The simple but effective skincare swaps to make for spring and summer, from £9.35
In this regular new series, Ageless Beauty, The Telegraph’s beauty experts Annabel Jones and Lisa Armstrong tackle the beauty conundrums they’ve been searching for answers to and share their favourite tips and tricks. This week, they discuss simple and effective swaps for the new season’s skincare. Ask them your questions below...
I’m an advocate for simple skincare routines, especially as you age – too many products all at once can lead to chaos. That said, each season brings new skin foibles to address.
For me, the changes typically begin when the central heating goes off and the weather outside improves. Whereas in winter I lean on balmy cleansers to quench dehydration, in spring and summer the heat and humidity calls for a deeper cleanse to unclog pores. I find a foaming cleanser is best at trapping dirt and impurities but old-gen foams can be stripping, so I’ve had to shop around for one that leaves my skin barrier intact. Cetaphil’s Gentle Soothing Foam Wash for dry to sensitive skin (£9.35) is unparalleled in that it removes all impurities – including make-up – but leaves skin satiny soft thanks to the addition of ceramides and glycerin. I follow with a serum, and in summer that’s usually vitamin C to boost intrinsic radiance (the skin glow is real), and to boost the skin’s defences against free radicals.
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Serum, £165, though expensive, is the one I go back to time after time as it combines 15% vitamin C with vitamin E and Ferulic acid for extra protection. I apply two drops to my face, two on my decolletage (your skincare should stop at your chest) and one on each hand before massaging in. What I spend on serum I save on moisturiser, as in spring and summer I skip face creams for a hydrating SPF (you don’t necessarily need both). Ultra Violette’s Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial SPF50, £34, gives broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection along with skincare ingredients like peptides and kakadu plum, negating the need for a separate face cream.
If your skin is sensitive or oily, then try their Lean Screen, a zinc-only formula that doesn’t leave behind a white cast. I use the same cleanser at night, but may include an exfoliating toner once or twice a week to mitigate dullness. Right now I’m enjoying Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting Liquid Exfoliant with 6% Mandelic and 2% Lactic acid, from £13. While I don’t go in for aggressive acids, AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) are larger molecules that slow down the absorption of the resurfacing acids meaning skin appears brighter and smoother, without undue sensitivity.
Annabel’s skincare kit
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Serum, £165; Cetaphil’s Gentle Soothing Foam Wash, £9.35
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting Liquid Exfoliant, from £13; Ultra Violette’s Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial SPF50, £34
Just as we change our wardrobes for warmer weather, it’s helpful to swap a few seasonal beauty ingredients and routines around. At 62, I stick year-round to a rich balmy cleanser – UpCircle’s one is packed with fatty acids and vitamin E and is a reasonable £20.99.
I love how gentle and nourishing balms feel and the soothing process of massaging them in then wiping them off with a warm flannel. (Never very hot since a skin expert told me hot water is bad for the skin. The skin-obsessed South Koreans often use cold water to clean).
But once I’m using more SPF, I add a power cleanser to the mix two or three times a week, depending on how my skin feels. I don’t usually use designer skin care – it’s too fragranced and over packaged for my liking, but Chanel’s Powder-to-Foam Cleanser, £46, mixed with water, is brilliant (although talking of packaging, my dispenser broke, not an uncommon problem apparently. I had to decant it into a glass jar.) It really isn’t very foamy – a good thing – has no potentially harmful ingredients, and, thanks to the Camellia Japonica seed oil in it, is non-drying. It makes my pores feel as though they’ve been spring-cleaned and it lasts ages. Has to be the right water though. Princessy, moi? I live in London. The water’s hard and mean. Since I began using a KLEAN water filter attachment to eliminate the less desirable minerals, my hair and skin feel super soft.
I don’t really use Vitamin C – I think all acids should be treated with respect and not chucked on willy-nilly. I know people who swear by it but I couldn’t see any difference when I used it. Maybe it’s because my daily facial massage routine and face brushing with these special gentle brushes, £30 for two from Alexandra Soveral keeps my skin glowy. All her products are gorgeous.
Once I’ve cleansed, if my skin feels dry, I add hyaluronic acid which despite the name, isn’t acid. Face oil is a must, especially if I’m flying. My skin soaks it up – maybe I’ve created a dependency. I rotate – rosehip, rose…currently I love Prickly Pear. You can see a visible difference in your skin really quickly. Victoria Health’s version is a good price.
At night I use eye cream, currently Neal’s Yard’s Frankincense eye cream, £35, because I’m also using their lovely rejuvenating Frankincense Moisturiser. It’s rich but easily absorbed.
I add SPF separately. I don’t think moisturisers contain a high enough percentage of the stuff to be properly effective. I mostly hate the feel of liquid SPFs, but I can live with the sticks and they’re less messy. Heliocare’s Sport Transparent Stick SPF 50, £11.49, is excellent and scores highly on the Yuka app, which if you don’t know it, gives the low-down on the ingredients in hundreds of beauty and household products
Et voila. High, low, simple and effective.
Lisa’s skincare kit
Prickly Pear Oil from Victoria Health, £22; Chanel’s Powder-to-Foam Cleanser, £46
UpCircle Cleanser, £20.99; Heliocare’s Sport Transparent Stick SPF 50, £11.49; Neal’s Yard’s Frankincense eye cream, £35
