Whether you’ve been stuck in a make-up rut for decades, want to finally address pores, pimples and pigmentation, or work on your skin health holistically, we’ve got you covered.
Support your barrier
It’s easy to get carried away with the latest and greatest actives, acids and wonder ingredients, but an overload of products or using those that are unsuitable for your skin type can cause a compromised barrier. A healthy skin barrier not only fends off damaging environmental aggressors like pollution, it helps skin retain essential moisture to keep it plump, healthy and glowing. To avoid dullness, dryness, redness, sensitivity and spots, which are all synonymous with a weakened barrier, support it by paring all products right back and nourish and protect skin simply with gentle cleansers, hydrating moisturisers and SPF always.
Protect at all costs
The number one skincare tip that any aesthetician or skin therapist will almost always share, is to protect skin with SPF every single day – not just when it’s sunny or you’re at the beach. Daily UV exposure, experienced both indoors and out, contributes to premature ageing and skin cancer, so make it a non-negotiable part of your morning routine.
Try one that moisturises and helps reduce pigmentation as it works, like Dermalogica PowerBright Moisturiser SPF50, $124, or a gorgeous 4-in-1 like Naked Sundays SPF50+ Collagen Glow 100% Mineral Perfecting Priming Lotion, $42.50, that acts as a primer, moisturiser, SPF and collagen booster.
Address concerns
Whatever the reason is that you’re compelled to finally address your skin concerns – staring at your face on countless Zoom calls, too much time spent at home catching your reflection in the mirror, or an unflattering summer snap – there’s a plethora of potent products available to help. Retinol is widely regarded as skincare’s wonder ingredient, helping to reduce wrinkles, refine skin texture and give it a youthful firmness and glow. Kiehl’s Skin Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Treatment, $155, can be used morning and night and won’t cause any of the common side effects (redness, dryness and peeling) often associated with retinol. For women experiencing congestion and blemishes, salicylic acid is the salve.
The Ordinary’s new Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution, $9.58 (5), effectively decongests skin and visibly reduces pore size.
Go beyond your face
Great skin doesn’t stop at your jawline. It’s crucial to nourish your body from the neck down, especially in summer. Use products that contain the same vitamins, extracts and enzymes we usually reserve for our visage. Tronque Rich as Croesus Firming Butter, $130, delivers intense, long-lasting moisture thanks to its clean, nutrient-rich formulation. The NZ-made, velvety cream smells of honey and vanilla and helps to increase elasticity, nourish and smooth dehydrated skin, brighten tone and fade pigmentation.
Practice self-care
Take control of your mornings by making your skincare regime part of a self-care ritual. As well as taking time to start the day in a mindful way, a facial massage with a beautiful natural oil reduces puffiness, improves circulation and gets skin glowing.
Use a Skintopia Rose Quartz Facial Roller, $59, to work in Kari Gran’s Essential Serum, $95, to your face, neck and décolletage. The potent blend of organic plant oils – sea buckthorn, camellia and rosehip seed – works to brighten, moisturise and calm your complexion.
Nourish from the inside out
Support your topical skincare regime by boosting it from the inside. The power of ingestible beauty products means that your entire body benefits from the ingredients, not just your face. Thea Matcha’s Collagen Powder, $75, not only contains 10 grams of collagen and vitamin C to increase absorption, it also delivers all the benefits associated with green tea. These include amazing antioxidant and cell protecting qualities, collagen protection by inhibiting collagenase – the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of collagen – and stress relief, with L-Theanine promoting alpha waves in the brain which helps with relaxation.
Update your scent
Summer is a great time to update your fragrance. While there’s a good reason many of us remain steadfastly dedicated to our long-term signature scent – we associate certain smells with happy memories – why not recharge your olfactory system and switch it up with a luxurious new NZ-made scent this year? The Virtue’s 1987 Parfum, $189, is a white floral, bursting with notes of jasmine, tuberose, gardenia and white musk – perfect for warm weather.
Do a product audit
Channel your inner Marie Kondo and attack your bathroom cupboards and drawers. Get a fresh start by throwing away any expired makeup or skincare – all beauty products have a little box logo on the side with a number on it, which indicates how many months they’re good for, once opened. Using out-of-date products may not just be ineffective, but old make-up can actually cause infections. Be ruthless and throw away anything you haven’t used for the past year and sort products into categories. It’ll give you a good perspective on what you actually need, moving forward.