SkinTalk: The Forgettables

Aymee Chingwara

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Skincare should feel easy. I say this statement attentive to the fact that everybody has different skincare needs and that some steps may not work for others. With that being said, today’s SkinTalk is moving away from “holy grails” that may not be as heavenly as they ought to be. Instead, I’ll be looking into the overlooked and neglected. These steps are so simple and can be implemented into your everyday routine without you even noticing that you’re caring for your skin.

Trying these minimal steps will cost you little to no money, all they require is for you to be consistent.

Cleaning make-up brushes regularly

To cut a long story short, if you are somebody who loves to explore with makeup, you know that your brushes and beauty blenders are the pillars of the entire skincare process. Not cleaning your brushes can cause acne breakouts, rashes, and irritations. To avoid this, some people opt to throw away their brushes and start a-fresh. However, a much more cost-effective and planet-friendly approach would be to use micellar water to clean away all the built-up dirt and oils. Micellar water can be purchased from your local Boots which is stocked up in the 400ml bottle of ‘Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water’ for only £5.50.

The first step in cleaning your brushes would be to place them into a jug of hot water that submerges only the brush and the beauty blenders. It’s important that you don’t submerge the entire body of the brushes as this can cause damage, weakening the glue that holds the bristles in place.  Then, add 10ml of the micellar water and leave it to rest for thirty-minutes to an hour. Finally, rinse the brushes under warm water, adding drops off the micellar water. Although this task may seem like a lot of work, it’s important that you do it till no make-up residue appears.

Good beauty hygiene habits should not be ignored, especially when it comes to your skin itself, which leads us onto the next tip.

Change your bedding regularly

There are two things to be aware of here: sweat and dead skin cells clogging up your pores. According to the ‘Sleep Foundation’, your pillowcases should be washed at least once a week and your duvet covers once every two weeks to a month.

Take vitamins

One of the best ways to protect your skin is by ensuring your vitamin intake is sufficient. Some of the best vitamins for maintaining healthy skin are vitamin E, B7, B3, C, and  D. They are all packed with amazing nutrients ready to protect your skin barrier, act as anti-agers, blemish-cleansers and more. If you are someone who is unsure about what vitamins to take, try Wellwoman original for £6.49 and Wellwoman Plus for £15.79 from Holland & Barrett are a good place to start.

However, for our babes on budgets, these vitamins can be found in foods that you eat on a daily basis. Vitamins B3 and B7 are found in eggs, milk, and wholegrains, while vitamin C can be sourced from fruits and vegetables.

With vitamin D, it’s more so a matter of being outdoors and soaking up the sun, which is perfect as we enter the summer months. However, make sure you use SPF if you’re out for longer than 15 minutes, as this can contribute to premature aging and even the possibility of developing skin cancer. Additionally, in colder climates you may need to supplement vitamin D with a tablet in the winter months.

If you’re not someone who’s keen on taking soluble vitamin capsules, finding the right way to take vitamin E may be a struggle, as it’s hard to place unless you’re regularly consuming seeds, nuts and cooking oil. I have found that the vitamin E overnight serum oil from The Body Shop for £16 has been the better option. Whilst the bottle may appear small in size, the oil has long life. Especially for people with dry or dull skin, it’s definitely a moisture boost to invest in.

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Featured image courtesy of kevin laminto via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.