Category: Skincare

Although dermatologists usually dissuade people from trying viral skincare trends, the emergence of skin cycling is one that industry professionals are very much on board with. Unlike many of the potentially harmful trends that are often promoted on social media, this one offers nothing but benefits for the skin.

Wondering what skin cycling actually involves? Read on for everything you need to know about this skincare trend, plus some top tips from Vine Vera on how to give skin cycling a try!

What Exactly is Skin Cycling?

Skin cycling is all about cycling your skincare routine. Rather than trying to do everything for your skin in one single routine that you follow each day, skin cycling involves focusing on different aspects of skincare over the course of four nights.

The first night focuses on exfoliation. This prepares the skin for the second night, which is when retinoids are applied. Since both exfoliating and using retinoids can take a toll on the skin barrier, the third and fourth nights are all about giving your skin a break and some time to feel rebalanced.

It may sound complicated, but there’s a reason why everyone’s raving about skin cycling…

The Benefits of Skin Cycling

Alternating the use of exfoliants and retinoids, and then following them up with some rest time for your skin, not only produces optimum results from the products that you’re using but also minimizes the risk of sensitivities and inflammation. 

It helps the skin to build up tolerance to the more potent ingredients in your routine. This means that those ingredients will be better received. Rather than layering multiple active ingredients over the top of each other, you’ll be spacing them out over four nights, giving your skin some much-needed time to adjust.

Does skin cycling really work?

So far, everyone who has given it a go has seen success with the technique. Dermatologists also strongly agree with the concept, with a weekly approach often being much better for the skin than a daily approach.

Want to Give Skin Cycling a Try?

The only way to know whether or not skin cycling will work for you is by giving it a try. Here’s how to get started:

Night One: Exfoliation

The first night of a skin cycling routine focuses on exfoliation. This will remove any impurities from your pores. This means that the products you apply over the next few nights will be able to penetrate your skin more effectively. Plus, with over-exfoliation being an increasingly common problem, spacing your exfoliation efforts out to every four nights will help do away with the risk of exfoliating too much.

With that said, you could still experience symptoms of over-exfoliation if your exfoliator is so potent that it can only be used weekly. With skin cycling, you’ll be exfoliating every four days. You’ll need an exfoliator that can do this without harming your skin.

This is why many recommend going for a chemical exfoliator when following the skin cycling technique. However, don’t immediately start with a highly concentrated blend of glycolic acid. Go with a gentler acid instead, like mandelic acid. Derived from almonds, you’ll find it in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. This exfoliator can be used up to twice a week, making it ideal for skin cycling!

Of course, before you jump into exfoliating your skin, make sure that you’ve cleansed it first. An exfoliator will only be effective if it can directly reach your skin cells without having to fight past a layer of dirt, sebum, and other impurities.

Since you don’t want to end up irritating your skin before you exfoliate it, go with a cleanser that doesn’t contain any sulfates or other harsh surfactants. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser would be a great choice! Its lavish lather cleanses beautifully while its infusion of plant oils keeps the skin feeling ultra-soft.

Night Two: Retinoids

Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives. There are quite a few different retinoids out there, with each one varying in potency. However, while some may work faster than others, they all offer similar results. All retinoids have been proven to be effective at reducing the appearance of wrinkles, brightening the look of the skin, and giving the skin a firmer and smoother finish. Retinoids can help to lighten the visibility of dark spots too, and can also prevent the appearance of acne.

As you can see, retinoids are ingredients that just about everyone would benefit from in some shape or form!

If retinoids are so great, shouldn’t you be using them every night? No, and this is where the beauty of skin cycling lies. With retinoids being so powerful, they’re notorious for irritating the skin. This is especially the case when they’re combined with other potentially irritating ingredients. The result is inflammation that can take a while to dissipate. 

By spacing your retinoid usage out to once every four nights, the appearance of inflammation will be much less likely. 

So, if you’ve never used retinoids before, which one should you start with? Many choose to begin with retinol. However, even with skin cycling, you may still find that your skin reacts to it. If this is the case, retinyl palmitate would be a better alternative. It’s much gentler but will still provide all of the same benefits to your complexion. You’ll find the ingredient in several Vine Vera products, including the Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum.

