye drops and if you can't help but rub your eyes, reduce damage by using just the pads of your ring fingers rather than your whole hand. This will help reduce pressure and friction.

Swimming

We hate to knock any form of exercise but swimming in chlorinated water can be pretty harsh on your skin (and your hair for that matter!). Chlorine is great for sanitizing water and eliminating any contaminants that may otherwise cause infection and illness. But it’s not ideal for your delicate skin. In fact it’s a natural irritant that strips natural oils and moisture from your skin’s protective barrier. This is OK in small doses but if you swim every day and don’t protect your skin, this can potentially cause dryness and dehydration. And two things wrinkles love in order to thrive are dryness and dehydration.

What To Do: A pre-swim shower is a great way to reduce chlorine damage because if your skin is already wet, it will absorb less chlorinated water. Smart huh? Of course, you should also shower immediately after swimming and moisturize all over to replace lost sebum and hydration.

When it comes to your face, apply Vitamin C Facial Serum to fully cleansed skin after swimming. Vitamin C helps neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine. Follow with moisturizer and you should be good.

3 Of Our Favorite Wrinkle-Busting Skincare Products

1. Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement

Want to keep your skin looking its best for as long as possible? Then you simply have to look after your collagen. And what better way than with this daily supplement that’s literally brimming with clinically-proven, collagen-promoting ingredients like vitamin C, acai and biotin.

2. SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C

Did we mention that the sun is the biggest culprit when it comes to premature skin aging? We did? Yeah, well, we will continue to do so. We will also continue to laud the benefits of daily, broad-spectrum sunscreen for warding off the sun’s damaging UV rays. And this is an absolute must. No arguments.

3. Retinol Facial Serum

One of the most effective anti-aging ingredients in skincare, retinol helps stimulate cell turnover and up your skin’s content of quality collagen. This awesome facial serum also contains hydrating hyaluronic acid (take that wrinkles) and vitamin E (same). We love that for you.

The truth is, glowing skin will always be in.

Oh, the heady heights of glowing, healthy skin. Whether you prefer to use the term ‘bright,’ ‘glowy,’ ‘dewy’ or ‘radiant’: we can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t want their skin to be described by one (or all!) of these words. Why is it such an elusive and lusted-after skin condition? Because no matter your skin type or how many wrinkles you do or don’t have, nail that radiant glow and everything else pales into insignificance.

But, how to get glowing skin? Now there’s a question that has as many answers as we’ve had hot dinners.

You can start with what goes in your body, of course, taking a look at your diet and ensuring you chow down on plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and veggies and cut back on things like booze, sugar, salt and processed carbs. This helps nix skin-damaging free radicals to ensure your skin turns over efficiently and remains healthy from the inside out, making it a great place to start.

There are also things like exercising outdoors to get your blood flowing, massaging your skin as you cleanse, getting plenty of shut-eye and faking it with highlighting makeup and shimmering face powders.

But skincare is our thing, so today we’re going to focus on that.

There are many awesome ingredients and products out there that claim to rejuvenate your skin and freshen up your complexion, but what are the true tried and tested contenders? Keep scrolling for, what we believe, are five of the best products for glowing skin.

1. The Definitive Glow-Giving Facial Serum 

Let’s get one thing straight, there’s no better skincare ingredient for boosting a radiant glow than vitamin C. Vitamin C (otherwise known as l-ascorbic acid) has been researched to death over the years and it’s been proven to offer all manner of skin-boosting benefits – glowier skin being just one of them.

So how does this powerhouse work? Well, further to its antioxidant powers, which in themselves are great for strengthening your collagen supplies and improving cell turnover, it also helps slow down melanin production. Melanin, as you know, is what gives your skin its individual color and, when you expose your skin to UV radiation, it’s also what makes you tan. However, melanin production isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, many triggers such as unbalanced hormones and too much sun can make your melanin go all over the place, resulting in patchy skin, dark spots and hyperpigmentation. No fun. No fun at all.

