The Five New Rules Of Skincare

skincare rules

We all know the basic skincare rules, cleanse, hydrate and protect, but within an ever-evolving beauty industry, new products and techniques appear almost daily. Armed with expert knowledge we’ve put together a collection of five of the most important skincare rules to abide by to ensure a glowing, healthy and beautiful complexion every day.

Discover Massage and Tools

Massaging skin helps to stimulate blood flow, tone muscles and improve product absorption. Massage also helps to stimulate the lymphatic system which removes toxins from the body – when skin feels puffy, dull or clogged, lymphatic massage can really help by bring fresh oxygen and nutrients to the skin. We suggest boosting your evening cleanse by using a balm or oil product such as Votary Cleansing Oil – Rose Geranium & Apricot and firmly massaging deeply into the skin – paying particular attention to pressure points around the eyes and anywhere you hold tension.

Alternatively try a massage tool, we love the Foreo Iris Illuminating Eye Massager which gently massages the eye contour area helping to reduce puffiness and dark circles. For a lifting effect the Nuface Mini Facial Toning Device uses microcurrent technology to help tone the facial muscles and smooth the contours of the face. We also love the new ergonomic Odacité Gua Shas made from precious crystals that glides across the skin melting tension away and stimulating blood flow for brighter skin.

Use Active Ingredients

The building blocks of an efficacious routine, active ingredients are proven to stimulate the skin for real results. Build your routine around them and you’ll see a difference after around six weeks. Start with alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs – these naturally derived acids come from fruit and exfoliate by breaking down the bonds between dead skin cells, so they lift easily away, revealing brighter, fresher skin. Try adding a daily AHA toner into your routine, such as Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic – simply swipe over skin after cleansing every morning.

Follow this with a vitamin C serum – we love Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum for serious brightening benefits. Vitamin C helps to even out tone and plump the skin, and it’s a proven active that is ideal for skin that suffers from pigmentation or dullness. Then come evening try using a retinol product such as Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. Retinol or vitamin A helps increase cell turnover and improve the skin’s ability to produce collagen, leading to smoother, plumper and firmer skin. One caveat – introduce retinol slowly, starting with once a week and building up to every other evening.

Learn to Layer Your Products

It stands to reason that the more active ingredients you use, the better your skin will look, however it’s important that they’re applied in the correct order otherwise you could be wasting precious product. Before applying any skincare both morning and evening it’s imperative to cleanse skin, otherwise your product will simply be sitting on top of dirt and debris. Try Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser which gently lifts away impurities for ultra-clean skin that never feels stripped.

The rule of thumb to follow when applying skincare is go from lightest to heaviest, so start with your most water-like products – essences such as Kat Burki PH+ Enzyme Essence or mists like Caudalie Beauty Elixir. Next up is lightweight serums, try Dr Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum if skin feels tight or dehydrated, or tackle the signs of ageing with Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate. Give your serum a few minutes to sink in before nourishing skin with a heavier moisturiser such as Herbivore Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Cream. If your skin feels particularly dry, seal in hydration with a facial oil like Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil and during the day always finish with SPF to protect skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays, we like Dr Dennis Gross Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen.

Take Time To Mask

Treating skin to a souped-up dose of nutrients a couple of times a week will really work to improve any specific issues you’re dealing with. For dry, flaky and dull skin try Eve Lom Moisture Mask, a rich and creamy formula that glides on to nourish skin with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E – apply in the evening for just 15 minutes or leave on overnight for deeper moisturisation.

If you’re suffering from breakouts we recommend Dr Dennis Gross Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask which contains kaolin clay and 5% colloidal sulfur to help calm redness, control oil and reduce bacteria on the skin’s surface. Apply directly to blemishes and leave overnight or calm oily skin by applying as a ten-minute all-over flash treatment. When skin feels aggravated and looks tired, blotchy and red then try Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask which gently repairs and soothes skin with a blend of calming botanicals, vitamins and floral extracts.

Pay Attention To Fragile Areas

The fragile skin on your neck is often in the glare of UV light and coupled with looking down at phones and devices more regularly, this area has become one of the most susceptible to premature ageing, so don’t stop your skincare at your chin. Always take your cleanser over your neck right down to your décolletage and try a specific cream for the area, we love Omorovicza Firming Neck Cream with its cocktail of firming enzymes, vitamins and hyaluronic acid.

The area around the eyes has the thinnest skin anywhere on the body and is prone to premature fine lines, puffiness and dark circles so it really needs special treatment. First up, remove your eye makeup thoroughly. Try using a separate eye cleanser such as Sarah Chapman Skinesis Lash Boosting Eye Cleanse, which doubles as a lash growth booster. Always ensure you apply eye cream before any face serums, moisturisers or oils as the eye specific product will provide a barrier and prevent anything too heavy or active from encroaching on the eyes. If you’re concerned about puffiness and have sensitive eyes, we suggest Darphin Intral De-Puffing Anti-Oxidant Eye Cream which gently soothes, moisturises and protects. To tackle fine lines and wrinkles try Votary Intense Eye Oil – Tuberose and Retinoid, which utilises retinol to firm skin, while the rollerball applicator cools and calms.