10 Simple Skincare Rules To Live By

Whether you’re a skincare obsessive, junkie, or newbie, it’s always good to take it back to basics and remind ourselves of the key things to keep in mind when it comes to our skin. The skincare world can be overwhelming at times, filled with fancy new ingredients and conflicting info, making it difficult to know what’s right and what isn’t. So we’re here to break it down for you and give you the basics, whether you’ve just started learning about your skin or you’ve got pretty much every serum there is, read on to find out about our 10 simple skincare rules to live by.

It’s the golden rule of beauty that’s been drummed into us since the first time we applied dream matte mousse – never ever sleep in your makeup. There’s so many reasons why not to do this, that it’s difficult to know where to start… Not only will it clog you pores and more than likely lead to breakouts, but it can also trap dirt, oil, sweat, and pollutants onto the skin, which can result in decreased hydration levels, the destruction of collagen, and premature aging if done regularly. Basically, don’t be lazy and take it off before you hit the pillow.

Day-to-day activities can throw a lot at our skin from a build-up of sweat and oils, to dirt and pollution from the environment around us. That’s why cleansing not once, but twice is essential to making sure your skin is clear of makeup, SPF, pollutants, and bacteria. To take off the majority of your makeup and SPF, start with a balmy cleanser similar to the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, which is effective and nourishing at the same time. To refresh the skin and remove any extra residue, use a gel cleanser as your second cleanse – our fave is the Skincare By BEAUTY BAY Super Jelly Cleansing Gel thanks to its skin-balancing prebiotics.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, SPF is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. This daily essential is arguably the most important step in your skincare routine. SPF has been proven to be the only product that single-handedly delays signs of premature aging, as it protects against the damaging UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Not only that, but SPF also helps to protect against pigmentation and skin cancer, which is reason enough to invest in making this a daily habit. Not sure where to start? The Ultrasun Face SPF30 is a basic-in-a-good-way SPF that works for almost any skin type.

There’s nothing we love more than reading/hearing a great skincare review and instantly adding it to our bags. But it’s important to remember that what works for your best friend isn’t always going to work the same for you, so save yourself the disappointment and always keep your own skin type in mind when purchasing your latest skincare goodie. As a general rule, lighter textures are better for oilier skin types, whereas the rich textures are more favourable for dry skin types, and if you’ve got acne then salicylic is your BFF.

A lot of our skin woes all have something in common – they may be due to lack of hydration. Just as water is essential for our survival, hydration is the key to your best skin. And we’re not just talking about hyaluronic acids and thirst-quenching moisturisers – consuming your recommended eight glasses a day is just as important, as it helps to flush the body of any toxins that can show through dull skin texture, dehydrated complexions, and breakouts. Looking for a go-to hydrating moisturiser? Then you’ll be needing the Skincare By BEAUTY BAY Thirst Class Rich Moisturiser.

Prone to a skin flare-up when you’re feeling the pressure? There’s a reason for that. When we’re stressed, our adrenal glands go into over-drive and produce the stress hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol can in turn make your sebaceous glands step up a gear, resulting in more sebum, clogged pores, and breakouts. Another symptom of stress is that your blood flow increases and vessels can expand, which results in the appearance of redness. Long story short, stress is not good for your skin, but we know it can be unavoidable. Make sure to take some time out, get plenty of sleep in order for your skin to fully repair and recoup, and maybe practice some breathing techniques or yoga.

There are few ingredients that work well for absolutely everyone, but vitamin C is one of them. There’s good reason that this hero ingredient has found its way into some of our favourite formulas for years on end – it helps to boost collagen, smooths out fine lines and wrinkles, increases your natural glow, is an antioxidant (which fights off free radicals), AND helps to even skin tone. Need any more convincing? We thought not.

Facial oils seem to split people into two distinct camps – people who cannot get enough of them, and those who instantly think of a greasy complexion that no amount of powder is going to help. We’re glad to report that the latter are wrong – facial oils can work for everybody, yep, even those of you with oily skin types. If you purchase a good quality, plant-based facial oil then it will not clog your pores and result in breakouts. Instead it will soften and condition the skin, whilst strengthening the natural barrier against bacteria and breakouts. A fool-proof formula that works for just about everyone is The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane, so add yours to your bag now and we promise that you’ll never look back.

It’s true that just about all of our skincare is focused on the face and we spare very few thoughts for the eyes, but they are just as important. As much as we try to hide tiredness and dark circles with concealer, we all know that great skincare = great makeup. The skin around the eyes is much thinner than on the rest of the face and can be prone to showing signs of aging, dark circles, and puffiness. Give your eyes that extra bit of TLC by investing in an eye cream and using it religiously. A good starting point is the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream as it’s gentle, hydrating, and affordable.

If premature aging is something your concerned about, then we can’t stress just how important this point is. There are so many ‘anti-aging’ products out there that claim to work miracles on your skin, but if you put in the work early and use preventative measures, you’re much more likely to see better results than you are with trying to reverse the effects. Keeping hydration levels topped up, invest in good skincare, and being consistent is all key to keeping your skin looking its best. So, invest in that eye cream (see point 9) and don’t slack on the SPF (see point 3) and you’ll be thanking us later.