SKINCARE SECRETS

Trinny Woodall talks to GH about recovering from Covid, rethinking make-up and her skincare lessons

Trinny Woodall on her beauty must-haves

Self-care is so important. I’ve recently started using a home-made body scrub that my daughter, Lyla, created from turmeric, sesame oil, sugar and honey; not only does it leave my skin feeling baby soft, but the action of massaging it over my body has helped me to feel more connected to myself. Touching ourselves through massage is like giving the body a virtual hug. It’s a way of saying to yourself, ‘I acknowledge you, you’re worth it, and I want to give you some love.’ I’m two dress sizes bigger than I was

20 years ago. But my God, am I happy about it! Since I turned 50, I really don’t care what other people think about the way I look. I exercise three times a week, but I do it to get the feelgood endorphins flooding around my brain. I’d like to have more defined legs and less flab, but at this point in my life, I’m certainly not going to waste energy worrying about it. Supplements are helping me tackle the

after-effects of having Covid. I wake up most days feeling exhausted and don’t seem to have my usual get-up-and-go

attitude back yet. I’m taking Victoria Health Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, £28, and Healthaid Sibergin Ginseng

Root Extract, £15.99, and drinking at least five cups of hot water with manuka honey and lemon every day, which I’m hoping will give my immune system a boost and stop me from feeling so tired. I started my beauty brand, Trinny London, from my kitchen table. Now I employ more than 140 people, so I’ve had to learn quite rapidly to trust my team to make the right choices. I’d still like to be involved in every little decision,

but from a practical perspective, it’s simply not possible. It’s also harder for me to hold on to my instinctive feeling of where the business should go or what product we should launch, as everyone has their opinion and expertise. But, ultimately, I have to trust my gut instinct. We all need a make-up shake-up as we

get older. Women often get stuck in an era when they felt most beautiful with their make-up, then they hit their 50s and suddenly that safe and familiar look isn’t flattering any more. Having the courage to reset and rethink your routine is hard, which is why we offer virtual consultations at Trinny London (from £25) during which we help customers rediscover the fun in their make-up, as well as learn some new tricks and tips. I love make-up that works as hard as I do. I wanted to create skincare-hybrid make-up formulations that would not only tackle the external stresses that challenge our skin, such as pollution and sunlight, but also create a glowing, post-facial freshness. My BFF De-stress

Tinted Serum [2], £39, and BFF Eye

Serum Concealer, £26, both make complexions look naturally beautiful yet also improve the quality of skin over time. Every skincare routine should contain a vitamin C and retinol. These ingredients are beneficial for most skin types and brilliant at keeping the complexion smooth, even and bright. At the moment, I love Garden of Wisdom Vitamin C Serum 23% + Ferulic Acid, £10, Lixirskin Vitamin C Paste [9], £32, and Skinceuticals C E Ferulic [3], £145. As for retinol, I’m a huge fan of Sunday Riley A+ High-dose Retinoid Serum [8], £70,

and Medik8 r-retinoate Intense, £210. I’m all about the lit-from-within glow.

A big part of having skin that looks bouncy and well-rested comes from using an exfoliating acid, which removes the dead, dulling cells that can age you. I have a few that I rotate between, but

Touching through massage is like giving the body a hug

my current favourites are Medik8 Press & Glow, £25, and Jane Scrivner Skinfoliate AHA/BHA Resurfacing Exfoliator [1], £26.

I will also use The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, £6.30, on the backs of my hands to lift and fade any pigmentation spots. Sunscreen is key to a great

complexion. A lot of women don’t appreciate that even if it’s cloudy, their skin is still susceptible to sun damage. One of the reasons I created my lovely lightweight BFF Skin Perfector SPF30

[7], £35, was that I wanted women to wear a daily sunscreen, but I didn’t want them to feel burdened by the thought of applying a heavy, gloopy SPF that didn’t gel with the rest of their make-up. I’m strict about my sunbathing routine.

I like a gentle tan on my body, so I’ll

apply Institut Esthederm Adaptasun Body Lotion Strong Sun [5], £46, and go in the sun between 8.30am and 10.30am; for the rest of the day, I’ll stay in the shade. Regardless of the time, my face and decolletage are always shielded with a large hat and a liberal application of the fast-absorbing

Heliocare 360° Airgel SPF50+, £31. Years ago, I was addicted to fake tan.

I wore so much that, if I stayed with friends, they’d ask me to bring my own sheets so I wouldn’t stain their bed linen orange! I had an epiphany when I realised that I was spending vast amounts of money on anti-acne medication, but I would then plaster my face with thick fake tan, which blocked my pores and made my skin feel unclean; it just didn’t make sense to carry on using it. I now wear my Trinny London Golden Glow Bronzer in Gaia [6], £25, to add a subtle, dewy glow. I apply it where the sun naturally hits my face (my forehead, nose and chin), then buff it out so it looks seamless. My go-to scent? I’ve used Roger & Gallet’s super-subtle Gingembre Wellbeing Water Fragrance, £35, for a long time, but a new find is Australian brand Samuel Gravan’s Woody Fig

[4], around £22, which reminds me of a deliciously refreshing wine. It has a generous dose of fresh fig that’s given depth by cedar, but it doesn’t smell overwhelming. I feel fragrance shouldn’t linger behind you in a room.