The aim of every skincare regime is to encourage healthy, glowing skin. It’s why acids, and we’re talking the gentle kind here, are such an important ingredient to incorporate. They efficiently remove dead skin cells and encourage skin cell renewal, helping you to reveal fresh, vibrant-looking skin.

What is glycolic acid?

Glycolic acid, along with lactic acid, is one of a group of acids called alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which can be found in fruits and milk that buff away dullness without any need for elbow grease or scratchy, gritty exfoliators. These are the most commonly used acids and other AHAs include citric, mandelic, malic and tartaric. They perform a simple function very efficiently; they exfoliate the skin, stimulate collagen and can normalise the skin barrier. They are the most frequently used acids in treating dryness and the signs of ageing.

How should I be use glycolic acid?

The key to using any active ingredient is to start small. Look for a low concentration or pre-measured applications, or just begin by applying weekly. You may want an impressive result, but being heavy-handed in the short-term isn’t as effective as being measured in the long-term. Gycolic acid can cause irritation if your skin is not used to it, so ease your way in, let your skin get used to this extra step and build up from there.

How should my skin feel after using it?

Your skin feels a little bit dry, possibly even slightly sandpapery, but be patient – as it takes effect your skin will look more radiant and will feel smoother.

Wait, I’ve got dry skin and it’ll make my skin drier?

Glycolic acid can have a really positive benefit on skin concerns such as dryness, but before it encourages more collagen and elastin production in the skin, you may experience a dip and perhaps even more dryness, but this won’t last long.

Will I be able to see a difference?

If you use glycolic acid daily as an exfoliator, it can have a really positive effect on the condition of your skin by balancing the acid mantle and given a regular, gentle deep exfoliation. Sloughing the dead skin and increasing cell turnover will all lead you towards fresh, healthy-looking skin.

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Rather than waking up with a pillowcase of smeared skeleton, or – even worse – aggravating your skin by scrubbing with cleansers that aren’t quite up for the job, make sure you’re prepared. Stock up on cleansers that will make light work of heavy duty make-up, with minimal effort required.

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Eye creams can do a myriad of tasks – they brighten and disguise dark circles, they reduce lines and wrinkles, and lift and firm your eyelids. They’re almost paramount to creating a smooth base for eyeshadow and concealer. If you haven’t had enough sleep, or need to look less tired like, right now, an eye cream is the place to start.

Make sure your eye cream can keep up with the rest of your skincare, with our edit of the ones that work the hardest.

The post The eye creams you need to fake eight hours sleep appeared first on Stories.

Anna Francis is a freelance digital writer with an interest in women’s lifestyle and mental health. Find her on Instagram @thisisannalisa. Here she reveals why she’s changing her attitude when it comes to dealing with a lifelong skin condition…

“Why do you always have a rash on your legs?” my friend asked as we sat on the bench ahead of swimming class. I was around 13 and had, as far as I recall, never given the skin on my thighs much thought before. I didn’t know the answer to her question but I immediately assumed that this ‘rash’ wasn’t normal. I went from barely having noticed it to then spending many, many years afterwards trying to fix it.

It turned out though that, like many things in life, what I feared was abnormal about myself was in fact quite natural. I have keratosis pilaris, otherwise attractively known to some as ‘chicken skin’. It is described by the NHS as ‘a very common, harmless condition where small bumps appear on your skin’, which can be dry, rough and itchy and tend to form on the arms, thighs or bum. The condition – which happens when a build-up of keratin blocks the hair follicles – can run in families and has a tendency to stick around for years. Always nice to have something to look forward to…

With age I became increasingly aware of this staggering difference between my ‘rash’ legs and those that I saw in the media

So why, with this being such a common affliction, did it make me feel so strange and embarrassed? Perhaps it’s because, as a teenage girl looking to the outside world for reassurance, I’d realised that this was something we just don’t tend to see out in the open. After all, those affected by KP probably aren’t too keen on showing off their bumpy skin for all to see (which I can now attest to), and for me – with the condition particularly manifesting on my thighs – this has been made worse by the lack of ‘normal’ looking legs in the media. Take a look through a glossy magazine and you’ll notice that adverts and photoshoots tend to depict blemish-free, silky-smooth and evenly tanned pins – no ‘chicken skin’ in sight. And don’t even get me started on the alarming falseness of many Instagram and social media images.

With age I became increasingly aware of this staggering difference between my ‘rash’ legs and those that I saw in the media, and it turns out I’m not the only one. Actress and activist Jameela Jamil recently admitted in a candid Instagram post that seeing her legs looking flawless in a heavily airbrushed photo of herself negatively affected her mental health. So imagine the issues it can cause as an outsider looking at a picture that we may not be aware has been retouched – we assume that this snapshot depicts the norm, and worry because our bodies don’t match.

