For the legions of consumers that are looking for a skincare product that’ll work for them, the fact that beauty has become liberated is key.

Voting in an efficient democracy means casting a ballot for the people that’ll give you what you want and do what’s best for you. You want to trust that they’re representing your ideas, supporting your interests and working to find solutions to your problems. You probably want the same from your beauty products. After all, this is the cleanser you’re relying on to get rid of any post-workout sweat, the serum you’re hoping hydrates and brightens and the exfoliator that you’re counting on to get rid of your hormonal acne.

Democratising beauty

A real democracy is inclusive too. It’s not about sameness. A real democracy welcomes different, varied opinions and is able to say “let’s include everybody in this conversation so we can hash it out and reach a happy medium.” For us, that means recognising that there isn’t one beauty standard. Consumers can determine what makes them feel good, what they love and what they want to add to cart. A real democracy is also about community: everyone has something to say, and we’re excited to take the conversation forward. There’s no limitations, censorship or interruptions, and there won’t be any here either. This is a space where you can comment, compare products, and share tips with each other.

Furthermore, we are focused on being honest, open and transparent. Things you want from a ruling party, and from the makers of the skincare products you’re trusting to hydrate your dry skin or soothe your red zit. We’re telling you what we’re making our products with, who we’re doing it with, why we’re doing it, and what you’re actually going to get out of it. This means the truth, and then nothing else. If you’re relying on something day in and day out, you’ll want it to be easily accessible. That’s what we’re promising.

Reaching your skin goals—whatever they may be for you—doesn’t have to be insanely expensive, confusing or scary. Your skincare goals shouldn’t be about being told what you need, but rather about asking you what you want. If you’re a skincare newbie, you might not know how to read an ingredient label. Terms like Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and matrixyl-3000 may sound like a foreign language. We’re trying to change that. We want you to understand what’s in your product, so you know what’s good for you, and what’s really working. Good skin—skin you feel comfortable in—is the great equaliser, and that’s a manifesto we can all get behind.

Tell us what you think about equal rights for all skin types! Talk to us anytime on WhatsApp!

Peanut butter and jelly, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Vitamin C and ferulic acid. Some matches are made in heaven. But in the realm of lotions and potions, mixing and matching could be risky business instead. Learning to (not to) layer skincare is an art.

The benefits of your favourite skincare actives—Vitamin C! Niacinamide! Retinoids!— are all over the internet. It is easy to fall prey to the cure-all layering routines that promise smooth, poreless skin in just a few weeks. But that get-glow-quick scheme can leave your skin overstimulated if you’re whipping dangerous skincare cocktails. These are not only be harmful together, but could also cancel each other out. If you’re a neophyte, you may want to keep these ingredient non-pairings in mind before putting your routine together.

Retinoids + Vitamin C = redness, irritation and potential sunburns.

Retinoids are Vitamin A derivatives that rev up skin cell turnover. This unclogs dead skin cells and helps improve collagen production. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that blocks tyrosinase production (which is responsible for pigmentation) and scavenges free radicals too. Both these powerhouse ingredients are anti-ageing marvels. But when layered together, they leave your skin photosensitive, which can increase chances for sun damage. These ingredients have a huge pH gap, so if you wear both together, you could be lowering the retinoid’s pH and raising the Vitamin C’s pH levels. This means that both ingredients could be rendered useless. For best results, use a Vitamin C serum in the AM and then apply a Vitamin A-based product on at night.

Retinoids + Alpha Hydroxy Acids = raw, painful skin.

Retinoids and AHAs (like lactic or malic acid) both improve cell turnover, bolster collagen production and promise to leave your skin blemish, fine line and pigmentation-free. But if you’re tempted to use both together in an attempt to get brighter skin quicker, wait! Both remove dead skin layers on the top, thinning out the skin in the process. This can cause contact dermatitis, burns or scarring, especially if your skin isn’t used to exfoliation.

Retinoids + Benzoyl Peroxide = Irritation, and zero effects.

The theme here is to use retinoids carefully—they’re good servants, but bad masters. This is especially so when used with benzoyl peroxide. The two anti-acne ingredients work in very different ways, and may actually cancel out each other when used together. Benzoyl peroxide is able to kill the p.acnes bacteria that causes acne. Because when it is applied, it degrades and releases oxygen, which is able to kill the bacteria on the surface. Retinoids, on the other hand, work by reducing comedone creation by reducing pore obstructions by keratin and debris.

