Skincare Hacks to Get the Most Out of Your Routine

By Rippan Sandhu

Skincare isn’t just about what you put on your face, but how you do it. If you’re a keen gardener, you’d know that not only do you have to water your plants, but you have to do it at the right time of the day, with the right amount of water. The same principle goes for our skin! To help you get the most out of your products, we’ve put together some easy hacks to add to your routine that will change your skin — all without adding a single product!

CAN’T PRONOUNCE IT? DON’T USE IT

 As the largest organ in our body, our skin absorbs everything — the good, bad, and ugly. A simple rule of thumb we like to go by here at Ayurda is ‘If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.’ Sounds simple, and yet we often find chemical preservatives even in so-called ‘natural products’. This month, make an effort to read the ingredient label of each beauty or skincare product you’re tempted to buy, or that you’re already using — can you pronounce all those names? By being more conscientious about the ingredients in your favourite products, you’ll be able to filter out potentially harmful ingredients and help your skin in the long run.

PUT IT ON YOUR FACE, NOT YOUR PILLOWCASE

When do you usually do your nighttime routine? If you’re like most people, it’ll usually be right after you come out of the shower, and less than an hour before you go to sleep. Unfortunately, this likely means that your favourite moisturiser or oil has been sinking into your pillow instead of your pores. The skin takes time to absorb, which would be why your moisturiser is likely to emulsify in water even up to an hour after application. To make sure your skin is getting the most out of your product, begin your evening skincare routine 2 hours before your face touches your pillow.

MORNING IS THE WAY TO GO

Most of us think of exfoliation as a heavy-duty, two evenings a week step of our skincare routine. However, frequent exfoliation in the morning not only rids a surface layer of dirt, grime, and dead skin, but increase blood flow in the face and therefore cell turnover — leading to younger, firmer skin. By exfoliating in the morning, we’re also not going to bed with dead skin on our face! Make it a habit this month to exfoliate at least three mornings a week with Ayurda’s clarifying Gel Scrub, and wait to see the difference!

PORTION CONTROL YOUR PRODUCTS

While ‘less is more’ is not necessarily true of skincare, more is definitely not more. Not only do you waste product, using more than what your skin can absorb can actually lead to the build up of residue, which can block pores, disrupt your skin’s pH levels, and eventually result in acne and redness — the exact problems these products were meant to correct! An easy way to make sure you’re always using the right amount is to check that your cleansers, moisturisers, and toners don’t exceed the size of your finger pad. For more concentrated products or areas such as the under-eye and fine-lines, go even smaller. Remember — the smaller the surface area, the more concentrated the product; the more concentrated the product, the less you need!