What Happens When You Skip Cleansing?

We’ve all been there at some point: you come home after a long day, and you cannot be bothered to cleanse your skin. “I’ll just remove it in the morning,” you say. Or, at most, you just use a makeup removal wipe. But regardless of how harmless it may seem to you now, this habit spells bad news for your skin.

Did you know that if you sleep with your makeup on, you are basically aging your skin by up to 8 days? Yikes! It may not seem like much to you, but when you keep forgetting to go through this step, those days keep adding.

Also, what most people overlook is that cleansing is not only for removing makeup – it’s for removing all dirt, pollutants, and debris from your face. That’s right; you have to cleanse your face at the end of the day, even if you are not wearing any makeup.

Dirt and debris can enter your pores, clogging them and enabling the growth of bacteria. This can lead to various skin conditions – the most common being acne. As the area inside your pore gets infected, the pimple forms. You may also get a variety of other conditions, including but not limited to eczemas, dryness, dermatitis and premature aging.

Moreover, if your skin has dirt and pollution on it and inside the pores, it can prevent the skincare products from properly penetrating your skin. All those wonderful serums and face creams – won’t be able to perform at their optimal level and can a waste of products and money.

Plus, if you have dirt in your pores and you cover them with other skincare products, the bacteria will start breeding there – once more leading to breakouts. All of this can easily be prevented if you simply cleanse your face in the first place. This is also why you need to cleanse your face every day, regardless of how tired you may be.

Your morning cleanse is just as important and not to be overlooked. Not only does your morning cleanse remove the dust, debris and bacteria that builds up on your skin overnight, but it also allows for better application and absorption of your morning skincare.

A big cleansing no-no is over cleansing, cleansing more than twice a day is unnecessary and not recommended unless you are exercising a lot or sweat excessively. The temperature that you cleanse with is important as well go for cool to luke-warm water, never hot.

Tips and Steps for Cleansing Your Skin

We know what you are thinking: what’s so special about cleansing? It’s just washing your skin, isn’t it? Well, it’s a bit more than that. Many people who underestimate the importance of proper cleansing simply think that a makeup removal wipe will do the trick. Not cleansing correctly can do almost the same damage as not cleansing at all – so, here is how to make sure your skin gets the correct type of cleansing.

1. Get a Good Quality Cleanser

We know, there are many cleansers on the market – and it’s always tempting for a no-name, no-brand, cheap cleanser just to get the job over with. It’s a cleanser, so it should do its job, right? Well, wrong. Not every cleanser does the job right from the start, so you’ll have to wash your face multiple times. This not only dries your skin but also leads to waste of product.

This is why you need to make sure that your cleanser does the job thoroughly and doesn’t leave any makeup, pollution, or dirt residue on your skin. Depending on how heavy your makeup is, you might need to wash more than once – but the higher the quality of the cleaner, the easier it will be for it to get all the residue off.

2. The Cleanser Needs a Gentle Formula

In your attempt to cleanse your face and take the makeup off, you often forget that your face skin is actually quite sensitive. You wash and wash with the cleanser until everything is gone – including the essential barrier of your skin.

Remember, the goal here is not exactly squeaky-clean skin; it’s debris-free skin. Your skin needs those oils, so protecting your essential barrier is a must. Ensure that your cleanser nourishes your skin with the right ingredients. This can include Jojoba oil, macadamia oils, coconut oil, or B-vitamins to keep your skin clean yet protected.

3. The Cleanser Should Match Your Skin Type

Not every skin type is the same, so the “one size fits all” technique won’t work. If you use a cleanser for dry skin on oily skin, all you will do is over-clog your skin with oils – in which case the shine will be visible from another continent. The opposite applies too, as using a cleanser for oily skin on dry skin can cause skin flaking and irritation.

You need to choose specific extracts for your skin type. For instance, if you have dry or sensitive skin, a cleanser containing coconut oil and B5 can be very efficient. On the other hand, B3s and Macadamia oil are more efficient for oily, acne-prone skin. It’s all about your skin type! Choose a cleanser that is great to use for your skin type. Remember, beautiful skincare is self-care!

Products to Use for Cleansing

During cleansing, you must use the right products. Here are our recommendations:

1. Cosima Nourishing Foaming Cleanser

3. Cosima Gentle Cleansing Milk

If you have dry and sensitive skin, this cleansing milk will dissolve all the impurities from your face, and its hydrating formula will protect your essential barrier and rebalance your skin. The key ingredients here are coconut oil, B5, liquid crystals for hydration, calendula extract, marshmallow extract, and bilberry extract.

