I don’t know about you but the winter blues takes its toll on my skin and the first signs to show this is my complexion. Dull, dry at times and generally a lack lustre and not to mention the pasty lack of sunshine look. So here are a few top tips on how to prepare your skin for the much anticipated spring season and taking us into summer. Preparation is key and if you are a bride that is marrying this year start with your prep so your skin is ever much the glowing bride. Ok so here goes:
- Exfoliating Start buffing and scrubbing, those pesky dead skin cells which can be caused to build up through the winter because of the cold, dry winter air and not to mention daily environmental toxins. The skin naturally sheds around 30 days, but not all of them do and you can get a build up of them resulting in dry, flaky patches, little melias and blocked pores. Exfoliation helps to prevent this. Regular exfoliation can also help prevent blocked pores thus leading to fewer breakouts (hurray!). Also, long term exfoliation can lead to a boost in Collagen. Now this bad boy is essential for vibrant, glowing, radiant skin and to top it off Collagen promotes the skins elasticity, minimising fine lines and the skin sagging. So, you can safely say it’s a must in your beauty routine and twice a week is enough, it’s a bonus that you don’t even have to do it everyday! St Ives exfoliator is great and the price tag too.
- Quench its thirst Moisturise your skin, morning and night preferably. Even an oily skin needs to be moisturised! I’ve heard so many times, people think that because they have oily skin that they are under the illusion that they don’t need to moisturise or it brings them out in spots. Wrong! You need to find the right one. The key with oily skin is to make sure you’re hydrating it without adding extra oil from other products. With no moisture at all your skin would become dehydrated and begin to over-compensate by producing more oil. Moisturising your skin is an essential step of any beauty routine whether your skin being dry, combination or oily. Don’t skip this essential piece of the skincare puzzle, it’s so beneficial for the skin and its overall condition.
- Blinded by the light Up your SPF game! We should all be wearing an SPF all year round and even more importantly when we come into summer. It protects our skin from harmful UV rays, it prevents skin ageing, fine lines and dreaded wrinkles. Lots of moisturisers contain an SPF but a lot of experts recommend using a separate sun screen incorporated into your routine too.
- Mince pies Eyes, don’t forget about these windows to your soul! It’s what people should look at when first looking at your face and these shouldn’t be over-looked, pardon the pun. Using an eye cream as part of your daily beauty regime may help reduce the appearance of your under-eye concerns. Although there is no miracle cure for all that ails the under eye in a cream, there are certainly benefits in improving this area. While using pretty much any eye cream is better than using none, you aren’t doing the most for your skin if you’re using a cream that isn’t meant to address your specific skin care concerns. For example, if your biggest concern is puffiness, using a cream that’s focused on dark circles doesn’t make sense, it needs to be catered for your personal needs. That way you will get the best from your product.
- What goes in, does shine out Diet: it’s got to be said that beautiful skin starts within. You can have the best products and beauty routine but if you’re eating junk, smoking like a trooper, drinking like a fish (and I don’t mean water), it will take its toll on your complexion and, more importantly, your whole body. Eating foods that are rich in antioxidants like fruit and vegetables and healthy fats from oily fish and nuts as part of a balanced diet works wonders for the whole Epidermis. Good old H20 improves the skin’s hydration, preventing it looking dry, flaky and dehydrated. I get it: it’s hard sometimes to get your two litres of water in, but having a reusable water bottle to hand can make a big step in achieving this. Happy skin prepping.
Much love Kate xx
