5 Steps To Your Best Skin Ever

Who doesn’t want a perfect complexion? Effortlessly flawless skin is certainly in the spotlight at the minute with the likes of Marc Jacobs parading some beautiful bare faces on the runway, so it’s unlikely that our desire to achieve natural, healthy beauty will recede any time soon. Here are 5 steps to help make this summer your best skin season yet.

1. Treat problem skin with salicylic acid

For those with problem or acne-prone skin, products that contain salicylic acid will work wonders! Salicylic acid is sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat extreme cases of acne and can be found in small quantities in many skin care products. It helps to soothe angry skin, clear spots and unclog blocked pores. Salicylic acid is great for exfoliating the skin without the need to use abrasive cloths or micro beads, which can further irritate sensitive skin. Look out for products such as Origins' Deep Pore Cleanser with Saw Palmetto & Mint.

2. Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise!

Scientists have found that those with drier skin will develop wrinkles at a quicker rate than those who do not and no-one wants wrinkles! It’s really important to keep skin hydrated and thorough moisturising will help to keep skin plump and smooth. A great moisturiser for those of you with very dry skin is La Roche Posay’s Nutritic Intense Riche Nutri-Reconstituting Cream which, as the name would suggest, really intensely moisturises the skin without feeling overly heavy or sticky on the skin.

3. Drink Lots of Water

This is the single most important step to beautiful skin! The fact is that moisturiser alone is not enough so you need to keep your skin hydrated in another way too. Drinking lots of water is great for keeping the skin plump, which helps to reduce the appearance of large pores, fine lines and wrinkles. Well hydrated skin appears brighter and clearer by maintaining a good water to oil balance, therefore preventing your skin from becoming overly oily, which can lead to break outs and black heads. Replacing sugary drinks with water is an easy way to cut down on your sugar intake which can also help to clear up problem skin.

4. Soothe Puffy Eyes

No one wants to walk around looking like they haven’t slept in days and getting rid of puffiness under the eyes is one easy way to make you appear fresh and wide awake. You can try the classic natural remedy of relaxing with a couple of cucumber slices on each eye, which really works to cool the area around the eye and make eyes appear brighter. Alternatively, for those of us who are always dashing out the door and don’t have time to spare to pamper ourselves, try Benefit’s Puff Off! which has a soothing zinc applicator to help reduce puffiness and light reflecting particles to instantly blur the appearance of dark circles.

5. Sleep

Picture the scene: you've got a whole lot of things to do at ten o’clock at night right before an early morning start. What is it that usually gets sacrificed? Sleep! Getting a good nights sleep is so important to maintain healthy skin. When we sleep our skin repairs and rebuilds itself and if you are not getting enough sleep your body doesn’t have enough time to do this. As a result, skin can often look pale, washed out, and dull. To help you get your full eight hours, spray your favourite relaxing scent such as lavender or chamomile, onto your pillow before you sleep or try burning a similarly scented candle in your bedroom before bed - just remember to blow it out before you turn in for the night!