Another way to counter the feeling of irritation when using a retinoid is to apply a moisturizer first. This will prevent quite as much of your retinoid from soaking into your skin, toning down your skin’s reaction to the ingredient.

Nights Three and Four: Rest and Recovery

On nights three and four of your skin cycling routine, don’t be tempted to reach for an exfoliator or a retinoid. Instead, these nights are all about encouraging your skin to repair itself. The focus of your skincare routine should be on leaving your skin barrier feeling bolstered and stronger while giving your skin microbiome all that it needs to thrive.

After using a gentle cleanser to wash the dirt of the day away, turn to a hydrating serum to give your skin the moisture that it needs to feel rebalanced. The Vine Vera Chianti Skin Restoring Capsules were designed for exactly this purpose. They feel incredibly soothing when applied, with the hydrating power of this formula enhanced by the serum’s encapsulated packaging.

While moisturizing (and cleansing) should be carried out every day of your skin cycling routine, a good moisturizer becomes all the more essential on days three and four. Moisturizers are great products for leaving the skin barrier feeling thicker and lovingly nurtured, which is what the aim of these nights is.

The Vine Vera Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto Silk would be a great product to add to your roster for nights three and four. It’s a silky cream that melts into the skin quickly, without leaving it feeling greasy. However, it still manages to feel incredibly hydrating and moisturizing. This is thanks to the sodium hyaluronate, vitamin E, and algae extract in the formula. It’s also loaded with antioxidants from the likes of licorice root, resveratrol, green tea, and chamomile. Antioxidants are vital if you want to repair your complexion. This makes nights three and four of your skin cycling routine the best time to pile them on.

Adjusting the Cycle to Suit Your Skin

It’s important to remember that the skin cycling technique detailed above is just a guideline. Everyone’s skin is different and will have its own unique set of needs. The skin cycling routine provides a flexible framework and it’s then up to you to tailor this to your skin.

Say, for example, you’ve been skin cycling for a while now. You saw some improvements in your complexion at the beginning but haven’t seen any changes in a while. This could be a sign that it’s time to ramp up your efforts. How? By progressing to a more advanced skin cycling routine. 

There are a couple of ways in which you could do this. The first would be to cut out one of the recovery days. This will shorten your cycle down to three days instead of four. It would now be exfoliation, retinoid, recovery, and repeat.

Another option would be to swap the recovery goal of night three with another retinoid night. This means that your skin cycling routine would be exfoliation, retinoid, retinoid, recovery, and repeat. However, this route should only be taken if your skin is happily tolerating your current retinoid usage. If you ever upgrade to a more potent retinoid, move back to your original skin cycling routine for a while. This will help to prevent causing irritation to your skin.

Is Skin Cycling Worth Trying?

It’s not often that you’ll see dermatologists raving about a TikTok beauty trend. This is how you immediately know that skin cycling holds promise. It can be a beneficial technique for all skin types to implement, although it does require putting some extra thought into your skincare routine!

If your skin type is sensitive, then you’ll likely benefit even more from skin cycling. It will give you the opportunity to use more potent active ingredients without irritating your skin. If there are any ingredients that your skin has reacted to in the past, incorporating them into a skin cycling routine could be a game-changer.

The only exception to the rule would be if you’re on prescription skincare of any sort. Whether it’s for acne, eczema, or anything else, you’ll need to speak to your dermatologist to ensure that your skin cycling efforts don’t interfere with your topical medication in any way. Your dermatologist will likely be able to advise on a skin cycling routine that works with the prescription skincare you’re using.

Skin Cycling With Vine Vera

If you’d like to give skin cycling a try, chances are that you already have most of the products that you need. The only difference is that you won’t be using them all in one night. However, if you’d like to incorporate a few new products into your new skin cycling routine, check out Vine Vera’s online store and you’ll find everything that you could possibly need!

There are certain skincare products that everybody should be using, and a moisturizer is one. No matter your skin type, regular moisturizing will keep your skin feeling soft, supple, and smooth. Even better, some formulas will also help you to tackle the visible skin concerns that you’re dealing with, be it the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, loose skin, or anything else.

However, when it comes to choosing a skin moisturizer that will actually give your complexion all that it needs, where do you begin?

Read on as Vine Vera shares some top tips for picking the perfect moisturizer for your skin:

Why is a Moisturizer So Important?

