The beauty tools you need in your routine

They say an artist is only as good as their tools, and while this may conjure up images of an inspirational art studio, the same can be said for someone and their skincare routine. Finding the perfect personalised routine to meet you and your skin’s needs is a vital part of having happy, healthy skin (complete your Match2Me here if you haven’t found your routine yet) – but when you’re ready to upgrade your routine to the next level, tools are a great next step.

Navigating the world of at-home tools isn’t always a smooth journey, with hard-to-follow guidance and mishaps and horror stories galore. While it may be tempting to turn to a professional when it comes to treatments and new technology, there are effortless tools you can incorporate into your routine at home that will make a huge difference to your skin – and we’re here to help.

Our favourite tools

Your hands

We’re not joking with this one – according to skin expert Fiona Brackenbury, your hands are one of the best tools available. “Lots of people don’t feel comfortable using their hands” explains Fiona, “But it can be really easy to get great results, and quite hard to cause any damage.” Facial massage can help sculpt, stimulate blood flow, aid circulation, reduce puffiness and inflammation, as well as promote clearer, more radiant skin. “You can give yourself a facial massage during your first or second cleanse, using a cleansing oil or balm, or even a facial oil, as long as it’s a product with a lot of slip”. So take a moment for yourself, grab your favourite cleanser or oil, and enjoy a moment of relaxation. Sound tempting? Read our full guide on how to facial massage.

Microneedle

Commonly associated with in-clinic treatments, at-home microneedling is an effortless way to achieve big results. A microneedle uses tiny needles to create microchannels on the surface of your skin to increase collagen production, improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pores, as well as supercharging the effects of your serum. The needles on an at-home microneedle can range from 0.25 to 0.5mm, and they’re just deep enough to reach the epidermis. As the needles only target the very top layer of skin, this means they’re safe to use at home, compared to an in-salon microneedle where the needles are long enough to reach the dermis (1 to 2mm).

While it may be tempting to microneedle every day to reap the rewards, we really wouldn’t recommend it. “You shouldn’t be microneedling every day, even if you’re not a beginner” explains Fiona. “It’s really important to have rest days. No one’s skin can handle microneedling every single day.” It’s important to allow your skin time to rest and recover, so we’d suggest waiting at least 24 hours before you consider another session. We’d also recommend taking at least a one month break after every eight weeks of microneedling to give your skin the opportunity to rest and regenerate.

Gua sha

Gua sha is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for centuries to encourage blood flow and relieve tension, while helping to sculpt and contour the skin. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to gua sha, but experts suggest applying a face oil before using light pressure to (gently!) move the gua sha across your skin in the direction of lymphatic flow. “Gua sha is especially good as the tool is cooling” explains Fiona, “but make sure you’re holding it at the right angle – no more than 45 degrees – and use all of the edges to contour your face.”

T-Towel

Our humble T-Towel is more than meets the eye – this pure cotton muslin cloth goes hand in hand with Be Your Best, our nourishing enzyme balm cleanser, to gently exfoliate the skin. For your morning cleanse, we recommend applying Be Your Best before wetting your T-Towel in warm water, then massage the muslin over your skin in circular motions to gently exfoliate until the balm has been removed. In the evening during your double cleanse, the T-Towel muslin cloth also helps to make sure every last speck of SPF, makeup or dirt has been washed away for satisfyingly clean skin.