skin

Viscusi says puffy eyes or excess fluid retention in the periorbital area can be caused by day-to-day changes in our lifestyles. Some factors could be seasonal allergies, high sodium diets, excess alcohol consumption, crying, and lack of sleep. It’s important to note that there’s also a difference between puffy eyes and under-eye “bags,” which develop as we get older. The extent to which you develop under-eye bags can depend on your genetics, but it might also be a sign of underlying genetic or medical conditions like thyroid disease or inflammatory conditions. “It is important to consult with your dermatologist to determine the cause in your unique circumstance,” Viscusi says. “In the majority of patients, under-eye bags are due to natural maturit...

Working out what your skin really needs to look and feel its best can be tricky, but there are a few steps that skin experts unanimously agree should be part of a good skincare routine. First, a good cleanser; think of this step as the foundation on which the rest of your routine is built. Second, an SPF; wearing sun protection is the one piece of skincare advice that I hear most from dermatologists for preventing everything from signs of ageing to pigmentation. Third, moisturiser is vital for every skin type, from oily to dry, for repairing the skin’s barrier and maintaining hydration levels. Finally, a serum, which is possibly one of my favourite steps in my skincare routine and one that Kate Moss’s facialist&nb...

It’s no secret that applying SPF every day is the single best thing we can do to help prevent skin ageing. But the truth is hardly any of us actually bother to. Whereas other powerhouse anti-ageing ingredients, such as retinol, offer almost overnight results, SPF offers no instant change. On top of that, the formulas tend to be tacky, greasy and generally woefully unpleasant to use. And trust me, as a beauty editor, I get it. For years, I have had dermatologists, skin experts and other beauty editors preaching to me that if I’m not applying SPF every single day (yes, even when it’s dark and grey out), I’m not worth my weight in gold as a beauty editor. Despite trying countless SPF products, I just couldn’t find one that my skin liked. If you ask me, a product that makes your skin grea...

Hang in there everyone—a new season is on the horizon. Yes, the official start of summer is mere weeks away and while I’m trying not to get my hopes up about the potential mini heatwave that’s set to hit the UK next week it’s impossible not to feel everyone’s optimism levels soaring after a challenging start to the year. Of course, summer still might look a little different this year but with restrictions starting to ease here in the UK even the prospect of a local mini break is enough to get my heart fluttering right now.  As a beauty editor, I’m a firm believer in it never being too soon to start thinking about how to tweak your beauty routine as the seasons shift—so I’ve already been prepping my bathroom cupboard and makeup bag for a bit of a summer overhau...

Whether I’m writing about the products that I’ve actually loved this month or my favourite affordable skincare swaps, I always try to be as open and honest about my skin journey as possible. As someone who has experienced pretty severe acne since my teenage years, I’m not on board with miracle cures and wonder products that claim to eliminate spots and vanish breakouts in one use, and I’d hate to give the impression that there are products on the market that can do that. Skincare expert Tijion Esho, founder of the Esho Clinic, is a firm advocate of long-term routines when it comes to treating acne. “One-off treatments can give skin a temporary boost, but we know that with conditions like acne, it’s a journey; not an ove...

Out of all of the skincare lessons I have learned, this remains perhaps the most controversial. You see, this is something I have sort of figured out for myself and I want you to hear me out. I grew up during a time when St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub was the skincare product to own. I used it once a week throughout my teens and loved the way it made my skin feel so smooth and soft. And then, the beauty world decided that all face scrubs were basically the devil, and we should be using acid exfoliants instead (like glycolic acid). In my early twenties, I binned all of my much-loved scrubs and started incorporating acids into my routine whenever I could (2–3 times a week, in the evenings). During those years, I battled redness, sensitivity, breakouts and even a bout of perioral ...

If you’d asked pre-2020 me if I was prone to stress, I would have said no. That’s not to say that I never felt stressed. Daily commutes, a busy workweek and a jam-packed social calendar meant that there were definitely times when I felt frazzled, but I wasn’t used to dealing with prolonged periods of stress. Then, that all changed. Of course, we all know what happened: a global pandemic hit and totally turned all of our daily lives upside down. When the UK entered its first lockdown, I had an 11-week-old baby, and my stress levels were through the roof. I felt constantly on high alert. I was jumpy, my heart would race at the slightest noise, and I was incredibly anxious. And, baby aside, I know I’m not alone in finding the last yea...

If you’d asked pre-2020 me if I was someone that was prone to stress I would have said no. That’s not to say that I never felt stressed—daily commutes, a busy work week and a jam-packed social calendar meant that there were definitely times when I felt frazzled—but prolonged periods of stress just weren’t something that I was used to dealing with. Then that all changed. Of course, we all know what happened: a global pandemic hit and totally turned all of our daily lives upside down. When the UK entered its first lockdown, I had an 11-week-old baby and my stress levels were through the roof. I felt constantly on high alert: I was jumpy, my heart would race at the slightest noise, and I was incredibly anxious. And, baby aside, I know IR...

Now that you might have identified the causes of your dark circles, it’s time to work out how to keep them at bay. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do this according to Kerr. “If dark circles are caused by pigmentation, you can use ingredients that stabilise the melanocyte to help prevent the activation of the pigment,” advised Kerr. Look out for ingredients like L-Ascorbic acid, a potent form of vitamin C, to help with this. “Being very gentle with the eyes and wearing lots of sunscreen can help with prevention, too.” “If dark circles are caused by a thin skin, using a retinol-based eye cream will help to strengthen the area and create more of a barrier that hides the blood vessels underneath,” said Kerr. “If dark circles are caused b...

With the British weather currently doing a classic yo-yo between intense sunshine and frosty gales, and basically nothing in between, it might seem somewhat premature to be talking about summer skincare essentials. However, I’m optimistic that sunshine season will be sticking around on a more permanent basis soon and with more and more of us spending time outdoors whatever the weather, it makes sense to be overly prepared when it comes to caring for our skin—especially as summer can bring with it a whole host of unexpected changes for our complexions. “The summer bring with it a desire to be outdoors more, enjoy sports outside, sit by windows and enjoy the warmth and light from the sun [and] this results in an increase in radiation to the skin,” e...

Ones that I had previously purchased for their packaging weren’t delivering the sort of luxe satisfaction I started to crave in my hand-washing ritual, while others that I championed for their scent were leaving my skin dry, cracked and scaly. So in a quest to find something that ticked all the boxes, I began hoarding hand washes, and somewhere along the way, I stumbled across Ouai’s Hand Wash and Hand Lotion duo. First of all, I want to address the bottles themselves. They are minimalist, chic and feel almost impossibly luxe to hold. On top of that, they’re refillable, so you can do your bit for the environment while you shop. Next up, let’s talk about the smell. A little bit fruity, a little bit floral and a whole lot musky, mostly they just smell clean—...

I’ve made no secret of the fact that my skin and I have a bit of a complicated relationship. And by complicated, what I mean is that sometimes I really hate my skin and sometimes I’m totally indifferent towards it, but unless I have recently discovered a magical new foundation, I’d rarely say I love it. Sure, now that I’m in my 30s I’ve pretty much worked out the skincare products that work for my skin—although pregnancy skincare was a whole new challenge—but my stubborn hormonal acne insists on hanging around like that friend who refuses to leave your house even when it’s 1 a.m. and you’ve started washing up the wineglasses. I get it—in 2021 when we’re all about embracing the skin we’re in, admitting that you just don’t love...