Glowing skin, minimised pores and bright-under eyes – it may seem unbelievable to accomplish these coveted skin results at home, but all are in fact achievable, and with no appointment necessary.
During lockdown, whilst you have been unable to attend your usual facial session or check-in to see a dermatologist, it can feel overwhelming to know where to begin with finding a routine to work for, and not against, your skin. Using the wrong products, unknowingly overloading, and not knowing your specific skin-type are all common mistakes that can lead to problematic skin.
Skincare expert and owner of South Molton Street Aesthetics GLOW Clinic, Dr Jasmina Paul, reveals how to get radiant skin, which products to invest in, and how to make your skincare regime manageable.
Less is more
Using too much of even the best product on your skin can cause unwanted irritation. Simplifying our skin-care routine is highly beneficial for our skin health and radiance. “When we overdo it with skin-beautifying efforts and apply too many products, it can actually have the opposite of the desired effect. Cleansing or exfoliating too much can be drying, or irrupting to the skin as we’re wiping away the beneficial natural oils,” explains Dr Paul.
Look after yourself
We all know that looking after ourselves, by eating healthily and exercising, is a sure step to ensure better skin, but it can take time to cultivate glowing skin through finding a routine that you can commit to.
“How your skin looks on the outside is largely an expression of what’s going on in the inside,” says the skincare expert.
“It’s important to follow skin health-boosting activities, such as eating healthy whole foods, taking exercise, walks in nature, boosting your superfoods and collagen intake along with following your daily skincare routine and weekly at-home spa facials for skin tightening purposes.
“Creating healthy lifestyle habits, such as starting your day with daily meditation and a glass of lemon water will help balance your mind, eliminate toxins and hydrate your skin,” advises Dr Paul.
Daily dos
Looking after your skin correctly is a daily task, albeit one that can be enjoyed, Dr Paul’s go-to routine for beautiful skin can be done within five minutes by following the three simple steps she calls “cleanse, hydrate and glow”.
“Every skin type likes the simplicity of this five minute daily skincare approach: we cleanse and exfoliate to remove dead skin cells, then apply serums to moisturise and finally protect and correct our skin tone with SPF 50 and a BB glow cream,” explains Dr Paul who emphasises the importance of never skipping on the cleansing of your skin.
Worth investing in
When the option of buying the same product for a fraction of the price comes along – we are often quick to buy the cheaper version – but opting for the highest purity profession-grade skincare goes a long way in achieving and maintaining your ideal skin.
“High street beauty stores will often have a much lower percentage of active ingredients in their products in comparison to skincare clinics, simply because they don’t have the same aesthetics and dermatological licence,” says the doctor.
She recommends that shopping less but buying better is the way forward when it comes to skincare. Invest in a hydrating mist perfect for on-the-go skincare ‘a true multi-tasker, helping you tone, prime, refresh your skin and set your make up.’
Youthful, dewy skin is at the top of all of our wish lists. Chosen as her ‘must-have for youthful looking skin’ Dr Paul insists that adding a hyaluronic acid serum to your skincare regime will aid you in achieving your skin goals. Hyaluronic acid’s main function is hydration, and it has been proven scientifically to hold up to a thousand times its weight in water which helps to plump and regenerate your skin.
It’s no secret that sunbathing is notoriously bad for our skin, especially in excessive amounts with no sun-screen applied, sun exposure causes cellular damage which is better avoided in order to obtain healthy skin. The doctor says she encourages everyone to use a BB cream with SPF 30 as “SPF creates a protective layer around the skin, preventing it from the ageing effects of excessive sun exposure,” whilst the “BB cream is a multi-benefit lightly tinted cream that in a single step hydrates, protects, boost radiance and conceals imperfections of your skin,” she explains.
The final step to a glow-giving skin regime should include a “dermatologically tested high quality eye cream”, a step that is often skipped. “Eye cream is one of the most important anti-ageing steps since the skin around the eyes is highly sensitive, it’s prone to developing fine lines. An eye cream with radiance boosting ingredients may help to prevent those dreaded crinkles from setting in, and smooth out under eye circles,” says the skin expert.
Simplify your routine
Keeping your daily skincare routine to a regime that can be performed in under ten minutes ensures you will have the time to do it daily.
Dr Paul explains that you should “always start your day with the foundation of any good beauty regime: cleansing your skin. Use a face cleansing brush to massage your cleanser deep into the skin, getting rid of any impurities than can plague your complexion. Make sure your brush is silicone based as bristle brushes can cause skin irritation and inflammation”.
Next you can begin to layer your skincare products, but make sure do to so in the correct order to fully benefit from your routine. “Start by applying cleanser for your skin type, then use a toner designed to re-store your skin’s PH balance, apply your serum, (antioxidant based serum with active ingredients such as vitamin c should be applied before hyaluronic acid serums), use your radiant eye cream and lastly apply your moisturiser with a minimum of SPF 30 or your night cream,” advises the doctor.
Top up on tea
Fact: Green tea has anti-acne properties. Make sure you sip on one or two cups of green tea a day, the health benefits are almost countless, Dr Paul recommends starting your day with green tea instead of coffee.
Don’t forget to
Get to know your skin, check if it’s oily, sensitive, dry, a combination, or blemish-prone, and tailor your skincare routine to your unique needs by choosing professional beauty products that are suited to your skin.
Dr Paul’s website is home to her blog where you can learn more about her skincare tips and product recommendations.