We believe vitamin C should be a staple in anyone’s skincare regime, but we also understand that it’s a potent ingredient that can cause sensitivities in certain skin types. This is why we infuse all of our vitamin C products with a milder version called sodium ascorbyl phosphate.

When it comes to looking for your perfect match for brightening your skin, you could literally take your pick of our entire vitamin C range, but for a classic favorite, you can’t go wrong with Vitamin C Facial Serum. We believe it’s a winner. Over 140,000 people on Amazon agree with us. We rest our case.

2. The Moisturizer With The Most

If you’re yet to try our new Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream you are missing out. It doesn’t contain vitamin C – because choices – but it is powered up by another ingredient that’s already making headlines for all the right reasons: bakuchiol.

Bakuchiol is nature’s alternative to the mighty retinol. Extracted from the seeds and leaves of the babchi plant, it’s fast becoming hot property in the skincare world due to its extraordinary skin benefits (just like retinol) and lack of irritating side-effects (unlike retinol!). We mean no offense to retinol, of course, because it’s still one of, if not THE gold standard of skincare. However, it’s not for everyone and bakuchiol has undergone plenty of studies that show it’s right up there, stimulating collagen synthesis and accelerating cellular turnover in a very similar way to rid your skin of unwanted dead skin cells and help improve your radiance factor.

We have a whole collection of products that harness the powers of bakuchiol but for a great introduction to the range, try this deliciously smooth moisturizer that’s ideal for all skin persuasions, including sensitive skin.

3. The One That’s In It For The Long Game

Admittedly this one might not make your skin look immediately radiant but c’mon now, patience is everything. And in all honesty, this is unarguably the single most important product you could use for glowing skin, healthy skin, smooth skin, strong skin, the works.

So what is this too-good-to-be-true product we speak so highly off? Simple. Sunscreen. Now don’t roll your eyes at us in a ‘not that old chestnut’ fashion because we don’t bang on about sunscreen just to pee you off. We do it because we care about your skin.

The simple truth is that if you don’t protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays, your collagen supplies will dwindle, elastin will get destroyed, dark spots will appear and cell turnover will decrease. This all leads to dull, lackluster, sad-looking skin. And that’s just touching the surface. 

Ensure you apply a quality, broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning without fail to make sure your skin doesn’t get caught up in all that damaging nonsense.

Try our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen which also comes packed with sodium ascorbyl phosphate (that supercool vitamin C derivative we spoke of earlier) on top of hydrating ingredients like squalane and cucumber, plus vegan marine collagen to help target fine lines and sagging skin.

4. The All-Important Skin Exfoliator

If your pores are filled to the brim with sebum, sunscreen, makeup and dead skin cells, your skin stands no chance of being smooth and radiant. Dead skin cells, in particular, create the perfect storm for dull skin.

One of the simplest ways to keep your skin clear from complexion-killing pore plugs is to use a chemical exfoliator like 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant two or three times a week. Chemical exfoliation works by using certain ingredients –commonly fruit acids – to break down the glue that holds dead skin cells together. By doing so, they’re an incredible way of forcing these unwanted cells to sling their hook so that the fresher, brighter ones can make their way to the surface. And unlike physical exfoliation which uses pressure and movement (like scrubs and cleansing brushes), chemical exfoliation, when done correctly, is far less damaging and irritating.

Our fabulous 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant combines a carefully crafted blend of three exfoliating acids along with organic reishi mushroom and hyaluronic acid to combat dehydration and help soothe and nourish the skin. Because, btw, dehydration will also kill your glowy skin vibes.

5. The Dewy Skin Spritz

Convenient and effective, our Ocean Minerals Super Toner is often glossed over in our line-up of skincare greats, but it’s a real goodie in the quest for a revamped complexion. Not only is it formulated with two key skin-brightening players – vitamin C and glycolic acid – but it also contains power-packed peptides, collagen-boosting MSM and over 90 revitalizing marine minerals. All this adds up to some serious love which helps to remove dull, dead skin cells, detox your pores and smooth the surface for a more balanced, even skin tone.