4. Cosima Microfibre Cleansing Pad

When cleansing and removing makeup, we tend to use disposable cleansing pads –not only is this a waste, but it can also damage your skin. A microfibre cleansing pad such as this one is reusable and it’s also gentle on your skin. The good part is that you don’t need any other cleansing solution. You can just wet the pad with warm or cold water, and it will do the job perfectly – removing dirt and makeup. It works on all types of skin – even the sensitive kind.

Final Thoughts

So, remember that cleansing is the one step you never want to skip. It sets the stage for your skincare routine, creating a clean canvas so that all the other products can be absorbed properly into the skin and work at their best.

Trying to calm sensitive and angry skin is definitely a challenge. Your skin stresses you out, causing it to get angrier...which then makes you feel worse. Sounds familiar? It’s a struggle that many of us go through, so you definitely aren’t alone.

Sensitive skin isn’t a disease that a doctor can diagnose you with. It’s usually a symptom of another condition. You may not even know you have sensitive skin until you have a bad reaction to a cosmetic product, like soap, moisturiser, or makeup.

Conditions that cause sensitive skin are rarely serious. You can usually keep your symptoms under control with a few simple changes to your skin care routine.

It’s a puzzle to sort out environmental factors and the right skin care combination. There are some culprits that are easier to figure out, that’s just part of the detective work. And it’s worth it too - once you identify your internal and/or external triggers and find your holy grail skincare products, there’s no looking back! Here are our top tips for sensitive skin.

There are three essential components to explore:

• Environmental factors, such as your lifestyle, diet and the world around you
• Skincare products, and their ingredients.
• Medications, taking a new medication or multiple new medications increases the possibility of skin reactions. While the reasons they occur are unclear, it is known that they either involve immune-based reactions or non-immune-based reactions.

Environmental factors

Air quality

The role of humidifiers and air purifiers. Ever notice that sometimes your skin is doing great without much effort, and other times not so much? A likely culprit is air quality. This is more common in urban areas since there are more dust and pollution both indoors and outdoors.

An air purifier or a humidifier (depending on your type of skin, you may need both) can help soothe sensitive skin. The air purifier is essential if your skin tends to be sensitive around dust. The humidifier helps provide some extra moisture and humidity in the air which is super helpful, especially in dry climates!

Hoover frequently

Dust particles often set in places and end up causing a lot of skin sensitivity - especially if you have carpet. Hoovering often will help keep dust at bay and remove some skin triggers.

Wash sheets and pillowcases frequently

We’re not always disciplined about changing sheets and pillowcases as often as we should (be honest!). Sheets and pillowcases also accumulate a lot of dust and dirt, and washing them frequently can help prevent sensitive skin flare-ups.

Monitor your diet

Dairy and gluten are often blamed for causing sensitive skin but it really depends on your body. If you notice your skin is particularly aggravated, try to keep a food diary for a week so you can spot patterns.

Track hormonal fluctuations

You might see a particular flare-up happen around the week before your period or a week after. Many period tracking apps allow you to track your skin as well, which can help in monitoring.

The Seasons

Winter weather

Dry, sensitive skin is especially common during the winter months, when the humidity level drops. When the air outside is cold and dry, the water in your skin evaporates more quickly; this makes your skin feel dry and tight and can increase skin sensitivity. Skin also struggles to adapt to quickly changing temperatures and humidity levels.

High Pollen

Seasonal pollen levels vary depending on where you live, many people will experiencing varying changes in skin sensitivity when pollen levels increase. For example in Australia, pollen counts can be very high in October and November in Melbourne and Hobart, and in the spring and summer in Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra. Brisbane and Darwin have high pollen for most of the year.

The amount of pollen in the air changes according to the season and to where you live, if you are outside Australia look up the high pollen seasons in your area as this may be contributing to your skin sensitivity

Skincare routine

Take your makeup off!

Before delving into specific skincare routines, we have to make this point clear: Removing your makeup properly is very important. Even small amounts of residue can lead to increased sensitivity and redness. You can start with a light nighttime skincare routine by using gentle products such as our Microfiber Makeup Remover Cleansing Pads to remove makeup. The special fibers in the pad are designed to remove deep impurities without aggravating your skin. End with a gentle cleanser and night cream, such as Purely Radiant Elixir - Nourishing . With a blend of carefully selected oils, it helps calm sensitivity and red skin while helping skin recover.

