This month it's all about bringing it back to the basics when it comes to skincare. After all, it’s like anything – doing the basics and doing them right is so much better than sporadic days of greatness!

I’m starting off with the most simple step today which is 

CLEANSING…

Cleansing, in my opinion, is the most important step in your routine. It is the foundation to your skincare regime. Cleansers are made to remove makeup, grime and surface dirt that has accumulated on the skins surface throughout the day. Removing excess oils and sebum also allows for any products applied afterwards to further penetrate into the skin. Cleansing can be done both morning and evening. In the morning, to remove the sweat and oils on the surface that the skin produced while in “repair mode” overnight. And in the evening, to remove dust, makeup and bacteria

Although an essential part of your routine, cleansers can be tricky to get right. Despite what the celebs and magazines say, your skin should never feel “squeaky clean” after using your cleanser as this usually means you’ve stripped the skins natural protection barrier too much. Doing this repeatedly overtime will lead to breakouts, dryness, and irritation. Instead, your skin should feel soft and hydrated no matter what skin type you have.

TOP TIPS…

1. Wash Your Hands 

Washing your hands is important before you begin your routine as it can help prevent the spread of acne and other skin irritations. You’d be surprised with the amount of bacteria we have on our hands!

2. Always Double Cleanse

Do your double cleanse skin in the evening time, especially if you’ve been wearing a mask or a full face of makeup all day. You can read more about double cleansing here.

3. Blot Your Skin Dry 

After you’ve cleansed, gently BLOT the skin with a towel or tissue. Keep the skin damp and apply your serums straight afterwards to lock in extra moisture! Note: Retinol serums should be applied on dry skin.

4. Use Separate Towels

Use separate mini face cloths to dry your face – one for each day of the week- and then wash them all at once. This prevents any spread or growth of bacteria from the mini towels onto your freshly cleansed skin.

5. Spend Time Cleansing but Not Too Much!

Cleanse the skin for 45 seconds to a 1minute. No longer than this is necessary. There is a Tik-Tok trend going round right now of cleansing your skin for THIRTY minutes (insane amount of time in my opinion!) and all I’ve heard is that the skin is left dry, red and irritated so I’d 100% recommend avoiding this technique!

6. Get The Temperature Right

Use lukewarm water when cleansing. As much as we love piping hot water, it can cause broken capillaries, redness and dehydration in the skin. This is why you should also avoid cleansing your face while in the shower.

7. Leave the Soap For Your Hands

Avoid using soap to wash your face. They are designed to cleanse the tougher skin on your hands and can alter the skins pH when used on the face.

8. Be Kind To Your Skin

Be gentle on your skin. No matter what skin type you have, it’s important to be gentle. Over stimulating the skin will only make things worse in the long run. Normally, with oily or acne skin types, (and I have been guilty of this in the past too!) we tend to want to use the most stripping products possible but in turn the skin will only produce more oil to compensate for being stripped and the vicious cycle starts all over again!

What other cleansing tips do you follow for glowing skin?