Do I need retinol? What’s an AHA? Is it true I need to use three different serums on my face at the same time in the morning?
These are all questions, I have been asked (more than once!) in my skincare career, so I wanted to share a post to share where to start with a skincare routine.
Despite what social media might tell you, you really don’t need to complicate things, and if you’re becoming overwhelmed and confused with where to start, follow my golden rules and incorporate these three products into a routine for you to use in the morning.
This three step routine has actually evolved from the skincare advice of the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s, where the regime was all about ‘cleanse, tone & moisturise’. Knowing what we now know about external pollutants, and the effects of the sun on the skin, I now like to advise my clients with the term ‘cleanse, antioxidant & SPF’.
The cleanse:
First thing in the morning, start by using a gentle cleanser to help to remove any products used in the evening on the skin, and any sebum the skin has produced overnight. If your skin leans towards the dry side, and feels quite tight after washing, stick to more milky or cream based cleansers. You can still rinse a milk or cream cleanser off with water. If your skin feels quite comfortable, or leans towards the oilier side, then use a foaming face wash.
KMP Skin favourites: Medik8 Lipid Balance Cleansing Oil or iS Clinical Cleansing Complex
Antioxidant application:
An antioxidant in skincare is a product which will help the skin’s surface to combat damage caused by free radicals, environmental aggressors and pollution such as cigarette smoke or UV light. Constant exposure to these elements can cause damage to your skin by wearing collagen fibres down, contributing towards issues like premature ageing and pigmentation. Mostly made up of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, Niacinamide or Reservatrol to name a few examples, if you find a great antioxidant serum, you tend to get a nice potent dose of actives, as they can be held quite stable in this sort of formula. ‘Free Radicals’ tend to attack our skin in the daytime, so I always recommend using an antioxidant serum in the morning for the best protection. SPF is also a form of antioxidant, as it protects against the damage of UV, but other antioxidants also provide extra skincare benefits, such as helping collagen production, or helping to even out pigmentation.
KMP Skin favourites: Exuviance Radiance Serum or Epionce Intense Defence Serum
SPF:
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and is actually the measure used for deciphering the amount of solar exposure (UV radiation) your skin can take before burning. We now know that prolonged exposure to sunlight is a prime cause of breaking down collagen and elastin fibres in the skin, contributing to premature and exacerbated ageing in the skin, and I frequently say that “SPF is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to protect your skin against the affects of ageing on the skin”.
Getting into the habit of using a good SPF EVERY DAY on your skin, will prevent you getting caught out on occasions if you only use it when you think you are going to be exposed to the sun outside. Using two finger lengths is a quick and pretty effective guide to the right amount for the face and neck (three finger lengths if you are applying to the head too). SPF should be the last skincare product you apply, and if you’re going to be exposed to the sun outside, please reapply the same amount for the face and neck every 2 hours.
KMP Skin Favourites: Beauty Pie Featherlight UVA/UVB SPF50 and Skin Better Science Sunbetter Tone Smart SPF50