Perhaps without realising it for a while, this confusion between image and reality damaged me too. I was convinced for years after the swimming incident that my legs were something to be embarrassed about, and felt paranoid over the reactions of others. This sucks the most when it gets in the way of you living your life; on one occasion I was exploring a Greek island for the first time on a press trip, yet instead of taking in the beautiful scenery I couldn’t help but wonder whether my travel companions were looking at my thighs – bare in a tiny playsuit thanks to the 36-degree heat – with secret disgust.

The insecurity led to years of trying various products and tricks in the hope of ridding myself of the issue, which was ultimately a tactic to overcome the low self-esteem underneath it all. That old chestnut of “If x happens I’ll be happy” type-thinking crept in; “If it’s gone and I have perfect legs I’ll be a more attractive and confident person”. I went through a variety of shower gels, lotions, exfoliants, soaps and even hair removal methods on my mission. Occasionally I had minor results, only for the KP to reemerge again as angry as ever.

they’re natural and mine, and just real life really

But then something unexpectedly changed – not with my stubborn skin (there’s no way that will back down without a fight, oh no), but with my mind. Recently, with the rise of the body positive movement, I’ve started to be more accepting of the condition. Okay, so I won’t exactly be pointing it out to strangers and asking them to feel the, um, lovely tactile bumps, but if I’m having a particularly aggressive outbreak – and it’s a hot day and I want to bare some skin – then I’m not going to feel that I have to hide it away. My legs will still be out in their pale, blemished and bumpy glory, because they’re natural and mine, and just real life really. I’ve spent too many years fretting about the way my body looks and frankly I don’t want to waste much more time on doing so. Who wants to be so preoccupied with what they look like that they forget to actually enjoy life experiences? Changing my mindset is a work in process but I’m determined to set a positive example to those like my insecure teenage self; I look at my friends’ gorgeous young daughters and can’t bear the thought of them receiving the negative body image messages that so clearly affected me.

I’m not saying that you have to throw out all products and be done with it, of course – if you find something that works and gives you that extra bit of confidence then go for it. Personally I have yet to strike upon anything that offers solid results with KP; I’ve tried some of the specialist products available on the market and had some success, but find that I really have to commit to using them regularly (which, let’s face it, in today’s insanely busy world can be a challenge). My advice would be to occasionally use a very gentle exfoliating mitt along with an equally mild body lotion. And perhaps, rather than focusing on getting rid of the condition, think of these more as self-care tools. There is also the option of course to speak to a pharmacist if you’re really struggling.

But if you try all of that and it still doesn’t clear (which, with keratosis pilaris known for persistently returning, is sadly quite likely)? Please don’t worry. We’ve come so far recently in showing that things like cellulite and body hair are perfectly normal – so isn’t it about time that natural, blemished, angry-red-bumpy legs, like mine and countless other women’s, become the next skin ‘taboo’ to be broken?

The post Anna Francis: normal skin conditions are the next beauty taboo to break appeared first on Stories.

The act of pressing or ‘scraping’ (as it’s called in the practice of Gua sha) can also help to encourage your skincare product to penetrate deeper and target the areas that need a little extra attention too.

Perfect if you’re feeling stressed, tired or puffy, a small-but-mighty crystal might be just the thing to help you up your beauty game, as not only can these mystical stones increase the absorption and efficacy of serums and oils, they also do a great job of relaxing facial muscles and targeting any tension. Plus, they feel cooling and refreshing on the skin – just what you need if you’ve got an early start or are in need of a pick-me-up.

As an act of self-care to enjoy a moment of calm and clarity before bed, and to help your skincare products work harder and absorb quicker, these crystal tools are a real game-changer in any beauty routine.

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The worst part about shopping is the changing rooms. The acidic white light flares up my skin so that every blackhead, flaking scab, hair or spot is presented with forensic precision. It never feels like a conscious choice, my nails just start squeezing and pressing into skin until my pores weep. I stand there until my lower back aches from leaning close to the mirror and scattered around my feet are bloodied tissues.

There are other places I hate: The hairdresser chair, the shopping centre lift mirror, washing my hands with strawberry scented foam in the train station toilets while reflected back at me are hundreds of imperfections speckling my nose. The car wing mirror, looking at an iPhone front camera on the tube.

I have a skin-picking disorder called dermatillomania. Dr Adam Friedmann from the Harley Street Dermatology Clinic explained the condition to me. “It’s characterised by the repeated urge or impulse to pick at one’s own skin until either psychological or physical damage is caused. Dermatillomania is related to hair picking or ‘trichotillomania’ where people injure themselves intentionally or unintentionally. These conditions are often exasperated by anxiety and depression. It can get to the point where people become convinced there’s something living in their skin.”

