Author: mainvvauthor

Take a look at the ingredient lists for your face cleanser, body wash, and shampoo and there’s a good chance that you’ll spot the word ‘sulfate’ somewhere on there. It’s a common addition to skincare and hair care products because the ingredient offers some undeniable benefits.

However, at the same time, there’s also a dark side to sulfates. Keep reading as Vine Vera explains why more and more dermatologists are advising against the use of sulfate-infused products, along with tips on how to choose better alternatives.

What Exactly Are Sulfates?

Sulfates are chemical compounds that are made from sulfuric acid. They’re revered for their surfactant properties, with surfactants being chemicals that form a lather to aid with cleansing. They work by reducing the surface tension of oils and water on the skin, enabling everything to be mixed together for easy removal. 

Why Are Sulfates Used in Skincare?

The main reason why sulfates are used in skincare is because of their cleansing abilities. They form a thick lather that effectively removes debris, sebum, pollutants, and other impurities from the skin, leaving it feeling squeaky clean. 

Sulfates also help to emulsify certain ingredients. Say, for example, a skincare formula contains both oil- and water-based ingredients. Without an emulsifier, these ingredients would separate within the product. The oil-based ingredients would float to the top while the water-based ingredients would sink to the bottom. With an emulsifier, such as sulfates, those ingredients remain as a single blend.

What’s the Problem With Sulfates?

So far, it’s easy to see why sulfates are so commonly used in cosmetic products, so what’s the issue?

A Compromised Skin Barrier

The main problem is that sulfates can be extremely irritating to the skin. Sure, they’re great at removing excess oil, but don’t forget that those oils also form a significant part of your skin’s natural protective barrier. If you strip away too much sebum, barrier function declines as a result.

This can then lead to a number of skin problems. A compromised skin barrier struggles to properly retain moisture, leaving the skin dehydrated. It also allows irritants to enter the skin more easily, triggering sensitivities.

A Disrupted pH

The skin’s natural pH is slightly acidic. This is essential for the skin to adequately maintain itself, keeping itself looking and feeling healthy.

However, sulfates lean toward the alkaline end of the pH scale. This means that when they’re used on the skin, they interfere with the skin’s natural pH, turning this more alkaline too. The result of this is a disruption to the skin’s natural microflora, ie. the healthy bacteria that keep your skin cells functioning optimally. Once this occurs, you could experience everything from excessive dryness and flakiness to irritation and sensitivities. Inflammatory skin disorders become more prevalent too, with everything from acne to eczema to rosacea flaring up.

Allergic Reactions

Allergic reactions can occur with just about every skincare ingredient out there. However, sulfate allergies are surprisingly common, although many don’t realize it.

If you experience an allergic reaction to sulfates, your skin will react with itching, hives, rashes, or even contact dermatitis. 

Irritation to the Eyes

Sulfates coming into contact with your eyes spell bad news. The ingredient is known for causing eye irritation. As soon as it enters your eyes, you’ll feel your eyes stinging or burning – a sign that you should immediately rinse them out.

Ideally, no cleansers or any other products should be entering your eyes. However, if this is a common occurrence for you, then sulfates are well worth avoiding.

Unknown Concentrations

What makes things more confusing is that the amount of irritation that you’ll experience from using sulfates depends on the concentration of the chemical in a product. In very small amounts, you may not notice a difference in your skin.

However, some cosmetics are made up of almost 50% sulfates, and it’s these high numbers that cause an issue. Most skincare products don’t disclose the percentage of sulfates within them, but the fact that they tend to be found at the beginning of an ingredient list is not a good sign.

Do Sulfates Cause Cancer?

What about the rumor that sulfates cause cancer? This was disproved a while ago. 

However, certain types of sulfates are commonly contaminated with 1,4-dioxane during their manufacturing process. This substance is known for causing cancer in laboratory animals.

What About Using Sulfates on Oily Skin?

While sulfates tend to be a big problem for those with sensitive or dry skin types, people with oily, acne-prone skin need to be wary about sulfates too. Sure, they may be great at removing the excess oil that your skin is sporting, but the dehydration they cause can sometimes stimulate the skin’s sebaceous glands. This leaves the skin feeling even greasier and, therefore, more prone to breakouts.

It doesn’t help that sulfates have a high comedogenic rating. This refers to how likely an ingredient is to clog pores. Although sulfate-infused products are rinsed off after a short period of time, any residue that happens to be left behind could end up diving into your pores and triggering a breakout.

The Environmental Impact of Sulfates

It’s not just your skin that can be negatively affected by sulfates. This chemical has an environmental impact too – one that many aren’t aware of. 

For starters, some sulfates are made from palm oil, with palm oil production being a significant cause of both deforestation and pollution. 

Once sulfate-infused products are washed down a drain, they then go on to have toxic effects on aquatic life.

Speaking of animals, it’s worth mentioning that sulfate skincare products usually undergo animal testing. This enables companies to measure exactly how irritating a formula is to the skin, eyes, and lungs. It goes without saying that animal testing is frowned upon these days, with more and more consumers choosing to buy products that haven’t been tested on animals.

The Different Types of Sulfates

If you’ve spotted sulfates on the ingredient lists of some of your cosmetics, you may have noticed that the ingredient is used in a few different forms. Two of the most common are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). 

They both function in the same way when it comes to producing a thick lather that cleans the skin. Both ingredients bind to the proteins on the surface of the skin, but SLS does this to a greater extent. This means that, although both ingredients can cause irritation, SLS tends to trigger more of this. 

Shopping For Sulfate-Free Products

Fortunately, with people increasingly recognizing the irritation that sulfates can cause, there are now plenty of alternatives out there, making it easy to bag yourself some sulfate-free products. 

Sometimes, you’ll notice that products advertise themselves as being sulfate-free. However, even if they don’t, it’s worth checking out a product’s ingredient list to see whether or not you can spot the word ‘sulfate’ on there.

Are there any other surfactants that compare to the efficacy of sulfates?

For sure, and the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser is a great example of this. This cleanser makes use of coconut-derived surfactants, such as sodium cocoyl glycinate, instead of sulfates. It’s an amino acid-based surfactant, making it more biocompatible with the skin than sulfates. It’s much gentler on the skin too, yet it’s still able to produce a luxurious lather. Even better, amino acid-based surfactants are so much more sustainable since they’re derived from renewable natural ingredients. They’re easily biodegradable too while being non-toxic to the environment.

Reducing the Appearance of Damage Caused by Sulfates

If you believe that sulfates could be the reason behind the skin problems that you’re dealing with, then it goes without saying that you need to stop using those sulfate products immediately. Finding sulfate-free alternatives is imperative.

However, what should you do about the damage that sulfates have already potentially caused to your skin? 

The key is to work on ensuring that your skin barrier feels strong and fortified. After all, this is the part of your skin that takes the biggest beating from sulfates:

Restore the pH of Your Skin’s Surface

Start by using a toner after cleansing your skin, even if you’re using a sulfate-free cleanser. The right toner will help to rebalance the pH on the surface of your skin, which will go a long way in rectifying some of the visible skin concerns that you may be dealing with. 

Ideally, look for a toner that also hydrates to counter the dehydration that sulfates may have caused. A formula like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Toner, which is infused with a number of hydrating ingredients and complexion-soothing botanicals, would be perfect!

Add Peptides and Sodium Hyaluronate to Your Skincare Routine

Certain ingredients are fantastic for boosting the feel of the skin barrier, with peptides and sodium hyaluronate being at the top of the list. Both work in very different ways but the results are similar – your skin barrier will feel much more resilient and capable of functioning to the best of its abilities.

Since you don’t want to further irritate your skin barrier, avoid adding too many new products to your skincare routine. Instead, look for a formula that combines peptides and sodium hyaluronate, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum. It’s packed with several other beneficial ingredients too, including seaweed extract, green tea extract, and a variety of vitamins.

Keep Your Skin Moisturized

A moisturizer is a great way to strengthen the feel of your skin barrier. It essentially forms a barrier of its own over the skin’s surface, leaving the skin feeling better protected.

For daytime use, the Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30 would be a good move. Not only is this moisturizer brimming with antioxidants, but it will also protect your skin from UV damage, something that your damaged barrier will be leaving you more susceptible to.

In the evenings, go with a richer cream, such as the Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Night Cream. You’ll wake up with skin that feels beautifully soft and supple!

Summary

It can be shocking to find out that such a common skincare ingredient could be playing havoc with your complexion. However, now that you know about the potential dangers that sulfates can cause, you’ll be better equipped to avoid them, instead opting for alternatives that are much kinder to your skin!

Click here to shop for more sulfate-free skincare products from Vine Vera. 

Everyone wants skin that looks flawless and healthy. This is exactly why so many people put a huge amount of time, effort, and money into skincare.

However, there’s so much conflicting beauty advice out there, making it surprisingly easy to follow the wrong path when it comes to caring for your skin. If you’ve been struggling to see improvements in your complexion from the products that you’re using, this could be down to a few common mistakes that you may unintentionally be making.

Today, Vine Vera is going to help you to put things right. Read on as we share some of the biggest skincare mistakes that people make, along with tips on how to turn this around to ensure that you’re giving your skin the love and care that it actually needs.

Forgetting to Apply SPF

There are so many environmental factors that damage the skin, but the sun is the most dangerous. Those UV rays are ultimately responsible for causing up to 90% of the visible signs of aging that you develop on your face. This means that everything from the appearance of wrinkles to dark spots to dullness could have been prevented with the use of sun protection.

Of course, let’s not forget that the harmful effects of the sun run even deeper. UV rays contribute to the development of skin cancer, with this being the most common form of cancer in many parts of the world.

As you can see, failing to keep your skin adequately protected from the sun can have devastating consequences, yet this is still one of the most common skincare mistakes that people make. There are a few reasons for this, with most people stating that they find SPF to be an inconvenience that also doesn’t feel good when applied to the skin.

The Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30 provides the perfect solution. This silky cream functions as a fully-fledged sunscreen, yet it’s also a high-quality moisturizer in its own right. Apply it as part of your morning skincare routine and not only will you be giving your complexion the moisture boost that it needs to see it through the day, but you’ll also be shielding it from UV damage.

Falling Asleep With Makeup On

Ever stumbled home after a late night and crawled into bed with a full face of makeup on? 

It’s easy to understand why so many people do this. After a long day, and sometimes also an even longer night, it can be difficult to summon the energy to remove all traces of makeup and then follow a skincare routine. 

However, while that may be the case, sleeping with makeup on has a hugely detrimental effect on the skin. For starters, all of those makeup products will end up being pushed deeper into your pores, resulting in blockages and pimples. Make this a frequent habit and chronic inflammation will soon become the norm.

Not only will this leave your skin looking blotchy and unhappy, but it will also accelerate the skin aging process. You’ll be exposing your skin to so many free radicals as your makeup products oxidize on your skin. This will result in you having to deal with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles so much sooner in life.

If you’re guilty of climbing into bed without removing your makeup, it’s time to break this bad habit. To save yourself some time when you’re particularly tired, find a cleanser that also doubles up as a makeup remover, doing away with the need to use two separate products. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser meets the mark on all fronts. The richly satisfying lather produced by this cleanser will effortlessly sweep away all of your makeup. At the same time, it’ll also get rid of any other impurities that may be lingering on your skin’s surface.

Over-Exfoliating

There’s no denying how crucial it is to regularly exfoliate your skin. No matter your skin type, exfoliation is essential for clearing away the dead skin cells that pile up on the skin’s surface and in pore openings. It becomes even more important as you age. Over time, your skin’s ability to naturally shed those dead skin cells declines. Exfoliating is the perfect way to pick up the slack.

With exfoliation offering up so many benefits, it’s easy to get carried away. Some people go overboard when it comes to how often they exfoliate, while others stick to a suitable frequency but use an overly harsh exfoliator. Either way, both result in a damaged skin barrier. This can then cause a variety of skin problems to arise. Everything from dehydration and acne to excessive dryness and sensitivities can be attributed to over-exfoliation.

What’s the solution?

To start with, find an exfoliator that gets the job done well without subjecting your skin to sharp abrasives or harsh acids. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling, which exfoliates with a gentle blend of mandelic acid and bamboo powder, would be a great choice!

The next step is to work out how often you should be exfoliating your skin. There isn’t a simple answer to this because everyone’s skin is different. If your skin type is oily, you’ll likely need to exfoliate 2-3 times a week. On the other hand, those with dry skin often only need to exfoliate once a week.

If you happen to notice the signs of over-exfoliation, stop exfoliating immediately. Give your skin a few weeks, at least, to recover before gradually introducing an exfoliator back into your skincare routine.

Ignoring Your Neck and Chest 

Technically, your neck and your chest are considered to be body parts, rather than being a part of your face. This is why, when it comes to skincare, many people ignore the neck and chest when carrying out their facial skincare routines. Instead, these areas are treated in the same way as the skin on the body is.

Unfortunately, this is another big mistake to make. Sure, anatomically, your neck and chest belong to your body. However, when it comes to your skin, these areas actually have more in common with your face. Just like the skin on your face, the skin on your neck and chest is relatively thin and fragile – much more so than the skin on the rest of your body. 

This means that, like your face, the neck and chest are highly susceptible to damage. This is why the neck and chest are so prone to wrinkling and sagging, whereas the rest of the body tends to keep its youthful appeal for longer.

The good news is that fixing this mistake is easy. All you need to do is include your neck and chest in your regular facial skincare routine. This means that everything that you apply to your face, from your cleanser and serums to your moisturizer and SPF, should be applied to your neck and chest too.

If you’ve already started to notice the visible signs of aging and damage creeping up on your neck or chest, it would be worth investing in one or two skincare products that have been designed specifically for this area. Take the Vine Vera Resveratrol Tightening Neck & Chest Mask, for example. This hydrogel mask works wonders on the look and feel of the skin, giving it a smoother, tighter, and more elastic finish.

Applying Skincare Products in the Wrong Order

Do you follow a specific skincare routine each day?

Hopefully, the answer is yes. A regular skincare routine is what’s needed if you’re hoping to see an improvement in any aspect of your complexion.

However, one big mistake that people make is applying the products in their skincare routine in the wrong order. This may not seem like a big deal but it could potentially mean that all of your efforts have gone to waste. Getting the order wrong could prevent some of your products from properly penetrating your skin. As a result, they won’t work in the way that they should.

The most basic rule to follow when it comes to putting together the various steps of your skincare routine is to go from lightest to heaviest. After cleansing your face, turn to your lighter products first, such as essences and serums. Then, move on to your thicker products, such as your moisturizer and sunscreen.

Easy enough, right? Sure, until you start taking the exceptions to the rule into account. For example, when it comes to active ingredients that are targeting a specific visible skin concern of yours. Whether it may be an acne treatment or a specialized wrinkle solution, these are often best applied immediately after cleansing, no matter how thick they may be. This way, they have direct access to your skin cells without any other products blocking the way.

Exfoliation and masking can also get confusing. Ideally, you want to exfoliate after cleansing, before you apply a toner, serum, or anything else. Face masks are usually applied after cleansing (and exfoliating, if you’re doing that too). This will save you from removing any of your other skincare products when you’re rinsing/removing your mask.

Becoming Complacent Once You See Results From Your Skincare

It’s all very well to dedicate yourself to skincare when your complexion is sporting a few troubled areas that you’re trying to eradicate. Seeing those skin concerns in the mirror each day is the perfect motivation to up your skincare game.

However, use the right products and it won’t be long before they start to work. This is when many people make a crucial mistake. Once they see the results that they were aiming for, their skincare efforts begin to falter. Sometimes, people even stop using certain products altogether, believing that they’re no longer needed.

Once this happens, it doesn’t take long before those original skin concerns rear back up. Consistency is vital when it comes to skincare – getting complacent will only set you back.

Instead, once you’ve noticed that your skincare products have been delivering on their promises, keep them going. You may want to adjust the products that you’re using based on the results that you see but, whatever you do, staying on track with your skincare is the key to maintaining your new and improved complexion.

Summary

It’s so easy to make a mistake when you’re a skincare newbie, only to fall into the habit of continuing to make that same mistake for several years. This is why it’s so important to regularly reassess your skincare efforts. If you can relate to any of the common mistakes that we’ve shared above, take the necessary steps to turn this around so that you can ensure that you’re giving your skin everything that it deserves.

Click here to shop for more bestselling skincare products from Vine Vera.

There are several factors to consider when putting together a skincare routine, but your skin type, which is largely determined by your genes, is the most important one. Each of the five skin types has its own unique characteristics and requirements, which dictate how you should be caring for your skin.

If you’re unsure about what your skin type is, read on as Vine Vera explains how to figure this out, along with how to meet the needs that your skin type has. 

The Fastest Way to Figure Out Your Skin Type

There are a few different methods that you can use to determine your skin type, but the fastest one is as follows:

Start by washing your face with a mild cleanser, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser. This will remove excess sebum, dirt, and other impurities without interfering with your skin barrier. Then, leave your face bare and wait for half an hour.

After this, it’s time to closely examine your skin to see which of the following categories it fits into:

• If your skin looks shiny and feels greasy, then this means that you have oily skin
• If your skin feels tight and dry, or if you notice scaly or flaky patches, then this means that you have dry skin
• Skin that consists of a combination of the above, such as an oily t-zone and dry cheeks, would be classed as combination
• If your skin feels uncomfortable, irritated, or itchy, or if it looks red and inflamed, then this means that you have sensitive skin
• If you don’t experience any of the above issues and your skin feels comfortable and balanced, then your skin type is normal

Other Ways to Figure Out Your Skin Type

While the method above may be the fastest, you may also want to turn to another method if you need some extra confirmation as to what your skin type is.

Another way to test this out is by cleansing your face in the morning and then, at around midday, pressing some clean blotting paper over different areas of your face. Hold the paper up to the light and you’ll be able to see how much oil it has absorbed. The more oil on the paper, the oilier your skin is. On the other hand, if the paper comes away completely dry, then this indicates dry skin.

You could also follow a minimal skincare routine in the morning and then assess your skin come evening. If your skin type is oily, then your skin will likely have a greasy sheen to it at the end of the day. Likewise, dry skin will look and feel dry, whereas sensitive skin will likely appear red and irritated. Some areas being dry and others being oily points to combination skin.

Caring For Your Skin Type

So, now that you’ve figured out your skin type, what comes next? 

Well, you now have the information that you need to understand how to care for your skin in the best way possible. Let’s take a closer look at what each skin type requires in order to thrive:

Oily Skin

If your skin type is oily, then this means that your skin is producing more oil than it needs. The oil produced by your skin serves an important purpose when it comes to protection but, if your skin is producing too much of it, then this can quickly lead to clogged pores and breakouts.

Many of the products out there that are designed for oily, acne-prone skin can often make the problem worse. They work by drying up excess oil but they sometimes do this a little too well, stripping away the sebum that comprises the skin’s natural protective barrier and, therefore, leaving the skin vulnerable to damage and dehydration. Once dehydration occurs, the skin tries to compensate by increasing oil production even more. As you can imagine, this will only leave your skin looking even shinier.

To prevent this, it’s important to keep oily skin hydrated and moisturized, without overloading it and contributing even more to clogged pores. This means using lightweight products – hydrating with moisture-binding humectants rather than thick occlusives. 

You’ll also need to make sure that you exfoliate your skin two to three times a week. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling would be a great way to do that. This gel-like solution exfoliates the skin with a mixture of mandelic acid and bamboo powder. It will keep your pores clear of blockages while reducing how oily your skin feels in the long run.

