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Ramp up your skincare tools by knowing exactly which skincare products to use with them… and when.

These last few years have seen a massive rise in sales of at-home skincare tools and treatments that give you all the benefits of a spa-like facial without leaving the comfort of your own home. Figures, right? For the most part of 2020 and 2021 your home became your office, your school, your gym, even your hair salon (come on, fess up if you attempted a bad trim/root touch-up last year?). All this meant that popping to your favorite dermatologist or beauty therapist for an hour-long facial simply wasn’t an option. So, you started buying stuff to use at home that could help recreate the treatments you’d become accustomed to. And it turned out, most of you quite liked being your own beauty boss. Some of you also became pretty good at using your new skin tool BFF.

However, it’s not easy to transform yourself into a whizz at professional-style home treatments. So, if you’re yet to figure out how to use your gua sha or derma roller alongside your favorite skincare products, here’s our guide to getting it right.

The At-Home Skincare Tool: Cleansing Brush

What It Does: Sonic cleansing brushes and tools use powered bristles that vibrate and pulsate over the surface of your skin. Some use circular motions while others move back and forth, but whatever the technology, this repetitive, time-controlled movement offers similar results: to deeply cleanse your skin, break down dirt and oil, and keep your pores clean and clear. The massaging action has also been shown to help promote a toned, lifted and firmer-looking complexion.

How To Use: Cleansing brushes are extremely simple to use. Moisten your face with lukewarm water and apply cleanser all over your skin – you might need a little more than normal so don’t be shy. Next, grab your brush and work it over your face for around a minute. Anything more than light pressure will prevent the bristles from moving properly, however, so go easy. Rinse, dry and you’re done. Oh, and we don’t recommend using them more than once a day. Too much, people. Way too much.

The Best Skincare To Maximize Results: Of course, a great face wash is your go-to here and we think our Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser is the absolute bomb because it’s gentle enough for most skin types and formulated with vitamin C and other potent antioxidants for bright, radiant skin. Exfoliating scrubs should be avoided as these could over-stimulate your skin and cause irritation, dryness and sensitivities.

The At-Home Skincare Tool: Derma Roller

What It Does: Derma rollers are used in microneedling treatments. Microneedling works by using tiny, high-speed needles to produce tiny puncture wounds in your skin. This creates a controlled injury which triggers collagen and elastin production, nudging your skin to renew itself. By doing this, microneedling is said to help reduce acne scars, fine lines, wrinkles and even dark spots. But remember, at-home derma rollers are generally manufactured using shorter needles than the medical-grade ones used by the pros, so be patient with results.

How To Use: Shoving needles into your skin at home might sound like a crazy notion, but derma rollers can be extremely safe to use if you’re super careful and follow the instructions to the absolute letter. The first thing to remember is to make sure both your skin and derma roller are totally clean before your treatment, then mentally divide your face into four sections and gently work the roller over small areas within that section two or three times. Rinse your skin afterwards and gently pat it dry.

The Best Skincare To Maximize Results: Microneedling is a great way to help moisturizer and serum penetrate deeper into your skin. Which is good and bad news. First, the bad: microneedling can make your skin sensitive to potent, active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid – especially if you’ve not used them before – so tread carefully with anything that could cause a reaction. The great news, however, is that microneedling will really ramp up the effects of some of your less sensitizing, more hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, MSM and vitamin C. We recommend following a derma roller sesh with Niacinamide Facial Serum.

The At-Home Skincare Tool: Ice Globes

What They Do: Ice globes are a bit like jade rollers but, as their name suggests, they’re glass or metal wands that have balls on the ends which are designed to be kept in the fridge or freezer. Kind of like rubbing ice cubes all over your skin without the watery mess, ice globes are awesome for the eye area as their globe-like shape makes them easy to negotiate around the orbital bone. However, they’re great for soothing redness, minimizing inflammation, boosting circulation and reducing puffiness all over your face. Experts also believe they may help boost collagen to tighten and firm your skin. So, there’s that.

How To Use: These are best used in the morning to really wake up your skin and help reduce tired, puffy eyes and skin. Simply grab yours from the fridge or freezer and work it over cleansed, dry skin for 10 minutes or so. Use upwards movements to lift your skin and add radiance, or downwards strokes to encourage lymphatic drainage and reduce swelling, making sure you don’t press too hard as this could drag and damage your skin. 

