There is an awful lot of information out there about how best to look after our skin, isn’t there? Lots of it is complicated, confusing, expensive and time consuming, and that’s without taking into consideration that much of it comes from skincare companies who want to sell their products; that is, after all, what they’re there for, and they need to pay their employees somehow! However, what actually is the bottom line? Read on…
- Cleanse your skin every night without fail – if it’s easier, as soon as you walk through the door, do your double cleanse then.
- Cleanse your skin every morning – it doesn’t have to be as thorough as the evening cleanse, but a warm flannel with some gentle cleanser will remove any overnight skin shedding, plus it wakes you up nicely too!
- Wash your face properly – if you’re investing in good-quality serums, you really need to make sure your face is properly clean first, otherwise it just won’t get to where it’s needed.
- Don’t smoke – that’s it, really!
- Get some sunshine – really? Yes – of course too much is damaging for the skin, but in the northern hemisphere, lots of us are deficient in vitamin D, and if you can obtain it naturally, why spend money on supplements? Obviously don’t go crazy, but do get a little sun.
- Use a high factor SPF – factor 30 at the very least, whatever your skin tone, and broad=-spectrum to protect against both UVA and UVB.
- Use good-quality skincare – it doesn’t have to be really expensive, but you can do better than a cheap pack of wipes from the supermarket, can’t you? For pricing, see below:
- Equate your spending on skincare with what you would spend on a pair of shoes or handbag – this is a good starting point.
- Get enough sleep – they call it “beauty” sleep for a reason!
- TITTT – shamelessly borrowed from Caroline Hirons – “take it to the (um) decolletage” – your upper chest and shoulder area are part of facial skincare.
- Eat well – gut health is linked to healthy skin function.
- Drink enough water – if your urine is dark, you’re tired and having headaches, you might want to up the H2O.
- Try to avoid stress – easier said than done, I know, but if you can avoid unnecessary stress, you’ll see it on your face.