Dry Skin

Unlike oily skin, which produces too much oil, dry skin doesn’t produce enough. Since sebum is what conditions, lubricates, and protects the skin, the lack of it can lead to a number of problems. You could experience everything from itching, flaking, and irritation to accelerated skin aging.

When caring for dry skin, your priority should be to make up for that layer of sebum that your skin is lacking. Look for rich creams containing fatty acids and vitamins, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer. With shea butter, vitamin E, and a long list of complexion-soothing botanical extracts, this cream will leave dry and rough skin feeling soft and silky-smooth.

Another way to give your dry skin the moisture that it’s craving is with face masks. These products are crammed with active ingredients, making them capable of transforming your complexion when used regularly. Hydrating sheet masks would be a great choice for dry skin, but if you want to take things to the next level, try using a leave-on mask, like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto-Silk Mask. Since this mask doesn’t need to be rinsed or removed, it remains on the skin for an extended period of time. This means that its moisturizing ingredients have more of a chance to soak into your skin.

Combination Skin

Combination skin has elements of both dry and oily skin. Some parts of the face, usually the t-zone, are oily, whereas others, such as the cheeks, are dry. As a result, this can be the trickiest skin type to care for since different parts of your face will need different forms of care.

You can go about this in two ways. The first is to turn to products that can be safely used on both dry and oily skin. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Cleanser is one example. In addition to cleansing your skin, this formula also provides hydration. Meanwhile, chamomile and calendula extracts soothe the complexion.

Alternatively, you could treat each section of your face individually. While you’ll need to use the same cleanser on your entire face, you could then choose to use different serums and creams on the oily and dry areas of your skin. For example, the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum, which contains kojic acid, licorice root extract, peptides, and vitamin C, would be perfect for the oilier parts of your face. You could then complement this by applying the Vine Vera Chianti Skin Restoring Capsules on the drier areas of your face. 

Doing things this way will take more time and effort, along with more products. However, it will enable you to take control of your combination skin and bring your complexion back into balance.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is a skin type that develops when the skin barrier has been damaged. This prevents the skin barrier from protecting the skin from irritants. Instead of keeping them out, it has no choice but to let those irritants come into contact with your deeper skin cells, resulting in irritation, inflammation, and sensitivities.

The best way to deal with sensitive skin is to use skincare products designed to boost and strengthen the feel of your skin barrier. Peptides and hydrating ingredients do this well, making the Vine Vera Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto Silk a great choice. This serum will also tackle the appearance of redness and inflammation, leaving your skin looking calm and happy.

Sun protection is something else worth paying attention to. Although this is crucial for every skin type, those with sensitive skin will be even more vulnerable to sun damage. However, keep in mind that many sunscreens could exacerbate your sensitivities. Look for a formula that, in addition to shielding your skin from UV rays, will also soothe your complexion. This is something that the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30, with its infusion of aloe vera, vitamin E, and green tea, excels at!

Normal Skin

Although the term ‘normal’ makes it seem as though this skin type is the most common, the opposite is actually true. Instead, normal skin, which refers to skin that’s perfectly balanced and hydrated, is pretty rare. 

This isn’t a bad thing – in fact, it’s anything but. Normal skin is the easiest skin type to care for since there aren’t any major skin problems that you need to address. Instead, all you need to do is focus on maintaining your skin’s natural harmonious balance. 

To do this, make sure that your skincare routine covers all of the basics. Start by cleansing and then toning. The Resveratrol Cabernet Toner would be a fantastic addition to your skincare routine due to how hydrating and balancing it feels. It will also prep your skin so that it feels more receptive to any other products that you apply. This will make your entire skincare routine more effective! 

Once you’re done toning, apply a hydrating serum and then follow up with a moisturizer. Choose a cream that’s not too heavy but not too light, such as the Vine Vera Vitamin C Moisturizer. It’s packed with antioxidants that will leave your skin glowing!

Summary

While you could go ahead and put together a skincare routine without knowing your skin type, there’s a good chance that the products that you use will fail to be effective and, even worse, could end up damaging your skin. Spending a bit of time figuring out what your skin type is will go a long way in helping you pick products that cater to your skin’s needs. The result will be skin that looks and feels beautifully happy, healthy, and balanced!

Click here to explore more of Vine Vera’s bestselling skincare products.

Have you ever applied a skincare or makeup product to your face, only to find that, rather than settling into your skin, it forms tiny balls on your skin’s surface? 

This is known as skin pilling, and it’s actually more common than you would think. Not only is the flaky and uneven finish it gives to your skin never a good look, but skin pilling is also a sign that your products aren’t being absorbed into your skin very well. This will make them less effective overall.

So, how can you put a stop to skin pilling? Read on as Vine Vera shares eight tips to prevent this problem from happening.

Why Does Skin Pilling Happen in the First Place?

Before learning how to prevent skin pilling, it’s important to understand why it happens in the first place. Many believe that those tiny balls that form are made up of flaky skin but, instead, they actually consist of the products that you’ve just been applying. 

When topical products aren’t able to sink into the skin for whatever reason, the tiny particles within those products bunch up into little clumps. These usually end up clinging to the skin, although they often transfer over onto the fingertips too. 

8 Ways to Prevent Skin Pilling

There are a few different factors that can contribute to skin pilling. It’s important to work out the cause for the skin pilling that you’re experiencing because this will determine the best methods to prevent it:

1. Regularly Exfoliate Your Skin

Sometimes, skin pilling occurs when the skin hasn’t been exfoliated for a while. This leads to dead skin cells building up on the surface of the skin, which prevents product absorption. Not only does this mean that your skincare products end up sitting on the surface of your skin for longer, rather than sinking down on in, but massage those products into your skin and they’ll mix with all of those dead skin cells, resulting in those little clumps of product gathering on your skin.

Regularly exfoliating your skin will keep your skin’s surface clear of dead skin cells. This makes it easier for your skin to absorb your topical products, meaning that skin pilling won’t be such an issue.

With that said, don’t go overboard with your exfoliation efforts either. Over-exfoliating can damage your skin barrier, which will also interfere with product penetration. Ideally, you should be exfoliating 1- 3 times a week, depending on your skin type, using a gentle exfoliator. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling, which exfoliates with a blend of mandelic acid and bamboo powder, would be a great choice. Suitable for all skin types, this exfoliator will keep your skin and pores feeling smooth and clear. 

2. Use Lightweight Skincare Products

The heavier your skincare products are, the more likely you are to experience skin pilling. This is partly down to how thicker products take longer to penetrate into the skin, whereas lighter formulas will disappear in much faster. 

What happens if your skin is extremely dry and needs thick products? 

The solution lies in the serum step of your skincare routine. Opt for lightweight hydrating serums but feel free to layer a few of these over the top of each other. Take the hydrating serums from Vine Vera as an example. The Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum, Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto-Silk, and the Resveratrol Pinot Noir Longevity Serum are all exceptionally hydrating. However, at the same time, they’re also very lightweight and silky in consistency. Layer two or three of those serums onto your skin, top them off with a moisturizer, and your skin will likely feel even more hydrated than if you had only applied a couple of heavier products.

3. Apply Your Skincare Products in the Correct Order

You’re probably already familiar with how skincare products should be applied in a certain order. The light to heavy rule is the one that most people follow. This involves starting with your lighter products, such as your toner and your serum, before finishing up with heavy products, such as a moisturizer. 

The main purpose of doing this is to allow those lightweight formulas to sink into your skin easily without being blocked by any thick ingredients. Do things the other way around and your heavier products will prevent your lighter formulas from penetrating through. Not only will this stop those lighter products from working properly, but it will also make skin pilling more likely due to how you’ll end up with excess product lingering on your skin’s surface. 

So, when applying your skincare products, keep the light to heavy rule in mind. It may require more focus and planning but your entire skincare routine will be so much more effective. Plus, you’ll also be able to put a stop to skin pilling!

4. Wait 60 Seconds Between Applying Each of Your Products

It’s tempting to speed through your skincare routine when you’re in a rush. However, this can often prevent products from seeping into the skin properly. Apply your next product before the previous one has had the chance to be absorbed and skin pilling is much more likely to occur.

Ideally, you should be waiting for each product to almost fully dry on your skin before moving on to the next. However, this can sometimes take a few minutes. If you don’t have extra time to spare, aim to wait roughly 60 seconds in between each product that you apply. This should give the majority of that product enough time to settle into your skin before the next one comes along.

If your skincare routine is Korean-inspired and consists of ten or more steps, you may want to consider cutting it back when you’re short on time. It’s far better to use fewer products that are actually penetrating your skin than to use a greater number of products that only end up pilling and flaking off.

5. Apply Smaller Amounts of Your Products

Found yourself a skincare product that promises to eradicate one of your main visible skin concerns? Whether it may be designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, lighten the look of dark spots, or anything else, it can be tempting to slather on a larger amount of that product in the hopes that it will provide even better results.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, the opposite is often true. The more of a product you apply, the more your skin will struggle to absorb it. Instead of soaking into your skin, all of that excess product will sit on your skin’s surface. It will then mix together with dead skin cells or the next product that you apply, resulting in skin pilling.

So, when carrying out your skincare routine, try applying a little less of each product. This will make it easier for your skin to absorb each one, meaning pilling won’t be such an issue.

6. Use a Water-Based SPF

SPF products are usually either water-based or oil-based. The base that has been used doesn’t affect the product’s efficacy, but it has a big impact on how likely that product is to pill.

Generally, oil-based SPF products are more susceptible to pilling than water-based formulas. If you’ve noticed that skin pilling usually occurs for you after applying SPF, have a look at that product’s ingredient list. You’ll know if it’s oil-based if one or more of the first three ingredients on there is an oil.

