The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Skin

The first important step in your skincare routine is cleansing. Between a single, double, or triple cleanse (save the latter for a full glam moment) you should cleanse both morning and evening. “Cleansing is the foundation of optimal skin health. It’s essential for removing pollutants, excess sebum, and make-up that accumulate throughout the day. Cleansing effectively helps to prevent breakouts, promotes cellular turnover, and preserves the skin’s natural radiance,” says Dr Malik. A cleansing standout is Decorte’s AQ Meliority Radiance Repair Foaming Face Wash. Its serum-like consistency turns into a non-drying, cushiony, velvet foam when lathered in hands, leaving skin soft and supple. The cleanser is packed with brilliant skincare actives including antioxidants sandalwood, benifuki, and murasaki cha extract, double peptides hailed to moisturise skin and promote collagen production, and vitamin C for brightening. But more importantly, it is adored for its moisturise-binding ingredients that include squalene, phospholipids, and glycerin to plump, balance, and restore. 

Regardless of your skin type or concerns, a moisturiser is essential. For Dr Malik, moisturisers “keep skin hydrated and maintain the integrity of your skin’s barrier, preventing dehydration and premature fine lines.” But the key is to find the right one for your skin and that’s where we would recommend Prada Beauty’s Augmented Skin ‘The Cream’ because of its adaptable formulation. A refillable day and night cream celebrated for its patented adopto.gn smart technology, it adapts to skin in real-time. Therefore if your complexion is exposed to oxidative stress, the high concentration of actives will work to protect skin. It’s also a dream to work into your skin as the gel-to-balm cream absorbs in seconds without leaving an uncomfortable feeling on the surface. That’s a forward-thinking moisturiser if you ever did see one.

How often you exfoliate is truly dependent on your skin’s needs and concerns. Oilier complexions may need to exfoliate two or three times a week whereas sensitive and dry skin types, once a week. Equally, if you have blemish-prone skin, introducing a gentle daily exfoliant can transform your skin’s look and feel. Exfoliating after cleansing can kill bacteria, and impurities and sweep away dead skin cells. One making its rounds on TikTok is Elemis’ Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads. The brilliant 2-in-1 chemical and physical exfoliant is infused with lactic acid, shea butter, and castor oil to smooth and brighten skin without disrupting the moisture barrier. If you enjoy the feeling of a physical exfoliant but want to leave the abrasive nature of one behind reach for Ranavat’s Imperial Glow Smoothing Facial Polish. A gentle balm formulated with finely milled rice powder and almond oil, it’ll remove dead skin cells and boost radiance in one use.