With the start of a new year, it’s always a great time to assess your skincare regime but with new products constantly hitting the shelves and the seemingly endless skincare advice out there on the internet, it’s not always easy to figure out what’s right for you and your skin. I’ve put together a list of some of my top skincare tips to help you on your path to healthy beautiful skin in 2022. From choosing the right products for your skin type to the importance of cleaning your makeup brushes, these easy tricks will help guide you to glowing skin ASAP.
Consistency is key
You won’t improve skin health after just one use of a cleanser or a serum. Give your products enough time to work and be patient and consistent. You need to stick to your routine and chosen products in order to improve the quality of your skin and see visible changes. Frequently changing your routine because you don’t see results without allowing enough time can actually be worse for your skin. Remember active ingredients take time to deliver and don’t neglect your neck and décolleté! These are areas that often get forgotten and can show a significant amount of skin ageing and damage.
Simplify your skincare routine
I’m a firm believer that ‘less is more.’ Layering on multiple skincare products all at once is a big no-no. It can be harsh on the skin, resulting in more breakouts and clogged pores. By scaling down the number of products you use, you can unlock the power of caring for your complexion with just a few effective products used each and every day. Your skin does not need a 10-step routine, and in fact chances are you won’t keep it up long enough to actually see results.
Never skip sunscreen
Ask anybody in the beauty industry their number one beauty tip and you’ll always get the same answer – Don’t skip SPF. Those UV rays don’t hibernate for winter, which means you’ve got to protect your skin all year round. By protecting your skin from UV Rays you’ll keep your skin looking young and feeling healthy and you’ll also be proactively protecting your skin from skin cancer. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or greater AND take note, the sunscreen in your makeup does not give you adequate protection! A separate standalone sunscreen is a must.
Always take your makeup off at night
No matter how tired you might be, don’t go to sleep with the entire day clogging up your face. Washing your face before bed removes makeup, dirt, sweat, and other impurities your skin comes in contact with during the day. If you’re too tired to wash your face before bed, wash your face as soon as you get home that evening. That way, you’ll go to bed with a clean face without making your bedtime routine any longer than you want it to be.
Step away from the magnifying mirror
Good things do not come from a magnifying mirror! Please stop obsessing over every line, pore, bump and so on. What is perfect skin anyway? Smooth skin? Unlined skin? No visible pores? No dark spots? It’s none of these. For me, heathy skin is what we should be striving for… skin that glows and radiates health. In the words of Dr Howard Murad “Heathy Skin is a reflection of overall wellness.” Please be kind to yourself and don’t get caught up in trying to achieve perfection, it doesn’t exist.
Out with the old
Give your bathroom shelf an update! If you’re a skincare junkie, it is very likely that your skincare shelf is heaving with products, but have you actually checked to see if they are still in date. Beauty products, unfortunately, don’t last forever. Most should have a printed expiration date or a ‘Period After Opening’ (PAO) date on them, which might be something like ‘24M’, meaning 24 months. While this is not an exact science, as a general rule, if it’s changed colour, changed smell, or indeed changed texture (gone a little furry) – it’s time for it to go!
Keep things clean
If you don’t keep your makeup brushes clean and free from bacteria, dirt, and oil, you’re basically taking one step forward and ten steps back as this will only lead to infection, clogged pores, and breakouts—which nobody wants. Keep your brushes and your skin clean and happy. Other items that can harbour bacteria and that many of us forget about are our pillowcases, phones, and face cloths. Do your skin a huge favour and clean these on a regular basis.
Breathe! Minimise your stress
As best you can, try and minimise your stress. I know the past two years have not been without their challenges, but stress affects skin in so many ways. The stress hormone cortisol leads to an overproduction of sebum (oil) in your skin glands, which causes acne breakouts. It also impacts your immune system, which can cause your skin to be more reactive and sensitive and stress can also worsen existing inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.
Book a facial treatment
If you haven’t already experienced one, book in for a facial treatment – this is a great way to get deep cleaning, exfoliation, and hydration without having to lift a finger. Facials also help stimulate your skin and keep it in tip top shape. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to find out if your skin is lacking anything and what might be needed to tackle your concerns and get it back on track.
Avoid over-exfoliation
While exfoliating can help reveal radiant skin, over-exfoliating is something to be cautious of — your skin might end up having the opposite reaction to the one you were hoping for. It can leave your skin feeling dry, irritated, sensitive, and can also lead to breakouts and inflammation, making your skin barrier very unhappy. Remember, your skin cells naturally exfoliate on their own. Working from the deepest layers to most superficial layers, they slough off roughly every 28 days, although as we get older, the process can take longer! So, like so many of the best things in life, exfoliating products should just be used in moderation.
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Advanced Facial Treatments, Professional Peels, Medical Microneedling, Radio Frequency, Dermalux LED Light Therapy, Teen Facials.