Use the right cleanser

While we’re on the topic of cleansing…let’s discuss cleansers. Generally, for sensitive skin, foaming options such as our Award Winning Foaming Cleanser – Nourishing tend to be the best option. Gentle and soft, it contains ingredients such as Niacinamide B. A super-nutrient that fights inflammation, sensitivity, and rosacea, it is paired with Jojoba Oil, an anti-inflammatory wonder ingredient.

Another cleanser alternative is a Gentle Cleansing Milk . The texture is softer and creamier which can help hydrate and rebalance your skin without causing inflammation and stress. Ingredients such as calendula and bilberry extract make it extra soothing.

Moisturise day and night

The other puzzle piece in crafting the right skincare routine? Choosing the right moisturiser and sticking to a day and night routine. Our Award Winning Replenishing Day Cream is formulated to help keep your skin healthy, supple, and calm throughout the day. Using that familiar ingredient, Niacinamide B3 alongside innovative Liquid Crystals, a Biomimetic restructuring agent, it’s designed to give you hydration and protection. Paired with our Pure Radiance Rich Hydrating Creme at night, you’ve got yourself a great soothing combination. The hydrating creme is packed with coconut water, coconut lipids and fermented algae extract to help nourish your skin.

You’ll note that as we discuss products, there’s a lot of focus on ingredients. Everyone’s skin is different and understanding reactions to different ingredients is key in calming sensitive skin.

Look at the products you’re currently using. What are the common ingredients? If you haven’t really been able to find the “right” product, what kind of ingredients will help?

You’ll notice that all of these ingredients are in sensitive skin products for a reason: they are anti-inflammatory and help calm skin down. We’ve already noted some like jojoba oil, Niacinamide B3, calendula, and bilberry, but that is by no means exhaustive. Our PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Nourishing is a concentrated blend of soothing ingredients such as Olive Leaf Extract (a great anti-inflammatory ingredient), Comfrey Extract (astringent and soothing) as well as green tea extract among others.

Start making a list of these ingredients, such as the ones we’ve mentioned. This ingredient log can serve as a guide to really help you find the right skincare products.

Sometimes, angry skin is your body’s way of trying to tell you that you’re stressed. With the pressure of everyday life, self-care tends to fall off the radar and your skin starts to rebel. While it’s easier said than done, taking time out to pamper yourself (and your skin!) is important. Even just setting aside 20 minutes every 1-2 weeks can help! Our Soothing Clay Mask is a great self-care at home option. We use French Green Clay in our masks, which is known for improving skin softness, paired with Pomegranate Extract for a powerful antioxidant boost to feel luxurious and pampered.

All of the products mentioned help to soothe and strengthen skin’s lipid barrier, a damaged skin lipid barrier leads to dryness, dullness, redness, sensitivity, and breakouts. You can repair skin barrier damage by adjusting your skincare routine and ensuring you moisturise properly. Take care of your skin consistently, cleanse properly, use serums, moisturisers and face masks formulated to calm, balance and soothe. Our formulas help reduce visible skin redness and inflammation and help repair a damaged skin lipid barrier.

While this guide is by no means exhaustive, it can help provide a blueprint for your skincare journey. Identifying the right products and making changes to your environment can help soothe your skin in the short-term and provide some respite. Not all ingredients are created equal for your unique skin chemistry so it will take time to understand what suits you best. Consistently choosing high-quality, organic products that have the right ingredients for your skin is going to be essential for the long-term health of your skin. With some research and patience, you’ll soon be on your way to calm, happy skin.

Our discovery packs are perfect for jet setters and travelers since the options come in handy small bottles - perfect for popping into your hand luggage! But even if you’re not traveling, the discovery pack is good for just that - discovery! The smaller sizes allow you to try out products and see if they work for you before you commit to buying larger sizes. We know finding the right skincare for your personal routine will likely include some experimenting, and that’s what this pack is designed for you. We’ve created generous-sized discovery packs for this reason, since it allows you to really use our products for a while, discovery packs last approximately 4-6 weeks! You’ll see results fast and it gets better as you continue to use our skincare range.

But how do you know which of our discovery packs is right for you? Here’s a little guide to what each of our discovery packs and the ingredients that make them so special.

