How to update your beauty routine

Words by Ateh Jewel

3 Minute Read

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Struggling to balance a busy life with a great skincare routine?

Ateh Jewel has the answers.

I believe in having healthy, well-nourished skin. I’m really not into the concept of anti-ageing because I believe that it is a privilege to get old and love the skin we’re in.

But, I’m a huge advocate of becoming your own beauty skincare expert. Find products that work for you. Like life, listen to what you and your skin needs. 

Here is my routine and a selection of products that work for me. I know some of the below may seem pricey but I have found them really effective. Skincare doesn’t need to be expensive though, maintaining a routine is far more important than panic buying a posh cream and being too scared to use it. Cleansing, moisturising and massaging your skin are the most important parts of any beauty regime.

My morning skincare routine differs from my evening one, as the mornings are all about speed. I’m a working mother to twin 10 year old girls, so the clock can often be against me. I juggle missing PE kits, snacks and getting the girls ready with my own regime, which consists of washing my face with Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel, £35, a spray or two of rose water mist (I specifically love Jurlique’s Rosewater Balancing Mist, £26 which helps calm your skin as well as give it an instant glow), an eye serum, a face serum (try Evolve’s award-winning Hyaluronic Serum, £30) a facial treatment oil, and then I top it off with a moisturiser.

Evenings, on the other hand, are about decompressing. I try to make time to turn it into a relaxing pre-bed ritual – lighting a candle and doing box breathing, where I breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts and breathe out for 4 counts through my mouth.

I love using Votary’s Rose Geranium & Apricot Cleansing Oil, £45 to start. I deep breathe while I’m massaging my skin, because I feel like I can properly inhale all of the heady essential oils, which help me de-stress after a long day.

Oil cleansing is a game changer for all skin types and tones. It gives you the chance to get rid of every scrap of make-up and gives your skin a deep clean, without leaving it feeling stripped and dry. Not all oil cleansers are created equal, though, so go for one with lighter natural pure plant oils, as over-stripping the skin can leave oily blemish-prone skin more likely to break out.

I have dehydrated, combination skin and I’m always chasing the glow, so dullness, skin texture and blemishes (which erupt into hyperpigmentation) keep me busy. Those of you with drier skin types can find that dehydration, lines, redness, a loss of tone or bounce in the skin are all an issue. But, at the same time we are chasing the illusive glow that shines from the inside out.

Next, I love to do a second cleanse with a balm cleanser, which takes all traces of make and congestion from the skin. I’m a big fan of The Body Shop’s Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, £12 which is a pot of heaven that melts into the skin and is a sensory pleasure to use.

I love using Camomile, which has been used for centuries to help calm and soothe irritated skin. It’s often a shock to see what the second cleanse lifts off and would have been left behind.

Like in the morning, I love to mist with the Jurlique Rosewater, add some serum and a facial oil and after that my skin doesn’t need much else. If you’ve got drier skin, I’d recommend opting for a heavier oil or to layer up with a moisturiser.

The added extras that I love bringing into my night time routine are Hayo’u Method’s Clear Quartz Gua Sha, £42 which is a powerful crystal that helps to heal, boosts circulation and is a key tool for lymphatic drainage, especially at bedtime. Then I use Tisserand’s Pulse Point Rollerball, £8 dabbing it onto my wrists or massaged onto pulse points to bring that essential moment of peace.

Try These

I also love cleansing and massaging my skin with a melting buttery cleanser like Olivanna London, Soothing Seed Oils Cleansing Balm, £44, which contains healing Rosehip Seed Oil and Vitamins A & C to help with cell turn over and glow. I’m also a huge fan of sustainable and organic beauty brand, Evolve Organic Beauty, Gentle Cleansing Melt, from £9 for 30ml, which is enriched with Baobab Oil to help nourish, improve skin elasticity and promote healing. This balm is also lightly scented with Vanilla, which is deeply comforting.

Miranda Kerr was talking about natural organic beauty and sustainability long before it was a trend. Her Kora Organics, Tumeric Glow Moisturiser, £52 is great at protecting and hydrating. It is an ultra-rich, but non-sticky moisturiser, really helping to hydrate thirsty skin and with hyper-pigmention and anti-inflammatory Turmeric, Licorice and Marine Micro Algae Extracts. The pot is also refillable to help reduce waste.

Best Value for Money

The beauty brand The Ordinary and their Natural Moisturising Factors + HA, £5 are worth trying. The Ordinary’s approach to beauty offers affordable price points with no frills and a simple design. This moisturiser is packed full of Hyaluronic Acid which helps keep your skin bouncy, juicy and hydrated and Amino Acids to protect it.

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