Jemma Kidd’s tips

General Cleansing Tips

When it comes to cleansing the face the most important time is the end of the day. If you are in a rush in the morning a splash of water to the face is fine but cleansing the day’s pollution, make up and dirt before bed is essential. So many people don’t take their make up off at night but you are clogging up your pores, which leads to black heads and spots. By not cleansing at night you are polluting and dehydrating your skin with all the dirt you have accumulated throughout the day. Cleansing results in the skin feeling clean and rejuvenated.

There are so many products on the market and it’s not always the expensive ones that work the best. The old fashioned flannel is still a great way to cleanse it stimulates the skin, exfoliates and draws the dirt out. After using a cleansing gel, cream or mousse, a flannel works well to take it off in soft circular movements. The flannel is good on an unmade up face, where you have removed your make up but haven’t taken away the dirt.
Always use luke warm water as cold won’t remove oil and grease and hot water can be too harsh. Try and stay away from harsh, alcohol based products which strip the skin of the essential oils that it needs. Stay away from soaps that can be harsh and drying to the face. I prefer cleansers that you use with water rather than the ones that come in a cream solution that you remove with a cotton pad.
Oil based make up remover is great for removing strong pigments and water proof mascaras.
At night if you have been wearing a lot of make up it is a good idea to cleanse twice to make sure you get all of the dirt off your face.
Using a facial massage brush to apply your cleanser doubles up by providing the skin with a mini facial and boosts circulation at the same time as cleansing.
Enhance a glowing complexion by opting for cleansing products which have a micro dermabrasion effect.
Overnight quick facial: Diminish blemishes and make your skin more youthful by patting apple cider vinegar on your face before bed. You’ll have softer, smoother skin in the morning!
For a gentle facial cleanser mix ½ cup oatmeal or cornmeal with plain yogurt (add enough yogurt to form a paste). Smooth over entire face avoiding eye area. Wash off with warm water.

Getting ready for work…

Splash water to the face.
Moisturise before applying any make up to the skin. Make sure you don’t over moisturise and let the cream soak into the skin before adding the make up.
Always prep your lips before applying a gloss or a lipstick.
Apply lip balm after brushing your teeth.
Opt for a non petroleum based lip balm so that you don’t give the lips a greasy surface to apply the lipstick to. By applying lip balm not only are you moisturising and helping your lips stay in great shape it will help hold the lipstick colour for longer.

Going Out Straight After Work

An instant pick me up is to brush your teeth to really help you feel confident when you smile - such as using Wisdom’s Clean Between Toothbrush.
Use a cleansing face wipe to rid the face of the days make up – under the eyes and round the nose and mouth.
If you want to add a darker colour to your eyes this is the best time, while there is no foundation under your eyes. This means any dark shadow pigment that falls below can easily be removed before you reapply your foundation under the eyes.

Tips for men…

Most men have dehydrated skin they don’t drink enough water and they don’t moisturise. Most men think washing their face in the shower is enough, this is where they are wrong men need to moisturise.

Use a moisturiser with added spf.
Before shaving you should warm the skin. A great tip for this is place a warm flannel on the skin a couple of minutes beforehand.
Add the shaving oil to the flannel to help soften both the hair stubble, skin and open up the pores.
Moisturising daily is a must.
When it comes to cleansing it is still important to rid the skin of the dirt and grime that builds on the face. A foam wash is great, easy and quick to use at night to really clean the face.