Wondering if you could skip all of this hassle and simply ignore the moisturizing stage of your skincare routine? While you could, it wouldn’t be advisable. Even if you don’t have any specific visible skin concerns that you’re hoping to eradicate, a moisturizer is still essential for two main reasons…

Firstly, a moisturizer works to hydrate the surface layer of the skin. However, unlike lighter hydrating products, such as serums, a moisturizer will also form its own film over the skin’s surface once applied. This locks in the moisture that you’ve just given to your skin. Without a skin moisturizer creating that added barrier, all of your newfound moisture would evaporate into the air pretty quickly.

That extra layer provided by a moisturizer also helps to block environmental irritants, such as pollutants, from entering into the skin. Without a moisturizer, those irritants are far more likely to cause free radical damage to the skin. This would lead to accelerated skin aging and long-term skin damage.

How to Choose the Perfect Skin Moisturizer

As you can see, a moisturizer is non-negotiable. So, let’s move on to talking about how to pick the perfect moisturizer for your skin’s needs:

Ignore the Hype

Chances are that there are a few moisturizers out there that have already caught your attention. Perhaps you’ve seen people raving about them on social media or have been drawn in by extravagant marketing campaigns. All of this can make it so tempting to purchase a new skin moisturizer, even if you don’t know anything else about that product.

However, if you want to find the right moisturizer for your skin, you’ll need to ignore all of this. Sure, some of those popular products could be beneficial for your skin but don’t be swayed solely by the hype. Instead, if a product intrigues you, make sure that it matches up to the following criteria before making your purchase.

Take Your Skin Type Into Account

When choosing any new skincare product, the most important thing to keep in mind is your skin type. This will largely dictate which products will, and won’t, work well on your skin.

Let’s start with dry skin – a skin type that’s desperately in need of frequent moisturizing. Due to the fact that dry skin lacks sebum, you’ll need to compensate for this with a rich moisturizer. This will form a thicker layer over your skin’s surface, helping to mimic the role of the sebum that you’re missing. A product like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer, which hydrates with beta glucan and moisturizes with shea butter, would be ideal! 

Sensitive skin also benefits from regular moisturizing. If your skin is sensitive, this means that your skin barrier has been compromised in some way. Again, a thick moisturizer is what you need as this will leave your skin barrier feeling stronger and more supported.

On the other hand, if you have oily skin, you need the opposite; a skin moisturizer that’s lightweight and completely non-greasy. After all, your skin is already producing excess sebum. Applying a thick moisturizer over this extra oil will only leave you with clogged pores and breakouts. Look for an oil-free, non-comedogenic formula so that you can hydrate your skin without weighing it down.

Consider the Time of Day

While there’s nothing wrong with using the same moisturizer day and night, having separate formulas for morning and evening can actually be very beneficial. Your skin’s needs change depending on the time of day, meaning dedicated AM and PM formulas will be better equipped to meet these needs.

In the mornings, your skin will be preparing itself for a day of fighting away environmental aggressors. Ideally, your moisturizer should help it to feel supported as it does so, which is why experts recommend including plenty of antioxidants in a morning skincare routine. A skin moisturizer like the Vine Vera Cabernet High-Potency Moisture Day Cream does this well. It also feels light and silky when applied to the skin, making it a great base for makeup. 

Meanwhile, in the evenings, your skin will need some assistance in recovering from the visible damage that it was dealt throughout the day. Research also shows that moisture loss increases at night, so your evening moisturizer should be a slightly thicker formula than your daytime cream. The Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Night Cream would be a fantastic choice!

Do You Need SPF?

If you have a dedicated sunscreen that you absolutely love and use religiously, then you probably won’t need a moisturizer that has SPF. However, if you’re guilty of being neglectful when it comes to sun protection, an SPF moisturizer can be a huge game-changer.

As you probably know, the sun is responsible for causing some serious damage to the skin. From discoloration to wrinkles to skin cancer, protecting your skin from UV rays will go a long way in enabling you to maintain a healthy complexion. An SPF moisturizer, like the Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30, makes this easy. You’ll be able to skip your morning skin moisturizer, using this formula instead. Not only does it function in the same way as a regular moisturizer but it will also keep your skin protected from the sun for a couple of hours.

Consider Separate Moisturizers For Different Areas of Skin

People often focus their moisturizing efforts on the face. After all, this is the part of you that’s pretty much always on display. It only makes sense to want the skin here to look its best!

