While there is no arguing that a good skin care cream is one of the main building blocks for young, healthy looking skin, you need to give whatever cream you choose to use a good base to work on. If you are applying cream to dead and dying skin cells, then you are really limiting the amount of work it can do when it comes to deeply moisturising your skin as it will be soaked up by the dead skin cells almost completely before it gets through to the new skin underneath. The best way to make sure your skin is getting the most from your skin care cream is to exfoliate your skin regularly to remove all the dead skin cells that tend to build up, and it will also give your skin a good boost, leaving it glowing and fresh.
There are many different exfoliating products on the market, and getting the right one for your skin type is very important. If you choose a product that is too harsh for your skin you risk leaving your skin looking more red and raw than pink and glowing, something that you really want to avoid! You should already have a good idea of your skin type by the type of skin cream you are using, for instance you might have oily or combination skin, or on the other end of the scale you might have very dry, sensitive skin. Whatever your skin type there will be a facial exfoliator that is suitable for you.
St Ives Apricot Scrub range is one excellent example of the variety of exfoliators that are available. Their invigorating scrub is suitable for all skin types, and will be suitable for most people, however if your skin is at the extreme end of either oily or dry and sensitive then you may find this kind of generic face scrub is not the best for your skin. For very oily skin that is prone to break outs St Ives do a scrub specifically for oily or acne prone skin which will be much more suitable and will help gently remove excess oils while giving your skin the deep clean it needs. If you have very sensitive skin then you will need to be very careful about the kind of exfoliators you use, however St Ives do a lovely Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin that is very soft and gentle, giving you all the benefits of a facial scrub without the risk of irritating your skin.
There are also face scrubs that you can use everyday, however make sure you are using a scrub that is specifically made for daily use, otherwise it will be far too harsh for your skin and you risk making you skin sore. Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub is a perfect example of this type of exfoliator, with Soy extracts and gentle microbeads it gives gentle, moisturising exfoliation to your skin. Using a face scrub every day means there is no build up of dead skin cells, grease and grime that even if you cleanse your face thoroughly will always occur. The long term effect of this build up is skin that looks dull and lifeless, and no amount of skin care cream can help reverse this effect. Aveeno’s face scrub is soap free meaning it won’t strip your skin of all it’s essential oils, and is also oil free so it won’t clog your freshly cleansed pores.
Finding the right exfoliating face scrub can make such a huge difference to the look and feel of your skin that it should be an integral part of everyone’s skin care routine. Whether you choose to use a daily or weekly exfoliator, the main thing is you are giving you skin care cream a blank canvas to work it’s magic on, giving you a glowing, radiant complexion all year round.
This is perfect for dry or dehydrated skin, but is lightweight so doesn’t leave your skin feeling clogged and heavy. With a slight tint, this balm is an excellent alternative to foundation, and blends in easily and smoothly leaving a beautifully dewy finish, making you skin look younger and radiant instantly. With a high SPF this balm protects your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays which it moisturises your skin to keep it hydrated.
This balm is designed to cleanse your skin thoroughly but gently, with a combination of some fantastic ingredients which form a luxurious, vegan skin cleanser and make up remover. With vitamins A, C and E for moisturising, conditioning and nourishing your skin and plant-derived lipids to help melt away even the most stubborn waterproof make-up. A soft, clear balm that melts easily to smooth away make up with the need for rubbing, it can be used for the whole face, and will even take off lip stains that can sometimes be a nightmare to remove.
This is yet another variety of skin balm and is an exfoliating balm, which helps to remove tired and dead skin cells to leave behind fresh, soft skin. The balm also nourishes the skin as it exfoliates with tiny micro-exfoliating beads that are gentle but effective. With some powerful ingredients such as prebiotics and peptides to help keep your skin in perfect heath and MSM repair and regenerating complex, this balm is a great all rounder for your skin. Easy to use and wash off, the balm goes on smoothly and turns to a light milk when in comes into contact with water so it simply rinses away to leave behind soft, clean, glowing skin.
This is a lovely cream, and unlike some tinted moisturisers comes in a range of 8 different shades catering for even the palest of complexions. This is actually a bit heavier on the coverage than many moisturisers, but still feels light and fresh on your skin, so is perfect for those that need a little extra help with their complexion, or even as a summer evening foundation. It has a very slight hint of red pigmentation which gives skin a lovely summery glow without looking too sunkissed making it perfect for creating the illusion of spending the day on the beach when you have really been stuck indoors!
Now Nivea have been making skincare products for longer than any of us care to admit remembering and this is another fantastic addition to their range. While this tinted day cream only comes in one shade, it is sheer enough to blend into even the fairest skins without leaving any telltale lines. The bonus factor with this is not only does it have an SPF15 but also co-enzyme Q10 which packs a fantastic anti-aging boost, meaning this not only a tinted moisturiser but also a very good skin cream. It has a soft, sheer finish and goes on smoothly, making it the perfect choice for anyone who can’t bring themselves to veer too far away from their regular skin care routine.
Tesco’s Skin Wisdom range is one of the best supermarket skincare ranges around. With all the products created exclusively for Tesco by Bharti Vyas you will find some truly unique and really effective products here. Their tinted moisturiser is one of these and gives a lovely healthy glow to skin. It glides on smoothly and give a fantastically smooth coverage, and with the added benefit of Acerola Cherry and Vitamin C it also energises your skin. As with many tinted day creams there is only one shade available, and it may be a little too dark for very fair skin, but it does blend very well, and can even be mixed in with a touch of Skin Wisdom’s Oil Free Moisturiser to make it a bit more sheer.