The secret to a perfect look is having perfect skin as a base. We all know about what we should be doing to keep our skin clear, even, moisturised, etc. but do we know why? This post is going back to the basics of skin care and summarising why each step is important.
Why cleanse?
During the day the skin collects all sorts on it; makeup, impurities, oils and dead skin. All of these can equate to blemishes and clogged pores. Surprisingly, cleansing before bed also helps towards keeping your skin from aging as during the night is when skin goes through a recover and renew phase, if is unable to do this efficiently if it has a days worth of grime in its way.
I always have a tub of Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm where ever I go, it is absolutely divine with it’s gorgeous scent and luxurious texture.
Why exfoliate?
Exfoliating is not something I would do daily, but certainly I aim to exfoliate 2/3 times a week. The main benefit being it removes all the dead skin from the surface and this will help to prevent pores from being clogged up. Also, in areas where hair is removed, exfoliating helps prevent in grown hairs.
My go to exfoliator is Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It as it works really well on blackheads and has a herbal/menthol frangrance.
Why tone?
As with all cosmetic products, there are so many different types out there doing slightly different things. The many benefits include removal of excess makeup and oils, balancing the ph levels on the surface of your skin (although some argue your skin is more than capable of doing this by itself) and closing up pores on your face after cleansing. Also, the moisture on your face from the toner enables the products you use afterwards to be absorbed easily (technically water can do this job for you too).
My favourite product is the L'Occitane Immortelle Essental Water as it feels so refreshing in the morning.
Why use serum?
Serum is formulated so it has very small molecules that can penetrate through to the deeper layers of your skin. These layers are skin that will be surface skin in a few weeks time...so we want to keep that layer as healthy as we can for when it makes an appearance! Only a small amount of product is needed per application as they have very high concentrations of ingredients, so the small tubes/tubs will last a long time. Again, there are many types of serum, there are some to target specific skin problems and are meant to be used for just a few weeks at a time, or there are others which can be used daily.
One of my favourite serums is Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Overnight Repair Radiance Capsules as the capsules have the perfect amount of product in for an application and my face feels lovely when I wake up the morning after. The texture is a little different than other serums, which tend to be more gel like, as this product has more of a silicon feel.
Why use moisturiser?
Just as we want to look after the layers of skin that will be on the surface in the future, we don’t want to leave the skin that is on show right now behind! Moisturising creams specifically target the surface layer of skin and act as a barrier to keep hydration on the surface. It is best to apply after your serum has dried (about 3 mins) and it is always useful to find a product that will focus on your skin type.
I sometimes wonder if I could live without Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, I feel genuine love for this product.
Why use a different moisturiser at night?
You may have seen some moisturising creams state that they are a day cream or a night cream and the difference between the two is quite important. During the day your skin is being subjected to lots of external environmental changes such as UV levels and temperature changes. So during the day you need a cream which will help protect your skin against these changes. Whereas at night, as I mentioned earlier, your skin is working to recover from the stress it has had to endure during the day, so a night cream will contain enabling ingredients for this such as Vitamin C and retinol, but will not have an SPF as it is not required.
I like the No7 Protect and Perfect Night Cream, it works really well with my skin skin type which is Normal/Combination.
I hope you have found this post useful, what is your day to day skincare routine? Any steps you would add?
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