Hey dolls,

This week I’m going to be trying to demystify all things skincare after a chat with my lovely friend Beth. Quick disclaimer, I’m not a dermatologist, I’m just sharing what works for me and what I’ve learnt.

So this post is going to be going back to basics from a morning routine to evening routine.

Let’s start with the morning! You might not think it but cleansing your face in the morning is just as important as the evening, but I want something quick so tend to opt for cleansing pads. The Nip ‘n’ Fab ones are my favourites, just sweep all over your face and you are good to go!

Then onto moisturising my face, if you take away one thing from this post let it be this- SPF! Now we’re in spring/summer it’s super important to use a facial SPF every day. Not only does SPF protect your skin from UVA/UVB rays but it also helps to prevent wrinkles and ageing. I’ve been loving the Dermalogica SPF daily moisturiser. It’s super lightweight and sits nicely under makeup. I also use an eye cream to hydrate and brighten my under eyes every morning.

My evening routine is slightly longer but doesn’t take more than 10 minutes!

Step 1: Cleansing/Make-up remover

First of all, ditch the makeup wipes! They are full of drying ingredients, of course fine for a one off but avoid using them everyday.

I love cleansing/removing my makeup with balms or cream cleansers. They remove all the everything from the day and leave your skin feeling fresh. Double cleansing is a great way to make sure your skin is completely clean, you can use the same cleanser twice or a makeup remover followed by a cleanser. La Roche Posay and Liz Earle are my favourite cleanser brands.

Step 2: Toner

This is a step a lot of people will skip, but it’s possibly my favourite part. Using a toner helps to ensure your skin is clean, remove impurities, close pores and restore PH balance. I love the La Roche Posay soothing lotion and Pixi tonics.

Step 3: Serum/Oil (optional)

Serums and oils offer an extra punch to your skincare routine, they way they are made means the ingredients can better penetrate your skin. These are great for anti-ageing, hydration and whole other host of skincare benefits. There are serums that help with pretty much every skincare concern, so my advice here would be do your research!

Step 4: Moisturiser

Moisturising you skin is vital to rehydrate, repair and prevent ageing. Once again there are a range of moisturisers out there for oily, combination and dry skin. My favourite brands are Lancome, La Roche Posay, Clarins and Elizabeth Arden.

Step 5: Eye Cream and lip balm

Keeping your undereyes hydrated is so important as it is a super delicate area and prone to wrinkles. Again there are all sorts of eye creams available, I tend to opt for a brighting cream as I have dark undereyes. My favourite brands are Estee Lauder, Origins and Kielhs. Keeping your lips hydrated is also key, so grab your fave lip balm and pop a good layer on before bed!

Right so that’s every night sorted, now onto your 2 or 3 times a week bits of skincare!

Exfoliating

Exfoliating your skin removes dead skin cells, removes impurities and boosts circulation and a tonne of other benefits. Doing this a couple of times a week will keep your skin looking fresh, be warned if you don’t usually exfoliate you may break out as your face gets rid of the bad stuff. My go to brand for exfoliator is Nip ‘n’ Fab, they are affordable and do the job!

Face masks

This is your pamper time! There are tonnes of face masks out there, all offering different benefits. I try to use a clarifying/detoxing mask once a week and then a hydrating mask once a week. I love the Glam Glow masks (supermud doubles as a great spot treatment!), L’Oreal and Origins masks. Whether you pick up a sheet mask or a pot, choose products that help with your skincare concerns.

Wow, that was a lot to cover! I hope this helps you out, the importance of skincare has been drummed into me since I was young (thanks Mum!) and as she says you only have one face so need to look after it!

Ciao Bellas,

S

xxx