My grandma has taught me many things—how to master the art of tiddlywinks, that being bossy is a rite of passage if you’re the oldest child, how to spot a yellow sale sticker from a mile off and the importance of working hard, to name just a few. When it comes to skincare, however, she hasn’t taught me a thing. That’s because my grandma has what some might call a pared-back skincare routine. (I would call it a totally nonexistent one.)
There are certainly some generational differences in our approaches to beauty—my grandma is 79, and I’m 31. Born in Zimbabwe, my grandma grew up using water, soap and a generous slathering of moisturiser—or Vaseline—to hydrate. And nothing much has changed since she moved to London in her 20s. During her working life as a teacher, her no-frills beauty routine meant that she saved time in the morning and could crack straight on with the job at hand. And in retirement, why change the habit of a lifetime?
