Beautiful skin in 5 minutes a day

BEAUTIFUL SKIN IN 5 MINUTES A DAY

Developing a skin care routine may not be high on your list of things to do right now. Let’s face it - there are usually other things that take priority.

But as time goes by, skin that in our teens and 20s used to look after itself with just a quick splash of water and any old cleanser starts to need a helping hand. Five minutes a day today could stop years of regret tomorrow.

This isn’t about vanity. Looking younger makes you feel really good about yourself and arms you with a sense of wellbeing and confidence, leaving you ready to take on whatever life throws at you!

As we head into our 30s and beyond, the skin's natural defence weapons just don’t work as well as they used to. Substances that help our skin retain moisture called essential fatty acids (EFAs) are reduced, making it appear duller, drier and tighter, while wrinkles become more prominent.

Sound scary? It gets worse. The rate at which our skin sheds old cells slows down and collagen and elastin, which keep the skin looking plump and youthful, start to lessen.

But there IS something you can do about it.

The 5-minute facial
Take a good look at your face. Is your skin dry and flaky? Is it oily - or, like many, is a it combination of the two, with drier skin on the cheeks and neck and oily patches on the T-zone, down from the forehead to the nose and chin? It’s important to be honest with yourself and chose the right skin care for your skin type. If you need help, go to the beauty counter at your local department store and ask to see a skincare advisor.

Or visit your local Body Shop. The assistants there are trained to advise on which products suit which skintypes.

You can, of course, buy everything on offer - day creams, night creams, exfoliators, serums, face masks, skin peels... But in the real world, when does anyone have the time to actually use them?

Instead, stick to the basics on a daily basis - a gentle cleanser, a day moisturiser with SPF15 to protect your skin from the ageing effects of the sun, night time moisturiser and eye cream. If you have dry or normal skin, you don’t even need a toner - though these are good for oily skin.

A gentle exfoliator every few weeks can help revive tired looking skin by getting rid of dead skin cells on the surface but beware, some are too rough for older skin and could end up doing more harm than good. Never use them around the delicate eye area.

When you get up
Cleanse and moisturise, avoiding the delicate under eye area. Gently pat on eye cream with a finger tip, careful not to stretch the skin.

Before you go to bed
Cleanse again and moisturise with a night cream. You can simplify things even more by using the same moisturiser as in the morning but night creams tend to be richer and thicker, working hard on your skin while you sleep.

That’s all there is to it!

Super foods for super skin
Superfoods not only improve your general health but your skin too. These foods contain essential fatty acids or ‘good fats’, such as omega 3 and omega 6. EFAs help to maintain the water barrier in the upper layers of the skin. If you don’t have enough in your diet you could end up with dry, flaky skin, weak nails and dry, brittle hair. You can find EFAs in all of the following. Try to include at least two or three of them in your diet every day. Avocados (ripe ones are best); oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), dark green vegetables (broccoli, greens, cabbage) and nuts and seeds (walnuts, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds, among others). Some oils are also a good source. Flax oil and cod liver oil are both good but our favourite is Carotino Red Palm & Canola Oil (www.carotino.co.uk, available from ASDA and Morrisons). Unlike some oils, you can heat it to a high temperature so it’s good for stir frys, roasting and baking, as well as in salad dressings.

Want good skin – then make sure you drinking enough water. Eight glasses (around 2 litres) sipped through the day rather than drunk in one go will help boost your skin. Or try green tea (rich in cancer-fighting anti-oxidants), herbal tea or hot water with a fresh lemon steeped in it.

We love...
Liz Earle beauty products
Made of natural ingredients and not tested on animals, TV presenter Liz Earle’s Natural Skincare range is consistently voted top by a host of publications. The Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (£11.50) and Skin Repair Moisturiser (£14.24 in Normal or Dry) nourish, smooth and strengthen you skin with no fuss (Available mail order by ringing 01983 813913 or going to www.lizearle.com).
Buy them here!