Picture this, it’s 8pm on a Thursday night, and you’ve just finished your 10-step skincare routine, and you are looking like a GLAZED DONUT. Well, in the words of Kris Jenner, you are doing amazing sweetie. If you find the right skincare and the right routine, your skincare routine will be a dream, it will make you feel 10/10 and you’ll sleep easy knowing your skin is in the best condition possible. If you’re living life on the more simplistic side of things with just 3/4 steps, you’re still doing amazing. Here are some of my top tips for skincare application and also little add in’s you can do to ensure your maximising your products potential.
Cleansing :
We all know we need to double cleanse, but temperature of water is a big factor in how our cleansers effect the skin. NEVER use hot water on the face, it will irritate the skin, cause redness, and massively impact hydration. Use tepid water, and even splash your face with cold water a few times a week, it does wonders for your skin’s firmness.
Another thing to maybe think about incorporating into your one of your cleanses once a week, is facial massage. Facial massage is amazing for stimulating blood flow and draining toxins out of the skin, making the skin feel plumper and more toned – I always take the opportunity to use my iS CLINICAL Warming Honey Cleanser once a week for a cleanse/facial massage to boost my skins firmness.
If you don’t already, invest in a hydrating facial mist to spritz on your skin after cleansing (onto damp skin). It helps to lock in moisture and leave your skin feeling supple. A few of my favourites are iS CLINICAL Copper Firming Mist, Dermalogica Multi Active Toner & Antioxidant Hydramist and Eve Lom Hydrating Radiance Mist.
Exfoliating :
Exfoliating is an important step to have in your routine if you want to have healthy, glowing skin. Whether it be a daily exfoliator or just a few times a week exfoliator, they all work wonders. Depending on your exfoliator, you can mix some with cleansers to give a boosted cleanse, also this gives a gentler exfoliation. One of my favourites for this is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. Following your exfoliator, ensure to apply any serums or moisturisers no longer than 90 seconds after exfoliating, to avoid the skin drying out.
Serums :
Dependant on serum, when using a Humectant such as Hyaluronic Acid, you may find you need to apply it to damp skin. This is due to the way in which humectants work, which is by drawing moisture to the area. When applied to dry skin, some HA serums may cause the skin to be drier, however this doesn’t always apply. One of my favourite Hyaluronic Acid serums is the iS CLINICAL Hydracool Serum.
With all finishing products, I suggest leaving around 30 secs to 1 minute between applying each one to reduce the possibility of them diluting each other. This won’t cause any harm; however it may decrease the efficiency of specific products.
One of the best ways to get an even application is by using your FINGERTIPS. The problem with applying serums using your palms of your hands is that your hands absorb most of the product, rather than your face, resulting in less cost-effectiveness. Always make sure you’re bringing your product down to your neck and décolleté (chest), this applies to all products, as these areas are also areas to treat in our skincare routines due to the visibility of them and the fact they age as quick as our faces.
Moisturisers/Face Oils :
If you haven’t already, I recommend investing in either a Jade Roller or a Guasha Stone, or both. And introducing these into either the serum or moisturiser stage of your routine will benefit your skin massively. Similar to facial massage, they help to tone muscle, drain toxins, and alleviate stress, as well as feeling AMAZING and cooling on the skin.
Finally, some other good-to-know hygiene tips include WASHING YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU START YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE, always using a new clean flannel each day, never allowing the pipette of a serum bottle to touch your face and most importantly, NEVER SLEEP IN YO MAKEUP GIRL.
