Looking after your skin is an important part of health – it keeps our insides in and the outside out. Our skin is a great external sign of our internal health, so we must pay attention to it! While obviously maintaining good skin health through nutrition, good quality and quantity of sleep, and adequate hydration – here are my top tips for good skin care!

Cleansing

Removing dirt and excess oil from my face is a vital part of my night-time routine. I like to use an oily balm cleanser to keep my skin supple, and avoid drying it out unnecessarily.  Even with make-up on, I blob a great plop of cleanser on my face and start working it in. I think it’s really important to massage the muscles under the skin of the face; the forehead, temples and eye socket muscles can accumulate tension, especially when we’re stressed. The skin of our faces is underpinned by these muscles, so if they are relaxed and smooth, your face will be too.

If these muscles hold tension, it may also reduce lymphatic fluid draining from the face, leading to puffiness and swelling. Once I have massaged the muscles for a minute or so, I use my finger tips to lightly brush down over my face, towards the neck to help the lymph to drain.

Remove with a warm flannel to lightly exfoliate away dead skin cells.

Toning

A toner can take away any remaining dirt from the face. Using a toner with glycolic acid will gently chemically exfoliate the face – keeping pores clear of dead skin cells which could accumulate to cause blemishes. Swipe this over the face on a cotton pad.

Here is where I also like to use a product with retinol. Retinol is a refined form of vitamin A, and one of the few substances with clinical data to back it up as an antiaging product. The idea being that vitamin A and C are very important in the production of collagen, the component of skin that gives it a youthful elasticity.

Moisturising

Now is the time to use a good SPF. Sun protection is one of the most important steps in keeping your skin looking youthful, and keeping it protected from developing malignancy. It is recommended to use a sun screen with UVA and UVB protection. An SPF of 30 is normally adequate in the UK, and you will find it in many moisturisers available on the high street. It isn’t important to spend a lot of money on moisturising products, but it is important to make sure they protect your skin to an appropriate level.