Discovery Pack Core 4 - Balancing

Before we delve into it, here’s a quick overview of what the pack contains:

• 20ml Foaming Cleanser Balancing
• 20ml PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Balancing
• 20ml Replenishing Day Cream
• 15ml Regenerating Night Cream

Foaming Cleanser Balancing

This cleanser is perfect for those with normal, oily, combination acne-prone skin types. This is a gentle cleanser that removes makeup and dirt to unclog your pores and reveal softer skin. The Balancing cleanser contains key ingredients such as Niacinamide B3, Macadamia Oil, and Willow Bark Extract among others. These are ingredients that are vital in combating sensitive skin, acne, hyperpigmentation, reducing inflammation, and helping promote younger and softer skin. The Willow Bark Extract, in particular, contains 50% standardized salicylic acid which can help decrease inflammation, increase skin cell turnover, and prevent pore-clogging. These ingredients are particularly great for acne-prone skin, especially with Willow Bark Extract’s natural salicylic acid properties.

PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Balancing

Perfect for all skin types, especially combination-oily, and acne-prone skin, our PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Balancing contains the perfect blend of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins to balance and tone skin, especially for acne-prone skin. Some of the key ingredients include Apple Extract, which can help minimize pores while moisturising skin. Goji Berry Extract is a powerful antioxidant that can help detoxify skin and help it regenerate. Horsetail Extract is added as it is believed to stimulate the production of collagen in the skin.

Discovery Pack Core 4 - Nourishing

As an overview, the Nourishing discovery pack includes

• 20ml Foaming Cleanser Nourishing
• 20ml PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Nourishing
• 20ml Replenishing Day Cream
• 15ml Regenerating Night Cream

Foaming Cleanser Nourishing

The nourishing pack works for all skin types, but those with dry, mature, and sensitive skin will find particular benefit with this Discover Pack. A gentle and nourishing cleanser, it’s perfect for removing stubborn makeup and dirt and ensuring pores are unclogged. Similar to the Balancing range, the Nourishing cleanser also contains anti-aging super ingredient, Niacinamide B3 alongside other key ingredients to help make skin smooth and soft. Jojoba oil is another key ingredient, since it’s anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, hypo-allergenic, and packed with vitamins and antioxidants. The Papaya Extract in it is excellent as an exfoliant on dry areas, helping rejuvenate skin and giving it a natural ‘lift’.

PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Nourishing

The Nourishing PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals carefully selected to help skin restore and repair itself. Although it works across different skin types, dry, mature, and sensitive skin types will find it most beneficial. The toner contains Green Tea Extract, which is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and E and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles. The Kakadu Plum Extract is an ingredient known for its high vitamin C concentration, making it another great antioxidant to add to the mix. Similarly, Chamomile Extract and Comfrey Extract help soothe the skin and help it restore itself.

Day cream and night cream

Both packs contain our day cream and night cream - options that are immensely popular amongst our customers! Both of our creams are clinically proven actives, specially designed to be non-greasy, with ingredients that are known for their nourishing and protecting properties.

Replenishing day cream

Our award-winning Replenishing Day Cream is perfect for all skin types. It helps fight signs of premature aging while giving your skin a healthy glow. Some ingredients of it will look familiar such as Niacinamide B3 but it also contains Liquid Crystals, a Biomimetic restructuring agent that helps your skin regenerate and promote healthy skin barriers. Combined with Venuceane, a free radical known for delaying signs of aging and inflammation-reducing ingredients such as Evening Primrose oil and Oat Beta Glucan, our day cream is the perfect daily addition to your skincare routine.

Regenerating Night Cream

Our Regenerating Night Cream is specially designed to help your skin rejuvenate and regenerate as you rest. Designed for antiaging, it helps with keeping wrinkles at bay while improving the firmness and elasticity of the skin. It contains key ingredients such as Resveratrol. Affectionately referred to as “the fountain of youth,” it helps skin firm up while reducing inflammation and helping skin retain its natural barriers. Our night cream also contains Rosehip Oil, known for its high Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids content to help reduce signs of aging and give skin a healthy glow. The cream also contains Wheat Amino Acid to add a moisturizing component as well as Coffee Fruit Extract to protect skin from radical damage.

Our discovery packs are a great option for those who are looking to try some of our most popular skincare items and see benefits for themselves. Take them with you when you travel, or use while at home to see how our products can change your skin. If you’re prone to acne or have combination or oily skin, the Discovery Pack Core 4 - Balancing is a great option to try a full skincare routine that is specially designed to benefit that skin type. On the dry, sensitive, or mature side? The Discovery Pack Core 4 - Nourishing is a perfect choice since it’s specially designed to soothe skin and help prevent signs of aging. Each of our packs contains a full skincare routine that you can incorporate into your day, and most start to see benefits within a week of use. And remember, consistency is key! Our products will continue to work better as you use them consistently.

