Whether you are a makeup wearer or not, we all want our skin to look healthy and glowing, to feel hydrated, soft and balanced. After working in the beauty industry for over 12 years I've narrowed it down to a few simple steps that anyone can implement to achieve a youthful, glowing complexion. Paired with a diet filled with real, whole foods, these are my non negotiables when it comes to taking care of your skin.
By following these 4 rules you will have skin that looks and feels hydrated, plump and radiant, all while protecting yourself from premature skin aging.
* V's Beauty Bite * Make sure you are applying your skincare (serums, moituriser/oil AND sunscreen) all the way down to your decolletage, do not neglect this area. The skin here is very thin and often gets the most incidental sun exposure, so it is often the first place to show visible aging.
1. Double Cleanse
Two cleansers plus more time spent cleansing your face..... Is it worth it? Absolutely!
Cleansing your face twice may sound a bit repetitive but the benefits will have you wishing you did this sooner.
First you will use an oil or balm cleanser to remove your makeup, sunscreen, pollution and debris, this breaks down the products so they are easier to remove. Rinse, then follow with your favourite cleanser (foaming, milk, cream etc) this is what cleans the leftover dirt & debris from your skin to prevent breakouts and build-up of dead skin.
How To: You will use these directly onto dry skin, massage into the skin and you will start to see the makeup breaking down, add a little bit of water into your hands to emulsify and you will see it start to turn milky before your final rinse.
Follow with your gel, cream or foaming cleanser, you will find you actually need less product because the oil cleansing step has done most of the hard work for you.
Why use an oil or balm cleanser first? These products are very good at dissolving even the most stubborn waterproof and longwearing makeup so in order for you to make sure you properly cleanse your skin it will be game changing step, that will give you a smoother more glowing complexion.
2. Exfoliate
Do you want naturally glowing skin & your products to penetrate deeper & work better? Then you need to exfoliate!
There are 2 different ways to exfoliate the skin; physical (think granular scrubs) or chemical (AHAs & BHAs). Both will help you achieve clear, glowing skin at home, but how to decide which one is for you and how to use them. If you're using a physical scrub this should be used 2-3 times a week max. For chemical exfoliants (aka yours AHAs & BHAs) some can even be used daily. What’s the difference in how they work on the skin?
Physical exfoliants work by buffing away dead skin cells and decongesting the skin, lifting away impurities for an instantly smoother, radiant looking skin. These usually contain a granular ingredient such as rice grain powder, walnut shell, or bamboo. These should typically be used 2-3 x a week maximum as to not over stimulate/ irritate the skin, they should not be used on erupted skin (think cystic acne) because they can tear the skin open and irritate.
Chemical exfoliants work by sloughing away (think of them like pac man eating) the dead skin cells, this can sometimes be a gentler formula, therefore on some skin types can be used daily depending on the ingredients. You will recognise some of these ingredients such as Salicylic Acid/Willowbark, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Mandelic Acid but did you know there are also fruit enzymes such as pineapple, papaya, pumpkin that have these exfoliating properties as well! And they are generally paired with the previous mentioned acids because in combination they create a balance as the fruit enzymes can have anti-inflammatory properties, increased cellular renewal and antibacterial properties as well.
3. Moisturize
We all know how important it is to drink water - Moisturizing is literally the equivalent of 'drinking water' for your face!
Do you want to know the key to juicy, plump, smooth skin? Hydration! It's also the most important thing to keeping your makeup looking flawless and lasting all day.
When your skin is happy and the hydrated it is not only going to feel amazing, but it will give off a radiant youthful glow. By hydrating your skin properly, you are protecting the skin barrier & helping it repair as well as maintaining the skins integrity and appearance. Lastly by applying a moisturizer you are creating a barrier between your skin and the elements, protecting it from pollution, dryness and irritation.
Properly hydrated skin will keep your makeup on all day, with minimal movement or fading under the right conditions. When your makeup disappears, it can mean your skin is dehydrated and your face has literally 'drank' the hydration from your makeup and caused it to fade. If you find you're oily and that is coming through, then don't be afraid to add an oil into your skincare routine. In most cases applying an oil to a truly oily skin type will help minimize the amount of oil your skin produces - your skin basically goes "oh there is already oil here I don't need to make more.
Our top tip to ensure your skin is properly hydrated is to feel the skin after your serums & moisturizer has been applied and make sure it feels slightly 'tacky', this will allow your makeup to 'grip' better to the skin. If it is slippy or your finger slides off the skin easily it has too much product on the skin, simply place a tissue on the face and lightly dab off the excess product.
4. Never Forget Spf
Not only do we use it to protect ourselves from skin cancer - but sunscreen is also your #1 anti-aging tool!
An estimated 90% of skin aging and damage is caused by the sun. So not only should we spf every day for the obvious reason of skin cancer prevention, but did you know that your sunscreen is the most important skincare product to use to prevent premature skin aging?
Do I have to apply sunscreen every day? It takes as little as 10-15 minutes for the UV rays of the sun to start damaging the skin so a good rule to live by, if you’re going to spend more than 15-20 minutes in the sun you should be applying sunscreen. Even if you’re just out running errands for the day that still counts as sun exposure, 10 years from now you will thank yourself for what you prevent now as it can take years for photodamage to come to the surface. The damage you see now is often contributed to photodamage that has happened in your youth.
A spf of 30 should be the minimum you look for to give you adequate sun protection, but a spf of 50 that is water resistant is recommended, it's also important to re-apply every 2 hours or sooner if you are exercising, sweating or swimming.
But what about makeup with sunscreen in it? does that provide adequate sun protection? Short answer - no. Thats more like an added bonus, because of the standardize amount needed for proper protection you would need to use a ton of makeup to reach an adequate amount of sun protection. Therefore, your spf in your makeup should be used as the "icing on the cake", so don't skip on your spf under your makeup!