It's an awesome addition to your skincare routine and takes just seconds of your time to apply. So, why not?

Why not indeed.

Our Vitamin C Facial Serum is 10 years old! We figured, therefore, that what better time to celebrate this fan favorite than by highlighting 10 of its finest attributes.

Vitamin C is a big deal at TruSkin HQ. In fact, it’s the reason we’re here in the first place. For way back in 2013 we started out with our first ever skincare product: Vitamin C Facial Serum. And we don’t mind admitting, we knew we were onto something, right off the bat. Why the ballsy confidence? Well, we had both the knowledge and the technology required to produce quality, plant-powered skincare that harnessed the power of this incredible antioxidant while being free of unnecessary additives, synthetic fragrances and harsh preservatives. And cleaner, more conscious skincare was something that, even then, was already gaining momentum in the beauty industry.

Admittedly, it’s easy to say in hindsight how confident we were with this small but mighty serum, but in truth, little did we know just what a triumph Vitamin C Facial Serum would turn out to be. Or how its success would enable us to expand our skincare range to cover everything from gentle cleansing and toning through to professional-grade exfoliation and clinically-proven suncare.

But no matter how many new products we launch and how advanced we become, Vitamin C Facial Serum will always be a firm family favorite. After all, it’s still, by far, our best-selling product and currently has over 140,000 awesome reviews on Amazon. Sounds like a lot, right? Yeah, that’s because it is!

So, in honor of Vitamin C Facial Serum’s 10^th anniversary, here’s a celebration of everything that’s great about this incredible brightening and protecting skin treatment…

1. As the name suggest, Vitamin C Facial Serum is based on the antioxidant properties of vitamin C. Antioxidants are extremely important for your skin because they help neutralize environmental and lifestyle damage that’s inevitable on a daily basis thanks to things like pollution, UV radiation, stress and a cruddy diet.

As antioxidants go, vitamin C is arguably one of the most trusted and effective. It truly works like a dog to fight free radicals (they’re the bad boys that screw up your collagen) and help keep your skin healthy and youthful-looking. It was a shoo-in for our first foray into skincare. And boy, what a winner it turned out to be!

2. The thing about vitamin C is that it comes in many forms, some of which can be mildly irritating on the skin – especially if you err on the sensitive side. This is why we decided to skip l-ascorbic acid which is the pure, topical version, in favor of sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP).

SAP is a salt form of vitamin C and has to be converted back to ascorbic acid in order for your skin to enjoy its benefits. Why is this such a good thing? Well, l-ascorbic acid can be too potent for some skin types, often causing dryness, redness and mild stinging when applied directly to the skin. Switching up to SAP, however, and allowing your skin to convert it back into ascorbic acid after application, significantly reduces your chances of irritation. 

3. Pure vitamin C can be very unstable, swiftly breaking down when exposed to light and air. This means it can lose its potency way quicker that you’d really want it to. It’s also why many vitamin C face serums are often combined with ferulic acid – because ferulic acid helps preserve the vitamin. But it also smells. Like, really bad. And we’re so not into that.

Thankfully, the salt in SAP gives it a much more stable pH helping to preserve it so that it remains effective right until the last drop. No weird hot dog smells here, thanks very much.

4. Vitamin C has many benefits for your skin. The biggest one is its success in fighting off free radicals which helps keep your collagen in good shape. Collagen, as you know, is everything when it comes to healthy skin because it provides it with strength, support and resilience, helping you to ward off the visible signs of premature aging like fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin.

5. Collagen isn’t the only benefactor here, however. Vitamin C has also been proven to help keep your skin radiant and glowing. And it does so by inhibiting melanin production.

Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin (as well as your hair and eyes) its color. Melanin production is triggered by many things including exposure to the sun which causes your melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) to multiply in a bid to help absorb and scatter damaging UV radiation. This makes your skin tan in the summer months, but it can also result in an uneven distribution of melanin which can make your skin look uneven and patchy. Yes, hi there dark spots.

Applying our Vitamin C Facial Serum (as well as sunscreen EVERY MORNING) is a great way to keep melanin and those inevitable dark spots under control.

6. We could sing the praises of vitamin C forever, but our Vitamin C Facial Serum is so much more than just one single ingredient. It’s also super hydrating thanks to hard-working humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid, kosher vegetable glycerol and aloe vera which help draw moisture to the skin’s surface. Dehydration is a common skin woe and can happen to anyone – no matter the skin type – so ensuring your skincare routine contains humectants is essential.

Check.

7. There are many other important ingredients in Vitamin C Facial Serum (soothing vitamin E, moisturizing botanical oils to name a few) but another key favorite is MSM.

MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane (which is why it’s always shortened!). It’s an awesome skincare ingredient because it plays a vital role in the production of collagen and elastin while promoting healthy blood flow, fighting inflammation and helping to protect your skin from environmental damage. It’s also been shown to help the skin become more permeable which allows toxins to escape more readily and enhances your skin’s ability to absorb other active ingredients in your skincare products. Oh, and it’s pretty much tolerated by all skin types.

Again... check! 

8. Of course, what’s also important about this skin-loving face serum are all the things we do NOT include. Like all of our skincare formulations we say no to unnecessary ingredients that could potentially compromise your skin or our planet. This includes things like harsh sulfates, parabens, and phthalates.

Vitamin C Facial Serum is also clinically- AND dermatologist-tested, ideal for vegans and 100 percent cruelty-free.

9. Quick fact. Vitamin C Facial Serum won’t break the bank. In fact, you can nab it for less than 30 bucks. Just thought we'd throw that out there!

10. Finally, our Vitamin C Facial Serum has a ton of fine friends, enabling you to enjoy the fabulous benefits of vitamin C across your entire skincare regime. From your cleansing and exfoliation routines through to your morning and bedtime moisturizing rituals, SAP is here for you.

Just remember, no matter how gentle SAP is, it’s still an active ingredient so it’s always wise to patch test new products before using them properly for the first time. Not sure what patch testing is all about? No problem, we’ve got your back, right here.

Free radicals might sound like a good thing. Newsflash, they’re not.

There are tons of ingredients and so much jargon in the skincare world, it’s often hard to keep up. And, do you know what? You really don’t have to be able to reel off every detail about every single alpha hydroxy acid. Similarly, we’ll never test you on the spelling of methylsulfonylmethane. Because even we have to constantly look that one up… and it's basically why we call it MSM ;)

However, in order to make informed decisions about what you do and do not put on your skin, there are certain skincare words, ingredients and terms that are important to know about.

And free radicals make that list.

So, What Are Free Radicals?

Do you want the long or the short answer to that question? Well, the short answer is that they’re extremely bad news when it comes to the health of the skin because they’re nasty components that break down collagen, elastin and even your DNA.

The (slightly) longer answer is that they’re highly reactive, unstable atoms that form in your skin when it’s been exposed to things it doesn’t like. Think UV radiation, pollution, cigarette smoke, a sugar-rich diet and you’ll be on the right page.

Atoms have electrons orbiting them which usually come in pairs so they can work together to stabilize and balance themselves. When they’re exposed to internal or external aggressors, however, these atoms split and get left with unpaired electrons which makes them lose their stability. And this is when they become free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable and they don't like that about themselves, so they go on a scavenger hunt, stealing electrons from wherever they can find them – often from healthy cells in your skin (and body). This leads to oxidative stress and no end of damage.

How Do Free Radicals Affect The Skin?

