If there’s one thing I’ve learned from two decades of trialling countless lotions and potions, it’s this: truly glowing skin can’t be faked.
You can cloak it with all sorts of radiance-boosting highlighters and foundations, but genuine luminosity comes from looking after your skin, inside and out. Luckily, you don’t need a bathroom cabinet that groans with half-used jars to achieve a brilliant complexion. Below is my streamlined, science-backed approach that helps your skin find its happy place, no fuss or fluff required.
Step 1: Cleanse
Cleansing lifts away the day’s debris like makeup, grime, and excess oils - preparing your skin to soak up whatever you layer on next.
The evidence
- Studies show that proper cleansing supports the skin’s natural barrier, reducing nasties that can lead to irritation (Draelos, 2012).
What to avoid
- Soaps: Overly alkaline formulas can swipe away the good oils your skin needs.
- Facial wipes: Often full of harsh chemicals and less-than-ideal for the environment (Nguyen et al., 2016).
Best practices
- Be gentle: Choose a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser that doesn’t leave skin feeling tight.
- Double-cleanse: If you wear makeup or sunscreen double cleanse to ensure you unclog those pores.
- Stick to lukewarm water: Scalding temperatures can dry out and compromise the skin’s barrier (Kottner et al., 2013).
Step 2: Exfoliate
Exfoliation is like hitting the reset button on dull, lacklustre skin, revealing a fresher, more radiant you.
Chemical Exfoliants
- AHAs (like glycolic or lactic acids): They loosen up dead surface cells and spark collagen production (Green et al., 2009).
- BHAs (such as salicylic acid): Fabulous for congested or oily skin, because they reach deeper into pores to unclog them (Tang et al., 2018).
Physical Exfoliants
- Be gentle: Gentle is the key word again! No sandpaper-style scrubs, please. Check labels to avoid microplastics (Umar et al., 2021).
My Top Tip
- Start small: exfoliating 2–3 times a week is plenty for most people (Tran et al., 2015).
Step 3: Treat
Now we’re getting down to the business of tackling fine lines, pigmentation, dryness, or whatever else might be bothering you when you look in the mirror.
Superstar Ingredients
- Vitamin C: A wonder-worker for boosting collagen and defending against everyday environmental nasties (Pullar et al., 2017). Helps brighten sunspots or other areas of discoloration (Campos et al., 2015).
- Hyaluronic Acid: A moisture magnet, helping skin stay plump and dewy (Papakonstantinou et al., 2012).
- Retinoids (Vitamin A): Fantastic for refining skin texture, tackling fine lines, and encouraging cell turnover (Mukherjee et al., 2006). Research shows they’re more effective at target areas when applied topically (Jenning et al., 2000).
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): Calms redness, refines pores, and improves overall skin clarity (Gehring, 2004). A helpful ally against hyperpigmentation (Hakozaki et al., 2002).
Step 4: Moisturize
A good moisturizer is like a soft, soothing blanket for your face, helping lock in hydration and maintain that all-important skin barrier. Regular moisturization has been shown to improve barrier repair and stave off dryness and irritation (Draelos, 2018).
Step 5: Protect
If there’s a single beauty secret I’d pin to the top of anyone’s list, it’s daily sunscreen. Sun damage is the surest path to accelerated ageing!
The evidence
- Using at least SPF 30 can block roughly 97% of UVB rays, helping to reduce photoaging and, crucially, the DNA damage linked to skin cancer (Narayanan et al., 2010). At the clinic we recommend SPF50.
My Top Tips
- Be generous: Think a 10p-sized blob for the face and reapply every couple of hours if you’re out and about.
- Use a broad-spectrum: Using a UVA and UVB sun protection cream is essential for overall protection.
My Practical Takeaways
- Simplify your arsenal: A handful of high-quality, research-backed products trumps a clutter of random buys. Plus, you are more likely to follow a simple regime.
- Go beyond the mirror: Hydration, a healthy diet loaded with antioxidants, and staying active all make a tangible difference to your complexion (Zivkovic et al., 2020).
- Professional guidance: A personalized skin analysis can spare you from guesswork, so you can invest wisely (and declutter those shelves). To arrange one with my team to accelerate results.
Get professional advice and help with my team and book your skin analysis today.
Follow this advice and you’re well on the way to a truly radiant complexion that needs no filter. Here’s to loving the skin you’re in this year, next year, and beyond.
Authors' experience
For over 20 years, Dr Victoria has been helping patients achieve their skin goals by providing personalised, results-focused treatments to meet their exact needs.