However, this doesn’t mean that you should neglect moisturizing other areas of your body too. Your skin needs moisture from head to toe and it’s important to give it this. However, with the skin on your body being so much thicker than the skin on your face, your facial skin moisturizer isn’t going to be quite as effective everywhere else.

This is why it can be useful to have separate moisturizers for different areas of skin. Vine Vera’s Intensive Shea Body Butter, for example, is a rich creamy blend that will keep the skin on your body feeling smooth and soft. Of course, the above rules still apply, especially when it comes to keeping your skin type in mind. While our body butter is great for dry skin, those with oily skin may find it to be too heavy. Our Body Cream, on the other hand, is a much lighter formula that won’t leave you dealing with body acne breakouts.

In addition to giving the skin on your body separate care, you should also take into account the needs of the skin on your hands and feet. The skin here is even thicker than that of the rest of your body due to all of the friction that it experiences. Again, dedicated products, such as the Vine Vera Foot Cream and Hand Cream, can be useful. 

What Else Do You Need Your Moisturizer to Do?

So far, we’ve talked about how moisturizers are vital for providing the skin with moisture while also preventing environmental irritants from interfering with the skin. However, a good moisturizer will also offer up other benefits too. 

Say, for example, you’re trying to reduce the appearance of wrinkles or dark spots. Serums are great for helping with this but moisturizers can also contain ingredients that will back up the function of your serums, giving you even better results. The Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto-Silk from Vine Vera is one that does just that. Licorice root extract, green tea, and caffeine will even out your skin tone while peptides, seaweed, sodium hyaluronate, and collagen plump up the complexion, leaving it looking fuller and smoother. The numerous antioxidants in this skin moisturizer will help to keep the appearance of environmental damage and aging to a minimum.

Think About Seasonality

Something else worth considering when shopping for a new skin moisturizer is the time of year. Just like the time of day, this can also affect what your skin needs. 

During the warmer months of the year, sebum production rises. With the skin taking on an oilier finish, thick moisturizers can often be too much. Lighter formulas should be favored in the spring and summer so as to not trigger clogged pores and acne breakouts.

However, once the colder weather arrives, you may need to change things up. Sebum production slows down at this time of year, meaning that your lightweight summertime moisturizer is unlikely to be able to provide enough hydration or a thick enough layer on your skin’s surface. The moisturizer that you use in the winter will need to be richer and greasier to help your skin get through the colder season.

Will You Be Double Moisturizing?

Finally, let’s talk about double moisturizing. It’s a technique that can be extremely useful for people with very dry skin. It simply involves using two moisturizers instead of just one. 

If you plan on double moisturizing, keep this in mind when choosing a moisturizer. Ideally, double moisturizing should be done with two lighter formulas so as to save congesting your skin. For best results, you should also look for two products that complement each other. If one of your moisturizers is packed with hydrating ingredients but only has a few antioxidants, the second formula that you use should be brimming with antioxidant compounds.

Final Words

As you can see, there’s a lot to keep in mind when choosing a new skin moisturizer. It’s hardly surprising that people who are new to skincare can sometimes feel overwhelmed by this! However, follow the guidelines that we’ve shared above and you’ll be able to pick the perfect creams for your skin, ensuring that you’re meeting all of your skin’s moisturizing needs!

Click here to browse more skincare bestsellers from Vine Vera.

The concept of self-care really came into its own during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has remained strong ever since. Self-care encompasses taking the time to do things for yourself – things that benefit you physically, emotionally, nutritionally, and spiritually. 

This incorporates many aspects of life, with skincare being one. Not only does it involve caring for a physical part of your body – your largest organ, to be specific – but the simple act of pampering your skin can also do wonders for your mental health and emotional state. 

Want to know more about how to make your skincare efforts feel more akin to a self-care ritual rather than a habitual chore? Read on as Vine Vera shares some top tips!

Practice Mindful Cleansing

Most people cleanse their skin twice a day, meaning that the simple act of cleansing soon becomes second nature. It’s something that people tend to do without really thinking about it, often rushing through this step so that they can get on with the more exciting parts of their skincare routines. This is why cleansing can often feel like a means to an end, rather than a relaxing self-care practice of its own.

