OUR STANCE ON YOUTH IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY

We’ve never been afraid to go against the grain of the beauty industry. From the get-go, it’s been our mission to empower people around the globe by holding up a mirror to the beauty and strength of their body and soul – every curve or quirk that shapes who they are. And together, we’ve rallied for real, systemic change on issues other businesses might shy away from.

Now, that means ripping up the norms and codes of the beauty industry itself. For too long, signs of ageing have been treated as a taboo; expression lines are airbrushed away, pores are blurred by digital beauty filters. It should go without saying that there’s nothing wrong with getting older or showing signs of a life well-lived. Our founder, Anita Roddick, put it powerfully when she said: “If you didn’t want to get wrinkles you should have stopped smiling years ago”.

In 2020, we embarked on an ambitious global study to gain an insight into self-love and inner confidence around the world. The findings of our Global Self Love Index couldn’t be clearer: the majority of people globally think the beauty industry can have a negative effect on self-confidence, and that this mostly stems from altered images and unrealistic claims. From now on, it’s all about strength, resilience and treating ourselves (and our skin) with utmost care. Because when we truly, unapologetically love ourselves, we can rise up and make a difference to the world.

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of our top tips on how to keep your skin looking and feeling its best, no matter your skin type or skin concerns.

Fine lines, wrinkles, laughter lines – whatever you like to call them – are the creases that form on your face, typically around the eyes. (They’re the creases we believe should be celebrated as they champion our life experiences.)

These days, many of us are guilty of burning the candle at both ends. Our work-hard-play-hard attitude, late nights and less than perfect diet can start to take its toll on our skin, showing especially around our eyes. But that’s not to say the fun stops here. There are things we can do to help revive and brighten our delicate eye area while we still live life to the fullest – hoorah!

Losing skin elasticity is a natural part of ageing – it’s how our experience shows. The top layer of your skin starts to thin a little with the lack of elastin, meaning those tiny natural creases and laugh lines appear and stick around, particularly in the thin skin around your eyes (you may notice your concealer and foundation start to ‘settle’ in lines a bit more).

Things like genetics, environmental factors, smoking and drier skin can speed things along. STILL skipping sun protection? That’s not going to help. Arm yourself with a high SPF, drink a ton of water and get at least two more good sleeps every week. Finally, get a skincare routine in place that you’ll actually use…

Dull skin is often when your skin is lacking radiance and colour – you may think it looks flat and grey.

Hanging onto that well-rested glow is vital when it comes to keeping skin looking youthful. Easier said than done, right? Gaining years of experience is amazing (we believe ageing is a privilege that not everyone gets), but stress, work and family life often means well-rested is not an option. We get more tired, and our skin does, too.

As we get older, cell turnover slows and the topmost layer of our skin can start to appear dull. Skin can become drier, too. Heat and sun exposure from summer holidays, cold weather, air conditioning, even contact with water can make it harder for skin to hang onto its moisture, which makes things look a little lacklustre, with dullness and fine lines more pronounced.

For dull skin that’s lost its liveliness, it’s time to step up your skincare game to something intensely nourishing. Look for products that focus on adding hydration and boosting skin’s moisture levels. Here’s how to make skin glow.

Dark circles look like deep shadows under the eyes and are typically formed as a result of tiredness, stress or dehydration.

Eyes may be the windows to the soul, but they’re the first to show when we’re tired, dehydrated, and not as young as we used to be. Dark circles can appear at any age – some of us are blessed with them from birth – but as we age, the loss of collagen causes the eye socket to look deeper and more shadowy. The same goes for puffy eyes. While it can strike at any age, water retention from alcohol and salt makes puffiness more apparent on older eyes.

As for crow’s feet – we prefer ‘laugh lines’ – this comes from losing skin elasticity, which means those expression lines don’t smooth out so easily anymore (but since they’re a sign of a life full of laughter and expression, we don’t mind them too much).

All this adds up to the thin, delicate skin around our eyes starting to show wear and tear. The most important thing we can do for our eye area is to treat it as gently as possible. Avoid rubbing and tugging at the eye area; when removing eye make-up, using a gentle cleanser that doesn’t require rubbing.

If your laugh lines are still in the early stages, remember your water and SPF – and invest in a good pair of sunglasses to help protect the skin around your eyes from the sun (and also stop you squinting!)

It’s never too early to start using an eye cream. Start by adding one to your evening skincare routine and remember to apply your eye cream with your ring finger – it’s the weakest, so uses the least pressure – and tap a small amount gently around the orbital bone.

Massaging with a rollerball massager can help reduce the appearance of puffiness as the motion boosts blood circulation. To help wake up tired eyes, leave your massager in the fridge for a lovely cooling sensation in the morning.