HOW TO SHAKE UP YOUR SKINCARE REGIME

It’s the time of year that we do a lot of thinking, isn’t it?

That clean slate of a new year, a fresh diary gets opened, great ideas get thought of, a little planning gets done… it can culminate in wanting to make changes in your life.

I did a bit of a clean-out of my bathroom cabinet yesterday and got to thinking as I organised all my lotions and potions that maybe some of you are thinking about making changes to your skincare routine this year. Or maybe you’ve just decided to get serious about actually implementing one?

Either way, I thought I’d offer some tips on how to do this so to minimise making purchasing decisions you may regret.

I have a simple rule when it comes to a skincare regime:

Just do it.

Just use something on your skin, consistently. Over time, it really does make a huge difference.

I visited my 96 year-old grandmother at her nursing home on Christmas Eve and she is proof of that. Ponds cold cream has gone on her face every night of her adult life – she gets stroppy if the nurses don’t put it on.

I tell you, the skin on her cheeks would rival some 60 year-olds.

It doesn’t have to get complicated unless you want it to.

So, how do you find the products that best suit you? The ones that you know you can be consistent with their application?

1. Consider your age. I don’t like to pinpoint skin needs purely based on age because sometimes lifestyle factors will have a greater determination about what your skin needs. Age can be a factor when our blessed hormones are having a party in our system. That might cause you to have adult acne on one hand or dry and wrinkle-prone skin on the other. If you’re really lucky, it will be both.
2. Consider your lifestyle. Do you live at the beach? In a super cold climate? Do you spend a lot of time outdoors or does your job see you spend too much time indoors? This can play a huge factor in determining what your skin needs. Either way – your skin is looking for nourishment. Is your current skincare regime providing enough for your lifestyle?
3. Consider your budget. This is a biggie. Some people will think nothing of dropping hundreds of dollars on an eye cream; for others, a $30 moisturiser will be tightly woven into a family’s grocery budget. Either is fine. Whatever floats your skincare boat, there is a product to suit in any budget range. I use a range of budget and mid-priced skincare products. Delivered results have never solely been reflective of the price I’ve paid for a product and nothing excites me more than finding a reasonably priced product that brings results without breaking the bank.
4. Trial and error. Yes, you can get all the clinical advice in the world but until you try the products on your skin and in your lifestyle, you are only guessing as to how it’s going to work for you. Trial and error is not such a difficult task if you’re grabbing something from the supermarket shelf – if it doesn’t work, you haven’t wasted a whole lot of money.
   If you’re looking at a range at a beauty counter, in a salon or medical clinic, then ask if they have free samples or travel sizes you can buy at a cheaper price before you invest in full-sized products. How long you trial a product for will depend on your skin – you might have an adverse reaction the first day. If no reaction, give the new products at least two weeks.

Here are some beauty ranges I’ve been trialling of late that might work for you…

Budget beauty: NIVEA Daily Essentials

What I love about this range is that you can pick it up at the supermarket and each product is colour coded so you can easily see which products are suited to your skin (choose from dry & sensitive; normal & combination and combination & oily).

Cleanse, tone and moisturise and you’re done. There are even face wipes and you know how I love these as part of my lazy-girl beauty ways.

Organic beauty: Cosima Skincare

This is an Australian skincare company which creates results-driven products using certified organic and natural products.

This is a particularly growth area of skincare as more people want to make these choices for what goes on their skin.

My skin loved these products – particularly the Flawless Cream which is aimed at creating a smoother skin.

Boot camp beauty: Dr LeWinn’s Reversaderm

These products rate a mention, as there comes a time that some of us like to call in the big guns but we’re still keeping an eye on the budget.

This range is designed to be used to give your skin a kick up the bum, get it back on track and ready for a consistent care regime.

It’s a two-week treatment program but you might find that you want to use some of the products on a weekly basis afterwards.

So, tell me: could your skincare regime do with a shake-up?

MORE ARTICLES BY NIKKI PARKINSON

Don’t Drop the Beauty Ball

The Eyes Have It

My Sunscreen Wardrobe

The Super Simple Smokey Eye

*Nikki Parkinson was never allowed a Barbie doll as a child. Her politically correct mum thought Lego and Tonka trucks were more fitting. Now the Queensland-based blogger advises women what to wear and put on their face for a living. The former journo and magazine editor manages an award-winning blog Styling You – offering real world fashion and beauty advice for busy women. Don’t tell anyone but she’s secretly a closet dag who likes nothing more than relaxing at home with her family… but open a champagne bottle and she can have her heels on and hair done in minutes. You can follow Nikki on Twitter @stylingyou and Facebook.