Benzoyl Peroxide + Vitamin C = no results.

If you have a zit and a patch of pigmentation, you may want to fix both, ASAP. But if you spot treat with BPO and then apply a Vitamin C-based toner, neither will actually work. Benzoyl peroxide works by creating oxygen, which oxidises the already-unstable L-ascorbic acid molecules, rendering them both useless.

We did an in-depth dive into the perils of acne and how to fix them, here.

Niacinamide + AHAs = potential irritation and redness.

Niacinamide helps restore cellular energy, repair damaged DNA, which makes it a cure-all ingredient that most pros love to suggest. While some people can tolerate these two ingredients together, some with sensitive skin may be worried about the niacin flush—which occurs when niacinamide hydrolyses into nicotinic acid when combined with an acidic product. This conversation can cause facial flushing, which can result in redness and tingling.

There really can be too much of a good thing—and some power duos are best used separately instead of together. It might be best to ease in actives and space them out, because too many strong ingredients–while they may feel satisfying in the short run—can hurt more than they can help.

The list of skincare DON’Ts is never ending – and we are happy to discuss it all with you! Click on our WhatsApp icon to chat with us at any time!

When you’re inundated by skincare brands and products that claim to be your best option, it is fair to wish for simple solutions that promise to solve your issues in the most natural way possible—using ingredients from your kitchen. DIY skincare seems safe. After all, your grandmother has been relying on her aloe vera & cucumber juice face mask recipe for years. While it might be an attractive prospect, and may even feel like the cleaner way, it leaves too much to chance. If you’re mixing things up in your kitchen in lieu of well-formulated skincare products, you could be playing too fast and loose. Here’s why.

It can mess with your skin’s pH and moisture barrier

A coconut oil and sugar scrub sounds like the perfect idea, but may take a no-prisoners-approach to your skin instead. Sugar particles are all different sizes and shapes, and the sharp edges may cause micro-tears in your skin. This may actually cause you to over-exfoliate without realising. Coconut oil is highly comedogenic. So while you might be using it to brighten skin, it can clog pores and cause breakouts in the long run.

Lemon—another DIY favourite—could damage your skincare barrier instead of fortify it. The skin has an acid mantle, which helps seal in moisture and keep skin firm. When it deviates too much from its median, the skin can get irritated. This can lead to acne, irritation and pigmentation. Lemon juice is super acidic (with a pH of 2) and can alter the skin’s pH, which is usually between 4-5, which–when messed with—can take a lot of TLC to nurse back to health.

You can’t trust the source of your ingredients

It is nothing like pharmaceutical-grade Vitamin C, which is formulated at a pH that won’t damage the skin. The neutralised ingredient is measured out and stabilized (and tested and then re-tested in a lab). This ensures that it won’t burn, sting or irritate the skin. It is also tested to make sure it works efficiently in that concentration or housed in that packaging. This is unlike a lemon from the grocery store, that could be non-organic or lying on the shelf for days. Even if the skincare product is using filtered lemon juice extracts, it’s in a well-researched high concentration to ensure efficacy.

Fruits and vegetables aren’t shelf-stable

Preservatives and parabens may sometimes get a bad rap. But they actually play a super important role in making topical skincare products safe, stable and actually effective. If you’re using eggs to mattify your skin or yoghurt to moisturise, you could inadvertently be introducing bacteria to your skin instead. They’re more perishable than you might assume.

Natural doesn’t have to mean better, safer or more effective

Consumers can sometimes fear the unknown, like ingredients they can’t read or pronounce (like niacinamide, glycosphingolipids and polyhydroxy acids). But these are high quality ingredients that do exactly what they promise to do, thanks to research and lab-testing. Plus, it is important to note that even in “natural” skincare products, ingredients have to be processed to make them safe enough to be bottled. Synthetic ingredients, on the other hand, are made in the lab to mimic these natural ingredients. These have any possible allergens or additions filtered out. Poison ivy is natural, but you don’t want it anywhere near your face, ever.