If this is the case, try switching to a water-based SPF, like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. This is actually a two-in-one product. In addition to shielding your skin from UV rays, it will also deeply moisturize your skin. In the mornings, you can use this one product instead of applying both a moisturizer and a separate SPF. Not only will you then be reducing your chances of skin pilling by using a water-based sunscreen, but the fact that there will be one less product on your skin will help with absorption. This will prevent skin pilling even more!

7. Gently Tap Your Products Into Your Skin

Usually, when people apply products to their skin, they rub them in. After all, there are numerous studies out there proving how beneficial a quick facial massage can be for the complexion, and that’s exactly what you’re able to enjoy when you rub a serum or a cream into your skin.

However, while that may be the case, rubbing your skincare products in isn’t going to help with skin pilling. Instead, this can worsen it. The motion of rubbing creates friction, which can cause certain products to clump up rather than soak into the skin.

If you want to enhance product penetration, try tapping your products into your skin instead. Use your fingertips to do so and keep pressure gentle. This will encourage your products to absorb while minimizing friction and pilling. 

8. Avoid Skincare Products Containing Silicones and Carbomers

Certain skincare ingredients are more prone to pilling than others. Silicone is one. It’s an ingredient that the skin doesn’t easily absorb, meaning that it ends up sitting on the skin’s surface. This isn’t a major problem if your skincare routine only contains one silicone-infused product but, if you happen to be layering more than one together, then skin pilling is far more likely to occur. 

Carbomers are just as notorious for causing skin pilling. These are gelling agents that, when not properly neutralized in a skincare formula, are known to pill.

So, take a look at the ingredient lists of the products that you regularly use. If you notice silicones or carbomers in them, especially in the products that seem to be most prone to pilling, it could be time to find yourself some alternatives. 

Summary

Skin pilling can be extremely frustrating to deal with, especially when it catches you unaware by only occurring a couple of hours after you’ve applied a product. After all, nobody wants their skin to be dotted with tiny balls that look like flaky skin! Fortunately, there are plenty of steps that you can take to prevent skin pilling from happening. Follow the tips that we’ve shared above and you’ll be well on your way to doing so!

Click here to boost your skincare routine with more lightweight skincare products from Vine Vera.

Menopause brings with it a number of biological changes, many of which take place in the skin. This can come as a surprise – although people expect the menstrual changes, along with the mood swings and hot flushes that menopause is commonly associated with, the fact that the skin goes through several transitions too often catches people off guard.

Fortunately, that’s something that Vine Vera can help with. Read on as we talk you through the changes that you can expect to see in your skin after menopause, along with the skincare routine that you should be following if you want to get your youthful glow back.

How Does Menopause Affect the Skin?

So, what exactly happens to the skin during and after menopause?

Well, all of the changes that you’ll experience are down to the decline in estrogen levels that menopause brings. Firstly, this affects collagen production. Collagen is the protein that gives your skin its firmness and smoothness. However, studies have found that collagen synthesis can decrease by up to 30% in the first five years after menopause. This means that fine lines and wrinkles will become much more prevalent.

In addition to wrinkles, this decline in collagen also leads to thin and sagging skin. It affects skin barrier function too, with the skin less capable of retaining moisture. Facial hair tends to make an appearance at this stage of life as well.

Acne is also commonly noticed during and after menopause. This is triggered by all of those hormonal changes, which also leave your skin more susceptible to discoloration.

A Post-Menopause Skincare Routine For Your Face

Is it possible to restore your complexion’s youthful smoothness and bounce after you’ve been through menopause? Most definitely, but you need to be following the right skincare routine. Here are the steps to take to get you there:

1) Wash Your Face With a Gentle Cleanser

Hopefully, cleansing is something that you’ve always started your skincare routines with. However, post-menopause, you need to make sure that you’re using a gentle cleanser. With your skin barrier being weaker and thin skin being prone to dryness and dehydration, you need to make sure that the cleanser you’re using isn’t going to exacerbate any of these problems.

The Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser is ideal for this. This cleanser forms a lather that feels super luxurious, yet its sulfate-free formula is far kinder to the skin than many of the other cleansers out there. Even better, the inclusion of niacinamide will help to balance out your skin tone and support your skin barrier, while amino acids and resveratrol will leave your skin feeling stronger.

2) Exfoliate Once or Twice a Week

While the rest of this skincare routine can be followed each day, or even twice a day, exfoliation is something that you’ll only need to do once or twice a week. 

Exfoliation can be a game-changer for post-menopausal skin, as this is when the skin really struggles with naturally shedding its dead skin cells. This causes those cells to build up on the skin’s surface, giving the skin a dull and lackluster finish. Exfoliating those dead cells away will bring vibrancy back to your complexion while leaving your skin looking smoother and softer.

Rather than using a potent acid-based exfoliant or an abrasive scrub, both of which can damage thin, post-menopausal skin, go with something gentler instead, like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. With both mandelic acid and bamboo powder, this exfoliator brings together the best of physical and chemical exfoliation in a way that will lovingly pamper your skin while giving it a radiant glow.

3) Apply a Hydrating Toner

Although a toner isn’t an essential part of a skincare routine, it can make a huge difference to your complexion. Choose a hydrating formula and you’ll be able to layer in some extra moisture while also balancing out the pH level on the surface of your skin. 

Go with the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Toner and you’ll also be giving your skin some extra antioxidants. Just like all Vine Vera products, this toner is formulated with resveratrol. This antioxidant has been proven to bring about big improvements in the complexions of post-menopausal women.

4) Layer on an Eye Serum

The skin around the eyes is already naturally much thinner than the skin on the rest of the face, meaning that this area is hit hard when the skin starts to thin after menopause. The wrinkles and sagging skin that the rest of your face will soon experience will usually develop around your eyes first, making it vital to have a couple of eye care products in your skincare arsenal.

The first should be an eye serum. Since the appearance of wrinkles and loose skin tend to be the biggest eye-related issues, look for a serum that can help to counter this, such as the Resveratrol Eye Collection Age Defying Eye Serum from Vine Vera. It’s packed with peptides, which help to thicken the feel of your skin, as well as a long list of antioxidants to turn back the clock on your complexion.

5) Use an Antioxidant Facial Serum

Antioxidants are everything when caring for your skin after menopause. They’re fantastic at reducing the visibility of skin aging, thanks to how they fight the appearance of free radical damage. Not only will antioxidants help to tackle the look of fine lines and wrinkles, but they’ll also even out visible discoloration to give your skin a more balanced finish.

Which antioxidants should you be using? We’ve already talked about how resveratrol is a must-have, but so is vitamin C. Vitamins A and E are superstar antioxidants too. You’ll find all of these ingredients in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum. Add it to both your morning and evening skincare routines and you should start to see your skin looking brighter, smoother, and healthier in no time!

6) Moisturize the Rest of Your Face

Now that you’ve applied your serums, it’s time to turn to your face cream. Being a thicker product, a cream will help to seal off your skin’s surface, preventing all of your other products from evaporating away.

Ideally, you want to be using a moisturizer that will help to counter the visible skin concerns that menopause has brought on. This is something that the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer excels at. It’s bursting with antioxidants, which, as we mentioned earlier, are vital for slowing down the appearance of skin aging. The humectants in this formula will plump up your complexion and have your skin looking thicker while shea butter will lock everything in, leaving your skin feeling much smoother and softer to the touch.

7) Protect From the Sun During the Day

If you’re following this skincare routine during the day, then you’ll need to round it all off with some sun protection. UV rays significantly contribute to the skin aging process. With collagen production drastically dropping after menopause, those rays will age your skin so much faster. Plus, let’s not forget how the sun causes discoloration, which is something else that post-menopausal skin is more vulnerable to.

When choosing a sunscreen, go with something that offers at least SPF 30. If you’re trying to keep your skincare routine minimal and are dreading following all of the steps that we’ve shared above, try combining this one with the last by using an SPF moisturizer, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. Not only is it an incredible moisturizer but it also contains UV-blocking agents to keep your skin protected from sun damage.

Optional: Apply a Face Mask After Cleansing/Exfoliating

While a short and sweet skincare routine can sometimes be more convenient, your skin would really benefit from some extra TLC every once in a while. After menopause, it has so much to deal with, so a little pamper session wouldn’t go amiss!

A face mask is a great way to show your skin some love. Look for one that will work on your main visible skin concerns. For example, if dehydration and wrinkles are your primary issues, the Vine Vera Pinot Noir Anti-Aging Luminating Face & Eye Mask will quench your skin while also smoothing away the look of creases. The Resveratrol Tightening Neck & Chest Mask will do the same, but for your neck and chest area. 

Meanwhile, if menopause has left you battling breakouts, give the Resveratrol Shiraz Instentic Mask a try. This clay mask will pull excess sebum and impurities out from your pores, countering the appearance of acne. It’s packed with a long list of hydrating compounds and antioxidants too, all of which will have your skin glowing!

Don’t Forget About the Skin on Your Body!

It’s not just the skin on your face that will be affected by menopause. The skin on your body will go through very similar changes. The good news is that the skin on the body is much thicker and tougher than the skin on the face. As a result, these changes will take longer to occur and won’t be quite as dramatic.

Still, you most likely want the skin on your body to look as smooth, soft, and supple as possible. For this, you’ll need to put together a solid body care routine.

Start by using a gentle, sulfate-free body wash in the shower. Avoid applying this to your neck and chest – clean those areas with your facial cleanser instead.

Once or twice a week, exfoliate your body with a scrub. The Vine Vera Salt Scrub is a popular choice because of how sea salt is full of skin-loving minerals. 

When you step out of the shower each day, slather on a moisturizer while your body is still slightly damp. The Vine Vera Intensive Shea Body Butter will feel amazing if your skin is dry or dehydrated. Meanwhile, the Vine Vera Body Cream is a lighter formula that may be more suitable if you’re dealing with body acne.

Summary

There’s no getting away from the big transitions that your skin will undergo during and after menopause. However, by building a high-quality and effective skincare routine, you’ll be able to counter those visible changes and bring your complexion back to the smooth, firm, and radiant state that you used to rock in your younger years.