If you can relate, it’s time to change this. Cleansing doesn’t need to, and shouldn’t, be a boring, thoughtless task. This step of your skincare routine sees you clearing away all of that day’s dirt and grime, so try to immerse yourself in the experience. Pay close attention to how your cleanser feels on your skin, being mindful about each movement you make. Luxuriate in that lather and imagine all of your anxieties being washed away as you rinse off your cleanser.

Of course, this becomes much easier if you have a decadent cleanser to turn to. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser, with its rich, indulgent lather, is perfect for mindful cleansing!

Set Aside Time for Your Daily Skincare Routine

It’s common knowledge that when it comes to skincare, consistency is everything. This is why experts preach about the importance of a daily skincare routine. Most of the skincare ingredients out there need to be used at a certain frequency in order to be effective.

Routines, in general, have been shown to be a great way to bolster mental health. They reduce stress and anxiety during the day while a solid evening routine will help you to sleep better. Even if your daily schedule is hectic and doesn’t follow a routine, developing one for your skincare habits can make a huge difference, turning your efforts into a self-care ritual. It will remind you, twice a day, to take some time out and care for your skin. This, in turn, will benefit your mental health and self-confidence.

Worried that you don’t have enough time to dedicate to a skincare routine twice a day? Your skincare routine doesn’t need to be long and time-consuming. Even just incorporating the basics, meaning cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection, will go a long way in boosting both your mind and your skin. When you do have some extra time to spare, you can then choose to add in extra products to further elevate your routine.

Turn to Ingredients That Calm Both the Complexion and the Mind

There are certain skincare ingredients out there that are known to provide a calming sensation, not only to the skin but also to the mind. If you want your skincare routine to double up as a self-care practice, make the most of these ingredients. 

Lavender is one. This fragrant herb is revered for how it can lower feelings of anxiety. One study even found that its effects were comparable to that of certain medications! If stress and anxiety are issues that you struggle with, it only makes sense to incorporate lavender into your skincare routine. Not only will it leave you feeling calmer, but it will also clear up your complexion, reducing the look of inflammation and leaving your skin looking brighter. Give it a try for yourself with the Vine Vera Chianti Skin Restoring Capsules!

Chamomile is another ingredient known for its soothing effects. This is why chamomile tea is often recommended to those who have trouble falling asleep at night. If you’re not a tea drinker, try adding chamomile to your skincare routine instead. You’ll find this botanical in a number of Vine Vera products, including the Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer.

Indulge in Weekly Face Masks

Face masks are one of the best ways to give your skincare routine a pick-me-up. Masks are designed to carry a high concentration of active ingredients. This is why they should only be used weekly, rather than daily. It’s also why the right face mask can make the world of difference to a person’s complexion.

When it comes to relaxing self-care practices, face masks are at the top of the list. After all, not only do they benefit the skin, but they force you to take 10-15 minutes out of your busy life so that you can focus on showing your skin some love. Face masks are such a great way to bring skincare and self-care together.

To make your masking session feel even more special, invest in a few different types of face masks so that you can pick and choose which one to use depending on what your skin needs. For example, if you’re seeking hydration and a radiant glow, the Vine Vera Pinot Noir Anti-Aging Luminating Face & Eye Mask will undoubtedly impress. Its hydrogel format will leave both your skin and your mind feeling ultra-refreshed.

Meanwhile, if dullness and congestion are issues for you, try the Resveratrol Chianti Thermic Mask. This mask slowly heats up as it’s applied to the skin. It makes the whole experience feel even more soothing and indulgent while also allowing the mask to better remove impurities from the skin.

Incorporate Facial Massage Techniques Into Your Skincare Routine

While many may view a massage as pure indulgence, this is actually a very beneficial self-care and skincare practice. Sure, there’s no denying how relaxing a massage can be, but did you know that it can also work wonders for both your skin and your mind?

The act of massaging gives circulation a boost. This not only perks you up mentally but it also gives your skin cells access to more nutrients and oxygen, allowing them to really thrive. 

While you may not have time to treat yourself to a full body massage once a day, incorporating facial massage techniques into your regular skincare routine will allow your face to regularly benefit from the skin-loving effects of a massage. Whether you’re applying a serum or a moisturizer, use massage techniques to do so. It’s worth spending some time teaching yourself specific techniques as getting this wrong could have the opposite effect of speeding up the skin aging process.

