9 SKINCARE GETS BASIC

Been rolling a jade roller around your face of late? You’ve got Angela Caglia, celebrity facialist to stars including Helena Christensen, to thank for popularising the hit beauty trend. So we’re pretty keen on her next bright idea: back-to-basics skincare. In recent years, the consensus has been that a complicated regime is essential. ‘Having 10 different product lines with 10 different steps, morning and night, has become the norm,’ she explains, blaming social media bathroom ‘shelfies’ for our penchant for going OTT. ‘There’s no other organ in the body that would be stripped and sensitised every day in the same way.’ The new thinking is that your complexion will do better if you scale things back. Overwhelming your face with ingredients can disrupt the skin barrier and potentially lead to sensitive skin, which it’s estimated

50% of women now suffer from to some degree. ‘The less-is-more approach helps your skin’s natural ph stay balanced,’ Caglia explains. How to achieve this? She recommends sticking with one skincare line to avoid different formulations wreaking havoc. Dr Kemi Fabusiwa, a medical doctor and aesthetician, agrees, suggesting that you should start with the bare minimum. ‘Use a cleanser, moisturiser and SPF, then slowly move on to a gentle acid exfoliator, taking care not to use it too frequently. From there, you may want to consider an active that best suits the needs of your skin.’ Go to page 21 for more on mixing and matching skincare products.