The Best Skincare To Maximize Results: Apply your favorite serum or eye cream before massaging to really super charge all those delicious, skin-loving ingredients. Try Vitamin C Facial Serum to help protect your skin throughout the day.

The At-Home Skincare Tool: LED Facial Mask

What It Does: Loved by the likes of Julia Roberts, Victoria Beckham and Olivia Munn, LED face masks might not be cheap, but, depending on the type of light involved, they’ve been proven to work on all manner of skin woes including fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and even acne. They work by using waves of light (usually blue or red) to penetrate your skin and kick-start it to function more efficiently. Red light, for example, promotes collagen production so is great for anti-aging the skin, whereas blue light targets excess sebum to work on reducing acne breakouts.

How To Use: Again, they’re all different, but you basically cleanse, tone and moisturize as normal, then power up your mask, select the light you prefer (if there are options), pop the mask over your face and relax. What’s more, most masks switch off automatically after 15-20 minutes. What could be easier? Two or three times a week should be about right to give you decent results in just a few weeks.

The Best Skincare To Maximize Results: LED can cause your skin to feel a little dry to begin with so make sure you look after your skin’s barrier to prevent unnecessary water loss and help your skin stay hydrated and healthy. Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream is a great shout to apply before bed as this will really enrich your skin with moisture. Perfect the night before (and after) using your mask.

The At-Home Skincare Tool: Facial Gua Sha

What It Does: Pronounced ‘gwah shah’, this East Asian therapy has been around for hundreds of years and uses a flat, smooth crystal like jade or rose quartz to scrape the skin and move energy (or chi) around the face or body. This form of massage is known to help remove a build-up of lymphatic fluids from the face and around your eyes. It also boosts circulation and relieves muscle tension.

How To Use: Unlike body gua sha therapy which is firm and can cause bruising, using it on your face requires a more gentle approach. Simply place the tool flat against your skin and use the different angles and curves of the tool to fit the contours of your face. Apply gentle pressure and use a combination of long and short strokes across the surface to stimulate lymphatic drainage and reduce puffiness. Start once a week and then build up to more frequent use as you get more into a routine.

The Best Skincare To Maximize Results: To get the most from gua sha, cleanse and tone your skin first, then apply a small amount of facial oil to reduce drag and maintain a smooth surface as you massage your skin. If you want to concentrate on puffy eyes, firstly: great idea. And secondly: apply Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream first for awesome, eye-rejuvenating benefits.

The holiday season is over, so now's the time to say goodbye to dull, exhausted-looking skin and hello to a brand new year.

December is known for many things – cold, blustery weather; chestnuts roasting on an open fire (although who even does that!) and panic shopping for holiday gifts to name just a few. It’s a great time of year for most of us, but when it comes to your skin? Well, not so much. In fact, boozy parties and sleepless nights can ruin your skin’s mojo. So, now the festive fun is over, the last thing you want to be stuck with is sleepy skin that looks and feels as tuckered out as you feel.

While nothing beats the magical powers of eight hours of beauty sleep, there are plenty of ways to put a pep in your complexion’s step. Here are five of our utmost faves. And no, finishing off your cleansing routine with blasts of freezing cold water is not one of them. Because that’s downright torture at this time of year. And we’re not quite that mean…

1. Exfoliate Your Skin

Dead, dulling skin cells can really pile up if you’ve had little to no zzzs and your skin has lost out on its vital regeneration time. Couple this with too much partying (read salty snacks and Prosecco) and it’s no wonder the festive season goes hand-in-hand with burnt-out skin.

The best way to amp up cell turnover and improve radiance is to exfoliate your skin. And exfoliation comes in two forms: physical and chemical.

Physical exfoliation includes all the obvious stuff like face scrubs, cleansing brushes and loofahs – basically anything that requires some kind of physical movement in order for it to work.

Chemical exfoliation is just as good as physical exfoliation, and can actually be a much better choice if you have sensitive skin that gets easily irritated by abrasive scrubs and the like. Chemical exfoliators are products that contain some kind of ingredient (usually acids like glycolic, salicylic or lactic) that help loosen the bonds between skin cells to encourage them to naturally slough away more efficiently. They don't require pressure or massage, they just do the job as par for the course. Clever, right?

