You’ve probably heard the word retinol tossed around a lot within the beauty community, and there are good reasons for it. Not only can retinol be used for anti-ageing and smoothing out of those pesky wrinkles, it’s also an effective ingredient to treat acne. Often, as adults, if we find salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide no longer do the trick, retinol will.

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Retinol helps to resurface your skin, encourages collagen production and fights free radicals that damage skin cells and hasten ageing. Used consistently and continuously, retinol – also known as vitamin A – can dramatically improve the look and condition of your skin.

If you’ve never used this ingredient before, though, it’s a good idea to start with a low dosage of retinol and build up from there. And if you suffer from rosacea, eczema or psoriasis, avoid retinol altogether.

Chemical exfoliant

There are two types of exfoliants: physical and chemical. If you guessed chemical to be the harsher variety, you’d be wrong. Chemical exfoliants are actually the milder and more gentle option of the two.

While a physical exfoliant physically removes dead skin cells from the surface of your epidermis, a chemical exfoliant accelerates your skin’s natural turnover process. Any product that contains lactic acid, malic acid, or glycolic acid, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) or beta hydroxy acid (BHA) are chemical exfoliants. These ingredients encourage dead skin cells to detach itself from the newer and healthier skin cells that are emerging from the deeper layers of your skin. So avoid applying it near your eyes as your skin is more sensitive in those areas.

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Gadgets

Never before have we seen so many skincare gadgets on the market, but are they really worth the investment?

It depends.

If your lifestyle allows you to have a facial regularly and you already have a skincare regime that works for you in place, you may not need to buy anything else. However, if a regular professional treatment isn’t an option for you, splurging on one or two gadgets designed to target your biggest skincare concerns might be a good idea. These gizmos can be used to for at-home mini facials.

LED light therapy skincare gadgets are all the rage right now, and the technology, which helps to rejuvenate and repair skin cells, is used for everything from clearing up acne and scarring to anti-ageing.

A face steamer is also a popular option. Directing steam towards your face whilst applying your skincare routine is meant to help your skin absorb products better. Beauty influencers have also made face shaving popular. Electronic shaving appliances not only safely shave your face, but also provide gentle, micro-exfoliation. The idea is that without the tiny hairs on your face, your skincare products will be able to perform better, and even your make-up will apply more smoothly and look more natural and flawless on your skin for longer.

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Rollers

While the rest of the world has only recently caught on to the hype of rollers, the Asian beauty community was like: “Dude, we’ve been doing this for centuries”.

If the practice has been around that long, there has to be some merit to it, but, like any kind of skincare, the trick is to be consistent with the routine.

Rollers are used to increase circulation to your face, and this accomplishes a few things: it brings more nutrients and oxygen to your face, drains away fluids and “sculpts” your face. Essentially a roller encourages your skin to self-rejuvenate and contour.

Is there a difference between the most popular rollers? The jury is out on that one. Rose quartz, jade and amethyst – three of the most popular types of rollers – are meant to achieve different results when used on your face. For example, rose quartz stays cool as you use it, which can help with inflammation or redness, whereas jade will warm up, which promotes circulation and drainage, making it an excellent choice for your morning routine as it’ll help reduce puffiness.

Rollers are also a fantastic tool to use in conjunction with your skincare products. Massaging your face with a roller as you apply your serum, moisturiser and facial oil, or while you have on a mask, can help contour your face and help your skin absorb the products. Unlike your fingers, a roller won’t soak in the products, so there’s no waste. Win-win!

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