Not in a good way, that’s for sure. You’ve seen what happens to an apple when you take a bite out of it and leave it unfinished? It turns brown, right? Well this is caused by free radicals and is also a result of oxidation.

Of course, your skin doesn’t feel the damage quite so quickly as a poor old apple, but it’s the same process. Cell membranes, proteins and DNA all start to wither as they become starved of valuable electrons; ones they really can’t afford to lose. The result is that collagen and elastin production becomes compromised and your natural moisturization levels dwindle. Continue to allow this to happen and your skin will prematurely age as a result. Fine lines and wrinkles will appear quicker than expected, your skin may start to sag before its time and your complexion will generally look sad and dull.

The word is, free radicals are bad news and you really don’t want them to get the better of you.

The Best Way To Win The War Against Free Radicals

One word: antioxidants. Antioxidants are to free radicals what Batman is to the Joker. They’re the good guys that stop free radicals causing damage to your precious skin and, like most skincare companies, we talk about antioxidants A LOT. It's because they work.

Unlike other molecules which become damaged and turn into free radicals themselves when an electron is snatched away, antioxidants are able to neutralize free radicals by donating electrons without losing stability. They’re uber cool and totally stop the skin-damaging chain reaction that free radicals so desperately want to achieve. Take that, free rads!

So where do antioxidants come from? Well, your body has a natural antioxidant defense system that works hard to keep you healthy, and, er, free radical-free, but this weakens as you get older which is why it requires help from external sources. Including plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and veggies in your diet is a great start, but topical antioxidants are the best way to really target your skin and help keep your complexion strong, supple, radiant and youthful-looking.

Topical antioxidants can be found in all manner of skincare products but we believe, to really maximize their powers, you have to include an antioxidant serum in your routine. Serums have a small molecular structure than other products (this is why they’re deliciously thin and silky to apply). This allows them to really penetrate the skin and deliver powerful, active ingredients deep beneath the surface. Exactly where those free radicals are trying to do their worst.

Want in? Then say hello to three of the best antioxidant serums for neutralizing free radicals...

1. Vitamin C Facial Serum

This baby has clocked up over 140,000 reviews on Amazon and, in our opinion, can do no wrong. The ultimate facial serum for brightening your skin, it harnesses the clinically-proven prowess of vitamin C to fight free radicals and keep your skin looking its absolute best. And if you’re a little scared of the strength of pure vitamin C, the good news is we use sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP). SAP is a much gentler version and offers all the same benefits, but with fewer side effects. This award-winning serum also contains vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and soothe your skin. A legit favorite.

2. Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum

Niacinamide might not be as well-known as vitamin C, but it should never be dismissed because, boy, is it good. A great treatment for most skin types, niacinamide is known as the soothing, calming antioxidant because it’s extremely well tolerated by the skin. That makes it an excellent choice for sensitive skin or acne-prone skin. It also improves the natural production of ceramides in your skin to fortify the surface and strengthen your barrier function. Like our Vitamin C Facial Serum, this incredible serum is also powered by vitamin E and HA to deliver everything your skin needs in just one application.

3. Retinol Facial Serum

Retinol is commonly known for rebuilding the skin by improving cellular turnover and accelerating quality collagen production. But it’s also a darn fine antioxidant which makes it an great all-rounder for halting the visible signs of aging and nixing those pesky free radicals before they get a chance to do some serious damage. It’s hard to resist the all-round geniusness of retinol but remember, it’s pretty potent stuff so needs to be treated with respect. Click here for the lowdown on how best to make retinol a successful part of your skincare regime.

Summer may be history (for now), but dull weather doesn’t mean your skin has to look equally as cruddy.

It’s only November and we’re already missing those long, sunny days when our skin automatically glowed with health. Dang. But here’s the thing: just because the weather has become duller, colder and a little gray around the edges, your skin can still be as radiant as a balmy, July day. You just need to know how to boost your circulation, encourage healthy skin turnover and maintain clean, clear, hydrated skin.