Try our Vitamin C Super Serum+ which not only contains salicylic acid, but antioxidants galore. Apply it to cleansed, dry skin before moisturizing to help get your party glow on.

2. Get Your Daily Vitamin C Fix

Speaking of antioxidants, they’re vital at this time of year (and any time of year for that matter. Antioxidants work by nixing free radicals caused by stress, a less-than-ideal diet, alcohol and exposure to things like pollution and cigarette smoke.

Most experts agree that the absolute queen of skincare antioxidants is vitamin C. Why’s it so great? Ha, how long have you got? Seriously though, in a nutshell, vitamin C has not only been proven to slow aging by working on free radical-induced wrinkles, but it accelerates collagen production and is a bit of show-off when it comes to warding off dull, tired-looking skin. How so? Because it inhibits wayward melanin production which is what causes dark spots and patchy skin. So, there you go.

Apply Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to cleansed skin before hitting the sack to promote healthier, brighter skin as you sleep – no effort required. Got to love that, right?

3. Exercise More

An hour at the gym is not only good for your abs and pecs, but it stimulates blood flow to your skin, providing oxygen and nutrients to your cells and helping to give your complexion a fabulously healthy glow. And if gym sessions aren’t your jam, don’t fret because anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up will take care of business nicely. A brisk walk, Zumba class, even dancing around the kitchen… all good.

4. Stay Away From Smoking (And Smokers!)

You know smoking’s bad for you. We know you know that. But let’s just have a refresher course on just how tragic it is for your skin, shall we?

There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, many of which destroy your collagen and elastin fibers, which, as you know, are the key players when it comes to maintaining awesome skin. Cue lines, wrinkles, puffiness and an uneven skin tone. Nicotine, in particular, causes your blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow and depriving your skin of all the oxygen and nutrients it needs to stay bright and healthy-looking. And yes, secondhand smoke is just as damaging to your skin, maybe even more so, because the levels of nasties like nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are at least double the numbers found in firsthand smoke. Mic. Drop.

If you ever find yourself surrounded by a bunch of smokers, counteract the damaging effects of all those collagen-destroying enzymes by applying products that contain proven ingredients to increase collagen production in your skin. Things like vitamin C, retinol, MSM and peptides are the mutt’s nuts for this. In steps Retinol Facial Serum...

5. Try Your Hands At Facial Massage

There’s nothing better for waking up your skin in the morning than by giving yourself a two-minute facial massage as you cleanse. And honestly, a few minutes is all it takes to majorly boost your circulation and encourage toxin drainage.

Apply Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser to damp skin and work it all over your face and neck, using the pads of your fingers. Sweep your fingers down your nose a few times, across your cheeks from the center outwards, up and around your forehead, then from the middle of your chin out towards your ears. Finish with your neck, using the palms of your hands to perform light strokes from the base of your neck up to your jawline.

Thanksgiving is synonymous with overindulgence. But what goes on your plate doesn’t have to screw up your skin. You just need to make good menu choices.

It’s time to be grateful for everything life has thrown at you this year. Sure, it’s been a tough one, but you’re here and you’re alive, so don’t take that for granted.

Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family and reflection. But it’s also a day to eat a little too much – which, frankly, is one of the things we love about it ;) So sue us.

The thing about overindulging, however, is that you often wake up the next day and totally regret it when faced with what’s staring back at you in the mirror. An excess of salt, sugar, processed foods and refined carbs (coupled with one too many pinot noirs) can make your skin puffy, dull, dry and dehydrated. And depending on what you’ve gorged on and how your body reacts to certain foods, your skin might even break out or certain conditions like eczema or rosacea could flare-up.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, people, because there's plenty of good stuff involved in your Thanksgiving dinner your skin totally loves. So, if you’re concerned about morning-after skin, cut down on your mashed potatoes and overload your dinner plate with the following…

Turkey

As long as you don’t brine it in a ton of salt, turkey is an excellent source of nutrients. It’s high in zinc and selenium, packed with protein and fairly low in fat. Together, zinc and protein play a vital role in the production and maintenance of your valuable collagen and elastin fibers which, as you know, are the backbones of healthy skin. Zinc also helps speed up cell turnover and may even keep your sebaceous glands in check so they don’t overproduce oil and make oily skin look super shiny.