Click here to pamper your skin with more bestselling resveratrol-infused products from Vine Vera.

“You are what you eat” is a phrase that really holds true when it comes to the skin. With the skin being the body’s largest organ, it’s directly impacted by the food that you consume. Give it the nutrients that it needs and it will thrive, whereas a poor diet will have the opposite effect.

So, what exactly is good skin food? What should you be eating if you want your skin to look its very best? Read on as Vine Vera talks you through the most vital nutrients for a healthy complexion.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that are found in plant foods, with some containing a denser array of antioxidants than others. Their main purpose is to neutralize free radical damage, which occurs when the body is exposed to various external sources, including UV rays and air pollutants. 

When it comes to the skin, free radicals are bad news. They’re one of the main causes of premature skin aging due to the oxidative stress that they cause in the skin. From wrinkles to dullness to dark spots, free radicals are behind so many of the common skin concerns that people experience. Once the damage starts to happen, it will continue to accelerate over time. Fortunately, eating antioxidants can help to protect your skin, as well as the rest of your body, from the harmful effects of free radicals.

This is easy if you fill your plate with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to consume a variety of colors as each color signifies a different range of antioxidants.

At the same time, it can also be helpful to use antioxidant-rich skincare products. They’ll work from the outside to reduce the appearance of free radical damage, leaving your skin looking healthier. The Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto Silk Mask would be a great choice. It’s packed with super fruits, from goji to bilberry to pomegranate. All of these ingredients are loaded with antioxidants that your skin will love!

Vitamins

You’re probably already aware of how essential vitamins are for your health. Well, this applies to the health of your skin too. 

Each vitamin performs its own role. They’re all vital but, in terms of your complexion, some are more influential than others. 

When it comes to skin food, one of the most important vitamins to be consuming plenty of is vitamin C. You’ll find it in large amounts in citrus fruits, as well as in strawberries, broccoli, kiwi, and sweet potatoes. Eat enough of it and you’ll be helping your complexion with protein production, which will give you a smoother and firmer appearance. Enhance this even further by adding a vitamin C serum, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum, to your skincare routine!

Vitamin A is another vitamin that can keep your skin looking young and vibrant. Eggs, dairy products, and liver are good direct sources of it while several plant foods, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers, contain a compound known as provitamin A. It’s converted into vitamin A by the body once consumed and can actually be more beneficial than foods that contain vitamin A itself. For example, just half a cup of baked sweet potato will give your body six times its daily requirement of the vitamin!

Vitamin E is worth paying attention to as well. Not only does it protect your complexion from free radical damage but it also reduces the feeling of inflammation. You’ll find it in fatty fish, avocados, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and more. You’ll also find it, along with vitamin A, in the vitamin C serum that we recommended above!

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that are crucial for human health. Since the body doesn’t produce them, they must be consumed through your diet. Oily fish, such as salmon and sardines, are known for being a great skin food because of how they’re brimming with essential fatty acids. You’ll also find them in chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts. 

What makes these fatty acids so essential? Well, when it comes to your skin, they’re an integral part of your skin’s natural barrier. This keeps your skin protected from external damage while also playing a key role in moisture retention.

Fatty acids have also been proven to help reduce the feeling of inflammation. They can make a huge difference to a complexion that’s suffering from an inflammatory skin condition, such as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and acne.

If your complexion is particularly prone to inflammation, dehydration, or dryness, it would be worth adding fatty acids to your skincare routine too. Many plant oils contain them, as do plant butters. You’ll find both, in the form of sunflower seed oil and shea butter, in the Vine Vera Cabernet High Potency Moisture Day Cream. Thanks to its fatty acid content, this moisturizer is fantastic at keeping the skin barrier feeling supported and more resilient.

Amino Acids and Protein

You might have heard of collagen and elastin, the two compounds that keep the skin looking smooth, firm, and youthful. Well, both of these are proteins, which your skin creates by joining together different amino acids.

Where do these amino acids come from? Protein-rich foods. While people often immediately associate this skin food with meat, there are plenty of plant-based protein sources out there too. Some people find that dairy and meat products exacerbate acne breakouts, with research confirming this to be true. If this is the case for you, try adding more beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds to your diet. 

In addition to being consumed, amino acids can be applied topically too. The Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser, for example, contains plant-derived amino acids that will leave your skin feeling stronger and more elastic.

Selenium

Selenium is an essential mineral that performs a number of vital roles within the body. In terms of the skin, it functions as a powerful antioxidant, with research showing that it can help to protect against everything from dark spots to skin cancer.

Fortunately, this is a nutrient that most Americans tend to consume enough of. It can be found in several everyday foods, including cereals, eggs, poultry, and red meat.

However, if you would like to give your skin a boost of selenium, one way to do so would be to eat a few Brazil nuts. Just two or three nuts will provide your body with all of the selenium that it needs for the day!

Zinc

Just like selenium, zinc is a mineral. It plays a few different roles when it comes to the complexion, making it an important skin food compound. Not only does zinc help with the repair of skin cell damage but it also keeps the skin’s sebaceous glands functioning optimally. If your body is lacking in zinc, then that delicate balance will fall out of whack. You could end up dealing with either too much sebum production, meaning oiliness and breakouts, or too little, meaning dryness and flaking.

So, where can you get zinc from?

Oysters are the very best source. However, you’ll also find it in large amounts in red meat and poultry. Nuts, whole grains, and legumes also provide plenty of zinc.

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Probiotics are microorganisms that balance out any negative bacteria in the gut. Meanwhile, prebiotics essentially feed those probiotics, enabling them to function more efficiently.

How is this related to your skin? More and more research has been pointing to the strong link between gut health and skin health. If the gut contains too much bad bacteria, then a number of skin concerns can arise, including acne, psoriasis, and rosacea. 

The best way to give your complexion the probiotics that it needs is to add more fermented foods to your diet. Kombucha is a great skin food, as are sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, and kefir. All of these will help to keep your gut, and therefore your complexion, in balance!

Hydration

Water is an essential nutrient in itself. Without it, the body wouldn’t be able to survive for very long. Every single cell in the body requires water in order to function, and this includes your skin cells.

A lack of water will leave your body, as well as your skin, dehydrated. This causes a variety of problems. Some people experience an increase in sebum production, leading to oiliness and acne. Others notice the opposite, resulting in dry and flaky skin. When dehydrated, the skin also ages at a much faster rate, leaving the skin creased and sagging.

To keep your body sufficiently hydrated, you’ll need to drink six to eight cups of fluids each day. This doesn’t need to be limited to plain water. Tea, milk, and other sugar-free drinks also contribute to the body’s hydration levels.

There are plenty of water-rich foods that you could be adding to your diet too. For example, cucumbers consist of 96% water while water makes up 95% of tomatoes. Spinach, mushrooms, melons, and lettuce all also have a high water content.

If your skin is already showing signs of dehydration, it would be worth giving it some topical hydration too. The best way to do this is with the use of humectants. These are ingredients that attract and bind moisture, meaning that they provide near-immediate hydration. Some of the most readily available humectants around are sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, seaweed extract, and collagen. You’ll find all four in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum. This incredibly hydrating formula will leave your skin feeling deeply quenched.

Combining Skin Food With the Right Skincare Products

In an ideal world, a healthy and balanced diet on its own would be enough to give you flawless skin. However, all of the modern-day damage that the skin undergoes on a daily basis, whether this be from sun exposure, pollution, stress, blue light exposure, or anything else, means that the skin can sometimes benefit from some extra support.

This is why it’s so beneficial to combine skin food with the right skincare products. This will enable you to give your complexion the nutrients that it needs from both the inside and the outside, which will give you skin that looks softer, brighter, and healthier than ever!

Click here to shop for more bestselling skincare products from Vine Vera.

There are so many skincare myths circulating out there, making it difficult for people to separate fact from fiction. As you can imagine, following the wrong advice could be extremely detrimental to your skin, so it’s vital to ensure that the information that you’re basing your skincare efforts on is genuine.

That’s where Vine Vera can help to make life a little easier. Read on as we debunk some of the most common skincare myths around!

Myth: You Don’t Need to Cleanse Your Face If You Aren’t Wearing Makeup

Some skincare myths seem to come out of nowhere, but it’s easy to understand how this one started. After all, if you’re not wearing makeup and you can’t see any dirt on your face, then surely using a cleanser would be a waste of time, right?

Wrong. Even if you can’t see any grime on your face, it’s there. From the excess sebum produced by your skin to the dead skin cells that build up on your skin’s surface each day to air pollutants that adhere to your skin, your complexion is subjected to so many impurities on a daily basis, many of which aren’t visible to the naked eye.

If you want your skin to look as healthy as possible, then daily cleansing is a must. In fact, if you have oily skin, you should be cleansing twice a day. 

With that said, always use a gentle cleanser. Anything overly potent will end up stripping your skin dry when used daily, causing more harm than good in the long run. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Mousse Cleanser, with its mild and moisturizing formulation, would be a great choice!

Myth: The More You Exfoliate, the Healthier Your Skin Will Be

There’s nothing quite like the instant gratification provided by exfoliation. Spending just a minute or two exfoliating your face can leave your skin looking brighter, smoother, and fresher. As a result, it’s hardly surprising that many people are tempted to ramp up their exfoliation efforts so that they can experience this renewed complexion more often.

That brings us to the next of our skincare myths. Unfortunately, exfoliating more often can actually cause some serious damage to your skin by compromising your skin’s natural protective barrier. It’s a common issue known as over-exfoliation and, once this happens, it can take several months to rectify the problem.

To prevent this, work out how often your skin type needs to be exfoliated and then stick to this. For dry and sensitive skin, you’ll likely only need to exfoliate once a week, whereas those with oily skin may need to exfoliate two or three times a week.