“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what's left of you." -Katie Reed

1. Deep condition your hair

Your hair needs a lot of care, and deep conditioning can definitely help. It’s a great way to relax while giving your hair a little extra love. And best of all, you can do it in the comfort of your own home with natural and organic ingredients. You can use a combination of ingredients, such as egg and mayonnaise, banana and avocado or yogurt and honey depending on your hair needs.

2. Try a fun face mask

Nothing feels more pampering and luxurious like using a facemask at home. It’s simple, easy and best of all, effective! For something quick that still feels like a treat, why not try our Soothing Clay Mask? Like a mini-face lift at home, our mask uses French clay and pomegranate extract to help you achieve healthy and radiant skin, while toning your skin.

3. Exfoliate!

Self-care is about shedding skin, literally and figuratively. It’s an important process to reveal the beautiful layers hiding underneath and giving them a chance to shine. Exfoliation is almost therapeutic in that way, and once you wipe off the dead cells and see what’s been underneath, you’ll make it a staple of your self-care routine. Our Polished To Perfection - Multi Active Exfoliating Powder with Coconut Milk is gentle and water-activated, making it the perfect addition to your routine. The coconut milk, combined with rice bran, acai, oatmeal and niacinamide work together to lift away dead skin cells and brighten skin.

4. Try a natural cleanser

A DIY body cleanser can be a good part of your skincare routine every so often. Using ingredients like oatmeal, you can incorporate into your self-care practice as a little extra push to get the dirt and grime out of your skin. You can create an oatmeal and honey cleanser as one option for your neck, chest, face and back. Or you can use ground sunflower seeds and olive oil to create a mini combination of exfoliation and cleansing.

5. Add some Vitamin C to your routine

If your skin just isn’t looking quite as bright and radiant as you’d like, consider adding some Vitamin C to your routine. It can help reduce age spots, acne and skin redness while stimulating collagen production. Using a trusted source though, is key like our Award Winning Pure Potent C - Skin Illuminating Serum. It uses the most stable form of the vitamin to help create a potent and effective solution that can make your skin look younger and brighter.

6. Relieve stress with a scalp treatment

Just like your body, your hair and scalp need some rest and relaxation too. Massaging your scalp and hair, and giving it a little extra love can help improve blood circulation while improving your hair. After shampooing, you can use a scalp oil and give your head a little massage. Start from top of the head and work your way down, gently pressing with your fingertips for 15-20 minutes before conditioning.

7. Use the right lotion

Another simple way to practice self-care at home is to use lotion more often and hydrate your skin. It’s a simple pampering act that can help smooth your skin and ensure that it doesn’t get too dry. Our Firming Body Lotion uses clinically proven ingredients to help your skin be soft and smooth. For best results, apply lotion first thing in the morning and last thing at night before going to bed.

8. Get a spa headband

Whether you’re giving yourself a pampering at-home spa day, or just quick 20-minute sessions, you need the right tools. Buns and ponytails can be quite harsh for your hair and aren’t always effective in keeping hair off your face. And that feeling of having a strand of hair on your face when you’ve just applied a nice facemask just isn’t nice. Using tools like a spa headband can help with keeping hair off your face. Made of 100% Pure Soft Organic Cotton, it feels amazing and keeps your hair secure - perfect for at-home spa days or for daily skincare routines.

9. Try an at-home sugar scrub

DIY sugar scrubs can be great to do at home, especially if you’re looking for inexpensive and organic treatments. Using everyday kitchen items, you can create a great scrub for your arms and legs to shed of dead skin. Bonus points if you use one right before shaving your legs - it makes shaving so much smoother and leaves your skin feeling nice and soft. You can mix 1-part olive oil with 2 parts sugar for a basic scrub. If you’re looking for additional hydration, add ground oats and honey.

10. Try new skincare products

Skincare routines and self-care is also about trying new things and stepping out of your comfort zone. If you feel like you’re in a rut with your beauty products, why not try some new things? Sampler packs are always a great way to start, since they are less expensive and can give you a good idea on what products to buy full-size.

For example, our Trial Size Discovery Pack for Nourishing contains a mixture of products that are perfect for at home self-care. This includes a Nourishing Foaming Cleanser, PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner, Day Cream, Night Cream and a Polished to Perfection Elixir as well. Perfect to try and discover new products that are sure to become your favorite!