Selenium, meanwhile, is a powerful antioxidant so it works hard to fight off damaging free radicals and protect your skin from inflammation and cellular damage. Gotta love that.

Finally, turkey is a great source of niacin (vitamin B3) which not only lends another helping hand in the production of healthy collagen and elastin, but also reduces inflammation and strengthens your barrier function to keep your skin hydrated and healthy (*immediately increases turkey order to largest bird possible).

Leafy Greens

There’s literally no part of your body that doesn’t benefit from a diet that’s rich in leafy greens like kale, chard, bok choi and spinach. Rich in chlorophyll ­– which gives them their beautiful, dark green pigment – leafy greens are critical for your heart, circulation, thyroid, the works. And your skin is no exception.

Greens have powerful anti-inflammatory properties so they’re an awesome choice if you suffer with inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema and facial redness. They also contain a bunch of vitamins, minerals and nutrients including vitamins A, C, K and B9 (otherwise known as folic acid). Vitamin B9 helps build proteins in the skin and can also help reduce congestion so is super important for acne-prone complexions.

Looking for the biggest superhero of them all to add to your Thanksgiving feast? Then kale is your guy; it’s one of the most nutrient-dense veggies in the world. No exaggeration.

Sweet Potatoes

While white potatoes are certainly not terrible for you (they’re packed with potassium), sweet potatoes win hands down when it comes to the glycemic index (GI). What does this mean? Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, the glycemic index is a way of assigning carbs a number depending on how much they increase your blood sugar levels. Low is good, high is not so good. High GI foods include things like white rice, white bread, pasta and the aforementioned potatoes.

Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, have a relatively low GI, especially if you boil them and keep the skin on for extra fiber. They’re also rich in healing magnesium plus antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A). This makes sweet potatoes ideal for preventing pesky signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin. Just don’t mash them up with oodles of butter and bake them with sugar-laded marshmallows – as tempting as that may be…

Cranberries

What’s Thanksgiving dinner without a good dollop of cranberry sauce? Well, good news, folks: cranberries are not only good for helping you lose weight and keep your heart in check, but they’re chock-full of polyphenols. Polyphenols are awesome antioxidants which aid in the ongoing war against skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals are devils when it comes to breaking down collagen and elastin, so if you want to maintain your healthiest skin ever and help minimize unwanted lines, wrinkles and dark spots, antioxidants should be your BFFs. Evidence shows that cranberries have more free-radical neutralizing antioxidants than any other fruit or veggie out there. Take that, kale!

Cranberries are also full of vitamins C, E and K, packed with dietary fiber and are a decent source of calcium, manganese, amino acids and iron.

We recommend making your own cranberry sauce to control the amount of sugar – you could also try adding honey or maple syrup instead of white, refined sugar.

Pecans

Finally, let’s get a little nutty for a hot minute because we all know how great nuts are for your skin and overall health. But what’s the deal with pecans, in particular? Well, for starters they contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals including healing zinc and strengthening calcium, along with plenty of fiber and a good amount of protein. As you know, fiber is great for your digestive health, but it also works hard to process and eliminate toxic waste which goes a long way to helping keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Pecans also contain ellagic acid which is… guess what? Yes, say hello to yet another effective antioxidant. Ellagic acid, along with vitamins A, C and E is perfect for protecting your skin from oxidative stress and promoting collagen production. It’s also an anti-inflammatory so can be helpful in soothing and calming stressed out skin – which can be a real bugbear during the holidays when the pressure of the perfect day can be a tad overwhelming.

Now, time to get cooking folks… and happy Thanksgiving to both you and your skin.
 

Not that we’re dissing retinol. It’s just that it’s not the ONLY skincare ingredient out there worth a place in your daily regime…

Don’t get us wrong, retinol gives us all the feels and we’re mad about its cunning ability to improve everything from wrinkles and dark spots to acne and sagging skin. But it’s pretty potent stuff, so not everyone’s skin can get away with using it on the reg. Also, it’s not the be-all and end-all. In fact there are plenty of other trusted skincare ingredients that offer awesome anti-aging benefits for no-so-youthful-looking skin.