With that said, you could also turn to a facial massage tool to help you out. These are becoming increasingly popular. From jade rollers to gua sha stones, these tools not only benefit the skin but will also really enhance the self-care aspect of your skincare routine.

Take the Slow and Steady Approach When Dealing With Visible Skin Concerns

In an age of instant gratification, it’s hardly surprising that people expect to see immediate results from the skincare products that they use. Sure, some, like the Resveratrol Cabernet 60-Second Eye Solution, may genuinely provide these. However, as we mentioned earlier, most skincare products need some time to work. Expecting miracles from a product that’s not able to work in this way is only going to leave you frustrated and stressed while making your skincare routine feel less enjoyable.

If this is the case, it’s time to change your mindset. Remember – a big part of self-care is about developing the right frame of mind. You’ll need to understand that the skin goes through a process and deeper changes in the complexion take time to bring about.

Get Intuitive With Your Skincare

Have you ever heard of intuitive skincare? It involves learning how to listen to your skin so that you can adjust your skincare routine each day to cater to your skin’s ever-changing needs. 

Not only can this practice hugely benefit your skin, but it makes skincare feel more like self-care too. Paying such close attention to your skin and, therefore, your body will leave you feeling so much more in tune with yourself and your body’s needs.

How do you get started with intuitive skincare?

Each day, before you carry out your skincare routine, take a good look at your skin and try to figure out what it’s telling you. If your skin looks particularly dry that day, lavish it with thicker and richer products than you usually use. Give it the extra moisture that it needs. However, if you wake up the next day to skin that feels balanced yet looks dull, swap those thick creams for a lighter lotion or serum – ideally one that also contains complexion-brightening ingredients. The Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum is perfect for this. 

The same applies to the changing seasons. As the weather transitions, so will your skin’s needs. Your routine will need to be lighter in the summer to compensate for the extra sebum your skin will be producing. In the winter months, sebum production slows down, making it necessary to include thicker formulas in your routine. You’ll find so much skincare advice out there that explains how to adjust your skincare routine in tune with the seasons. However, the only way to know exactly when to make these changes is by listening to your skin and following your intuition. 

Practicing Self-Care With Skincare From Vine Vera

Any form of skincare is, essentially, also a form of self-care. However, it’s also understandable if it sometimes doesn’t feel this way. The good news is that making a few changes to both your mindset and your skincare routine could turn this around for you. Then, not only will your skincare efforts be benefiting your skin, but they’ll also be giving your mental health a big boost!

Click here to enhance your skincare and self-care routine with more bestsellers from Vine Vera.

The world of skincare can sometimes seem pretty confusing, especially when there’s so much conflicting advice out there.

To help clear up all of the misinformation, Vine Vera has gathered together some of your most-asked skincare questions. Read on to discover the answers that will help you take your skincare game to the next level!

Does SPF Really Need to Be Worn on Cloudy Days?

On a hot, sunny day, it’s easy to see why SPF is needed. Just a short amount of time in the sun can lead to redness, irritation, and burns on unprotected skin.

However, what about on dull, cloudy days? If the sun looks to be completely hidden and you can’t feel its heat on your skin, do you still need to be wearing SPF?

The answer is yes. 90% of UV rays are able to pass through clouds and wreak their damage on your skin. In fact, scattered clouds can actually magnify UV radiation, making it even more important to slather your skin with a good sunscreen.

If you don’t yet have a go-to SPF product, check out the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. It’s packed with ingredients that will soothe and revive your complexion, including green tea, aloe vera, vitamin E, and resveratrol. 

How Can I Prevent the Appearance of Wrinkles?

Speaking of SPF…

Did you know that the sun is responsible for up to 80% of the wrinkles that develop on your face? This is down to how UV radiation destroys the collagen and elastin fibers that keep your skin smooth and firm. 

So, if you’re wondering whether it’s possible to prevent the appearance of wrinkles, the answer is yes, to an extent, but being diligent about sunscreen plays a big role in this.

Antioxidants are also key when it comes to keeping the visibility of wrinkles away. Those wrinkles that UV rays produce are a result of free radical damage. This also occurs when the skin is exposed to pollution, harmful chemicals, and other such substances. Antioxidants, such as those in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum, will neutralize the appearance of free radical damage to keep your skin looking taut and healthy.