It’s also important to make sure that your exfoliator isn’t too harsh, as this can lead to over-exfoliation too. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling strikes the perfect balance between being gentle and thoroughly effective. It exfoliates with a blend of mandelic acid and bamboo powder while also providing the skin with a plethora of vitamins and antioxidants.

Myth: You Don’t Need to Wear Sunscreen in the Winter

Some skincare myths are undeniably more harmful than others, and this is one of them. If you stop wearing sunscreen once summer draws to a close, you’re causing some significant harm to your skin.

Sure, the sun may not feel hot once temperatures start to drop. However, even though UV rays may not be quite as strong during the colder season, they’re still around, meaning that they’re still wreaking havoc on your skin.

With the sun responsible for the majority of the wrinkles and dark spots that develop on the skin with age, it goes without saying that it would be in your skin’s best interests to keep it as shielded as possible from sun damage, and this means wearing sunscreen year-round.

If applying sunscreen often feels like a chore, consider an SPF moisturizer instead. A product like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30 can be applied at the end of your morning skincare routine, where it will not only moisturize your skin but also keep the appearance of UV damage at bay.

Myth: Oily Skin Doesn’t Need to Be Moisturized

There are a number of skincare myths regarding oily skin, and these can often have disastrous effects. Incorrectly caring for oily skin can quickly lead to clogged pores and stubborn breakouts, making it crucial to get things right.

When it comes to moisturizing oily skin, this is something that you should never skip. It may seem counterintuitive since your skin already feels greasy but don’t forget that oil and water are very different. Sure, your skin’s surface may be coated in oil but, in order to function properly, it’s water that your skin cells need, and a moisturizer can help to provide this.

The key to moisturizing oily skin without breaking out is to find a lightweight cream that will hydrate your skin without clogging up your pores. Take Vine Vera’s Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer as an example. It’s filled with hydrating humectants, including beta glucan and glycerin. These moisture-binding ingredients will hydrate your skin without weighing it down. At the same time, the antioxidants in this face cream will work to brighten and balance your complexion. This will make it feel less oily in the long run.

Myth: Collagen-Infused Skincare Will Increase Your Skin’s Collagen Levels

If you understand how your skin functions, then you’ll know that collagen is a vital protein. It essentially forms the scaffolding that holds your skin up from within. Although your skin creates plenty of collagen in its youth, this declines with age. Environmental factors also degrade the existing collagen fibers in your skin, which is why the skin starts to sag and wrinkle as the years progress.

How can you top up your skin’s collagen levels? There are a few different ways in which you can do this, but using collagen-infused skincare products isn’t one of them. When applied topically, collagen molecules are too large to make their way into the dermis. This is the middle layer of your skin, where natural collagen can be found. 

However, this doesn’t mean that collagen doesn’t have its place in skincare products. Although it may not be able to influence your skin’s collagen levels, studies show that it’s still capable of reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It all comes down to the moisturizing effects of topical collagen, which leave the skin looking plumper and smoother.

That’s why you’ll find collagen in several Vine Vera products, including the Resveratrol Shiraz Instentic Mask. Designed to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and firm up the complexion, the soluble collagen in this mask is combined with a variety of vitamins and botanical extracts to provide powerful results.

Myth: Pores Can Change in Size

Some skincare myths can be even more misleading than others due to how they can initially seem to be true. Pores being able to change in size is the perfect example. Chances are that you’ve noticed your pores looking larger on certain days than others, making it believable that their size has changed.

From beauty blogs to skincare brands to social media, it doesn’t help that this myth is so heavily perpetrated. Whether it be using steam to open and enlarge your pores or splashing your face with cold water to shrink your pores, all of the misinformation out there has led to this one being one of the most common skincare myths around.

When it comes down to it, you can’t do anything to change the physical size of your pores. This is something that’s determined by genes. If you naturally have large pores, then they’re always going to be this size.

However, don’t lose hope if you’ve been despairing about how big your pores look. Although you can’t physically shrink them, there are still many ways in which you can make them appear smaller. 

For example, regularly cleansing and exfoliating your skin will prevent dirt and sebum from clustering up in your pore openings and stretching them out, which makes them more noticeable. Using products that firm the feel of your skin can help too, as this will leave your pore openings looking tight rather than lax.

Adding a toner to your skincare routine can also be beneficial. Look for formulas containing ingredients that have been proven to diminish pore visibility, such as the Resveratrol Cabernet Toner with its infusion of witch hazel extract. Witch hazel is an astringent, giving it the ability to shrink the look of pores to give the skin a more even finish.

Myth: The Longer Your Skincare Routine is, the More Effective it Will Be

This myth came about after the famous 10-step Korean skincare routine started to rise in popularity. After all, if this is how Koreans manage to achieve the ubiquitous glass skin look, then surely this means that everyone who wants a flawless complexion needs to also carry out ten steps twice a day.

Fortunately, that’s not the case. A 10-step routine isn’t automatically more effective than a 3-step skincare routine. Instead, it all comes down to the products that you use and how well they cater to your skin’s needs.

In fact, in some cases, it can actually be more beneficial to keep your skincare routine minimal. Overloading your skin with an excessive number of products can leave your skin more prone to sensitivities and irritation. Plus, if you don’t layer those products correctly, they could even end up diluting each other and canceling each other out, making them pointless.

So, how long does your skincare routine need to be? Start with the basics; a cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, and an SPF. Once you’ve followed this simple routine for a few months, you can then consider adding in any extra products that your skin may need, such as an additional serum or an eye cream. Either way, take things slowly and make sure that every product you use is genuinely needed by your skin.

Debunking Skincare Myths With Vine Vera

If you want to give your skin the best possible care, it’s important to make sure that you’re dealing with fact rather than fiction. If you were previously following any of the skincare myths that we’ve shared above, it’s time to make the necessary changes to your skincare routine so that you don’t end up unknowingly causing serious harm to your complexion.

Click here to explore more bestselling skincare products from Vine Vera.

With so many factors out there that speed up the rate at which the skin ages, premature aging is becoming an increasingly common problem. Whether it’s wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots, or anything else, more and more people are starting to notice that their skin is starting to look older far earlier in life than it should. 

Is there anything that you can do about this? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Read on as Vine Vera shares the seven most effective ways to prevent the appearance of premature aging.

1) Shield Your Skin From Sun Damage

As mentioned, there’s so much out there that can cause the skin to prematurely age. However, the biggest culprit is, without a doubt, the sun. Research points to how UV rays are responsible for up to 80% of the visible signs of skin aging. This means that if you had made an effort to protect your skin from the sun from an early age, then premature aging wouldn’t be an issue. 

However, even if you were negligent about sunscreen during your youth, don’t worry too much. Getting serious about sun protection now can still make a huge difference to how your skin continues to age. It will prevent the sun from causing any more damage to your skin’s protein fibers while also giving your skin the chance to recover and rebuild, without continuously being subjected to more and more UV damage.

So, how do you protect your skin from sun damage? 

The first step is to find a good sunscreen. Our top choice would be the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30 because not only does it block UV rays, but it also functions as a moisturizer. It’s filled with vitamins, humectants, and antioxidants, all of which will work to keep your skin looking soft, supple, and bright.

Next, make sure that you’re wearing protective clothing and accessories when outdoors, particularly on sunny days. Sun hats, sunglasses, and long but loose clothing will go a long way in providing additional protection.

2) Add Antioxidants to Your Routine

Although the sun may be the most significant cause of premature aging, there are a number of other environmental factors that can cause this too. Pollution, blue light from your electronic devices, exposure to chemicals…the list goes on!

What can you do about this?

The best way to repair the look of environmental damage while keeping your complexion youthful is to add a selection of antioxidants to your skincare routine. Antioxidants are compounds that are capable of mitigating the visible effects of environmental damage. This means that they can help to repair the look of premature aging to restore a younger-looking appearance.

There are thousands of different antioxidants out there to choose from. Each one will be beneficial in its own way. With that said, some antioxidants are known for being more impactful than others, with vitamins A, C, and E finding themselves at the top of the list. That’s why we’ve added all three ingredients to our Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum. Their effects are enhanced by the inclusion of resveratrol, another antioxidant that has been proven to slow down the appearance of skin aging.

3) Give Your Skin the Hydration That it Needs

If you’re concerned about premature aging, then prioritizing hydration is important for two reasons. Firstly, the more hydrated your skin cells are, the healthier they’ll feel. They’ll be able to carry out their daily functions with ease, and your skin will look all the better for it.

Secondly, the more hydrated your skin is, the less visible any existing fine lines and wrinkles will be. Creases always look so much more noticeable when the skin is dry and dehydrated. Give your skin the hydration that it needs and your complexion will take on a much plumper and bouncier finish, therefore smoothing away the look of lines on the surface of your skin.

How should you hydrate your skin?

Firstly, make sure that you’re drinking plenty of water. If your body is dehydrated, then your skin will be too. With that said, dehydrated skin can still be an issue, even when your body is sufficiently hydrated. That’s why hydrating skincare products are vital as well.

For maximum hydration, start by adding a hydrating serum to your skincare routine, followed by a moisturizer to lock all of that hydration in. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum would be a good choice because of its incredible humectant content. Humectants are ingredients that bind moisture to the skin, making them among the best when it comes to amplifying skin hydration levels. 

Follow this up with a hydrating moisturizer, such as the Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Night Cream, and your skin will soon start to look much smoother and firmer. 

4) Exfoliate…But Do So Gently

One of the reasons why youthful skin looks so bright and radiant is because cell turnover occurs relatively quickly. This is when your skin sheds its older and dead skin cells in order to let the fresher and younger skin cells beneath show through. 

As you age, this process slows down. If you allow this to happen, then not only will your skin quickly take on a dull and rough finish, but you’ll also soon start to notice the signs of premature aging creeping up on your face.

