I got to sit down to a chat with the lovely Caroline Hirons a couple of weeks ago, and she was kind enough to answer questions on the issues that were concerning Beaut.ie readers most. Unfortunately, we didn't get through ALL the questions, but Caroline covered a lot of issues.
Here's what she had to say in her own (often hilarious) words. Get ready for some tough love!
On Adopting Good Skin Habits:
'Check your skin every day. Don't just take it blindly. Your skin is talking to you. I would say, an acneic skin, for example, or anyone with hormonal acne, food flare-up acne, anything - your skin is trying to tell you that there's an imbalance in your body, and something is amiss. If you ignore it, and then strip it with a foaming cleanser, go at it with an alcohol based toner, and use thick, petroleum-laden cream on it, it's only going to get worse. Your skin will win in the end; you're not going to win that battle.
So in the words of Beyoncé, listen to your skin. Look at your skin and see it as a friend that needs help, rather than thinking ' this bloody skin is driving me crazy and I hate my face and I hate my skin!'
Sometimes it's not your fault. If it's genetics, blame your parents. If you come from a family of acne sufferers, that it what sweet baby Jesus has given you to deal with. You just have to deal with it.
Get real! Stop trying to find a miracle cure; there isn't one. It's daily attention.
On Smoking and Skin:
Caroline declares that we don't need to be fussing about with anti-aging products and serums until at least our mid-twenties, but she makes one notable exception.
'If you're a smoker, you need to be using an anti-aging serum from the moment you take your first drag. The same goes if you're a sugar addict. Good skin requires being honest with yourself. No serum can compensate for damage done internally.'
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On Rosacea:
'I suffered a bit from Rosacea about 15 years ago. I used Darphin Intral. But generally, with things like rosacea, especially in this climate, you want climate protection... it's generally that sort of windblown, chapped cheek syndrome, as it were.
So use good oils and calming, soothing moisturisers. You can still use more astringent products, but go more for things that are resurfacing, as opposed to high in alcohol, which will burn.
So soothing oils, balm cleansers. Don't use anything foaming which will irritate the skin.'
On Expensive vs. Budget Products
She is militant in her advice to always choose substance over style.
It doesn't matter if it has fancy packaging or if it was free with your purchase - if it isn't right for you, put it down. And there are lots of decent budget picks out there that won't break the bank and that your skin will love. If you'd like to check out her budget recommendations, you'll find them all here.
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We'll have more advice from the bible of Hirons next week but for now, I want to know if you are adhering to these commandments so far. If you are a smoker, are you using a serum every day? If you suffer from rosacea, do you stay away from astringent products and use only soothing options? And what is your fav budget pick? Share your wisdom with us in the comments!