Sounds too much like hard work? On the contrary. Below, ten quick and easy tips for glowing skin ­– all year long.

1. Exfoliate, Baby!

Exfoliation is definitely ‘the one’ when it comes to quick fixes for brighter, happier-looking skin. And the reasons are simple. Exfoliating your skin – whether you use a scrub, mitt, cleansing brush or chemical treatment – encourages your cells to turn over more efficiently, ridding the surface of dulling dead skin cells and allowing all of the fresh stuff to take their place.

Over-exfoliating can have the opposite effect, however, breaking down your skin’s important barrier function and causing your skin to become angry, red, irritated, dry, pimply or any number of other things that aren’t top of your skin’s wish list. The key, therefore, is to go gently – we recommend using a kind-to-skin chemical treatment like our new AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant – and start out just once or twice a week until your skin acclimates. Sure, you can slowly build up to daily use but listen to your skin and don’t push it. Less is best.

2. Embrace The Upside Down

Want to immediately get blood flowing to your skin with absolutely zero effort? Simple: hang your head upside down for a couple of minutes each day. This immediately rushes circulation to your face and neck, flooding your skin with radiance-boosting oxygen and nutrients. And don’t worry if you can no longer contort your body into a headstand. Just lie back on your bed, face up, and tip your head back over the edge. Everyone can do that. Stick with two or three minutes, max, however. Any longer might make you feel funny. And yes, ‘funny’ is the scientific word for it!

3. Go Big On Hydration

Dehydrated skin is a major cause of dullness because thirsty skin is unable to reflect light as well as soft, hydrated skin.

So word of warning: never let your skin get too parched, people. Drink plenty of water and layer a hydrating serum under your moisturizer to ensure you draw lots of moisture to your skin’s uppermost layers. We’re all over the epic combo of Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum, followed by Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer.

More on the mighty vitamin C in a sec…

4. Try A Quick-Fix, DIY Face Mask

Blending your own, DIY face mask may remind you way too much of your teenage years, but get the right formula and you’ll be on to a real winner. We’re big fans of mixing together plain yogurt, avocado and a teaspoon of honey and slathering this all over our face and neck for around 10 minutes. Yogurt is great for soothing inflammation and gently exfoliating the skin while honey and avocado add that vital hydration and moisturization. 

Needless to say, remember to rinse thoroughly. Well, dur.

5. Moisturize Before Bed

Of course you’re not going to skip moisturizer in the morning (ARE YOU NOW!?) but before bed, certain skincare practices often go out of the window. Because tiredness, laziness, a few too many wines… things get in the way.

However, if you really want your skin to be happy, healthy and glowing, neglecting your night time routine is a big mistake. And no, swooshing a cleansing wipe over your skin does not count.

Every night – without fail – cleanse your face and neck, apply your favorite serum and never forget to moisturize with a gentle but high-powered night cream. Our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream is awesome for refueling your skin as you sleep – literally wrapping your skin in nutrients, antioxidants and rich botanical extracts. It’s a must if you want to wake up with radiant skin before you even look in the mirror.

6. Eat Your Way To Radiant Skin

Antioxidants are a super important part of your diet, whatever your health and skincare goals. But for a brighter, more radiant complexion, they are everything. Of course, we’re never going to deprive you of your favorite treats every now and again, but as a rule, try to include more nuts, seeds and colorful fresh fruit and veggies in your diet. Specifically, reach for things like strawberries, broccoli, grapes, walnuts and almonds.

7. Get Up Close & Personal With Vitamin C

Vitamin C is non-negotiable in the search for glowy skin. It just is. With decades of research under its belt, it’s been proven time and again for protecting your skin from the nasty effects of environmental free radical damage. And if you weren’t aware of just how damaging free radicals can be, know this. They’re seriously bad news for your collagen, breaking it down and killing your skin’s plump, radiant mojo.

