skin

Ask any skincare expert out there, and they will agree that cleansing is the single most important part of any skincare routine. Even if you don’t find the time to do anything else, washing your skin should never be skipped. “Cleansing should be a part of both your morning and evening skincare routine,” says Rayhaneh Zahedi, a dermatology specialty doctor at Quality Health Care Ltd. “It removes impurities, pollution and sebum, creating the perfect canvas for serum application and absorption,” she adds. The good news is your cleansing routine doesn’t have to be complicated. “I have always been an advocate of the less-is-more approach. You just need to find the products which work for you,” says Alexis Granite, CeraVe consultant dermatologist. To create a blank canvas, keep skin irritation t...

The face oil can be used both morning and night towards the end of your routine. One of my favourite ways to use it at night is after my moisturiser as the last step in my night routine to help seal in all the moisture from my previous products. When it comes to using it during the day, it should always be applied before applying SPF. I’ve found since using this face oil that I’m reaching for fewer products during my routine as the oil easily absorbs into my skin leaving it feeling extremely nourished for hours. It’s definitely not the most affordable face oil on the market, however, I found the hydrating results to be instant and if it means reaching for fewer products, I’m all for it. Plus, I reach for this face oil all the time and despite it ...

One of the questions I get asked the most is What are the most important skincare products? And while this question doesn’t sit particularly well with me (when it comes to specific product recommendations, they’re different for everybody), I do appreciate that when we’re all strapped for time and cash, it’s really all anybody wants to know. While I’m still going to need to test and trial products for work, when it comes to my skincare mainstays, I’m switching things up. In a bid to definitively answer beauty’s million-pound question, I’m vowing to clear out my stash and just use the products that really are the most important. Before we get into this, I would like to highlight that just because I am “getting rid” of certain products in my main line-up doesn’t mean I’m ditching them al...

If you experience dark circles under your eyes, you’ll know all too well that they are a special sort of beauty gripe that just won’t give up. While breakouts come and go, dry skin softens and fine lines plump out with certain hydrating creams, dark under-eye circles are much more stubborn. And trust me, I know all about it.  A couple of years ago, I was so fed up with my persistent dark circles that I actually booked in for a consultation to get tear-trough filler. Experts had told me for years that the injectable procedure was the only way to really combat chronic dark circles (mine are genetic, so sadly can’t be rectified by getting more sleep or keeping hydrated). But as I read more first-hand experiences with tear-trough filler and the doctor explained to me what it ...

And so over the past couple of years, I have spent a considerable amount of time looking for topical products that help better the appearance of my dark circles. And as a beauty editor, I am ashamed to admit that, up until recently, eye cream wasn’t a mainstay in my skincare routine. My skin is naturally oily and sensitive, and for years I found that adding an eye cream to my daily regimen was worsening congestion and shine. When I started prescribed treatments to help combat my skin’s natural oil production, I figured I’d dig out some of my old eye cream classics and give them a whirl. And although I shouldn’t be shocked (I know very well that any sort of moisture can brighten up the eye area), I can’t believe just how effective some eye creams are ...

There is so much to love about the arrival of winter—cosy knitwear, chunky boots and a palette of berries and burgundies for our nails and makeup. However, when it comes to looking after our skin, the transition to cooler weather can play havoc with our complexions. For me personally, the combination of central heating indoors and biting winds outdoors means that I’m left dealing with shiny patches as well as dry spots. Plus, my usually oily skin is suddenly parched—rendering my carefully curated skincare routine lacking. And I’m not alone in my winter-skin confusion. “Drastic temperature changes and lower humidity levels between indoor and outdoor environments creates stress for the skin,” explains skin and wellness expert Ada Ooi. “This result...

Of all the questions that I’m asked as a beauty editor, how to actually get rid of dark circles has to be up there as one of the most widespread enquiries. Dark circles are all-inclusive when it comes to who they target, from my teenage sister whose laid-back approach to studying often results in all-nighters spent at the library to my friend who has forgotten what sleep is since becoming a mum of three. Luckily, there are things that you can do to combat dark under-eye circles if they are bothering you—and one of the simplest places to start is with a decent eye cream. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in...

Winter is here and so is my yearly struggle that my normal-to-dry skin type has shifted to be drier than the Sahara desert. Thankfully it’s not too much of a problem nowadays as I’m armed with a whole heap of skincare products ready to put all the moisture back in. That’s not to say I’m not looking to add to my list, especially when the recommendations are from great skin experts. Dr Ophelia, Consultant Dermatologist, MBBS, BSc, PhD and MRCP says “As much as 300ml of water can be lost through your skin each day which is known as transepidermal water loss.” This is why it’s important to make sure you’re giving your skin regular moisture from hydrating serums to moisturisers&...

There are some skin conditions that require caution when it comes to adding this ingredient into a routine, though. “I sometimes recommend using with caution at first with sensitive rosacea-prone skin,” says Hextall. “I do use on blemish-prone skin but, again, with caution at first. For sensitive skin, I would recommend starting at a concentration of 10% and looking for those combined with moisturiser or hyaluronic acid amongst others.”  When it comes to stripping your routine back to just a vitamin C serum, there are so many that combine excellent ingredients to make it a skincare all-rounder, such as hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid or ferulic acid. “There’s no doubt that a vitamin C serum is a smart choice, especially when streamlining a routine, as it’s a radiance multitasker....

This year, beauty came back. After over a year (on and off) of not being able to visit our favourite salons, spas and clinics for our usual beauty pick-me-ups, their return was welcomed with open arms. Because sure, while learning how to do our nails, hair and waxing at home was fun for a little while, the truth is, going to the salon for a beauty treatment is an experience you just can’t recreate at home. Having said that, since beauty has opened back up, it’s safe to say that the way in which we want to spend our time has changed. Pre-pandemic, many of us wouldn’t have batted an eyelid at the prospect of running around town, hopping from salon to salon to tick off our beauty chores. Nowadays, however, we want convenience. Not only do we want to minimise the amount of indoo...

How do I know this, you ask? Because without blowing my own trumpet, I feel confident in saying that I know a lot more about skin and skincare than most. And, when my typically clear, glowing complexion started showing signs of acne over a year ago, I simply didn’t know what to do. I tried every tip and trick that I had learned. I tried acids, I tried no acids, I tried retinol, I tried no retinol, I tried countless different cleansers, as well as stripping my routine back to basics. And despite actioning everything I thought I knew to work, nothing helped.  In the grand scheme of things, my acne isn’t terrible. However, as someone who totally skipped the teenage breakout phase, breaking out in painful, cystic acne in my twenties didn’t make me feel great. The spots them...

You see, when it comes to social turbulence, much like the sort we have experienced since the pandemic broke in 2020, we often turn to the past to seek comfort. And beauty products act as one of the most effective ways to keep our brains in a happy place, thanks to their distinguishable scents and textures. “Various research in neuroscience over the years has examined the link between the brain, memory & scent,” says Dr Jeanina Mahrenholz, counselling psychologist at Chelsea Pharmacy Medical Clinic. “The amygdala part of the brain has a primary role in processing memory and emotional responses. This part of our brain has a direct link to our lymphatic system and is sensitive to scent, which in turn may result in activation of memories and sense of nostalgia,” she adds. I...