Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine – by Kate Duggan
It’s not just homes that benefit from a good ol’ spring clean…
Ditch old makeup and skincare products
Most of us are guilty of holding onto favourite cosmetics way longer than we should do. While makeup doesn’t have a fixed use-by date as such, it does start to degrade once it’s been exposed to air and sunlight. If you check the packaging of any skincare or cosmetic product, you’ll find the PAO symbol. This shows the ‘period after opening’ that the product needs to be used within. In most cases, it’s six or 12 months.
Products that come into direct contact with your skin, such as a lipstick, or a moisturiser that you scoop out of the jar with a finger, are particularly virulent breeding grounds for bacteria. So have a good sort through and ditch anything that’s been open longer than its PAO. It’s also worth having a bit of a declutter at the same time. Are you ever going to wear that lurid purple eyeshadow?
If you want products that will last longer, check the PAO before you buy. In general, pump action lotions will last longer than those in jars, as the lotion comes into less contact with oxygen and light.
Clean makeup brushes
Makeup brushes and cases can get decidedly grubby, so it’s a good idea to give them a gentle clean on a regular basis. Most cosmetic bags can be washed by hand, using a mild detergent. Brushes can be cleaned with face wash, baby shampoo or a mild soap. Soap is probably the easiest. Just swirl the brush gently on wet soap to create lather, use your fingers to massage the bristles, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and leave it to dry.
If your old brushes are past the point of revival, the Nellie Make Up Brush Set from Oliver Bonas is worth considering. For £38, you get five different types of brushes and a handy mirror, all housed in a stylish pink case.
Try something new
It’s easy to get stuck in a perfume rut, wearing the same fragrance year after year. Or worse, wearing a fragrance you’ve been given as a gift but aren’t in love with. Fragrance doesn’t have to be expensive. Marks and Spencer’s Island Escape Eau De Toilette is £16 for a 95ml bottle. For £18 you can have the giftset, which includes a full size fragrance and body lotion. Island Escape is a light, citrusy fragrance, with notes of bergamot, pear and rose, mixed with a hint of sea salt, so it’s perfect for spring and summer.
Slap on the SPF
Ideally, we should protect our skin from the sun every day, rain or shine. The easiest way to take care of your face is by choosing a moisturiser with a high SPF rating. Nspa Expert Daily Rejuvenate Cream has an SPF of 30 and contains active ingredients such as Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb extract, which has been proven to improve the appearance of ageing skin. What’s more, the cream costs just £10 in ASDA. It’s ideal for spring, but come summer you’ll need a sun lotion that you can reapply throughout the day.
Kate Duggan: www.kateduggan.co.uk