Of course, any brand promising you miracles like a ‘face lift in a bottle’ is lying to you – no matter what kind of clinically-proven wonder-potions are packed inside. But if you keep at it, and give skincare time to work, certain ingredients are guaranteed to offer real, skin-changing results.

Here are our top five…

1. Exfoliating Acids

According to the Mayo Clinic, exfoliating acids like AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) and PHAs (poly hydroxy acids) are among the most effective ingredients for reducing the visible signs of aging. Unlike manual exfoliators like scrubs, loofahs and face cloths that require some kind of physical movement to work, exfoliating acids dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells to encourage them to get a move on and fall away from the surface of your skin. This process accelerates cellular turnover and works to brighten, smooth and even out your entire complexion. It also helps prepare your skin to better absorb and reap the benefits of the rest of your skincare routine.

You’ll find exfoliating acids in various forms across anything from cleansers to serums, the most common of which are glycolic, lactic, gluconic and salicylic acids. We formulate salicylic acid into our Vitamin C Super Serum+ which is a great choice for aging skin. Always patch test first, then apply it to clean, dry skin before moisturizing.

2. Niacinamide

A form of vitamin B3, niacinamide is a very effective antioxidant that’s been gaining popularity as a skincare ingredient in recent years. And it’s about time, too.

Not a blog post goes by in which we don’t talk about antioxidants, yet here we go again –sorry, not sorry. Antioxidants are up there as some of the most important things to include in your skincare regime. Granted, cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen are THE most important products for maintaining healthy skin, but if you care about defying lines, wrinkles and so on, antioxidants are everything. How so? Because they protect your skin from free radicals which are unstable oxygen molecules that wreak havoc on your skin when it’s exposed to things like UV radiation and environmental pollution.

Niacinamide is very well tolerated by the skin which makes it a great choice for sensitive skin. Research also shows that it increases the production of ceramides in the top layers of your skin which improves your barrier function, increases moisturization and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also reduces inflammation, diminishes discoloration, fights breakouts and balances sebum. Is there anything niacinamide can’t do? For sure, but who needs a facial serum to walk the dog?

Try our awesome Niacinamide Facial Serum which blends this potent but skin-friendly antioxidant with healing vitamin E and hydrating hyaluronic acid. 

3. MSM

Often overshadowed by the big guns, MSM is 100 percent worth a place in your skincare routine. And here’s why. Otherwise known as methylsulfonylmethane (agreed, a real mouthful), MSM is a sulfur compound which primarily contains sulfur, as well as small amounts of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Sulfur is extremely plentiful in the human body and found mainly in your skin and bones. It’s often known as the ‘healing mineral’ due to its ability to support healthy collagen synthesis, boost circulation, reduce inflammation and detoxify. Impressive stuff, right?

As a topical ingredient, MSM has been proven to not only increase collagen production, but to also reduce environmental damage by increasing your levels of glutathione. Glutathione is one of your body’s most important, naturally-occurring antioxidants, helping to fight oxidative stress caused by those devils called free radicals. We hate free radicals. You should hate free radicals, too.

You’ll find MSM in a bunch of your favorite TruSkin products including our Hyaluronic Eye Cream. 

4. Peptides

Peptides can be tricky to get your head around, but simply put they’re chemical compounds made up of amino acids. Now, if you paid attention in 7^th grade biology you’ll remember that amino acids combine to form proteins and are pretty much the building blocks of the human body, aiding in important functions like growth and repair. Well, while proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids, peptides are the little guys, made up of shorter chains.

In skincare, certain peptides act like little messengers to encourage your cells to produce more proteins – namely collagen, elastin and keratin – and simultaneously improve your skin’s texture and tone. They can work on fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, even breakouts. But only if you choose the right ones…

One of the most effective peptides to look out for is Matrixyl 3000 which is thought to be able to almost double the amount of collagen your cells produce. Impressed? Much? Then you have to try our Peptide Eye Gel and Ocean Minerals Super Toner which both contain the mighty Matrixyl 3000 as well as plenty of other skin-loving and anti-aging ingredients.

