Forget three simple steps. These days your skincare routine can be longer than the weekly grocery list.
But it pays to invest time (and a little extra money) into your skincare – because if you create a base of great skin, you won’t need to do too much else. Think about it: if your complexion is even in tone, you can forgo foundation (and possibly even concealer), and if it’s glowing with good health, you won’t require all those lashings of illuminiser to fake the effect.
That’s why makeup artists backstage at the major fashion shows are increasingly spending time on the skin side of things. Makeup artist Tom Pecheux (pictured with model, below) and his team lavished models with loads of skincare TLC – they even scored a facial massage, to help pep up sluggish circulation and brighten the complexion up (models’ faces are notoriously tired come Paris, the fourth leg of Fashion Month).
In the end, the girls looked so amazingly glowy and dewy, that Tom & Co needed to apply no more than a dab of concealer here and there, and a dash of Chapstick.
But for those of us who don’t have a top beauty expert at hand to administer our lotions and potions, sorting out which skincare product to apply when, where and how can be a confusing business.
To clear matters up (and your skin to boot), here’s our cheat-sheet to effective skincare layering …
CLEANSE. If your skin isn’t free of makeup, oil and the various other debris that skin accumulates during a regular day, there’s little point applying anything else – as your complexion won’t absorb it effectively. Tip: if your cleanser is active (i.e., if it promises to do anything beyond cleanse, such as soothe, de-age or exfoliate), leave it on for a few minutes so it can work to full effect.
PREPARE. Toners: so old-school. The new-generation version is the skin softener (AKA a skin water, essence, tonic or lotion). Splash onto a cotton pad and smooth over clean skin – its hydrating effect will allow your follow-up serum to fuse into skin. The best preparations also mix in extra nutrients – after all, healthy skin needs as many antioxidants as it can get. Three to try: Bobbi Brown Extra Treatment Lotion, Estée Lauder Nutritious Radiant Vitality Energy Lotion and YSL Forever Youth Liberator Lotion. Good to know: a trusty skin mist can also work nicely here.
CORRECT. Now that your skin is prepped, it’s time for your beauty MVP – the product you’re using to correct your main skin concern or stress. If you’ve broken out, dab on a spot treatment (keep it localised to avoid skin dehydration). Rosacea? Reach for a calming serum. If it’s pigmentation that keeps your awake at night, hit the skin-brightener bottle. Or if you’re fighting general signs of ageing, go for an AHA treatment.
SERUM. Serums tend to fall into two camps: the givers and the fighters. The givers hydrate, nourish, plump up and pamper skin (hyaluronic acid, antioxidants), while the fighters are the serious anti-agers (usually some form of vitamin A). You can use multiple serums at any given time – a general rule of thumb is that the lighter, more watery formulations go on first. A note on retinol: apply at night only, on completely dry skin, which helps minimise the irritation factor.
OIL. If you’re a facial oil fan, now’s the time to work your favourite blend all over. If you have the time, spend several minutes massaging it in – à la Balmain!
CREAM. A facial oil might be nourishing enough for you, if not move onto this luscious formulation – it drenches skin with hydration and seal all previous treatments in, as well as keeping the skin’s barrier function strong.
SUNSCREEN. Use a high-SPF broad-spectrum screen all year round to fend off the UV rays that are skin’s enemy number-one. Naturally, sunscreen gets the night off. At this time, consider swapping your usual cream for a P.M version – the extra goodies in night cream make the most of the fact that skin is in regenerative mode when we sleep.