The best and worst things for your skin

The beauty of being human is that everyone is completely unique. Your body, your hair, your eyes, and of course, your skin. Everyone being different can make finding the perfect skincare routine tricky. What works for some won’t for others. To help you find a routine as unique as you are, here are some tips on what to look out for when shopping for your next skincare products.

Go back to basics

The skincare industry is huge - and there’s countless products to choose from. From lotions and potions with long names that sound more like cleaning ingredients, to face creams made with snail mucin(!), things can feel a bit overwhelming at first. 

The best skincare routine, however, doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need to know what’s good to put on your face, and what’s not so good. Get familiar with a few ingredient names and you’ll be able to shop for quality products easily. Here’s a list to help:

Good to put on your face

Acids

Acids may sound like the kind of thing to definitely avoid putting on your face, but skincare acids can be great for your skin. Skincare acids are used to exfoliate your skin by loosening the fluid that binds cells to the upper layers of the skin. Great ones to try are hyaluronic, glycolic, salicylic and lactic acid.

A good cleanser and moisturiser

No matter how big or small your skincare routine is, you always need to cleanse and moisturise with products that work well with your skin. Choose a gentle cleanser suited to your skin type and find a moisturiser that leaves you feeling hydrated and glowy.

Vitamins

Vitamins can go on your skin as well as in your diet. Vitamin C is great for enhancing the effects of your suncream, healing damaged skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Vitamin E is also great for this, and can help improve skin hydration too.

Not so good to put on your face

Hand or body soap that doesn’t specify it’s for your face

Your facial skin is a lot thinner than your body skin, so you need to treat it differently. That 5 in one body wash you borrow from your boyfriend needs to stay well away from your delicate face skin!

Fragrances

Fragrances are sneaky ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin. There’s no benefits of including them in skin products (apart from smelling making them smell amazing), so you should avoid putting them on your face where you can. The best way to spot fragrance-heavy products is to smell them. You can also look out for words such as “fragrance,” “lavender,” “lemon,” “rose flower,” “ylang-ylang” or anything that sounds better suited to a candle than your face.

Physical exfoliants (when used incorrectly)

Physical exfoliating means scrubbing at your skin with a product that has grainy particles. These can be harsh on sensitive skin and can cause irritation if you’re not careful. Opting for a chemical exfoliant is a better idea but if you do prefer using a physical exfoliant, use it very gently. 

Still confused? Talk to an expert

If you still need some extra help choosing the right skincare products for you, why not speak to an expert who can help give you tailored advice? Book a skincare consultation with us and we’ll work with you to find the right treatment plan for your skincare concerns.