Social media makes us susceptible to seeing flaws where they don’t exist, fuelling a desire to expunge them from the body

In more severe cases, skin picking can actually make you physically ill. Dr Friedmann told me: “When people believe there’s a parasite living under their skin, they become more aggressive in their treatment of their skin and they sometimes start to use instruments to cut these imaginary beasties out of their bodies. These people will look much more aggressively injured because they have cut bits of themselves off.” In some extreme cases, obsessive picking can lead to septicemia.

I used to think that I acted this way because my body was imperfect. But the problem is not that my skin is dirty, but rather my belief that it shouldn’t be so. What gave me that idea in the first place?  

I blame the Instagram home feed. When I feel low I often find myself scrolling through images of flawless skin. Even under an HD lens, a woman’s cheeks show nothing but balmy undulations of cheekbones. Another glows make-up free on a pillow, her eyes still sticky from sleep. A model has skin so smooth it’s like the hard ceramic casing of a robot. I look at these women and I want to inhabit their skin like a costume. When I catch sight of myself in the mirror again, I lose control.

Studies linking Instagram to body dysmorphia are nothing new. Social media makes us susceptible to seeing flaws where they don’t exist, fuelling a desire to expunge them from the body. As Dr Freidmann said to me, “Anything that can raise levels of anxiety or self-loathing can trigger skin picking. Social media may be a means by which someone could find themselves stressed or anxious or irritated.”

But now when I feel stressed I sometimes scroll past a different type of face, one that’s a lot less smooth and a little less perfect

For some people skin-picking gets so bad they avoid birthdays, they call in sick, they cancel on people, hiding under duvets so that no-one can laugh at the holes in their face. It hasn’t got to that point for me yet. I am an expert with concealer, endlessly dotting beige blobs on scars until no one could see what I have done to myself. It doesn’t make me feel much better, I still know what’s underneath. The red flecks where I’ve hurt myself are now permanently pressed into my DNA. Now when my cells replace themselves they come back red. If you keep picking into your flaws you will find nothing but more flaws, more dirt, wetness, infection. The body isn’t clean and it’s not supposed to be.

There is hope; people do get better. Some women say acrylic nails stopped them picking, others wearing gloves, avoiding mirrors, practising mindfulness, 10 step K-Beauty routines.

One evening I was curled on my bed in a damp towel scrolling through Instagram until my phone overheated. I clicked on a face, I liked the way her nose curled up all cute at the end. Her skin wasn’t quite like other women’s, pinky patches were mottled over her forehead. I noticed that in the caption she’d spoken of her problematic history of skin picking. Of taking tweezers to her face until her complexion was broken. Of slathering acidic face masks onto open wounds. She looked like she was healing.

I still haven’t managed to stop picking, that would mean accepting that there will never be skin without dirt and at the moment that’s a thought which is too stressful to bear. But now when I feel stressed I sometimes scroll past a different type of face, one that’s a lot less smooth and a little less perfect and it makes me feel better about all the monsters living under my face.

The post Annie Lord: Dermatillomania (aka skin-picking) and the triggers and solace of social media appeared first on Stories.

As eczema sufferers know all too well, aesthetically it can be confidence-kicking. Beyond that, dry and scaly skin can feel extremely comfortable while the urge to scratch is both infuriating and sleep-disrupting.

The cause of eczema is unknown but it has been linked to genetics (it often runs in families) and environmental factors (people with eczema also often have allergies). Triggers vary from person to person but can include weather, stress, hormones, diet and irritating products. Sadly there is no magic ‘cure’ but merely methods for managing flare ups.

In recognition of National Eczema Week, we enlisted some expert help to give us some practical advice on the best ways to manage ezcema…

Forget foam and fragrance

Stripping back your skin, body and hair care routine is a must, and products that foam or are heavily fragranced are the first to go. “Avoid common foaming skin irritants such as anionic detergents and surfactants, particularly SLS,” GP Dr Roger Henderson recommends. “Instead wash your body with emollient-rich shower gels or bath oils and use a gentle fragrance-free cleanser for your face,” Consultant Dermatologist and author of The Skincare Bible Dr Anjali Mahto adds.

Make best friends with your moisturiser

Dr Henderson highlights how moisturising is an essential element of managing eczema: “Apply a rich cream generously and regularly even when skin doesn’t feel particularly dry.” After washing, moisturising becomes even more important. “Using emollients immediately after a bath or shower will help to trap moisture in the skin. Remember to pat your skin dry (not rub) before applying,” he adds.

Avoid extreme temperatures

Annoyingly, both ends of the spectrum can cause issues. “Heat is a problem for eczema and sweat contains traces of certain chemicals that can further irritate the skin,” Dr Henderson explains. “Keep showers short and cool and if you do get sweaty, rinse off and change as soon as possible. Use light cotton sheets and keep the room as cool as possible,” he suggests. During the colder months moisturising becomes even more important. Dr Mahto adds: “Winter can be tricky too with the combination of dry air and central heating”.

