The morning skin routine

I have a good night time skin ritual, always have done. I cleanse, tone, moisturise religiously, all thanks to my mother.  

However, as I veer towards 40 I realise I have been missing a trick all these years – the morning skin routine. All I have ever done every day is rinse my face with warm water and slap on some moisturiser cream – I know, it’s bad – I can hear your collective gasps from here. Splashing a bit of water on the face has no benefit whatsoever and only contributes to drying out my skin.

But for some reason it didn’t occur to me to have a morning routine as my night time one is comprehensive.

The real catalyst for change came when I realised I still had pillow markings on my face at mid morning – you can play noughts and crosses on my cheeks.  So I am revolutionising how I start my morning – downside is I am going to have to get up a bit earlier – upside is less time for my pillow to work it’s spiders web over me.

I did research from the experts on their morning routine and wow some are very thorough. One has 10 steps, ending with a ‘don’t forget to apply your primer’….no idea. Sounds vaguely frightening to me – like I need to be protect myself against an unforeseen hazard.

So below I have come up with my own list, a compromise that is no way near 10 steps and is definitely more manageable for me.

Firstly, instead of groping blindly for the coffee as soon as I wake up I am going to TRY to start my day with 2 glasses of water, skin’s best friend. And then obviously I will reach for my double espresso; my virtuous intentions can only take me so far.

It is a myth to think our skin doesn’t produce bacteria at night. If it didn’t I guess we would never have to change our pillow cases…..So the first thing to do is cleanse to get rid of night time build up and any residual make up.  I like to use our Rosehip Seed soap free cleanser as it is a gentle start for your skin. Wash with warm water using a clean muslin cloth. The cloths need to be cleaned at least once a week to keep bacteria at bay.

Next step – Tone. Always choose an alcohol free toner to not dry out your skin. I use our Flower Water Toner for the balancing and reviving qualities of geranium that give me an early morning pick up.

Next step – moisturise. I personally prefer to use a cream in the morning and oil at night. I find our Geranium, Lavender & Ylang Ylang the perfect base for make up due to its light, easily absorbed texture. It has a high concentrate of Hyaluronic acid which is ultra hydrating and helps to plump out the skin.

Then you are ready to go – with hopefully skin that looks and feels fresher and, dare I say, with a touch of glow? I have read that exercise first thing in the morning does wonders for your skin but I’ll leave that with you to try out, let me know how you get on...