But that’s not all, vitamin C also helps inhibit melanin production to help keep dark spots and patchy skin in check. Honestly, it’s a skin brightening shoo-in.

If you’re worried about the potential irritating effects of vitamin C on your sensitive skin, you're right to. But it's not out of the question for any skin type, as long as you look out for gentler derivatives like sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP). We only ever use SAP in our vitamin C products because it’s effective, for one, and way less irritating, for another. What’s not to love?

8. Kickstart Circulation With Gua Sha

Massaging your skin with your hands and fingers is a great way to give circulation a kick up the booty. But if you fancy going the extra mile, try a little facial gua sha.

Fast becoming a given in many a proficient skincare routine, gua sha is an East Asian massage technique that involves working a flat, rounded gua sha tool over the skin to relax your facial muscles, encourage microcirculation and help reduce puffiness while boosting radiance and firming the skin. You simply hold the tool (usually made from jade or rose quartz) flat against your skin and then stroke the curved side in one direction over your face and neck. We like to apply a facial oil first to help it glide over your skin more smoothly. You could also do it while your skin is wet, after cleansing.

9. Don’t Skip Toner

Many people can give or take toner but if you’re looking to really amp up your glow, a great toning product can prove an awesome tool to have in your skincare arsenal. Of course, it’s all about choosing the right one but go for deeply hydrating formulations or anything with gentle, skin-nourishing ingredients and you’ll find your skin instantly looks perkier. Added bonus is that toners can help the rest of your regime penetrate your skin more effectively.

10. Fake It, Till You Make It

Of course, makeup can be a true friend when your skin is not playing fair. Illuminating lotions or ‘glotions’ that combine moisturizing benefits with subtle color and highlighting shimmer are great for faking lit-from-within skin. But they can be little too shimmery for some – especially if you have oily skin. A great trick? Mix a drop with your regular foundation or moisturizer to dilute the shimmer.

You could also try dusting a mineral highlighting powder over the high plains of your face to draw attention and reflect light. Just don’t go too ‘bronze’ with the shade as warm, dark tones can age you up lightning fast.
 
 

Want to better the texture of your skin and help transform the rough into the smooth? Done.

Skin concerns can vary greatly. Whether it’s hormonal breakouts that just won’t let up, puffy morning eyes after too much of a good time, or pesky dark spots that crop up on your cheeks every year – no matter how prudent you are with the sunscreen – there’s always something.

Take rough, uneven skin, for example. Poor texture might not be life threatening or even that noticeable to the untrained eye. But we get it, touching your skin and feeling bumps, flakes and rough patches instead of baby-smooth skin is as frustrating as hell. 

So, why is uneven skin texture such a royal pain in the butt? Well, bumpy skin can be super persistent for starters. It's also impossible to cover up with makeup. In fact, makeup often makes it look ten times worse. And then there are the gazillion reasons why it’s there in the first place. OK, maybe there aren’t that many, but you get the picture.

If you’re fed up with bumpy skin simply not letting up, read on for some important intel that might just help you say ciao to the rough stuff…

First Up, What’s Causing Your Uneven Skin Texture?

Oh, if only we had a straight answer to this question. But alas, when it comes to the health of your skin, things are never quite that black and white.

Poor skin texture can be caused by any number of things which is pretty unhelpful, we know. Thankfully they can, at the very least, be put into four main camps: chronic skin disorders; sluggish cell turnover; an overly complicated skincare routine and surprise, surprise, the sun.

First up we have skin disorders like rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and acne. All of these can make your skin feel bumpy and rough to the touch – especially during flare-ups. And if you’re not careful, scarring from severe acne can also leave you with textural issues in the long-term. So, if you think you might be dealing with some kind of chronic skin complaint like the aforementioned, the only real way to get a handle on what’s going on is to get a professional diagnosis from a dermatologist. Trying to solve these on your own (particularly when you don’t know what you’re dealing with) can be a long, hard struggle and even then you might never achieve the best results.