This is why exfoliation is such an important part of any skincare routine. It sweeps away the dead skin cells that clutter the surface of the skin, giving the complexion a luminescent finish. However, at the same time, it’s crucial to pick the correct exfoliant. Going with an overly abrasive scrub or harsh acids will damage your skin’s protective barrier. This will only accelerate the aging process even more.

One exfoliator that we would highly recommend if you’re trying to prevent the look of premature aging is the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. It exfoliates the skin with a combination of mandelic acid and bamboo powder. The powder focuses on the surface of the skin while the acid delves a little deeper, meaning that your skin and your pores will feel thoroughly cleansed once you’ve used this product. Treat your skin to this exfoliator once or twice a week and you’ll be able to keep the appearance of premature aging at bay for so much longer!

5) Be Consistent With Your Skincare Routine

A solid skincare routine is a must if you want to halt the look of premature aging. However, even the very best skincare products in the world won’t be able to do much if you aren’t using them regularly.

Consistency is key when it comes to skincare because many ingredients need time to accumulate in the skin before they start to make a difference. Plus, it can take up to two months for the new skin cells that have been created to make their way to the surface of your skin. That means that it can also take two months before a new skincare product produces an improvement in your complexion. 

Ideally, you should be carrying out both a morning and an evening skincare routine. If you struggle to find the time for this, simplify your routine so that it consists of only the basics. Start with a gentle cleanser, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser, before following up with one (or both) of the serums that we’ve recommended above. Then, slather on a moisturizer, as well as some SPF during the day, and you’re good to go! Once or twice a week, when you have some extra time, pamper your skin with an exfoliant and a face mask to really enhance the effects of your skincare routine. 

6) Improve Your Diet

Studies show that poor eating habits can quickly lead to premature aging. It’s easy to understand why – the food that you eat feeds your skin from within. This means that a lack of consumed nutrients will leave your skin cells going without.

You’re probably already aware of the foods that you should and shouldn’t be eating. Highly processed foods that are full of sugars, salts, or chemicals will definitely not do your skin any favors. Instead, you should be swapping these out for fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.

If you’ve had poor eating habits for a while, it can take some time to make these changes. Don’t go all in at once with a complete dietary overhaul. This will only make things more challenging, meaning that you’re less likely to stick to your new and improved diet. Instead, try making small adjustments to the meals that you would normally have, and then build on this as time goes on. 

7) Stop Smoking

Not only is smoking detrimental to your health, but it has a direct impact on your appearance too. Smoking blocks your skin cells from accessing sufficient amounts of oxygen and nutrients, meaning that they’ll struggle to thrive. Smoking also causes the protein fibers in your skin to break down at a much faster rate. This is how it leads to premature aging since those proteins are responsible for keeping your skin smooth and elastic. Without them, your skin will quickly start to wrinkle and sag.

Of course, there’s no denying that quitting this habit can be difficult. Fortunately, there’s now so much help out there that you can turn to. If you’re ready to give up this vice but aren’t sure how to go about doing so, seek the help of a professional. They’ll be able to equip you with all of the tools that you’ll need to make this journey a little easier.

Prevent the Appearance of Premature Aging With Vine Vera

It can be extremely disheartening to see your skin start to display the visible signs of aging while you’re still at a relatively young age. If you choose to ignore the issue, things will only get worse very quickly. 

Fortunately, there’s plenty that you can do to slow down the rate at which your complexion ages. Follow all of the tips that we’ve shared above and you’ll be able to keep your skin looking youthfully healthy for many more years to come!

Click here to browse more bestselling skincare products from Vine Vera.

Looking for acne remedies that’ll help you to beat your breakouts? 

While severe acne should be treated by a professional, the appearance of mild to moderate acne can be effectively dealt with at home with these seven acne remedies from Vine Vera. Read on to learn how to quickly restore a smooth, bright, and pimple-free complexion!

1) Regularly Exfoliate Your Skin

Regular exfoliation is absolutely vital if you’re trying to get rid of the visibility of pimples. Studies confirm that exfoliating dead skin cells from the epidermis can significantly reduce the look of acne lesions, as well as the scars that many of them leave behind. Continue to regularly exfoliate once your breakouts have cleared and you’ll be well on your way to preventing the appearance of new pimples from arising.

If you’ve been researching home remedies for acne, you’ll probably see numerous articles telling you to whip up a DIY face scrub using salt or sugar. While these homemade recipes can sometimes be beneficial, it would be wise to stay away from abrasive physical exfoliants when dealing with acne. They’re notorious for further irritating and damaging the skin. This only exacerbates inflammation, which can make breakouts so much worse.

Instead, go with a chemical exfoliant or a product that combines both types of exfoliation, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. It exfoliates with a combination of mandelic acid and bamboo powder while the high concentration of vitamins in this blend provides an antioxidant boost that’ll leave your acne-prone skin feeling rejuvenated.

2) Cleanse Twice a Day

Acne usually develops when excess sebum produced by the skin mixes with dirt and bacteria, resulting in inflamed blockages in the pores. One way to stop this from happening is by trying to keep your pores as clear as possible. By preventing blockages, you’ll also be able to prevent the appearance of pimples.

How can you do this?

By cleansing twice a day. This way, the excess sebum that your skin is producing will have less time to delve into your pores. 

However, just like when choosing an exfoliant, you need to be picky about the cleanser that you use. People with acne often reach for a powerful foaming cleanser but, in the long run, this can be detrimental. Foaming cleansers usually contain sulfates, which are infamous for being overly drying. This may sound like exactly what your oily skin needs but, as we’ll soon explain, drying your skin out too much will only lead to it producing even more oil.

So, instead of grabbing a foaming cleanser, go with a mousse cleanser, such as the Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser from Vine Vera. It offers the same thorough cleanse as a foaming cleanser yet it’s much kinder to the skin. It also contains niacinamide, a form of vitamin B that has been proven to help reduce the look of acne lesions.

3) Tone With Witch Hazel

There are a number of natural ingredients out there that can be used as acne remedies, one of which is witch hazel. Witch hazel acts as an astringent, making it ideal for drying up the feel of excess oil on the skin. At the same time, it also soothes the feeling of inflammation, which will calm the look of angry breakouts.

The best time to apply witch hazel to your skin is after cleansing. This gives the ingredient full access to your skin cells, allowing it to work to its full potential.

When it comes to how you should do this, you have a few options. The first is to make your own witch hazel toner by boiling witch hazel bark with some water. You’ll need to make sure that you follow the correct process but, even then, there’s no guaranteeing the potency and stability of the solution that you make.

That’s why many people with acne-prone skin tend to favor commercial toners that already contain witch hazel extract, just like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Toner. It’s a wonderfully hydrating formula that will not only leave your oily skin feeling balanced and restored but will also brighten the look of your skin with its multiple antioxidants.

4) Hydrate With Humectants

No matter how many acne remedies you try, you’ll never be able to gain control over your breakouts unless you also ensure that your skin remains fully hydrated. If your skin is lacking in moisture, even by a very small amount, this stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Unfortunately, this doesn’t do much to raise your skin’s moisture levels. Instead, it just leaves you even greasier.

To put a stop to this vicious circle, ramp up your skin hydration efforts. However, do this carefully as hydrating with heavy, pore-clogging ingredients won’t do your acne any favors. 

Instead, the best way to hydrate is with humectants. These are lightweight ingredients that boast moisture-binding properties. They immediately leave the skin feeling deeply hydrated, making them a great way to boost your skin’s moisture content.

When it comes to deciding which humectants to use, sodium hyaluronate is one that everybody seems to reach for. It’s undeniably powerful thanks to its capability of holding onto large amounts of moisture. 

While that may be the case, glycerin shouldn’t be ignored either. In fact, one study found that glycerin is actually the most effective humectant out there, with its moisture-binding properties surpassing that of sodium hyaluronate/hyaluronic acid. 

Hydrate with Vine Vera’s Resveratrol Pinot Noir Longevity Serum and you won’t have to choose between them as this formula contains both. As you can imagine, this makes it incredibly hydrating. It’s also brimming with antioxidants, including resveratrol, vitamin C, and vitamin A, to further enhance your complexion.

5) Add Green Tea to Your Skincare Routine

Green tea is revered for its superfood status. It’s packed with powerful polyphenols that can improve a person’s health, along with their complexion, in a number of ways. 

One of these ways is by tackling the appearance of breakouts, making green tea one of the best acne remedies around. Simply drinking more of the beverage can be beneficial but, if you really want to see an improvement in the visibility of your breakouts, it would be worth applying the ingredient topically too. Research confirms that the topical use of green tea not only helps to cut back on how oily the skin feels but also significantly minimizes the appearance of acne breakouts.

Again, this is another ingredient that you can utilize in DIY acne remedies but, for full benefits, a serum that combines green tea extract with other antioxidants, which will boost the efficacy of the green tea, is the best way to go.

You’ll find green tea in several Vine Vera formulas, including the exquisite Chianti Revival Serum. What sets this serum apart from the crowd is its long list of botanical extracts. Green tea is combined with several other ingredients that are known to be helpful when dealing with acne. From witch hazel, which we’ve already talked about, to licorice root extract and kojic acid, which fades the look of acne marks, to seaweed extract for lightweight hydration, this serum is a game-changer if you’re trying to achieve a blemish-free complexion.

6) Protect Your Skin From UV Exposure

While it may feel good to have the warm heat of the sun beating down on your skin, this is something that will only make it near impossible for you to battle your breakouts. UV rays have a very dehydrating effect on the skin. This, as you know, will only stimulate your skin into producing more sebum. 

This is amplified by the fact that the skin already naturally releases more sebum in warmer weather. This is why many notice their breakouts worsening in the spring and summer months.

If you want to ensure that all of the acne remedies you try actually have a chance of working, you’ll need to keep your skin protected from UV damage at all times. 

Unfortunately, many sunscreens contain comedogenic, meaning pore-clogging, ingredients. It goes without saying that these are formulas you need to avoid. Instead, look for a lightweight blend that will protect and hydrate your skin at the same time without weighing it down. 

