The party season has officially ended and it's time to spring clean your skincare routine! Late nights, lots of makeup and poorly-kept beauty routines can often cause your skin to stress, with the New Year period being when this occurs most prominently. So, how about a skin detox?
The Best Ingredients for a Total Skin Detox
If your skin is in need of a little detox, it's time to dig through your cupboard and pick out purifying and refining ingredients. Not so sure which extracts and botanicals are best for detoxifying your complexion? Don't stress -- we've rounded up our absolute favourite, tried and tested ingredients for a skin detox.
Keep on reading to find out which skincare ingredients will help your complexion feel fresh and flawless again, even post-Winter.
Clay and Mud
Although the idea of putting clay or mud on your face might seem a little off-putting, we promise that it's a key step in achieving clearer, purer skin, especially post-partying. If you're suffering from breakouts and clogged pores due to wearing too much makeup (or not taking it off properly!) then clay and mud are definitely ingredients to consider.
They work by creating a small electric charge that then draws out impurities from the skin, lifting away dirt, excess sebum and other pore-clogging agents. Don't be scared, though! These ingredients are totally safe and all-natural, and also won't over-dry or irritate sensitive skin types.
There are a few ways to incorporate clay and mud into your routine, including masks and cleansers. We're coveting the NIOD Flavanone Mud Mask, which uses black Amazonian Clay and Brazilian Clay to refine texture, tone and clarity. The Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser is another favourite, and is enriched with Kaolin Clay, a widely-used form of clay which is excellent at detoxifying the skin.
Use it for: breakouts, acne and clogged pores.
Coffee
A common symptom of too many nights out is tired, dull skin. This is often particularly evident in the under eye area, where dark circles are more likely to form, and skin can puff up when it hasn't received enough rest. On New Year's Day, begin your skin detox routine with a good morning coffee... but perhaps as well as drinking it (you'll need it), it might be worth putting on your skin!
Coffee-based skincare products work remarkably like the liquid sanity we all know and love. Coffee properties include rejuvenating tired skin, banishing eye bags, providing brightness and helping you to look lively and awake. We've noticed a massive uplift in coffee-based skin products over the past few years, and for good reason! Why not put it on your face of a morning, as well as sipping away at it?
Drop a little of The Ordinary Caffeine Solution + EGCG onto those pesky eye bags to start your skin detox process. Cooling and hydrating, this serum can be massaged in gently to reawaken the under eye area. Not only will your dark circles begin to disappear, but you'll also feel energised and ready to take on the day! Or, if you're a sheet mask kinda person, try out the Lonvitalite C5 Coffee Anti-Fatigue Facial Mask. It's the perfect rejuvenator for skin that's seen better days in terms of radiance.
Use it for: tired, dull skin and dark circles.
Honey
Dry and dehydrated skin types suffer in quite the different way post-party season, as they often become even more dried out, in addition to forming breakouts. These can often be sore to the touch and easily irritated, due to how dry the skin is to begin with.
The solution is an ingredient rich in spot-clearing benefits and hydrating properties, that works to both restore lost moisture and purify the skin -- enter honey! Honey, the manuka variety in particular, has incredible antibacterial properties that are amazing at banishing breakouts. It also gently nourishes the complexion, ensuring moisture is locked in and maintained.
Give skin a gentle, all-natural cleanse with the Antipodes Juliet Brightening Gel Cleanser. Featuring bacteria-fighting manuka honey, this product will become a staple in your detoxifying skincare routine. Once you've cleansed, follow up with the Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance as the final step before calling it a day. Ultra-hydrating and nourishing, this moisturiser won't irritate breakouts or clog pores. Honey acts as a superstar hydrator alongside squalane and essential fatty acids.
Use it for: over-dried or dehydrated complexions; sore, sensitive breakouts.
Algae
Algae might sound like a bizarre ingredient in skincare, but it's actually a total skin saviour! With a massive range of benefits that include clarifying, de-puffing and balancing the skin, algae is the weird ingredient you need to incorporate into your skin detox routine. Trust us...
It's firstly full of vitamins and is an antioxidant itself, meaning that the skin receives a much-needed health boost. In addition to this, it's a key hydrator, and works hard to improve skin texture, ensuring it is supple and smooth. You'll discover algae in lots of different skincare formulas, including moisturisers and masks, as it has such a wide range of benefits.
For a luxe take on algae, add the Circ-Cell Skincare Red Algae Clarifying Face Masque into your self-care routine. This masque is ideal for a number of skin types, but problematic skins will benefit the most, as it effectively purifies and exfoliates for a clearer, smoother complexion.
If you're a little stressed about the state of your peepers post-partying, the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Eye will be your skin-detoxing BFF. Massage a small amount of this under the eyes to rejuvenate, lift and smooth. Algae moisturises and prevents against physical ageing in this formula. Finally, the MÁDARA Birch Algae Balancing Face Soap is your all-natural algae solution. Gentle and restorative, this soap works to balance out any issues, including breakouts and dehydration.
Use it for: practically any skin type, but in particular, congested, mature and dry.
Charcoal
Another expert purifier, charcoal is ideal for banishing breakouts and drawing all that junk out of your pores. (You know what we're talking about, don't deny it.) From masks to nose strips, cleansers and more, this is definitely an ingredient that's 'trending' in the beauty space.
Working similarly to clay, charcoal attracts excess oil, sebum and dirt, pulling it out for a clearer complexion on the whole. It's also fantastic at exfoliating the skin, revealing a smoother complexion underneath.
Protect your skin against the elements whilst reversing the effects of one too many wines with the Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant. This product is a miracle multi-tasker to have in your collection, as it not only draws out impurities, but also prevents against free radical damage and environmental stressors when used regularly.
Tap into the wonders of the Philosophy The Microdelivery Detoxifying Oxygen Peel, a two-step system which is ideal for clarifying, detoxifying and perfecting the skin. Step one uses activated charcoal to relieve clogged pores and buff away excess dirt, makeup and sebum. Step two, on the other hand, acts like an at-home oxygen facial, delivering an airy texture that improves your 'glow'.
Use it for: breakouts and clogged pores.
