Teen Beauty 101: Skin-Fessions

An ex-beauty ed shares her skin sins and offers salvation with this skin-fessional that will give you renewed faith in gorgeous, glowing skin. Having spent a big chunk of my working life as a beauty ed, charged with the excruciating task of testing and trialling countless beauty products, I consider myself a bit of a high priestess when it comes to all things beauty. Having lathered, applied and subjected myself to all forms of treatments, I’ve earned the title, I reckon. So listen up girlfriends – this is an insider’s take on your skin salvation.

Failing to cleanse day and night.
Using a cleanser with sodium-lauryl sulphate (SLS) – a nasty chemical used as petrol degreaser and found in beauty products to make them foam. Really bad and harsh on skin + proven to enter the bloodstream and make its way to vital organs – scary stuff; keep away!
Failing to exfoliate skin at least once a week.
Squeezing/picking pimples.
Using products that contain harsh chemicals.
Skipping on sun protection.
Not using a moisturiser daily.

Thou shalt cleanse skin twice a day – morning and night.
Thou shalt exfoliate skin with a gentle exfoliant twice a week.
Thou shalt moisturise skin daily.
Thou shalt use gentle, natural products that do not overstimulate skin, leading to breakouts.
Thou shalt wear a sunscreen when out in the sun.
Thou shalt not pick zits.
Thou shalt wear a bronzer instead of foundation – much lighter and less clogging to skin.
Thou shalt not smoke – the nicotine in the tobacco smoke narrows the blood vessels taking oxygen to the skin via the bloodstream. Skin with less oxygen takes on a greyish tinge, and fine lines and wrinkles appear because the skin is dry and less elastic. If you want gorgeous, glowing skin, dump the cigarettes.
Thou shalt eat healthy foods – remember, what you put into your body is what you get out of it. Put in crap and out comes crap in the form of zits!
Thou shalt follow these skin care basics and thou shalt be blessed with beautiful skin.