With so many different skincare products on the market, from ones targeting fine lines to redness, or promising the best skin of your life, finding the right products and maintaining a skincare routine can feel like a time-consuming, and expensive challenge!
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However, with these tips, you can put your products to use for longer (therefore saving time and money) all while improving your skin!
Skip the morning cleanse
It turns out that you might not need to cleanse in the morning! Unless your skin is particularly oily or acne prone, you could benefit from not washing your face with a facial soap every morning. This is because it can undo the moisturising and protective properties of your nighttime skin routine, making skin even drier.
Instead, rinse your face with just water or sweep a light micellar water over your face with your fingers or a cotton pad, and apply your morning skincare routine as normal.
Do your skincare by numbers
To make your skincare products last longer, apply them as if you're doing a paint-by-numbers piece of art. This means only applying targeted skincare products, like serums, toners, and oils to the areas of the face that actually need them.
For example, if you have enlarged pores around your nose, just applying your salicylic acid product to that area will minimise the amount of product you need, as well as prevent any unwanted side effects on other areas of the face that aren't so oily!
Apply the right amount of product
Making sure that you're applying the right amount of a product not only makes sure you're getting the most benefits from your skincare but will help you to stop using up your products too quickly (as over-application is a common skincare mistake).
Here's a handy list to work out how much is the right amount for each skincare product:
- Makeup removing oil and balms - between 1-3 pumps of oil should be sufficient to ensure your hands glide smoothly over your face. For solid balms, a portion the size of a grape should be used.
- Gel or milk face wash - 1-2 pumps (or a serving the size of a teaspoon)
- Toner/Essence - to stretch your product, apply a few splashes of a liquid toner or essence to your face using your fingertips, not a saturated cotton pad.
- Serum - 1-2 pumps (or an amount the size of a 20p coin)
- Moisturiser - an amount the size of 2-3 blueberries
- Oil - between 2-5 drops
- SPF - 2-3 finger lengths depending on the size of your face
Sources used:
Beauty trap: 'TOP 10 BUDGET-FRIENDLY SKINCARE HACKS FOR FLAWLESS SKIN'
Caroline Hirons: 'CHEAT SHEET – HOW MUCH PRODUCT SHOULD YOU USE?'