Swap your laundry detergent

Many mainstream laundry detergents contain irritating ingredients that could aggravate eczema. It’s not worth the risk so switch to a sensitive skin friendly formula such as Surcare.

Get moving

“Stress hormones affect the body’s immune system which impacts on skin inflammatory changes,” Dr Henderson highlights. Yoga and pilates can prove a godsend in this department. “Low-impact workouts can help with stress, energy levels and the immune system without too much skin-irritating sweat,” he adds.

Go for a mani

Acrylic nails can be a legitimate game-changer. They don’t stop the scratching per se, but the smoother nail means the damage caused is significantly reduced.

The post Practical, doctor-approved tips on how to manage eczema appeared first on Stories.

Caused by an overproduction of melanin, hyperpigmentation is particularly common among people of colour. Not just acne scarring, it’s also important to note that hyperpigmentation also refers to dark patches of skin particularly around the eyes, knees, elbows and inner thigh area, which many people experience.

This scarring can be hard to disguise and even harder to get rid of, and many end up looking for quick solutions to get rid of the scarring and dark patches, which can at times be extremely dangerous.

With so many self-proclaimed skincare gurus online it can be hard to know who you should be listening to

Hyperpigmentation skincare specialist Dr. Vanita Rattan cautions against this, advising those that suffer from hyperpigmentation to “stay away from laser treatments and high percentage glycolic peels”, especially if you have darker skin.

“For many people of colour, these treatments can burn your skin, and make your hyperpigmentation a lot worse. Your skin cannot afford to burn, so if you’re getting any sort of treatment or product that makes your skin feel tingly, try to avoid at all costs,” she adds.

Due to lack of knowledge and overuse of products with harsh chemicals, Dr. Rattan has seen many people who have accidentally burnt their skin, which makes the scars even harder to get rid of, and can cause them to darker further.

And that’s the last thing you want. There are many tricks and tips online that claim to help get rid of hyperpigmentation quickly, but with so many self-proclaimed skincare gurus online it can be hard to know who you should be listening to. However, the best way to deal with hyperpigmentation is to have a solid morning skincare regime.

“The best advice I can offer anyone is to do your research, what works for your favourite YouTubers or your friends might not work for you.”

Dr. Rattan advises to “wash your face in the morning with a gentle facial wash, no harsh acids or scrubs. So many people tend to think if they use scrubs, they can scrub away the dark marks. But this is only temporary, and in the long run, you’re making it worse.” After cleansing she recommends you “go in with your moisturiser and SPF lotion”. Then you’re ready to apply any make-up.

Beauty YouTubers such as Jackie Aina have made the Korean 10-step skincare regime popular among women suffering from hyperpigmentation. Serums, in particular, have become popularised as they have high-potency ingredients targeted to certain solutions. When choosing your skincare products, it’s important to make they all contain the ingredients you need.

Dr. Rattan tell us: “Some acids are good and some are bad. Stay clear from TCA peels, as they tend to burn the skin. Vitamin C, salicylic acids and hyaluronic acids (in diluted forms) are all great ingredients to incorporate in your skincare products, as they can lessen the appearance of dark patches.”

So if you’re struggling to deal with or are bothered by hyperpigmentation, Dr. Rattan’s advice is a great place to start. Wear SPF, stay from harsh treatments and chemicals, avoid scrubs and instead look for brightening and exfoliating chemical ingredients to incorporate into your skincare regime. Most importantly, tailor what you use to fit your skin type: “The best advice I can offer anyone is to do your research, what works for your favourite YouTubers or your friends might not work for you.” Dr. Rattan suggests.

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Sometimes skincare should be more than just functional. Get glowing skin with a super luxe skincare routine, that also gives you some time out from the everyday, and a chance to focus on you.

No idea where to start? Follow Monalisa as she takes us through her own relaxing, luxe skincare routine. See which skincare products she loves, and pick up some great tips too.

The post WATCH | TUTORIAL | A luxe skincare routine with Monaseyesbeauty appeared first on Stories.

Commonly found in the form of L-ascorbic acid, it can help to protect your skin against the free radical damage and environmental aggressors that can reduce your collagen supplies, making it a sought-after skincare ingredient. In short, if you’ve noticed your skin looking dull and lacking in vibrancy, vitamin C could be for you to help get that bounce back.

Not sure where to begin? We’ve rounded up our four favourite serums (and we’ve thrown in a moisturiser for good measure) that harness the power of vitamin C to deliver a little more pep to your current beauty routine.

The post The five vitamin C skincare picks to try for dull skin appeared first on Stories.