Keeping your Skincare Tip Top

by Deirdre Doran

Getting the most out of your skincare products is not just a matter of using as directed and being consistent, although that is so important. It is also a matter of keeping them in the best possible condition because as skincare sits on your shelf, it gets exposed to the air, light and heat it gets less effective. So here are a few tips on keeping your favourite Face cream, Serum or Oil in Tip Top condition.

      • Keep them out of direct light as exposure to light degrades the ingredients. I use amber vessels to help protect the products, but you still need to keep them out of direct light. Just think of them of like that expensive bottle of olive oil you have in the kitchen. Clear jars and bottles might look pretty but they are not so good and need to be kept in drawers.
      • Use up your opened product within the time recommended on the jar (a number inside an open jar symbol on the label) — as a rule this will be 6 months.
      • Keep them at room temperature which means that bathrooms may not be the best place as the temperature can fluctuate with hot steamy showers and baths.
      • Always clean your hands before dipping into a jar. You don’t want to introduce any of those bugs from your hands to the jar. And you don’t need those little spatulas (unnecessary waste) as they need cleaning too, and clean storage, and it's way easier to wash your hands.
      • And please, please, don’t apply your oil or serum by holding the dropper against your face. No matter how many times you see brands or influencers do this. It is SO BAD. There are always microbes on our skin, which is perfectly normal, but you don’t want to put them in the bottle to multiply and grow! Drop the oil onto clean hands and apply to your face.
      • Keep lids and droppers tightly closed to decrease exposure to air as air will degrade your products more quickly.
      • When you buy small size trial or travel products, use them all up. Don’t leave them in a toilet bag until your next trip as they won’t be great — for all the reasons above. You can clean the pots and refill for your next trip.
      • If you pull something from the back of your cupboard and you can’t remember when you opened it’s a safe bet you didn’t like it and it’s been there too long so bin it!
      • Buy your products from the maker so you get the best possible products. A maker will always have the freshest products and will have stored everything perfectly. I have stopped selling to other retailers as the turnaround time was often too long and customers were not getting the best products.

        All this might seem a bit daunting but it's sort of like your food. Buy what you need, use what you buy. If you want to try something new buy a trial pot and use it up. Better for you, better for your wallet, better for the planet and of course better for your skin

Deirdre xx

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