Okay, time for some no-nonsense skin care tips on keeping wrinkles away and maintaining a healthy complexion. One word of warning quickly before we begin: we’re not about to pull any punches here, and we’re not going to hold back.
Just the plain simply truth about taking good care of your skin. (Plus it could save you a pretty penny on unnecessary purchases too).
Let’s get started:
1. Sunscreen: Without doubt this is the ‘THE’ most important ingredient in your skin care care routine. After all, sun damage is the number one factor that ages your skin. That’s because when you expose it to sunlight, your DNA starts breaking down and mutating (and not in a good way).
So be sure to apply sunscreen every single day of the year – regardless of whether or not it’s sunny outside. Make sure the SPF factor is above 15 at the bare minimum. And wear it on all part of your body where your skin is exposed (including behind the ears, your neck and the back of your hands).
2. You don’t need a separate day cream and night cream: The only key difference between your daytime and night-time skin routine is you need SPF protection from the sun during the day. That’s it. And you can get the additional sun protection by applying sunscreen.
Simply select a good anti-aging product and use the SAME one both during the day and at night. Having to invest in separate day and night creams is not only more expensive, it’s unnecessary.
3. Paying more doesn’t always mean you’re getting a better product: A lot of us have a short-cut process in our minds where we think ‘more expensive’ means ‘better’. But don’t make this mistake when buying anti-aging products and skin care creams.
A far better indicator of quality is the ingredients list. So take the time to look at the label, and if you’re not sure what something is, we have a ‘glossary’ section on this site to help you out.
4. Don’t bother with eye creams – they aren’t necessary: In the same way that you don’t need separate day and night-time products, you don’t need a separate eye product for your face. Really? Yes, it’s true.
Sure, you may hear companies talking about how the skin around the eyes is much thinner and requires a different type of cream.
But truth be told, all you need is an effective moisturizer loaded with skin-friendly antioxidants that you can apply to your entire face. (There’s no solid evidence to show the skin around your eyes requires a lighter cream — and if you hadn’t already noticed, the majority of eye creams are even thicker than face creams anyway. Leave them on shelves where they belong).
5. Avoid jars and pots: This is ultra important, so if you take nothing else away from this page remember this. There are two main reasons to avoid products that come in jars and pots.
Firstly, antioxidants are often a key ingredient in skin care products. And they lose their effectiveness when exposed to too much air. Secondly, dipping your fingers into a product is mucky and unhygienic over time – germs and bacteria will get into them regardless of how clean you think your hands are.
Instead, make sure the ingredients in your products have minimal exposure to the outside air, so they remain stable. Opt for pump-action packaging or tubes with thin openings. Plus stick to products with dark or opaque packaging too, so the contents aren’t affected by exposure to light either.
6. Finally, there isn’t just one single ‘miracle’ product to suit everybody: Skin can be a complicated thing. Some of us have sensitive skin, some more oily, some dry, and others have what might be called a more ‘normal’ complexion.
So just because your best friend is ranting and raving about the ‘best product ever’, think about your own skin needs before deciding if you’ll try it. Hopefully it will work great for you too. (But just keep in mind that not everyone’s skin reacts in the same way).
If you’d like to learn more on this, why not check out our advice on ‘how to know if a skin care product is working for you’?