Even more indulgent than a hot bath: a DIY SUNDAY FACIAL
Long before I became a beauty editor, I was obsessed with skincare. My mother and grandmother taught me to consider a dedicated routine as essential as brushing your teeth or having clean hair.
As a result, since my mid-teens, I have given myself a DIY facial every Sunday afternoon. When I started, it was a little more than a cleanser, face scrub and mask. Today, my routine is rather more extensive — my skincare needs have grown up with me and my career path as beauty director of Cosmopolitan and glamour magazines has allowed me to experiment with all the latest beauty breakthroughs. But the underlying principle remains the same: the Sunday Facial is an antidote to a hectic life, refreshing both my soul and my skin.
Why Sunday? It could be any day — the key is setting time aside. But Sunday allows you to begin a new week with your best face forward.
When I joined Instagram, I started sharing my Sunday Facial routines, explaining step by step how to use products and what they actually do.
I was thrilled when the idea caught on, with around 25,000 people now tuning in on social media each week.
So, will the Sunday Facial be the answer to all your skin woes? This is only one aspect of achieving great skin, and your habits (from the products you use, to the food and drink you consume, your exposure to pollution and so on) are crucial. But the skin is the largest organ of the body and needs upkeep, in the same way you have to exercise to look after the rest of your body.
The most effective way to make positive changes in your skin is to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. I post Sunday Facial routines for different skin types and conditions online every week.
Here’s an edit of my most-prized products to tackle the top six skin concerns. Each recommended product is designed to work in synergy with the rest of the routine, leaving your skin fresh, radiant and soothed.
QUENCH DEHYDRATED SKIN
NOT To be confused with dry skin, which is characterised by a lack of oil, dehydration can affect anyone, regardless of skin type. This tightness may be climaterelated or caused by using too many, or the wrong, products.
1 CLEANSE: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, £6.75 — non-foaming and super gentle, contains hyaluronic acid to retain moisture. 2 SMOOTH: Zelens PHA Bio Peel
Resurfacing Facial Pads, £65 —a blend of exfoliating acids that will minimise appearance of wrinkles and unclog pores. 3 MASK: Perricone MD Cocoa
Moisture Mask, £ 52 — super hydrating, it will tone and lift your skin.
4 SERUM: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, £ 53 — hydrates, soothes and repairs. 5 RE-MOISTURISE: Super Facialist Rose Hydrate Peaceful Skin Night Cream, £16.99 — feels light, but packs a moisturising punch.
CALM AN OILY COMPLEXION
Hormones control your sebum glands and this can’t be changed by skincare. But the wrong products can dry and irritate skin, making things worse. The right routine of gentle formulas (no soap!) and exfoliants (such as salicylic acid) lead to less shine, fewer break-outs and clean pores. 1 CLEANSE: Dr Sebagh Breakout Foaming Cleanser, £25 — cleanses without stripping the skin. 2 MASK: Dr Dennis Gross Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask, £37 — calms redness and controls shine. 3 PURIFY: The Ordinary Salicylic
2% Solution, £4.20 — salicylic acid is an oil- soluble acid that can penetrate pores to clear out clogging debris. 4 SPOT TREAT: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Rapid Clear Treatment, £ 3.57 — pat on break- outs to immediately tackle them. 5 LIGHTLY HYDRATE: Kate
Somerville Oil Free Moisturiser,
£ 55 — oily skin can still need hydration. Pick an oil-free formula if you feel tightness or skip this step.
TURN DRY SKIN DEWY
IF You have genetically dry skin, it will permanently feel flaky, tight and rough. This is due to the fact that your skin can’t retain enough water because it lacks moisture-binding emollients. You need products containing ingredients such as glycerin and lecithin to help your skin-barrier cling on to moisture. 1 CLEANSE: Sanctuary Spa Ultimate Cleansing Oil, £12 — feels comforting, but not overly greasy. 2 REFINE: Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel, £32 — I like this creamy enzyme peel to clear flakiness. 3 SOFTEN: Shiseido Ibuki Softening Concentrate, £24 — this really makes dry skin feel bouncy. 4 MASK: QMS Medicosmetics
Hydro Foam Mask, £46 — this foam mask gives an incredible dewiness to even the most parched skin. 5 NOURISH: Sarah Chapman
Overnight Facial, £49 — a blend of softening oils and skin barrier-repairing ingredients.
BEAT MENOPAUSAL BLEMISHES
Regardless of your skin type, you’ll notice changes to your complexion due to hormonal fluctuations through the menopause. oestrogen levels decline after the age of 40, causing skin to thin, break down more collagen and retain less water, as the production of skin-plumping ceramides and hyaluronic acid decrease. 1 CLEANSE: The Organic Pharmacy Rose Diamond Exfoliating Cleanser, £55 — softens and cleanses without being too harsh. 2 SOFTEN: Radical Age-Defying Exfoliating Pads, £48 — acids can irritate sensitive skin, so introduce this slowly. If your skin can tolerate it, this will add radiance. 3 RE-BALANCE: Elizabeth Arden Superstart Probiotic Boost Skin Renewal Biocellulose Mask, £40 — instantly makes you look rested and fresh. 4 ENERGISE: Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector,
£28 — the vitamin C will help tackle dullness and is an antioxidant, which protects your skin from environmental damage. 5 TREAT: L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Cica Cream, £12.99 — rich but not cloying, and at a very good price.
YOUR INSTANT SOS ROUTINE
THIS is your sos routine for when you get inflammation, itchiness or redness, whether you’re reacting to products, medication or excessive sun. It’s about paring everything back, giving your skin a chance to recover. 1 CLEANSE: La Rocheposay Toleriane Dermo
Cleanser, £12.50 — the most soothing cleanser. Skip exfoliation, as it will irritate skin. 2 MASK: Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Mask, £60 — apply this light gel thickly to bring any inflammation right down. 3 SOOTHE: Lancome Genifique Sensitive Youth Activating + Sensitivity Soothing Dual
Concentrate, £47.20 — a great blend of barrier-repairing and calming ingredients. 4 PROTECT & REPAIR: Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream,
£7.50 — this thick balm is the only product I have found that doesn’t irritate anyone’s skin.
SORT SUN DAMAGE FAST
Skin pigmentation issues are complex to treat. To see a significant improvement, a trip to the dermatologist might be your best bet. However, as many pigmentation problems are aggravated by sun exposure, sunscreen is your number-one daily protection. As for the facial routine, some targeted ingredients can successfully fade discolouration. 1 CLEANSE: Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Brightening &
Exfoliating Daily Cleanser, £27 — this new product polishes the skin and makes it truly glow. 2 PEEL: The Body Shop Drops Of Light Pure Resurfacing Liquid Peel, £ 18 — a peel which will remove dulling dead cells. 3 MASK: Clinique Even Better
Brighter Moisture Mask, £36 — the whole Even Better range is good, but I particularly like this mask, as it calms and gives a dewy glow.
4 BOOST: Lixir Vit C Paste £32 —a powerful pure vitamin C treatment to help with unevenness. 5 CORRECT: Dr Weil Mega-Bright Dark Spot Correcting Night Mask,
£49 — I am a huge fan of this range by Dr Weil, one of the first experts to talk about inflammation being a massive issue for skin.
AND FINALLY...
I haven’t included any sunscreen in these routines, as I perform my facial before bed. However, if you do yours during the day and head outdoors, you’d be wise to apply a minimum SPF30 as your last skincare step. n instagram.com/alexsteinherr