What’s the Difference Between Dry and Dehydrated Skin?

This is a common question, especially since dry and dehydrated skin are often confused with each other. However, the answer is a simple one…

Dry skin is a skin type. It refers to skin that doesn’t produce enough sebum. This is the natural oil that enables the skin to keep itself lubricated and moisturized. Meanwhile, dehydration is a skin condition that can affect all skin types. It refers to a lack of moisture, aka water. 

Understanding which one you’re dealing with is crucial in giving your skin the correct care. Dry skin benefits from emollients and occlusives, such as those found in the Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Moisture Day Cream. On the other hand, dehydrated skin can be rehydrated with humectants. These are ingredients that bind moisture to the skin, instantly quenching it. You’ll find several humectants in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum.

Is a Toner Necessary?

Many skincare experts swear by their toners, leaving many to wonder just how necessary this product is. The essential steps of a skincare routine include cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection, so is a toner really necessary?

When it comes down to it, a toner isn’t an absolute must-have in the way that a cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF are. However, if you’re able to dedicate an extra 30 seconds or so to your skincare routine, adding in a toner could be very beneficial.

Toners are superstars at rebalancing the pH level on the skin’s surface. This will save you from a number of visible skin concerns in the long run. Some toners, such as Vine Vera’s Resveratrol Cabernet Toner, are also wonderfully hydrating. They’ll give your skin a splash of moisture along with vital nutrients that will leave your skin feeling more receptive to the rest of your skincare routine.

Do I Need a Separate Cream For My Eye Area Or Can I Use My Face Cream?

It’s common knowledge that just like the rest of the face, the eye area needs to be kept well moisturized. There are so many eye creams out there that can help with this, but are they really needed or can you just use your regular face cream instead?

Ultimately, the most important thing is keeping your eye area moisturized. If it’s a choice between using your face cream or not moisturizing it at all, your face cream would be the better option. 

However, don’t forget that the skin around your eyes is extremely thin and fragile. As a result, it does best when given some extra support, which is what eye creams are designed to do. A face cream will provide a basic level of moisture but if you want to ensure that your eye area looks smooth, bright, and perky for years to come, an eye cream is what you need.

Is Double Cleansing Needed?

Double cleansing became quite the trend a few years ago and is still making waves. The concept originated in South Korea and offers up some significant benefits. It involves cleansing your face twice; first with an oil-based cleanser and then with a water-based cleanser, like the Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser. 

This results in a deeper and more thorough cleanse than single cleansing would. The effects of this can usually be seen immediately, which is why the technique has really taken off.

However, is double cleansing actually needed?

Not all of the time. Some choose to only double cleanse at night, opting for a single cleanse in the mornings. Others save double cleansing for when they know that their skin is particularly dirty or if they’ve been wearing heavy makeup. There’s no denying how advantageous double cleansing can be, but you don’t need to do it twice a day. Get to know your skin and you’ll soon be able to figure out when it needs to be double cleansed and when it doesn’t.

How Can I Shrink My Pores?

Want to know how to shrink your pores?

This is a question commonly asked by those with oily skin. Due to the excess oil that their skin produces, their pore openings look wider and darker. 

Unfortunately, shrinking your pores isn’t possible. Your genes are responsible for the size of your pores, and there’s nothing that you can do to change this.

The good news is that although you can’t change the physical size of each of your pores, there’s plenty that you can do to make them appear smaller. Keeping your skin clean is one while regularly exfoliating can also help. Use a gentle exfoliator, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. 

Keeping your skin hydrated will also leave your pores looking less noticeable. Add plenty of antioxidants to your skincare routine too as aging can contribute to enlarged pores as well.

Can Retinol Be Used on Sensitive Skin?

Retinol is one of the most talked-about skincare ingredients out there. This vitamin A derivative is capable of doing so much, from brightening the complexion to reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

However, as great as it may be, it’s also infamous for the irritation that it can cause. This is why people with sensitive skin often avoid the ingredient.

Is this necessary? In many cases, yes. Although combining retinol with humectants and moisturizing ingredients can help to counter the feeling of irritation, this is often not enough. Instead, if you want to experience the benefits of vitamin A without irritating your complexion, retinyl palmitate would be the way to go. It’s another vitamin A derivative, but it’s not as fast-acting as retinol. It still works the same magic, although it takes a little longer to do so. Give this ingredient a try for yourself with the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Night Cream!