5. Vitamin C

Another, dare we say it, powerful antioxidant, vitamin C is so good, we like to tout its abilities on an almost weekly basis! But it’s so much more than a free radical-fighting powerhouse. It’s literally ‘the’ ingredient for boosting radiance and diminishing dark spots.

So, how does that work? Well, studies have shown that it reduces the amount of melanin your skin produces by inhibiting tyrosinase (a catalyst for melanin production). By hampering melanin, vitamin C works hard to fade existing dark spots, help stop new ones from forming and give you a more glowy complexion. Oh, vitamin C also promotes cellular turnover and collagen production as a couple of extra bonuses.

Topical vitamin C takes on many forms, most commonly l-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP). L-ascorbic acid is the pure form but it’s notoriously unstable meaning it breaks down easily, therefore becoming less effective. It can also be a little potent for sensitive skin so, instead, we use SAP across all of our C-products because it’s way gentler on the skin, still super effective and maintains its stability for much longer. SAP is the salt version of pure vitamin C which is why our infamous Vitamin C Facial Serum looks a little cloudy.

So, now you know!

Feel like you might be overloading and stressing out your skin? Then the best ways to get results from your skincare is to go low and slow. Say hello to skincare microdosing...

Many skincare fads come and go and oftentimes they’re not worth the time of day (here’s looking at you ‘slugging’). But every now and again, something crops up that actually does your skin the world of good.

One such thing is microdosing. To be honest, skincare microdosing isn’t a new phenomenon, but something we’ve advocated forever – it’s simply been given a name. So, what does it mean? Simple: it’s the process of using lower concentrations of active ingredients in your routine, so as not to irritate your skin with potent skin-changers like retinol, vitamin C and exfoliating acids like glycolic and salicylic. These kind of active ingredients are extremely effective on the skin, but they can be a little too effective and intimidating for some folks, causing no end of problems like unwanted redness, dryness or irritation.

Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, your skin can only take so much before it will start freaking out and reacting to this bombardment of ingredients. Take exfoliating acids, for example. Use these in high strengths every day and you skin’s natural renewal system simply won’t be able to keep up, risking flaking, peeling, redness and dryness. Continue on this ‘no pain, no gain’ road and you could even risk longer-term damage such as dermatitis and sun damage.

Applying such ingredients in smaller doses, however, is a much better way to treat your skin with respect. It’s all about paring back your regime to avoid overloading your skin with a complicated cocktail of powerful ingredients and products. This gives your skin time to accept and better tolerate these potent, active ingredients, allowing you to safely use retinol and friends more regularly while avoiding damage to your skin’s all-important barrier function.

Your skin’s barrier is the absolute foundation to a healthy complexion. This is the very top layer (the stratum corneum) which works hard to defend your skin from environmental toxins and damage, while simultaneously retaining water to keep it soft, supple and well moisturized. If you upset your barrier with a super harsh skincare routine, beware because it will thank you with dryness, redness, breakouts, itching, inflammation, sensitivities and no end of other problems. So, you gotta treat it with respect. This means gentle cleansing, no hot water, exfoliating with care and never overloading it with too many active ingredients, lotions and potions – aka microdosing.

The 3 Rules Of Skincare Microdosing

Is your skin feeling overwhelmed by an over-zealous daily routine right now? Then here’s how to cut back and nail this microdosing malarkey…

1. Refine Your Skincare Regime

Microdosing traditionally takes on the form of using low rather than high concentrations of active ingredients. This means you don’t need to waste time hunting down the latest, super potent anti-aging serum that promises a massive hit of 5 percent retinol. Instead, look for products that contain smaller amounts (even 0.1 percent of retinol can offer great benefits).

A great trick here is to try a moisturizer instead of a serum. Moisturizers usually contain less active ingredients and don’t penetrate your skin as deeply as serums, meaning they’re kinder to sensitive skin. Try our Retinol Moisturizer for a gentle hit of retinol with much less chances of causing irritation.

