Getting started...

So you’ve made the decision to look after your skin properly. Excellent, so now what? With the ever growing skincare market and our social media giving us so much conflicting advice its no wonder we can feel overwhelmed and have no idea where to start.

So, what do we class as ‘the basics’?

1. Double Cleanse

An effective cleansing routine will do wonders for your skin, after all if our skin isn’t quite clean enough how can we possibly expect that amazing serum or nourishing mask to work its magic?

As you’re just starting out, let’s build some great habits that will last a lifetime. The double cleanse. First step - cleanse with an oil based cleanser (hello precleanse oil!), this will melt away any makeup, dirt, grime as well as pollution and SPF. This is really important as we cannot see the residue of some of these on our skin, yet left over time can lead to congestion, breakouts, sensitivity and milia.

Worried about using an oil based cleanser on oily skin? Don’t be, oil attracts oil making it the perfect choice to balance out your skin.

On to Moisturiser- finding the perfect one for your skin can be tricky. Too rich, not rich enough - it can be a source of overwhelm just on its own! Here is a run down of some skin types and what to look for.

Oily skin - yes you still do need to moisturise! Make sure your chosen one is oil free and lightly hydrating. This will keep your skins barrier function nice and healthy and as you are adding that hydration into your skin you will start to produce a little less oil eventually starting to balance it out. Try active moist.

Dry skin - look for moisturisers with a nice creamy consistency that contain ceramides to nourish your dry skin, keeping the natural moisture barrier nice and healthy and making skin feel so much more comfortable. intensive moisture balance is a good place to start!

Sensitive skin - look for a light, yet nourishing moisturiser to avoid any excess heat being trapped in the skin and making it more uncomfortable. Anything hydrating will work wonders for you, look for hyaluronic acid to keep the skin nice and comfortable such as calm water gel.

Don’t skip this step. Every single morning apply that SPF regardless of the weather. Did you know that UVA rays (the longest rays and those responsible for ageing our skin) are present 365 days a year? So the school run or the dog walk on a miserable winters day will still be causing skin damage. The best SPF you can use is the one that you will actually use, there are physical (best for sensitive and acne prone skin) and chemical (not scary at all, they just work in a different way) but ultimately its just a case of finding one that feels comfortable on your skin. My favourite is the Powerbright day moisturiser with SPF50, I use this as my daily moisturiser year round and then have a specific SPF for the summer months which I will reapply throughout the day as I tend to be outside more.

Start these steps as soon as you are able to and you should see and feel a difference in your skin within a few weeks, stay consistent before you add anything else in and slot it in where you can. It doesn’t need to be a fancy ritual with candles lit (although this would be wonderful if that’s what would work for you), I can be found most mornings cleansing with children who are brushing their teeth and trying to talk to me at the same time!