How I look after my skin ¦ Ayesha

I have invested a lot of time and effort to making sure my skin looks at its best. I don't like to wear foundation and I personally think if you have good skin, make-up should just enhance it rather than cover it up or change how you look completely. This is not to say that I am religious over taking care of my skin, but rather I do what I can whenever I can. Experts say you should cleanse, tone, moisturise, face mask once a week and exfoliate 3-4 times a week but honestly, I tried that and it dried out my skin like anything. You could argue that I wasn't using the right products, and maybe I wasn't, but that doesn't change the fact that I believe you can still have good skin without doing it. The French apparently wash their faces with cold water morning and evening and then put moisturiser on!

So, here's what I do.

Morning: Wash my face with cold water, moisturise.

Evening: Use a face wash, moisturise. 

Twice a week: Face mask and microdermabrasion scrub. I use this one:

Image from The Body Shop

That's it.

I have also made changes to my diet and lifestyle which have also contributed to better looking skin. 

Supplements. I take a multi-vitamin supplement which also has iron. This has worked wonders for my under-eye bags as they were quite dark before, no matter what I did. I highly recommend taking more vitamins! 

Using a less harsh makeup remover. I am now using almond/coconut oil to remove my eye makeup. I find that I am rubbing my eyes less as the oil just breaks down the makeup for me. It's so much more gentle and has resulted in less bruising of my eyes.

Drinking more water. Water is so important. It keeps you awake more than caffeine, makes your skin look more plump, and in general is very, very good for you.

Cutting out excess sugar. Now, I still eat cakes and chocolate. However, I've stopped putting sugar in my tea which has also made me drink less tea. I still have up to 2 cups a day - perhaps one coffee and one tea - but I opt for a sweetener or honey instead of sugar. It does the same job but sugar spikes up your blood sugar level almost immediately and can contribute to dull skin. Natural sugars, albeit are still sugars, release more slowly so you don't have a 'crash and burn' effect. Your diet shows in your skin.

Generally eating a lot more healthily. Since living with my husband, I have been eating a salad with dinner every single day. Vegetables are amazing for your skin (even more than fruit because fruit is very high in sugar), so definitely increase them. It helps you feel fuller too so you don't have a chance to over-indulge in bad things.

Exercise daily. Even if it is for a brisk half hour walk, it will do wonders to your skin. Exercise releases a chemical called serotonin which makes you feel happy and well, and when you are happy you have a natural glow to your skin anyway. I don't know the science behind this bit but if you exercise more and sweat more, you end up with more dead skin which you have to exfoliate away more regularly than twice a week. This means your skin has less build-up and clogging up of your pores so your skin is clearer. Also, because of the exercise, you are drinking more water to replace lost fluids from sweating. Exercise is amazing!

I know the lifestyle tips might be more difficult than the cosmetic tips; it did take me a a year to adjust to this new 'conscious' way of eating. You can still eat junk food but in moderation. Good skin and healthy living aren't just a temporary thing, you have to work at it and it can be achieved by making really small changes. If you look after your skin, your skin will look after you!

How do you take care of your skin?