10 TIPS FOR SMOOTH SKIN

10 TIPS FOR SMOOTH SKIN
Ten DIY grooming tips to make your skin as flawless as your behaviour

FACE THE DAY

Each morning, apply an antioxidant-rich serum, followed by a moisturiser with SPF protection. This serves as armour for your face, fending off damage from the sun, free radicals and other nasty environmental pollutants. 

MH FIX: Botanics of Australia Repairing Antioxidant Serum; $27.95.

ROUGH IT

Use a gentle scrub twice a week to slough off dead skin cells and clear away oil, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts and blackheads. But don’t overdo it or you could strip the skin of natural oils, causing early wrinkles and triggering even oilier skin. 

MH FIX: Biotherm Homme Facial Exfoliator; $52.

BEAT “BACKNE”

Sweat and friction irritate hair follicles, creating back acne, says dermatologist Lance Brown. “Rough sponges and scrubs make the problem worse.” Use an antibacterial cleanser with benzoyl peroxide to kill the bacteria instead.

MH FIX: Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel-Lotion; $13.50.

MEASURE YOUR MOISTURISER

“Judge a lotion by its viscosity,” says Brown. “Thicker is better.” Apply it when your face is still damp so the natural hydration is trapped. Only use a 20¢-sized amount, otherwise you’ll look shinier than a Ferrari salesroom. 

MH FIX: Nivea Revitalising Cream Q10; $13.47.

LOSE A LAYER (OR TWO)

“Peels are like exercise for your skin,” says Brown. He recommends four or five dermatologist-assisted strippings every year. A 2007 study published in the journal Dermatologic Surgery found chemical peels using alpha or beta hydroxy acid helped clear up acne in 94 per cent of patients after one month. 

MH FIX: for an at-home application, try MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel; $78.

KILL A COLD SORE

You can minimise the discomfort with treatments containing acyclovir, advises Kylie Hayden, owner of Sydney’s Face of Man salon (faceofman.com.au). To dull a flare-up fast, apply an ice cube to the area as soon as you feel it emerging. 

MH FIX: Zovirax Antiviral Cream; $16.95.

CLOSE SHAVE

Take a warm shower before shaving. Heat softens facial hair follicles and opens pores to prep the skin for shaving, says Hayden. Post shave, exfoliate using a facial cleanser that contains exfoliating particles and rinse with cold water to close the pores. 

MH FIX: Natio Purifying Face Scrub; $10.86

H2 WOO

“Drinking plenty of water is the single best thing you can do to keep looking young,” says grooming consultant Negin Niknejad. “It carries nutrition to the cells and washes toxins out of the body.”

ZAP A ZIT

“Use two clean tissues wrapped around your index fingers and apply pressure about four millimetres underneath the pimple, rolling it onto itself,” says Hayden. Squeeze until you just draw blood.

PUT THE SQUEEZE ON

For a quick facelift gently pinch your skin between thumb and forefinger and massage around the eyes and forehead. “This wakes up your skin and revitalises the tissue,” explains Niknejad.