You could also think about swapping out some potent ingredients for their gentler alternatives. Pure vitamin C, for example, is known as l-ascorbic acid and, while this provides awesome brightening and antioxidant protection for your skin, l-ascorbic acid is extremely powerful and can irritate some skin types. Instead, we use a vitamin C derivative called sodium ascorbyl phosphate in our Vitamin C Facial Serum and, in fact, across all of our C products. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is way kinder to your skin and much safer to use daily as long as your skin can tolerate it. Not sure it can? Then carry out a patch test first. In fact, even if you think your skin will be OK, it’s always prudent to patch test, just in case.

Other ways to successfully microdose? Pare down your routine to just the essentials you know are good for your skin. The three absolute musts are cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen, then you can add in one or two treatments, an eye cream and you should be golden.

Finally, always use your products as directed and never apply too much – this is literally the opposite of what microdosing is trying to achieve! For help on how much product you need, check out our handy guide, right here.

2. Be Patient

Of course, there has to be a trade-off from using lower concentrations of active ingredients rather than going for the heavy-hitters. And this is, it will take a little longer for your products to show visible results.

But come on now, if you’re noticing some skin sensitivities, waiting a few extra weeks (around six to eight is probably the sweet spot) will be so worth it in the long-run. And hey, if your skin adapts to ingredients pretty swiftly, you can always up your dosage accordingly. It’s all about listening to your skin.

3. NEVER Microdose SPF

If there’s one product you should never scrimp on, it’s sunscreen. Too much of a good thing simply does not apply here. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) you should apply a sun protection with at least SPF 30 to your face every morning to block a good 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays. You must also look for broad-spectrum formulations that offer UVA as well as UVB protection. UVA rays are the ones that age you up (think A for aging), while UVB rays are responsible for burning (B for burning). And they can both lead to skin cancer, so it’s vital to protect your skin from the works.

Apply your sunscreen generously (again, no microdosing, please) and don’t give up in winter. The sun can damage your skin just a much when the weather’s lousy as when the sun is at its best. End of discussion.

Because now is the best time to plan for party-ready skin. Panicking the night before a big event? Asking for trouble…

We know it’s only November, but Thanksgiving is imminent and December is officially party time. And to be honest, last-minute skincare miracles are all well and good, but when you go into panic mode and overload your skin with lasers, peels, scrubs and potent skincare all at once your skin will repay you not by looking glowing and gorgeous, but with the exact opposite – redness, rawness, inflammation and irritation. Now, we don’t like to be presumptuous, but we don’t reckon any of those are high on your party skin wish list. Are we right or are we right?

So, if your skin is feeling a bit drab right now, a long-term party prep regime is exactly what you need to set your skin up for success. And don’t worry, you don’t need to spend hours preening your face every morning and every night. Just a few extra minutes here and there will make the world of difference. Then when those invites start pouring in, you will be 100 percent ready.

Now, let’s get started, shall we? The countdown is on…

Party Skin Prep Tip #1: Get Your Daily Fix Of Vitamin C

You might have noticed we’re major fans of vitamin C. Our whole brand was born from our Vitamin C Facial Serum and since its launch in 2013 it’s grown to be America’s highest-rated serum with over 50,000 five-star reviews on Amazon (and counting!). Not that we like to brag, but… OK, we do, just a little bit.

One of the most important ingredients for strong, radiant, healthy skin, vitamin C is an absolute must in the run up to the party season. Not on board yet? Then now’s the time to start reaping its countless benefits (which you can read about right here). Do a patch test first (so important!), then apply your serum to dry, clean skin before moisturizing for the best results. This is so all those active ingredients can get straight into your skin, exactly where it’s needed, rather than sitting on top of your moisturizer, fighting to get through.

We recommend applying our Vitamin C Facial Serum every day for the best results. If you’re new to vitamin C, however, and have sensitive skin, start by using it just two or three times a week to ensure your skin has time to get used to it. Then you can build up to daily, maybe even twice daily if your skin can tolerate it.

Party Skin Prep Tip #2: Drink Plenty Of Water

Let’s get one thing straight, there’s very little research to prove that drinking oceans of water directly hydrates your skin. Yes, dehydrated skin lacks water, but there’s no proof that what you drink goes straight to your skin. In fact, your skin is probably the last organ to benefit from water consumption because other organs are far more important and will always get preferential treatment.