11. Do an at-home enzyme peel

Another great self-care practice is to do peels every so often. These don’t need to be a super frequent part of your skincare, but they definitely help in making your skin look radiant using natural products. Our Award Winning Flawless Active Enzyme Peel is a beautiful fruit enzyme treatment mask made from a concentrated blend of Fruit Enzymes, Hyaluronic Acid, Resveratrol, Natural Salicylic Acid, Organic Acai Juice, Potent Antioxidants to deliver a professional grade peel at home takes your skin from blah to AMAZING in as little as 5 minutes!

12. Give your makeup brushes some extra attention

While yes, a lot of self-care revolves around using products and DIY solutions, there are some simple things you can do as well to give yourself some extra care. Cleaning your makeup brushes is a quick thing that can make a huge difference for your skin - especially if yours is quite sensitive.

Cleaning the bristles helps get rid of bacteria and caked makeup. You can use some gentle soap and run the brushes over the soap under running water. You’ll see the makeup drip down and once it runs clean, you’ve succeeded. Lay the brushes flat or try to hang them upside down so that water doesn’t get trapped at the base of the brush, and let dry.

13. Use hand cream more often

Self-care is about paying attention to different parts of your body that may go ignored sometimes. Between doing the washing up and daily routines, our hands can often get dry and rough. Using a nourishing hand cream like our Age Delay Hand and Nail Cream is a super quick way to replenish skin for a softer look and pamper yourself a little daily.

14. Let your hair get oily...on purpose

We know, we know, it sounds unconventional but it does work. Many of us are guilty of over-washing our hair and stripping it of natural oils it needs to be healthy. Spacing your washes out over the course of week (i.e. opting for 1-2 washes rather than 5-7) might sound a little strange, but it helps. It can bring back your natural shine while helping your hair adjust to a chemical-free life, and making it more healthy long-term.

15. Medidate!

Although not technically related to beauty, self-care is about taking care of your mind and body. Meditation and awareness can really help ground you, reduce anxiety and generally make you feel more confident and happy. During your skincare time, take out a moment to just breathe deeply, relax and let go. Focus on what’s important, what’s helping you and why you’re doing it so that you can let go of the mental barriers and be free. Self-care and beauty is about finding the right balance between your head and heart and letting yourself be the best version of yourself possible.

The wonderful thing about self care is it’s all about you!

Find something you enjoy that makes you feel great and gives you some time to relax, it’s ok to be different there is no one size fits all with self care. Some people find doing a face mask perfect for them, and others making their favourite or trying a new tea in a fancy tea pot is the perfect way to relax, sometimes for me trying a out new makeup style or application is relaxing and fun. Just remember to switch off and be present in the moment, relax and enjoy the time to take care of you

1 Increase your vitamin C intake

Let’s take your diet first. We all know that it’s better to avoid sugar and junk food when we can, for health reasons but we don’t often think about what we should be adding to our diet. Vitamin C, for example, is a nutritious and beneficial addition to your meals that can help you look younger. Vitamin C can boost your body’s collagen and help your skin maintain a healthy glow, thereby making it look younger. Try adding some bell peppers to your diet, or choosing oranges and strawberries when you’re craving a snack so that it becomes an effortless addition to your routine.

2 Decrease your sugar intake

Sugar is a hard, hard habit to break but once you do...you’ll feel a world of difference! We all know that sugar can take its toll on our body, but it can also be a contributing factor in aging. Increased intake from fructose and glucose can lead to the process of glycation. As excess sugar floats into your bloodstream, it can speed up the skin aging process - especially if you have a high-sugar diet. Even reducing your consumption by a quarter can make a huge difference in your skin texture and elasticity.

3 Wash up before going to bed

Another part of our routine that can make a difference in how your skin ages? Taking your makeup off before going to bed and ensuring you cleanse every night. Cleansers are important because they nourish your skin, giving it vital ingredients it needs to stay healthy. They are also necessary for removing the dirt and grime that collects over the course of the day. If that dust and grime remain, it just collects and leaves your skin less happy and glowy then it should be. Think of this way: For each night you sleep in your makeup, your skin speeds up the aging process by 8 days! So really, even sleeping in your makeup once or twice a week can end up making your skin look far older than it should. Starting with a gentle cleanser like our Foaming Cleanser - Nourishing is the perfect way to start adding cleansing to your daily routine.