That’s exactly what the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30 does. It’s a silky moisturizer that quickly soaks into the skin. This means that you won’t have to deal with the white cast that so many sunscreens leave behind. Even better, this formula contains green tea extract. As we explained earlier, this ingredient is a superstar when trying to reduce the look of acne!

7) Cut Back on Stress

Your lifestyle habits significantly influence your skin. From the food that you eat to the activities that you do each day, all of this will have an impact on how your skin looks and feels.

However, one of the most detrimental lifestyle aspects when it comes to acne is stress. Whenever you experience stress, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. This hormone helps the body deal with stress in the best possible way. However, it also triggers a few changes in the skin, one of which is an increase in sebum production.

In small bursts, this won’t cause too many more problems for you. However, when stress is chronic, meaning long-term, all of that extra cortisol, along with the excess sebum that it results in, can make your breakouts so much worse.

So, one of the best acne remedies to keep in mind is to learn how to de-stress. This is, of course, easier said than done. However, start by looking into a few different stress relief methods that you can try. Whether this may be writing in a journal, doing some exercise, spending time in nature, or listening to some soothing music, make a list of your many options and work your way through them the next time you’re feeling stressed. You’ll soon be able to pinpoint a few stress relief methods that work well for you. This will enable you to keep your stress levels consistently low and manageable.

Explore the Best Acne Remedies With Vine Vera

Although acne may be the most common skin condition in the world, it’s also one of the trickiest to treat. If you ignore the issue and allow your acne to worsen, this could, as studies suggest, have emotional and psychological impacts down the line.

Fortunately, with so many different acne remedies out there to try, beating your breakouts can most certainly be done. Follow the seven tips shared above and you’ll be well on your way to sporting a clear and acne-free appearance!

Click here to check out more skincare bestsellers from Vine Vera.

As the seasons move on and temperatures begin to drop, your skin will start to go through a number of different changes. If you want your skin to look its best throughout the colder months, now is the time to work on transitioning your skincare routine to cater to your skin’s evolving needs.

What does this involve? Read on as Vine Vera talks you through how to adjust your skincare routine for fall.

Switch to a Moisturizing Cleanser

The seasons affect how much sebum your skin produces. When the temperature is warm and humidity is high, sebum production increases. This is why many people, particularly those with oily skin, need to turn to powerful gel or foaming cleansers to battle all of that extra grease.

However, as the seasons change and temperatures begin to drop, sebum production starts to decline. Continue using your powerful summertime cleanser on your skin and you’ll end up over-stripping your skin of sebum while also contributing to dehydrated skin. For people with a dry skin type, this will leave your skin even drier and flakier. For those of you with oily skin, dehydration will stimulate your sebaceous glands. Rather than enjoying some relief from the natural decline in sebum production, your skin will feel oilier than ever.

To counter all of these issues, switch to a gentler moisturizing cleanser once fall approaches. Mousse cleansers are a fantastic choice because, unlike cream cleansers, they still produce a satisfying lather. However, unlike foaming cleansers, they’re not too harsh on the skin. Many, such as Vine Vera’s Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser, also contain moisturizing ingredients. With a blend of amino acids and niacinamide, this formula will leave your skin feeling better fortified against the upcoming colder weather.

Layer in a Couple of Hydrating Serums

As the weather becomes colder, the air turns drier. This is bad news for your skin. Research confirms that the drier the air is, the faster your skin’s moisture will evaporate into the air, a process known as transepidermal water loss. This can quickly leave the skin feeling dry and dehydrated. 

Once winter rolls around with even drier air, it becomes much harder to restore the necessary amount of moisture to the skin. This is why your efforts need to begin in the fall while some of summer’s balminess is still lingering.

The best way to quickly increase your skin’s hydration levels is with a hydrating serum. Unlike a cream, which has a heaviness that makes it perfect for the surface of the skin, serums are lighter and can, therefore, penetrate a little deeper. This means that they’ll leave the deeper layers of your skin feeling hydrated too. This is exactly what you need during the cooler months.

The great thing about serums is that you don’t need to limit yourself to just one. Add a couple of hydrating serums to your fall skincare routine and you’ll be boosting your skin’s moisture levels even more.

At Vine Vera, we have several hydrating serums for you to choose from. One bestseller is the Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum. It contains a long list of hydrating compounds, including sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, seaweed extract, and peptides.

Another option would be the Resveratrol Pinot Noir Longevity Serum. In addition to its hydrating ingredients and its antioxidants, this formula also contains lactic acid. It’s a gentle alpha-hydroxy acid that will not only clear away the look of dullness and roughness but will also provide additional hydrating properties.

Go For Thicker Face Creams

As we mentioned earlier, transepidermal water loss increases during the fall and winter. Adding some extra hydrating serums to your skincare routine is a great way to replenish some of the moisture that your complexion has lost. However, in an ideal world, your skin wouldn’t lose so much moisture in the first place. Fortunately, this is something that a rich face cream can help with.

How? It all comes down to the additional barrier that a moisturizer forms over the surface of the skin. This essentially serves a similar role to that of your skin’s protective barrier, in that it blocks moisture from evaporating away. 

The thicker your face cream is, the thicker the barrier it will form. This is why it’s always recommended to switch to a richer and thicker face cream as the weather starts to cool down.

At Vine Vera, we have a day cream and a night cream that’s absolutely perfect for this. The Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Moisture Day Cream is a rich formula that still feels relatively lightweight when applied, so much so that it’s easy to layer makeup over the top. Meanwhile, the Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Night Cream features a thicker shea butter-infused formula that’s ideal for the evenings, which is when skin moisture loss tends to be at its highest.

Prioritize Barrier-Supporting Ingredients

A compromised skin barrier is another side effect of the decline in sebum production in the fall and winter. Sebum forms a critical part of the skin barrier. This means that the less sebum your skin is producing, the weaker your skin barrier will be.

Your skin barrier is vital for keeping your skin cells functioning optimally. If your barrier is impaired in any way, you could experience a wide range of different skin concerns, from dehydration and dryness to the accelerated development of wrinkles and discoloration.

So, how can you ensure that your skin barrier feels fortified as the colder weather approaches?

There are a few skincare ingredients out there that are revered for how they keep the skin barrier feeling supported and strengthened. Some of the hydrating ingredients that we discussed earlier, including sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, and shea butter, do this well. The way in which they encourage moisture retention keeps the skin barrier feeling plump and supple.

It can also be advantageous to use skincare products that contain fatty acids. Ceramides, olive oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter are all fantastic sources. In fact, shea butter is known for containing a higher level of fatty acids than most other plant oils, making it a great ingredient to add to your skincare routine.

With the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer, it’s easy to do exactly that. This face cream is formulated with shea butter, along with a number of other ingredients your skin barrier will love. It’s also brimming with antioxidants, which will leave your skin looking radiant as the colder weather starts to take over.

Find a Cold Weather-Friendly Sunscreen

Unfortunately, even as the days turn darker and duller, sunscreen isn’t something that you can forget about. The sun’s UV rays are present and damaging year-round. For some, they can even be more harmful in the winter due to how snow and ice cause them to reflect and magnify. 

Don’t assume that you’re safe on cloudy days either. Sure, some research points to how clouds can reduce UV exposure but there are also plenty of studies that prove the opposite. Depending on a few different variables in relation to those clouds, UV exposure can sometimes be enhanced.

However, this doesn’t mean that you need to continue using your summer sunscreen throughout the winter. There’s nothing wrong with doing so but this is also a great opportunity to give your skin some extra moisture. Forgo your lightweight summer sunscreen for a more moisturizing formula and your skin will thank you!

One example would be the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. Not only does it provide SPF 30 protection but it also functions as a fantastic moisturizer. Whether you use it on its own or decide to layer it over another moisturizer to counter the feeling of severe dryness, this cream would be an amazing addition to any fall/winter skincare routine!

Warm Up With a Thermal Mask

If you’ve never tried a thermal face mask before, fall is a great time to consider adding one to your skincare routine. These face masks are beneficial year-round but they feel so much more indulgent when applied on a cold day. The way in which they gently heat up as they’re massaged into the skin provides a relaxing, spa-like sensation.

Of course, just like all other types of face masks, thermal face masks are designed for a variety of purposes. If you’re looking for a formula that will help you prevent the visible skin concerns that often arise during the winter months, the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Thermic Mask won’t disappoint. 

This mask contains a number of super hydrating and moisturizing ingredients, all of which are vital as the weather turns colder. Both sweet almond oil and vitamin E will keep your skin barrier feeling supported while vitamin C and lemon peel extract will brighten the look of dull and rough skin. Meanwhile, aloe vera extract will leave your skin feeling deeply hydrated.

Swap Your Body Lotion For a Body Butter

It’s not just your facial skincare routine that needs to be adjusted as the seasons change. You should also be reassessing the products that you use on your body. 

If you currently moisturize your body with a lotion or a lightweight cream, you may want to consider upgrading to a thicker and richer formula for the fall and winter, just like we recommended doing with your face cream. 

Body butters are a great way to go. They have a velvety texture that leaves the skin feeling beautifully soft – something that’s often hard to achieve when the air turns drier!

Experience this for yourself by giving Vine Vera’s Intensive Shea Body Butter a try. In addition to shea butter, it contains a number of other richly moisturizing ingredients. Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, rose fruit extract, vitamin E, and aloe vera leaf extract are just a few of the noteworthy ingredients in this formula. They’ll all leave your body feeling super smooth from head to toe.

Upgrade Your Skincare Routine For Fall With Vine Vera

Now that fall is upon us, it’s time to start thinking about the changes that you may need to make to your skincare routine. Get everything done before winter arrives and you’ll be able to keep your complexion radiant and healthy, no matter how harsh the weather may turn.

Click here to upgrade your skincare routine with more bestsellers from Vine Vera.