5 skincare tips I wish I’d known sooner

So, this isn’t something I usually blog about, but I have found blogs really useful in helping me with various skincare problems over the years so I thought I would share what has worked for me.

I have extremely dry, sensitive skin which is also blemish prone. When I get a spot or a cut, it seems to take forever to heal and I am often left with red marks afterwards. Yet, a lot of the skincare products I have tried over the years have made things worse rather than better.

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Here are 5 tips that I wish I had known sooner:

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1) Sunscreen is for every day

I know that I am probably the only person on the planet who didn’t know this, but I had always assumed that the SPF you often already find in face cream and make-up would be enough. I had thought that you only needed to put on dedicated sunscreen when on holiday. Instead, it is something that you should be wearing under your make-up (if you wear any) every single day, even if it’s not particularly sunny. It not only helps to protect your skin but also helps to even out the tone of your skin so, overall, your skin is healthier and looks it.

I use the Simple SPF 30 face cream which is an absolute steal as it layers under make-up without pilling and is the cheapest high SPF face cream I have found.

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2) Face masks should be a regular part of your routine

I had always assumed that face masks were for times when you felt like a little extra pampering and associated them with a girly sleepover or a weekend at the spa. But, used as a regular part of your facial skincare routine, they really have an impact on how good your skin looks. I try to use a mask once a week and have noticed a big improvement in my skin and in how quickly any blemishes heal.

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3) Eye cream doesn’t go on your eyelids

For a long time I didn’t even use eye cream even though I had heard from lots of people that you should. I had thought that my normal face cream would do the job, but started using it recently after picking up a nice cream quite cheaply. The jury is still out on whether or not eye cream really has much impact, with some swearing by it and others remaining unfussed.

But the thing I wish I had known is exactly where to apply it – eye cream goes below the eye, right down to your cheekbones, right around the edge of your eye socket and up to your eyebrows but NOT on your eyelids. That is a surefire way to have stinging eyes. Perhaps I’m an idiot for not realising that eye cream didn’t actually go on your eyelids, but I’m sure I’m not the only person to have made that mistake!

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4) Vaseline (petroleum jelly) is amazing

Vaseline has a bit of mixed press. I remember reading as a teenager that it could be used to help your eyelashes become fuller, tame your eyebrows and as lipbalm. Then, reading later about how it could block your pores and cause spots to get worse. More recent research shows that Vaseline is non-comedogenic i.e. it does not block your pores. In fact, it can’t as the particles are too large to enter your pores.

I tried Vaseline again recently after my nose became chapped and sore when I had a cold – applied petroleum jelly and woke up to soft skin which didn’t hurt at all! There are even people out there using Vaseline as a night mask or acne treatment as it seals in the moisture of other products applied before it. While I’m not brave enough to apply it all over my face (more worried about the pillows!) I do now use it for areas of stubborn dry skin and find it works wonders.

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5) Even spotty skin needs moisture

As a teenage I suffered horribly with a combination of acne and eczema. The moisturising products for the eczema seemed to make the spots worse while the products for getting rid of acne left my skin dry, flaky and angry. I wish I had realised sooner that even skin with spots needs moisture to help it heal and repair. I probably did a lot of damage to my skin and certainly caused myself lots of discomfort in continuing to use anti-acne products which dried my skin out.

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Were any of these tips useful for you?

Or am I just a complete idiot for not realising these things sooner?

Have you got any skincare tips that you wish you had know sooner?

Would you like to see more posts like this?

Let me know in the comments!

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Or read a book review of The Toy Makers or Sunflowers in February.

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