Finding the right skincare routine for you can be difficult amongst all of the marketing jargon out there.
You’ll find them making all sorts of claims and promises of skin transformation in a bottle. It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing a brand that you like selling a beautifully packaged product that smells nice but everyone’s skin is different and has individual needs.
It’s important to know what your skin needs and what ingredients are actually effective to reach your goals.
Here I hope to shed some light on some real, factual information to help find what works best for you.
Interestingly (perhaps), none of the skincare products I use are actually marketed towards men. As I discussed at length in my Introduction to Fragrance post, gender binaries in the beauty industry are mostly just marketing bullshit…
MY SKINCARE ROUTINE:
During my time working in the industry I became savvy to sales tactics and moved towards products which really WORK. Who’s got time and money to waste on products that don’t do anything? Not me!
I’m fortunate to have a Mediterranean heritage. That means I have more melanin in my skin which makes it thicker and means that signs of ageing are less noticeable. My skin type is normal – oily and the skincare routine below keeps me in check and feeling like a new person every morning.
Cleanse: Australian Bodycare Face Wash
My sister Eliz has been a skincare expert for over 18 years. She introduced this one to me a long long time ago and I’ve never looked back. Australian Body Care’s collections come from a tea tree base which is a natural antibacterial and antiseptic source. It’s the perfect formula to strip away dirt or excess oil on your face, leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean.
Tone: Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner
I love the melodrama of using a spray toner after cleansing. This pH balancing toner from Elemis comes from natural ingredients and is alcohol free. It smells beautiful, feels super refreshing and is a great primer to aid the absorption of the products to come. My skin always feels taut, soft and firm after a few spritzes of this. I gently massage it in with my fingers in upward motions after spritzing. This isn’t the recommended application by Elemis, but I find it maximises that nice tight feeling.
Serum: REN Keep Young And Beautiful™ Instant Firming Beauty Shot
This amazing product comes with a glass pipettes applicator which makes me feel like I’m ‘sciencing’ my face. I’m into that.
I squeeze half a pipette of this hyaluronic acid-packed serum into my hand and then evenly distribute it over my face. It’ll feel a bit sticky at first but keep gently massaging it into your skin using upward motions. Before you know it, the stickiness will be gone completely and you’ll be left with beautifully smooth, tight skin that feels 10 years younger than it did when you woke up. I’m not overselling it – I really do love it that much… just buy it, Susan.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Hyaluronic acid is one of the types of fluid moisture which is naturally found in our skin.
- Hyalurons are the most effective agent available to plump and hydrate your skin.
Eyes: REN Keep Young And Beautiful™ Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Lift
This little beauty comes from the same collection as the serum above and has equally satisfying, instant results.
Firm and brighten your eye area by distributing a tiny amount underneath and around your eyes.
If I’ve had a heavy night out and wake up feeling like I slept in a wasp nest, these two REN products are my secret weapon to looking like I’ve had a QNI and a full night of sleep. I can’t help you when it comes to feeling like shit though – sorry!
Hydrate & Protect: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
The best way to stop skin ageing? Prevent it from being damaged in the first place. Sun exposure is responsible for roughly 75% of visible skin ageing. If a person only had the amount of sun exposure they needed to survive (10 minutes a day), they probably wouldn’t have any visible signs of skin ageing until they’re in their 80’s!
Praise the team at Elemis for this outstanding day cream. It’s packed with active ingredients and offers SPF 30 UVA protection without leaving skin feeling greasy at all.
I’ve tried so many SPF moisturisers and this is the only one that I found didn’t forfeit something in order to get the sun protection values high enough. Most others will leave your skin feeling really oily, shiny and gross. This however, is beautiful.
Sounds too good to be true? Well there is a catch… at £87 a pot, it doesn’t come cheap. That being said, this is without question the most important part of my skincare routine and worth every penny. One pot lasts me about six months.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Only 1% of products are actually absorbed into our skin!
- Products rich in glycerin are more likely to be effective at locking moisture into your skin. Pair a serum packed with hyaluronic acid and a moisturiser containing high levels of glycerin. It’s the best combination to keep your skin hydrated.
- Fibrillin is a layer between the epidermis and dermis that keeps skin firm. Sun damage destroys the anchors in this layer and causes skin to sag.
- UVA (long wavelength) rays can actually penetrate through glass. This means your skin could be aging while you’re sitting at your desk or driving! Make sure you wear sun protection every day (even in winter). It needs to have a minimum SPF of 30 and at least a 4 star UVA rating.
Repair: Medik8 Intelligent Retinol™
Let’s turn back the clock and fix some of the damage you did to your skin before you found this post.
Retinol (a derivative of vitamin A) has been proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation after just one month. It’s one of those brilliantly active ingredients which just… work.
It’s important to start by using a low percentage (minimum of 0.1%). Then work your way up to the stronger stuff as your skin gets used to it. I’m now using the 10TR intense which is 1% retinol. 1% is the maximum you can buy over the counter without a prescription in most places.
Before bed I cleanse and tone one more time to clear away the day. I then use this super rich anti-ageing serum to treat the visible signs of aging caused by sun damage.
Make sure you only use this at night and use an SPF moisturiser the next morning – retinol can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
From £29 Learn more and buy here >
DID YOU KNOW?
- Retinol is the only ingredient which has been proven to help stimulate collagen synthesis.
Exfoliate: Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel
We should exfoliate our skin 1-2 times per week. I use this gentle peel gel every Sunday to rub away the dead skin and dirt in the same way you do on your body when you visit a hammam.
It’s so satisfying to use. First cleanse and dry your face so it has a grease-free surface to start with. Use one pump to cover your face and rub in circular motions until you feel dead skin rolling off. Make sure you hit problem areas well like your nose, cheeks and forehead.
Please note that while I really do love these products and I have not been sponsored to recommend them, as an Amazon Associate I will earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
