With so many different products out there it is easy to feel slightly overwhelmed when it comes to creating your skincare routine, so let’s simplify it. The most important thing to remember is cleanse, tone, moisturise and last but definitely not least SPF! Your routine doesn’t need to be complicated or filled with 20+ products to make a difference, and it certainly doesn’t need to be expensive. This entire skincare routine costs around £130!
Ensure you are following this skincare routine consistently for the best results:
Step 1: Double Cleanse
Having a clean canvas before applying any other product to your face is vital to ensure that you are getting the most out of your products. Double cleansing is pretty much what it says on the tin, cleansing your face twice.
The first cleanser you will need is an oil-based one, this will remove any oils, makeup and surface impurities. We recommend: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil – £12.50
Secondly, a water-based cleanser to get deeper into your pores and remove any sweat and dirt build up. We recommend: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser – £9.50
Step 2: Toner
Toning your skin will help to tighten and brighten your skin, giving you a smooth and glowing finish. There are many types of toners to choose from: exfoliating, hydrating and anti-aging to name a few. Most anti-aging toners will include vitamin C as helps to strengthen your skin against environmental factors, because of this we recommend: Murads Essential-C Toner – £30.00
Step 3: Eye cream
There’s a lot of speculation around whether eye creams work, and for the most part what some products promise cannot be achieved. However, it is important to hydrate this area using a more delicate and light product because the skin around our eyes is thinner. For this we recommend: Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream – £30.00
Pro tip: remember a little goes a long way so make sure to only apply a dime-sized amount.
Step 4: Face serum
When it comes to your face serum we suggest keeping it simple with a vitamin C serum for the morning, and a Retinol at night. The reason for this is that retinol increases your skins sensitivity to sunlight which could result in adverse effects, therefore decreasing the overall effectiveness of the product. We recommend:
Florence Bio Cosmesi Vitamin C Serum – £9.99
The Ordinary Retinol Serum – £5.80
Pro tip: when introducing retinol into your routine for the first time, begin with only once a week for the first week, then twice a week for 2 weeks, and three times a week for 3 weeks to get your skin use to it. You can then start to use it every other day.
Step 5: moisturiser
Moisturising is one of the key ways you can keep your skin looking and feeling young for longer, and the market is overflowing with products, with prices ranging up to £1,630 for the
Step 6: SPF
The sun is responsible for being the main cause of premature aging, so this step is vital if you want to stay looking youthful! You need to be applying an SPF of 30 every day, yes even on a cloudy day as some reports have shown that some clouds actually increase UV rays by up to 25%. We recommend: Ultrasun Face Anti-Aging Lotion SPF 30 – £22.00
Pro tip: you need at least 30SPF, so if your moisturisers says it contains SPF the likelihood is that it is not giving you enough protection.
Exfoliation:
This is still a 6 step skincare routine, don’t worry! It is recommended to exfoliate 2-3 times a week, but with certain chemical exfoliants you can up this amount if that works for your skin. We recommend: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution – £6.80 to be used in the PM, which can be swapped with the Murads Essential-C Toner when necessary.
Our Must Haves:
- CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser – £9.50
- The Ordinary Retinol Serum – £5.80
- CeraVe Moisturising Cream – £13.00
- Ultrasun Face Anti-Aging Lotion SPF 30 – £22.00