Other textural issues are most commonly caused by sluggish cell turnover which allows dead skin cells to persistently stick around at the surface of your skin. This results in dullness, dehydration and rough, clogged pores. And then there’s an overly complicated skincare routine that’s packed to the brim with active ingredients. Active ingredients are great in moderation, but too much of a good thing can totally over-stimulate your skin, leaving it feeling bumpy and irritated.

Finally, the sun. This is the one thing you can blame for almost all of your skin woes. And it’s valid. UV radiation disrupts your collagen supplies and causes your cells to prematurely break down and die, leaving you with seriously uneven skin texture (and tone, for that matter!).

How To Boss Smoother Skin

As mentioned, for slightly complicated issues like rosacea and eczema, get thee to a derm. However, if you think your textural issues are more a case of poor cellular turnover, cruddy skincare and/or too much time in the sun, here are five fantastic ways to help smooth things over…

1. Exfoliate On The Reg

The best way to accelerate cell turnover and reduce build-up on the surface of your skin is to exfoliate more often. Don’t get us wrong, most people don’t need to exfoliate daily – that can exacerbate the problem – but two or three times a week with a physical scrub, or three to four times a week with a chemical exfoliant can do wonders for bumpy skin.

Our awesome NEW 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant is a great choice for textural issues because it’s formulated with a sweet blend of glycolic acid, salicylic acid and glucolactone which provide the ideal amount of deep exfoliation and oil control, without upsetting the balance of your skin.

2. Don’t Skip Your SPF

UV radiation is a devil on the skin, screwing up your pores and totally messing with collagen production. Both of which are bad news if you want to get anywhere near the heady heights of smooth skin.

Protect your skin every day with a mineral sunscreen that has a minimum of SPF 30 and is also broad-spectrum. The latter is super important because it means it protects your skin not only from UVB radiation (which is what the SPF denotes) but UVA radiation as well. And that’s the stuff that gets right through those clouds on cold, wintry days, damaging your skin, rain or shine. Try our fabulous SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C as the last step in your morning routine.

3. Make Retinol A Bedtime Favorite

Of course, one of the best ingredients for uneven skin texture is retinol. As per! Although totally different to exfoliants, retinol also has a clever way of boosting turnover and accelerating collagen production to help improve texture, tone, acne, the works. Retinol is not always advisable for rosacea or eczema-prone skin because it’s a potent little beast, but as long as you introduce it slowly and carefully into your routine, it can have skin-transforming results for most skin types.

Give our Retinol Facial Serum a go in the evenings, two or three times a week, after cleansing and before moisturizing.

4. Dose Up On Vitamin C

When it comes to waging war on skin-roughening free radicals, vitamin C gets our vote every time. A major player in the world of antioxidants, vitamin C helps neutralize the many free radicals caused by sun damage, environmental pollution and the like. But that’s not enough for our vitamin C because it also works like a dog to inhibit melanin production, therefore keeping a beady eye on your skin tone as well as its texture.

Like retinol, however, vitamin C can be a pretty powerful addition to your skincare routine so we believe sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) should be your ultimate go-to. SAP is a salt form of pure vitamin C which makes it a) more stable and b) less irritating. It’s the only kind we use across all of our vitamin C products.

5. Never Underestimate The Power Of A Good Moisturizer

Dry and/or dehydrated skin is seriously bad news for the smoothness of your skin so moisturizing is totally non-negotiable. You should moisturize your skin after every cleanse, ideally following a treatment serum that addresses any other concerns you may have.

Look out for moisturizers that contain a good blend of humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin or aloe (these draw water to the surface of your skin) as well as ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil or cocoa butter that help lock all that moisture in. And for an extra boost of free moisture? Apply your product while your skin is still slightly damp. Our current fave is our new Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream but we have a whole bunch of moisturizing whizz kids right here.