It's time to have fun with your skincare.
Don't worry, you'll still get the results you want.
A confession.
In the last few years I may have taken beauty a little bit too seriously. Around the time I turned 40 I started to need something from my skincare that I hadn’t asked of it before - to work.
Sounds daft, right? But in the past, I’d needed my moisturisers to do little more than prevent water loss. I’d used serums because I could, but I’d never gone beyond their sensorial experience and thought about any greater, long-term benefit they would deliver.
Apart from acne in my teens, my skin didn’t present with any major issues and, if truth be told, as my 40th birthday approached I didn’t have any real concerns, I just became aware of what my skincare could prevent in the long-term rather than how it could make it feel/look in the short term.
It was then I realised I hadn’t been nearly as diligent with SPF as I should have been, that there were far too many times I hadn’t cleansed thoroughly enough and a cold fear ran through me that my face would begin to show the signs of all that negligence.
In the eight years since, I have bleated on endlessly about antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, SPF and retinol. I have chosen a skincare camp and that camp is functional and effective and meant that I turned my back on the ritual of a skincare routine, the pampering of layering serums and the luxury of texture, scent and experience.
Lately though, I have been relaxing. Partly because everyone deserves a little bit of pampering and also because there are new formulations that are just as effective and efficient as they are pleasurable to use.
It means that I can broaden my skincare repertoire to include a variety of textures, incorporate layers that are pleasing and, for the first time in a while, play. All the while, still with my eye on the ultimate prize, which is to put my skin in the best condition possible.
To that end, I’ve been playing with the Yepoda serums. Yepoda is a Korean skincare brand with the kinds of textures and layers you’d expect plus impressive results. Instead of faff and nonsense from layering, each one feels as though it’s making a difference. I’ve been using The Purify Hero, £21, on areas like my chin and temple where my skin can get congested. It’s gently exfoliating, astringent and my skin looks smoother when I use it.
I follow this up with The Repair Hero, £21, which drenches my skin with hydration, is packed with niacinamide and makes my skin feel bouncy. Finally, a few drops of The Glow Hero, £21, mixed into my moisturiser adds to the ‘bounce’ and taking the time to press and tap this into my skin does make it look and feel revived.
All three work incredibly well together but are also excellent used on their own as and when you need them.
Peptides are a hot topic in skincare at the moment and, if I was staying true to my functional beauty routine, I may have given them a swerve. However, I saw my friend Nadine Baggott recently and her skin looked incredible. When I asked what she was using, she rattled off the names of a few peptide serums. A few days later I saw my friend Susan Yara when she presented the new peptide cream from her brand Naturium. Well, that did it!
Since then I’ve been layering peptides like crazy. Peptides are short chain amino acids, the building blocks of proteins such as collagen and elastin. They are also humectants so, in skincare, they support skin and also keep it hydrated, dewy and plumped. Sign me up.
The Naturium Multi-Peptide Rich Cream, £27, is truly glorious. I’ve been applying over the Multi-Peptide Advanced Serum, £27, and then sealing it in with the Botanics Reusable Silicone Mask, £7, which is utterly brilliant and works with any serum or cream to maximise its absorption.
More than just play though, loosening my ‘rules’ around skincare has opened my mind to using ingredients I might have overlooked previously. A year ago, had I been told about exosomes, I might have thought, ‘that’s nice!’ but never incorporated it into my own skincare.
However, when my friends at The Inkey List revealed their Exosome Hydro-Glow Complex, £20, my ears pricked up. And when I saw Inkey’s founder Colette looking not just radiant but as though she had glass skin, which she attributed to three months of uninterrupted use of the lab samples, I immediately started using it myself.
This particular serum renews and resurfaces but also hydrates and strengthens while being suitable for all skin types, including those prone to sensitivity. It boosts collagen production, delivers intense hydration, triggers cell renewal and enhances skin firmness. All for £20.
I’ve been using it twice daily for three weeks and I’m impressed. In the evening, I use it on cleansed skin a good half an hour before I apply my Klira Special serum and the combo has been working really well for me.
While I still stand by the simplicity and efficacy of a skincare routine that involves an antioxidant, hyaluronic acid, occasional AHA/BHA, retinol and SPF, it is a lot of fun concocting something, whether it’s in the morning or the evening, that gives a little bit of that fun without compromising on results.
Which skincare camp are you in? Simple yet functional or fun and experiential?
Love peptides. I’m adding this moisturiser recommendation to my list of next to try along with the inkey list serum. I’m always going to use my renew and me serum at night, but I’m definitely up for being more experimental with other products. At 46 with peri menopausal skin hydration is currently key for me.
Do you know; can exosomes be used in the same routine as tretinoin? And how about Ascorbic acid?