4 Stay hydrated

We know, we know. Everyone talks about how important it is to stay hydrated...but it’s so important that it bears repeating. Hydration is key to helping your skin maintain a glow rather than looking dull and sallow. Getting enough water can play an important role in how your skin ages over time. We’re all guilty of not drinking enough water during the day, but try to drink water constantly - not just when you’re thirsty. Getting a water bottle with daily intakes marked on it is a great way to remind yourself to drink enough water on a daily basis.

While drinking water is important, you can consume a significant amount of water by including a variety of water rich fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Here are our top 20 hydrating beauty food picks for and edible healthy glow.

• 1. Lettuce Water content: 96%
• 2. Cucumber Water content: 95%
• 3. Celery Water content: 95%
• 4. Coconut Water Water content: 95%
• 5. Tomatoes Water content: 94%
• 6. Zucchini Water content: 94%
• 7. Watermelon Water content: 92%
• 8. Cabbage Water content: 92%
• 9. Cauliflower Water content: 92%
• 10. Capsicum/Peppers Water content: 92%
• 11. Strawberries Water content: 91%
• 12. Rockmelon Water content: 90%
• 13. Peaches Water content: 89%
• 14. Blackberries Water content 88%
• 15. Papaya Water content 88%
• 16. Oranges Water content: 88%
• 17. Grapefruit Water content: 88%
• 18. Plums Water content 87%
• 19. Raspberries Water content 86%

• 20. Pineapple Water content 86%

5 You are what you eat

As scientists learn more about diet and the body, it’s increasingly clear that what you eat can significantly affect the health and aging of your skin

Consuming foods with healthy fats can help with the signs of ageing by plumping the skin, assisting the skin’s moisture barrier and helping to prevent and reduce inflammation.

There are 2 types of healthy fats important for maintaining skin health.

• Omega-6 Fatty Acids are building blocks of cell membranes. They help prevent skin dryness to maintain healthy and hydrated skin.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids nourish your skin, maintain skin thickness, fight free radicals and are important for radiance and add softness to your complexion.

Some great sources of these are;

• Omega-6 Fatty Acids
• Seeds, nuts, grains, vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower), green leafy vegetables, avocado.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, canola oil, walnuts, soybeans, ground flaxseeds, and fortified eggs

6 Keep a consistent skincare routine

Buying lots of anti-aging products might be tempting, but hold off on that urge. The key isn’t buying lots of products, it’s buying thoughtfully and being patient. Most skincare products won’t do much overnight. For most products, it can take a bit of time, weeks, or months even for it to really start to make a difference. By contrast, if patience isn’t always your strong suit, we’ve created our Cosima products to work faster - you can see effects in as little a week. Cosima product are formulated to provide instant and longer term results. We encourage you to take a “before” photo and a progress photo in 1-2 months it’s amazing to see the improvements you will achieve and because we look at ourselves everyday you can miss seeing difference your skincare routine has made, It’s one of those changes that you don’t see at first and then all of a sudden you notice it. With consistent usage, you’ll start seeing results. When choosing skin care products, look for ingredients that have anti-aging skin perfecting properties and that they are in percentages high enough to make a difference, that’s why at Cosima we use ingredients at their clinically proven levels or higher so you get the results you deserve. Stick with any new product for at least a month to see if they work for you before deciding to look for something new.

7 Play around with hair colors

Aging is very much a process and sometimes your appearance can make it seem like you’re aging a bit faster than you actually are. For example, darker hair colors can make thinning, greying hair more visible, thereby making you look a little older. It can also cast a shadow on your face and create illusions of more pronounced wrinkles. You can counteract this by going lighter with your hair. Some stylists recommend 2 shades lighter, others 3, add some highlights as well to lighten the shadows and give you a younger and fresher look.

8 Treat yourself to a mask every so often

Giving yourself some time and attention is important, and if you can combine this with some anti-aging skin care products...well, that’s even better. If nothing, give yourself 15-20 minutes once a week for some self-care, relaxation and pampering. Masks are perfect since they can be applied quickly, you can choose to stop and relax and recharge or still go about your day and they can help in making your skin look younger. Our soothing clay mask is perfect for mature skin. The clay helps remove dead cells, and it’s packed with antioxidants and other skin perfecting ingredients that help your skin look more healthy and radiant. I absolutely love the radiant glow after a mask.

