My Skincare Routine

Doing the job I do, I get to try a lot of products on my hair and face. Although most of it just arrives through my door, here are my current favourites that I have re-purchased a number of times.

My morning routine is very simple; I wake up, jump in the shower and wash my hair, body and face, then moisturise and do something with my hair. At some point I will also brush my teeth.

I cleanse my face in the shower with the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser. Not the catchiest of names, but it does do a brilliant job.

It has very tiny jojoba beads that are spherical so roll over your skin to remove dead skin cells and other detritus, rather than angular lumps that tend to drag.

It’s also full of acid, which sounds terrifying but is actually brilliant. Salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids further remove dull skin to reveal a brighter complexion underneath whilst also unblocking pores and helping to dispose of nasties that could result in blemishes.

I’m on my second serving of this and seeing as you only need to use it a few times a week and it comes in a healthy sized tube, it does last for a long time.

My moisturiser of choice is currently the Lab Series Age Rescue + Water Charged Gel Cream. Again, a bit of a mouthful, but a very simple and effective moisturiser. It’s super lightweight and warms up on your skin as soon as you start to apply it, transforming into a watery texture which means a little goes a long way.

It keeps my skin hydrated all day and because it’s oil free, I don’t get shiny.

The only thing it’s missing is SPF, but I like this moisturiser enough that I’m willing to apply it separately.

My eye cream is another product by Lab Series. This time it’s the Age Rescue + Eye Therapy. The skin around your eye is very different to that on the rest of your face. It’s thinner, more delicate and is one of the first areas to show fatigue or signs of ageing. As such, it’s important to use a cream that’s fit for purpose, not just the same thing you use on your cheeks and forehead.

This one contains ginseng which wakes your eyes up a little and reduces puffiness. I don’t know about you, but my eyes are super puffy first thing in the morning.

I mentioned that I don’t mind applying my SPF separately, and this product is the reason why. I’ve gone through about 4 or 5 of this Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield.

SPF 35 protects your skin from sun damage, which still takes place even when there is cloud cover. It’s important to shield your skin all year round to prevent premature ageing and potential sun-related problems such as skin cancer.

This goes on under my moisturiser and has a very unusual consistency. It feels like a very fine, very discrete, very welcome layer. It has blurring properties so helps to hide all manner of sins from uneven texture to fine lines. My skin looks better with it on and I feel protected from the sun, so I like it a lot.

Finally, on my hair, I use American Crew Grooming Cream.

I have very thick hair so it gets along with this product very well; in fact, I have been using it for about 5 years. But a little word of warning here: it is very dense, you don’t need much and if your hair is not as bushy as mine it could become saturated and heavy.

It has a little bit of shine so makes my mane look a bit healthier and keeps any fly-aways in check. It also remains touchable all day, which is good for me, because I do often find myself having with a hand in my hair. I usually wear mine up and a little messy, but this would work brilliantly if you were looking for that pompadour-type style.

Thanks for reading,

Jim.