It is important to note that skincare is not a one-size-fits-all, and the aloe vera + apple cider vinegar + mashed banana + peach mask that works to brighten your friends skin? It might totally backfire on you (or it might just not work at all!). Instead, do your homework. Read ingredient lists, research labels and hold skincare brands that have done the research, work and due diligence accountable. This is how you can get what you really signed up for. If you need help creating a skincare routine from scratch, read our guide

Have more questions about ingredients that work together and don’t? You can reach out to us through WhatsApp!

For different people, having a skincare routine could mean many different things. For some, it could mean a 10 step routine with a face mask, jade roller and toner, but for others, it could just mean a quick application of a lotion in the AM. The truth is that it could be both—your skincare routine is individual to you, and no way is better than the other. If you are a beginner at skincare, here is the most basic and least intimidating guide to help you create a routine

Step 1 – Cleanse

Cleansing is the very first step of creating a skincare routine, whether you are a beginner or an expert. Washing your face is non-negotiable, and dermatologists say it is the most important skincare step, bar none. You’ll want to use a cleanser of your choice in the AM and at night (unless you have super dry or sensitive skin, in which just plain water works for the morning) and make sure you’re getting off all the grime, makeup, dust and pollution. Most cleansing products have some kind of surfactant, which emulsifies to break down and absorb oil and dirt so it can be whisked away. But note that it doesn’t have to leave your skin squeaky clean—just balanced.

When choosing a cleanser, you’ll want to look for one that’ll work for your skin type.. For most skin types, oil cleansers work as a great first step, particularly if you’re double cleansing. The concept of putting oil to get rid of oil may not make sense, but oil attracts oil, so it is a gentle way of removing pore-clogging debris—including waterproof makeup—without drying your skin. These are the second step cleansers you’ll love.

Skin Type	Cleanser Type	Ingredients to Include
Dry	Cream	Barrier-boosting Ceramides and Glycerin
Oily or Acne Prone	Gel or Foam	Purifying, deep-cleansing Lactic Acid and Salicylic Acid
Dehydrated	Cream, Lotion or Gel	Humectants like Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium PCA

Step 2 – Moisturize

When you put it on, a moisturiser or hydrator will plump up your skin, leaving it looking softer, brighter and more supple. In the long run, these products prevent moisture loss and bolster the skin barrier, making skin more elastic and less prone to fine lines. For those with dry skin, this step is non-negotiable. But pros say that it is just as important to balance oily skin—no matter how greasy or acne-prone you may be, dehydrated skin is always irritated. If your face wash or toner over-dries your skin, your skin will compensate by producing more oil in return.

Most balancing products contain these ingredients, all of which have different functions:

1. Humectants pull water from the surface of the skin and the environment into the deeper layers, so it acts like a moisture magnet. The most common ones are hyaluronic acid and glycerin. 
2. Emollients—like cocoa butter and shea butter—fill in any cracks in the epidermis. 
3. Occlusives (like lanolin and cetyl alcohol) form a protective barrier to prevent transepidermal moisture loss. 

If your skin feels parched, tight or irritated, it’s likely craving hydration. Serums, ampoules and essences with humectants can tackle water loss at the deepest level, after which a rich, whipped emollient cream and an oil can keep it all in. If your skin is oily or combination, look to light serums that hydrate, and non-comedogenic lotions or creams that’ll feel silky, light and comfortable.

Always protect

Sunscreen is, hands down, the most important skincare product of all in your AM repertoire. You’ll want to slather it on everyday—whatever you have planned—so the formula you choose should be one you really love. Chemical sunscreens work like a sponge to absorb UV rays and break them down to make them less harmful. Physical sunscreens sit on the surface of the skin and deflect the sun’s rays, while combination formulas have the benefits of both. You can read more about why we think SPF is the star of the show.

Add in actives

Once you have your basic skincare steps down, you can add in actives that work to brighten, mattify and anti-age. An exfoliator is a good addition, so you can include an alpha hydroxy acid, beta hydroxy acid or retinol into your routine one to four times a week to slough off excess buildup on the skin’s surface. Need a boost of brightness? Add in a Vitamin C serum. Struggling with fine lines? Reach for a retinoid to tighten and improve collagen production. It is best to layer these in slowly, and allow your skin to get used to all the newness before adding too much in too quickly. Trust the process—you’ll want to take it as slow as possible to see the best results.

Skincare can be so confusing. We are happy to help you create a skincare routine from scratch! Reach out to us anytime by using our WhatsApp button!