Spring is finally here. But before you whip out your beach towel and sandals, it’s time to revisit your skincare routine.
Through winter, our skin can easily suffer from dullness, dehydration, and in turn, dryness, so you’ll want to get your glow back as fast as possible come springtime. Allergies also come up with a vengeance – often triggering redness – while warmer weather can cause oilier skin and breakouts. Plus, more time in the sun means we’re at risk of skin damage and cancer.
Despite all this, a good spring skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Beauty specialist and author Hannah English – queen of digestible skincare education, with a pharmaceutical science degree and a passion for sun safety – shares her five favourite products for when she’s on the go.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Revealing Serum
There are plenty of benefits to incorporating vitamin C into your routine. “We use it as an antioxidant,” explains English. “In the atmosphere, [both] inside and outside, there are free radicals, [which are] unstable molecules … if a free radical hits the wrong place at the wrong time, it can cause [skin] damage. We have natural repair mechanisms, but you can top [them] up by using vitamin C.” In the same way, vitamin C firms up our skin by aiding collagen production, a process that happens naturally but can be “topped up”.
A vitamin C serum is a great choice for treating dullness and even combatting dark spots throughout spring. “We're outside a bit more, so our skin is exposed to different elements, and we want to protect it antioxidant-wise,” says English. She’s a big fan of The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Glow Revealing Serum because “it’s stable, gentle, a little bit moisturising and doesn’t feel spicy on your skin.” Made with 92 per cent ingredients of natural origin – including the retinol-like bakuchiol – it’s easy to apply at work and instantly gives you that dewy summer look. The serum has been *clinically proven to improve skin radiance in eight weeks and, to ensure broad effectiveness, has been tested on women aged 25–45 and 47–65.
SkinCeuticals Ultra Facial Defense SPF50+ 30ml
You’ll never catch English without sunscreen on hand. “UV is the most damaging thing for our skin in our environment,” she says. “Radiation from the sun generates more free radicals and warps DNA, which means [your skin] is not as effective at doing what it needs to do, [such as] building collagen, preventing dark spots and exfoliating itself.” Sunscreen can also help us avoid those nasty change-of-season breakouts: “UV can even oxidise the oil in your skin, and that makes it thicker and more clogged,” says English.
Most importantly, though, we need to protect ourselves from skin cancer. English recommends SkinCeuticals’ nourishing Ultra Facial Defense SPF50+. It’s her go-to when she wants her skin to “look a bit glowy,” plus it “doesn’t feel too thick or heavy.”
Idea “Sorry I Don’t Work Here” Hat
English has caps on rotation from London’s vintage book dealer and publisher Idea, stocked by cult Australian fashion label Perks and Mini. The Idea range is her top pick for day-to-day wear, as the caps don’t take up too much space in your bag. If you’ve got a bit more room though, she recommends a Lack of Color bucket hat, which has an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) 50+ rating.
The Body Shop Skin Defence Protective Lip Balm
The skin on our lips is thin, easily damaged by the elements, and a possible target for cancer – but it’s easy to forget you need to protect it. That’s why English goes for a nourishing lip balm with SPF50+. “I figure if you’re going to have a lip balm in your bag anyway, it may as well [have an] SPF,” she says.
Her pick is The Body Shop’s ultra-conditioning, invisible lip balm, which is enriched with coconut and rosehip oils, as well as Vitamins E and C, to prevent your lips from drying out in harsh weather. It also happens to be vegan.
Chanel Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops
“This is a bit of a fake it ‘till you make it situation,” says English. “If you didn’t sleep well, or you’re waiting for your skincare to start really working because you only just started using it … then this [product] is a little bit of a cheat in the meantime.”
The “cheat” she’s referring to is Chanel’s Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops, a sheer highlighting fluid designed to give you a pink, pearly glow – no matter what state you’re in. English swears by it (she even used it on her wedding day), adding that “a little bit here and there looks stunning on pale skin, but even [better] on tanned skin because it gives you this ethereal [look].” It’s also easy to apply when you’re on the move, as it dries downwards when applied to the high points of your face, so you don’t have to worry about your hair sticking. Plus, you get a little extra hydration from the squalene.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with The Body Shop. * All efficacy claims were provided by The Body Shop based on their own clinical testing.
