Amelia Bell: skincare
My skincare
steps are a moment of mindfulness
MY EARLY MEMORIES OF SKINCARE ARE A FAR CRY FROM THE multi-step routines you’ll find teenagers doing on TikTok today. There was my go-to citrus-scented Neutrogena face wash with tiny beads that burst when lathered onto skin, and the saccharine lip balms I collected like they were vintage handbags. And I will never forget the aroma of the Body Shop’s tea-tree range (a salve for my spot-prone complexion) or applying a thick layer of floral moisturiser from my mum’s forbidden beauty cabinet for the first time. So began an enduring love affair with skincare.
Though the steps, ingredients and formulas may have changed now I’m in my thirties (less Lipsmackers, more SPF), the basis of my obsession has remained the same: the sensorial experience of skincare that I still cherish today. I take time to apply my skincare steps in the evening as a moment of mindfulness (there’s even science to back this up, too), plus I still get the immediate mood boost from certain scents that I did in my adolescent years.
Looking after my skin is the backbone of my entire beauty routine, with a double cleanse (to remove any make-up and daily grime), a hardworking serum and night cream, plus SPF during the day and a handful of high-tech formulas that can instantly revive a tired-looking complexion. For the latter, Fresh’s latest serum, which is powered by AHAs to boost skin-cell turnover, is a sure-fire way to bring back my glow – and smells heavenly too. Meanwhile, I’ve long been a fan of de Mamiel’s rich cleansing balm, which melts effortlessly into skin and is as much about the ritual as the results. The key takeaway I’ve learned along the way is that skincare needn’t be excessive or expensive – but it should be a joy for all the senses.