It’s a question we get asked all the time – what age should I start a skin care routine? You ask - we deliver. Check out the definitive guide to when to start, how to start and what to do when it comes to great skin!

Your face is the first thing people notice, so little wonder that we are all a bit obsessive when it comes to our skin! We all crave flawless, and when you get older, youthful skin. So, what makes some skin so goddamn gorgeous and others just a little worse for wear?

Well, it’s simple really. What you put in is what you get out. This little mantra will serve you well in many aspects of life – career, health, beauty, love…..

Back to your face. The general rule of thumb is that when you start to experience those first pangs of puberty is also a good time to start a skin care routine. These days, that can be as young as 10!

Reason being is that as you start to go through puberty your skin starts to go mental. During this time your hormones are going crazy as your body starts to morph you from girl to woman. Part of the hormonal craziness is an over-production of oil.

Now a little skin care 101. Our skin has bacteria on the surface – natural part of the skin make up. Our skin sheds thousands of dead cells every minute of every day. Gross – we know, but it does! When all that extra oil is pumping out and partying with bacteria and dead cells, your pores get clogged and before you know it, big red, shiny, unwanted pimples.

So, to avoid and minimise this unfortunate outcome of puberty, start a skin care routine of cleanse, exfoliate, protect and treat.

Keeping your face clean will minimise the bacteria on the surface of the skin. This means that using a good cleanser with anti-bacterial properties should start around school age. Better to wash your face with a gentle cleanser than soap – which can strip the skin of its natural ph balance (oil balance), leaving it damaged and dry.

Now, not all cleansers are equal. Beware the SLS – that’s Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. A nasty chemical ingredient used to make cleansers and shampoos foam. Why is it bad? Well, beside the fact that it’s also commonly used as an engine degreaser (in higher concentrations), it is very drying to the skin. Remember, you want to keep dirt and bacteria away without stripping the skin of its natural oils and protection. We love Bellaboo All That Facial Wash, with its SLS-free formula and fresh lemon myrtle, it gently cleanses, leaving skin gleaming and soft.

Those pesky shedding dead cells are easily dealt with by using a super fine exfoliator. Why super-fine? Large exfoliant particles are bad. They over-stimulate the skin, meaning that they actually make the skin pump out more oil. And, they can knock the head off pimples spreading the infection – ewwww. We love Bellaboo Buff Skin Exfoliator because it’s creamy, soft formula absorbs dirt from pores, gently buffs away dead cells and encourages new, lush, fresh cells to emerge so skin has that gorgeous glow!

Protect your skin. As well as all the stuff going on from the inside leading to major changes to your face, all the stuff around you also has an impact. Pollution, dirt, the sun – all of it affects your skin quality. First line of defence is a good moisturiser that will help to re-balance skin and inject much needed nurturing. We love Bellaboo Gorgeous Skin Moisture Dew, because it is 99.5% natural so you are literally feeding your face with the goodness of nature. This should be followed by a SPF30+ sun screen whenever you are out and about - which means EVERY DAY!

Here’s the deal. The sun is what we in the beauty biz call the wicked ageing agent. At 8, 10, 12, even 20, you think…..phaawww….so don’t need to worry about that. Well, newsflash….you soooooo do! The damage that the sun does to your skin today will impact your skin forever! Want to add years to your face then, sure, be a sun worshipper. Want to look younger – shun the sun. That means protection, baby!

Why are you better using a dedicated sunscreen over your moisturiser vs an SPF moisturiser? Another question, we hear a lot! Very logical, really. We are big believers in natural being best for your skin. To get good SPF protection in a product means using chemicals. Those chemicals compromise the effectiveness of your moisturiser. Far better to use a dedicated sunscreen so you are getting the best in your moisturiser and your sunscreen.

Treat 'em nice not mean. Forget using burning pimple potions to blitz that zit into submission – that is so old school! It’s all about addressing the problem at a more deeper level, working to rebalance the skin so that the pimple issue is addressed and skin is calmer. Who needs blistering, red, flaky, burning skin? You don’t – not only will it be bad for your skin now but it causes long term irreversible skin damage. Our fave pimple treatment is Bellaboo E Z Blitz Serum – zits gently blitzed minus irritation.

So, there you have it. Cleansing should start as soon as you are exposed to more bacteria and that’s usually school age.

Sunscreen definitely as soon you are hitting the outdoors and before you can even walk!

Exfoliator – around puberty when you start to notice skin changes.

Moisturiser – 8-10.

Pimple treatments – if they’re natural no probs using them at whatever age you start to get pimples as they won’t hurt your skin or cause any damage. Steer clear of chemical-based treatments – especially those based on Benzoyl Peroxide as they are way harsh, especially for young skin.

Remember – what you put in is what you will get out. Take some time to care for your skin, use gentle, nurturing products, eat a healthy, well balanced diet, get enough sleep, and make time for exercise and you will be rewarded with the skin you deserve to be in!