When it comes to skin, everyone’s needs are different, so it can be hard to know where to start when curating a collection of products that will work for your complexion. In my role as a beauty editor, I’m lucky enough to be able to try hundreds of products for work—including the best treatments and the newest skincare launches. But as someone who still deals with acne on a daily basis, I was interested to find out if any of the products I use are genuinely doing my skin some good. Turns out that the rest of the team was just as unsure about the efficacy of their skincare products and regimens (and whether they were making the best choices for their complexion). We needed a skincare expert—pronto.
Enter: Lisa Franklin. An award-winning skincare expert and facialist with a private clinic in Knightsbridge, Lisa is passionate about all things skin and has even created her own range of products to help her clients achieve expert results at home. “I can be blunt, but it’s only because I want to help,” Lisa explained upon arriving at the Who What Wear offices. “Your skin is your largest organ, so why wouldn’t you want to look after it properly?” We’d been warned—things were about to get serious.
Keep scrolling for the 12 things that we learnt we should stop doing immediately, and then shop our editors’ skincare routines.
“Stop taking good skin for granted. As someone who favours less over more and has essentially fairly good skin, Lisa informed me that I’m probably taking my skin for granted rather than doing a few small things to make it look its best. She has told me to not ignore what my skin is trying to tell me. As the largest organ in the body, it needs to be fed in the same way that you would feed your stomach or brain! So if it’s dry or I sense my dairy intolerance flaring up in forehead spots, listen to it.”
“Don’t choose products based on scent. She could tell I liked scientifically led products and favoured lighter-weight formulas rather than anything too heavy, but the problem is that I’m just choosing things because of the smell rather than the effect or performance of them.”
“Stop switching up your products. I’m chopping and changing my products too much—I should try to stick to a couple of simpler, effective products (she gave me her bioactive Anti-Pollution Cleanser and Luminescent Base to use alongside a toner and an eye cream of my own) and use them for a longer period of time. It’s better to start with less, see if any problems occur and then treat from there.
“The cleanser will apparently help with my pore size (they’re too big, I think). I am to use it on both my face and neck to keep the skin consistent throughout, using more in the evening to clean off the day’s grime and makeup (using a clean muslin each time and with tepid water). I have some underlying redness which will also be eased up by these cosmeceutical creations!”
“Stop skipping exfoliator. For my skin type, I need to exfoliate every two to three days. Lisa would normally recommend a facial per month, but knowing I’m low maintenance, she has suggested per quarter instead.”
“Stop using heavy cleansers. Lisa advised avoiding the creamy, balmy cleansing textures I usually gravitate towards and opting for more lightweight formulas like micellar water or her Phyto Gel Wash so as not to overstimulate my pores and encourage excessive sebum production.”
“Avoid testing tons of products. My biggest takeaway was how important is it for me to stick to a regular routine of core products in order to see results. Lisa advised that, when required for my job, I test a product once but then follow with my full skincare routine (rather than swapping products in and out). With time, I should see an improvement in the appearance of my skin as it settles into a routine.”
“Don’t fall for marketing spiels. I’m a sucker for a great-smelling product, but Lisa advised that my acne-prone skin tends to suggest that it’s reactive. By choosing clean products based on their effectiveness rather than their scent, I should reduce the risk of irritation. This will be one of the hardest changes for me to make!”
“Stop being lazy about rinsing. Lisa advised me to always rinse away all of my products thoroughly to prevent anything from lingering on my skin and potentially blocking pores. In the morning, she suggested I just use my hands to rinse twice with lukewarm water after cleansing. In the evening, I should use a clean muslin cloth.”
“Stop avoiding acids. Lisa suggested I switch to her Anti-Pollution Cleanser and use this both morning and night. She also recommended using an AHA-based cleanser, as these are anti-inflammatory. So for now, I think I’ll continue to use my beloved Dr. Dennis Gross one as it contains mandelic acid and glycolic acid—both of which are AHA acids.”
“Stop with the acne products. Lisa said to stop using the prescribed Differin and instead start taking probiotics and prebiotics, as chin acne is generally associated with the gut. I eat relatively healthy and exercise, but I get stressed quite easily, and we all know about the link between stress and the gut. I also have a huge sweet tooth, so that probably doesn’t help. Lisa recommended The Nue Company’s Prebiotic + Probiotic, which I had already heard great things about, so I’m looking forward to trying them.”
“Don’t use serums instead of moisturisers. Next, Lisa suggested not using the multiple serums I use, as she’s convinced my acne issues are gut-related. Instead, she said to use her Men’s Pollution Defence Cream both day and night.”
“Stop avoiding face masks. She also suggested using a clay mask twice a week to help draw impurities out. I’ll be trying this Herbivore Blue Clay Detoxifying Treatment Mask.”
Next up, three free things that celebs actually do to make their skin look even better.
