‘What do *I* need?’

It’s a question we’re not that good at asking ourselves. It’s so much easier to just let brands and social media tell us what’s good, right? This is true of everything from running a business to raising a family, and it’s especially true when it comes to skincare lately.

Your favourite influencer is glowing after layering three different acids on her face every night, so you hit ‘add to cart’ and do the same. Except – uh oh – something’s not quite right for you. Now your skin barrier is on its last legs and you’re flaking like a salt rock lamp.

Stop. Put down your phone. It’s time to start really listening to your skin.

Part of the Slow Beauty ethos is learning to trust yourself to take care of your own skin. This can be scary, we know. After all, most of us have spent decades outsourcing our body’s needs to trends and marketing. Getting back to recognising what your skin actually needs from you can be a slow process, but it’s worth the journey – because on the other side is a happy, healthy complexion.

HOW TO CUSTOMISE YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE:

Here’s a little secret: good skincare is no more nor less than simply taking care of your skin. It doesn’t matter if you have a perfect #skincareshelfie of 20 trending products, or just two hard-working heroes – if you’re taking the time to look after your skin, then you’re doing skincare.

If we’re not careful, skincare (like any self-care routine) can quickly turn into yet another stick with which to beat ourselves. You see someone on Instagram piling on the latest hydrating ingredient, and suddenly you feel guilty that you’re not giving your face the same spoils. But skincare is not a competitive sport. The perfect routine is the one that works for you and that you enjoy. Period. Take a break from the product comparison game.

Grab a mirror and get reacquainted with your face. Do you really have all the ‘issues’ your current arsenal of products is designed to treat? Has something changed in the past few years that you haven’t noticed up until now? Do you even know what kind of skin you have?

Try this: Wake up, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, then wait an hour and examine your skin. Is it oily? Dry? Sensitive? Tight? Beyoncé? (Lucky.) This exercise will give you an idea of your baseline skin so you can shop accordingly from there.

Introduce one new product into your routine at a time and wait three to four weeks before making any other changes. After that time, assess how it’s going. Can you see any improvement in your skin? Can you feel a difference? Have you enjoyed using it? These regular check-ins prevent you from being a skincare robot who just slathers on trend products without really knowing why.

Tip: Snap a make-up free photo in natural light the day before you introduce a new product, and again after three to four weeks. Since we see ourselves daily, it can be difficult to discern a change without a side-by-side comparison.

We believe skincare should be a spa-like ritual at the start and end of your day. Treat yourself to products that not only improve the health of your skin, but are a joy to use. Now that’s our kind of skincare…

Do you feel the same way we do about skincare routines? If you’re looking to slow down and get back to basics, we believe Skin Creamery can help. We stand by our products, our hard-working ingredients and our Slow Beauty ethos. Not sure where to begin? Our new, limited-edition Travel Set includes five minis of our hero products, ethically packaged in a Sealand Gear pouch made from upcycled canvas.