9 Curl your lashes

It’s a simple thing, but it really helps. As you get older, your lashes naturally begin to droop and flatten down. This gives the illusion of your eyes looking smaller and less bright. After the age of 35, it’s incredibly important to start curling your lashes. It helps them retain their shape, and defy gravity essentially. The overall result will help your eyes look bigger, brighter, and more youthful - and it only takes a few seconds in the morning to do! As second easy way to open the eye area and create larger more youthful looking eyes is mascara. Mascara gives a lift to your whole face helping you look brighter and younger.

10 Leave your hair down more often

For most of us, the natural instinct is to tie up our hair into tight ponytails and buns. Firstly, this isn’t great for hair, and it can often lead to a lot more breakage and thinning...which in turn, may end up aging you a bit more than you like. Secondly, tight ponytails and buns can draw a lot more attention to your face and give it more of a harsh look. Often, it can end up drawing attention to lines and wrinkles that would otherwise go unnoticed. Leaving your hair down more often can help soften your look and take away some of that attention. And if you’re not a fan of leaving your hair down, try to tie looser ponytails or opt for gentler options like scrunchies to give your hair some room to breathe.

11 Incorporate a serum into your routine

We’ve already touched on some of the effects skincare can have on aging, but let’s look at the impact of individual products. One of the more overlooked skincare products tends to be serums, but those are oftentimes the most potent part of a skincare routine. Serums provide a concentrated dose to your skin of anti-aging properties and can have a major impact. Picking a serum that has the right anti-aging properties is important though, to really get the most benefit. For example, our Flawless Serum is a natural Botox alternative, delivering similarly great results such as smoothing fine lines and wrinkles as processes like Botox but without painful injections. Using the right serum, and using it consistently can make a huge impact on the radiance and smoothness of your skin over time, and help you appear younger.

12 Use a Enzyme and Salicylic Acid Mask

Using a good enzyme and acid mask/peel consistently, one that has both multiple enzymes and salicylic will have immediate cumulative benefits. The longer you use them, the better your skin will look and feel. We always recommend once using it a week or fortnight, using it weekly will speed up the results however if you have dry skin starting at once a fortnight will still give amazing results and will help dryer skin types to adjust to it effects and hit skin will soon be able to easily tolerate the actives. Using a Enzyme and Salicylic mask regularly will help build collagen, reduce fine lines and pigmentation, and generally brighten and help thicken your skin. Remember your skin gets thinner with age. This is one easy step to keep you looking younger. Try our Award Winning Flawless Active Enzyme Peel weekly and start seeing the difference this key step will make.

13 Reconsider some of your beauty products

There are a lot of makeup tips out there to help you look younger. And while yes, they do make a difference, but it’s not just about the makeup itself but how you apply it too. If you find yourself pulling your skin a lot when applying products like foundation or not using the right applicators, you can end up doing more damage for your skin. Adding simple tools like sponges and wedges can help in applying makeup more smoothly while also keeping your skin intact - especially when applying foundation. Simply dampen your sponge a little with water and add a dab of foundation to your hand. Dip the tip of the sponge and gently pat on to your skin. The gentler motions will help your skin feel less pulled and tight, while also giving you full coverage without being too cakey to help you achieve a fresh youthful look.

14 Pearly Whites

A beautiful bright smile can take years off. Teeth stains and yellowing can make us look older than we are but luckily there are easy solutions like whitening toothpaste and at home whitening kits.

15 Don’t Forget your Hands

Our hands are often the most exposed part of our body and are subject to constant environmental factors that cause damage and can accelerate the ageing process. This can either inadvertently give your age away or make you look older than you are. Make sure you look after your hands and include them in your skincare routine.

Our Age Delay Hand & Nail Cream is formulated to achieve results in the shortest time possible using the most effective, groundbreaking clinically proven ingredients in concentrations that actually work to leave your hands looking and feeling their BEST. Reducing the appearance dark spots / pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, plumps the skin /builds collagen to reduce the appearance of "skeletal" looking hands and leaves the skin beautifully hydrated

You’ll find a lot of beauty tips out there about looking younger, and often it can feel overwhelming or that nothing quite makes the difference that you like. While yes, you can’t really stop the process of aging, but if you can make simple changes to your routine, you can keep the process from speeding up. Even incorporating half of these tips into your life can make a big difference. And when you start hydrating more and adding healthier choices to your diet, you will see the difference. The key to all of these tips is about consistency. Even when it seems difficult or that it’s not quite working - stick to it! You’ll see the differences, but it takes consistency and a just a little patience.