Over the past decade I've had what I could only describe as a huge learning curve with skin care. I now know my retinol's from my AHA's, I can pick out products that work for my skin type and I'm even braving more advanced skin care techniques such as derma rolling at home.
Rewind 7-10 years and this certainly wasn't the case. I loved all things makeup related but when it came to skincare I still wasn't there. But thankfully through trial and error, along with a drive for clearer skin, I found my way and my skin is all the happier for it. Below are just a few of the skin care lessons I've learnt over the years that come with better skincare knowledge and alas, ageing. I hope if you too are looking for brighter, healthier skin you can learn from a few of my mistakes here!
Face wipes don't cut it
Solution: A good cream cleanser & double cleansing
I'm sure we are all in agreement that face wipes really should never be called makeup wipes because they simply don't remove makeup all that well, especially before bed. But just in case we aren't, let me tell you how much my skin improved when I started ditching them more & more. Of course, I can't talk for all skin types but anyone with blemish-prone skin really should avoid face wipes for makeup removal at all costs. Why? Because even a single night of sleeping with makeup residue on the skin can cause spots, both whiteheads and under the skin nasties, to appear overnight. Once getting to grips with using a cream cleanser and flannel to remove makeup and seeing it as the most important step in your skincare routine there should be no looking back. Starting off with a simple cream cleanser from either Liz Earle or No7 really is my best advice, but if you want to take it a step further, especially for blemish-prone skin types, double cleansing really will make skin truly happy.
Sun damage can easily happen
Solution: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen
Although I have fair skin I really believed that if I didn't let it burn I wouldn't ever see any skin kind of skin damage. Yes, I was totally naive! Cue my late(ish) 20s and what should appear overnight? Age spots around my eyes! This I can only presume is from mainly wearing glasses on ultra sunny days instead of sunglasses. And of course my lack of SPF 50 wearing. Since then I've very much learnt my lesson and don't leave the house without a high factor base under makeup. Having oily skin makes picking a suitable sun cream that bit more tricky but I can't recommend The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 more highly - it really is perfect for oily skin and on all skin types for that matter. Basically, sunscreen is a must!
Physical facial exfoliators do more harm than good
Solution: Chemical exfoliation
Much like being handed a free bible at the start of high school (just me?) I'm almost sure every girl got handed a tub of St. Ives Apricot Scrub on hitting thirteen. For me, this was the start of a long road of weekly abrasive scrubbing at my skin with the thought that if I scrubbed hard enough maybe it removes all pores and blackheads in sight. Alas, it didn't but what years of over exfoliating with harsh exfoliating product did do is leave me with teeny tiny broken veins on my nose and cheeks. Thankfully in the pursuit of better skin I've now found chemical exfoliants (containing AHA's and BHA's) which gently dissolve dead skin cells without any damage to the skin. My favourite way it to apply a liquid exfoliating toner at night after cleansing to reap the rewards in the morning. For instant results, I recommend cult favourite Pixi Glow Tonic but if you don't have the budget The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution is an amazing alternative.
Oily skin needs moisturising
Solution: Hydrating serums, creams and face masks
For the longest time, I truly believed my oily skin required very little moisture if any at all! I must have picked up this notion in my teenage years, most likely from basic beauty columns, as I strongly believed it. This, of course, led to a flaky base for foundation, an uncomfortable tight feeling in my face at times and generally lacklustre looking skin for my age. When I did eventually try out any kind of face cream I went way too heavy with products that would just sit on the surface of the skin and cause blemishes and an even oilier T-zone. But thankfully the internet evolved and guided me to light, fresher products. Viche Aqualia Thermal Hydration Serum is now seriously my best friend, along with the tiniest touch of Niod Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex. I do of course still use a day cream and a budget one at that, with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser being my current summer staple... in fact, I loved it that much I wrote an entire blog post about it!
Let me know the skin care lessons you've learnt the hard way... I've love to know!
Fee xo.