This being said, constant dehydration thanks to very little water and way too many sugary, boozy cocktails will do nothing for the state of your skin, highlighting lines and wrinkles and making them look deeper and more pronounced. So, there’s that.

The truth is, water is essential for your overall health, driving your kidneys, brain and literally every single cell and organ to function properly. And when your body is hydrated and on top form, your skin reaps the benefits. So, the answer is simple. Start drinking plenty of water and eating water-rich foods now to get your body in the best possible place before you starting hitting the red wine and egg nog every night. Keep a bottle of water on your desk, another by your bed and don’t dismiss decaffeinated teas and fresh juices – these all go a long way to keeping you hydrated.

But remember, the best to hydrate your skin is through moisturizing every morning and night with a blend of humectants, emollients and/or occlusives. Try our Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer which covers all those bases nicely.

Party Skin Prep Tip #3: Enjoy Some Regular Facial Pampering

Rather than diving head first into pre-party panic mode, applying a mask the night before and scrubbing your face the day of, introduce your facial treatments weekly – starting now. Depending on the products you choose and the concerns you’re trying to address, nailing down a weekly pampering routine will help gradually balance sebum, hydrate your skin, calm redness and reduce breakouts. Whereas overloading your skin all at once in a bid to transform it overnight is more likely to irritate your skin and make matters worse.

You have been warned.

We suggest a weekly face mask, using clay or charcoal based products to detox your skin and prepare it for the party season. You could also use this time to steam your face (unless you suffer with redness, eczema or rosacea) to help boost circulation, soften your skin and loosen trapped oil and bacteria.

Finally, don’t forget to exfoliate at least once a week to increase cell turnover and get your glow on. You could even do this two or three times a week if your skin isn’t too sensitive. And good news, this is easy with our Ocean Minerals Super Toner which contains one of the best exfoliating ingredients, glycolic acid, and can be spritzed over cleansed skin in just a few seconds. Done.

Party Skin Prep Tip #4: Apply A Retinol Treatment Two Or Three Times A Week

Oh retinol, how we love thee. A literal BFF to your skin, retinol is a topical form of vitamin A and it has so many benefits, we’ve started to lose count. It works by ‘communicating’ with your skin on a deep, cellular level to increase collagen production, stimulate blood flow, repair connective tissue and boost your antioxidant defense system. The result? Healthier, glowy skin with fewer visible lines, wrinkles, breakouts and dark spots.

The one small issue is that retinol’s amazing skin-regenerating powers are also its downfall. Due to its strength, it can be too much for some people’s skin, causing redness, dryness and irritation if not used wisely. But this doesn’t mean you should be put off. Instead, be smart and build it slowly into your regime. First off, do a patch test to test for any adverse reactions. If, after 48 hours, your skin is OK, proceed with caution. Apply a small amount of Retinol Facial Serum to clean, dry skin just once a week until your skin acclimates. Then, after a few weeks, you can build up to two, three, maybe even six or seven times a week depending on your skin's level of toleration. Just remember to listen to your skin and adjust accordingly.

Retinol takes a while to show true results, so be patient because the most visible benefits won’t be visible until around the six week mark. But hey, that’s perfect timing for party o’clock!

Party Skin Prep Tip #5: Don’t Forget The Rest Of Your Body

Your body may be covered up for the next month or so, but come party season, you’re likely to show a bit of cleavage or maybe a shoulder here or there. So, don’t be too slack with your bodycare routine.

Exfoliate two or three times in the shower, using a pH-balanced scrub or a loofah, and take extra care over your delicate décolletage area. Do you suffer with body breakouts? Then try using our detoxifying Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser on problem areas – it's pretty awesome, even if we do say so ourselves! 

The skin on your body gets drier and itchier during fall and winter as the climate gets colder, windier and less humid, so avoid showering or bathing in scorching hot water as this strips your skin of lipids making it dry, dehydrated and susceptible to irritation. After cleansing and gently towel-drying your body, make sure to moisturize from head-to-toe while your skin is still damp. This will help lock in vital moisture and keep your skin soft and smooth all winter long.

Include all this into your weekly routine and we guarantee, by the holidays, your skin will be good to glow. No last-minute panic treatments necessary.