How Long Does it Take For Skincare Products to Produce Visible Results?

If you’ve recently added a new product to your skincare routine, it’s only natural to wonder how long you’ll need to wait before you start to see results. While there are a handful of products out there that are able to produce an immediate transformation in the complexion (just like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet 60-Second Eye Solution), the rest need more time to work. 

How much time, exactly? 

At least a month, but often two. Not only do many active ingredients need time to accumulate in the skin but, once they do, you’ll need to wait for your skin to naturally shed its older skin cells and bring the newer ones up to the surface before you’ll start to see an improvement in your complexion.

Can Stress Cause Acne?

Acne can be caused by a wide range of factors. If you have acne-prone skin, understanding these factors and preventing them as much as possible will help you to keep your complexion pimple-free.

With that said, most people focus on their skincare products and their diet, not realizing that their mental health plays a big role in their breakouts too. Stress, in particular, sends certain hormones shooting around your body. These stimulate sebum production and inflammation, leaving your skin even oilier and more prone to breakouts.

If you’ve noticed that your acne breakouts seem to coincide with times of stress, learning how to manage your stress levels will go a long way in preventing those breakouts. This may seem impossible at first but spend some time researching various stress management techniques. There are so many out there that you’re bound to find something that works well for you. Whether this is going for a workout whenever you’re stressed, taking a walk in nature, or simply relaxing with a good book, learn how to cut back on stress and your skin will thank you!

Summary

When it comes to your skin, it always pays to have the right information. Hopefully, we’ve now helped to answer some of your biggest skincare questions so that you’re perfectly equipped to give your skin everything that it needs to thrive!

Click here to treat yourself to more bestselling skincare products from Vine Vera.

There are many factors to take into consideration when it comes to caring for your skin, but your skin type is the most important. This essentially describes how balanced your skin is and will greatly influence the level of care, along with the type of products, that your skin needs.

For some people, figuring out their skin type is easy. Their skin displays clear characteristics that haven’t changed over the years, meaning that neither has their skin type. However, for others, things aren’t quite so simple. Everything from the weather and your environment to your age and your skincare habits can cause your skin type to regularly change, making it difficult to pinpoint.

The good news is that Vine Vera is here to help! Read on as we share the top methods for figuring out your skin type, along with some extra tips to help ensure that your skincare efforts are meeting your skin’s requirements.

But First…What Are the Main Skin Types?

Before you start trying to work out what your skin type is, you need to first have an understanding of all of the skin types. This way, you’ll be able to identify which of the characteristics from the different skin types your skin has:

• Oily skin – this skin type is easily recognizable due to the excess sebum that it produces. This gives the skin an oily feel and a shiny finish. Pores often tend to be larger and more noticeable on oily skin while acne breakouts are common.
• Dry skin – the opposite of oily skin, dry skin doesn’t produce enough oil. This leaves it looking dull and feeling rough. In cases of severe dryness, the skin can also peel, flake, and crack. Make sure that you don’t confuse dry skin with dehydrated skin, which refers to a lack of moisture. This is a condition that all skin types can experience.
• Combination skin – this skin type is a combination of dry and oily skin. Some parts of the face display characteristics of dry skin while others are oily.
• Sensitive skin – due to a compromised skin barrier, sensitive skin is, as you may have guessed, easily sensitive. Discomfort, irritation, redness, and itching are all common when the skin is exposed to stressors.
• Normal skin – with oil production being perfectly balanced, normal skin is the easiest skin type to work with. This is the skin type with the least visible skin concerns to deal with.

How do you determine which skin type is yours? Here are four methods that you can turn to:

Method 1: The Wash Test

One of the easiest and most accurate ways to identify your skin type is with the wash test. Choose a day when your skin feels relatively calm – don’t carry this test out if you’ve just spent all day in the sun without SPF or you’ve been shoveling snow for hours.

Start by cleansing your skin. Using a mild cleanser is absolutely essential. You don’t want to subject your skin to any harsh ingredients or potential irritation as this will only throw off your results. Go with a gentle, sulfalte-free formula, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser. 

Once your face has been cleansed, gently pat it dry with a clean towel. Then, wait for 30 minutes. After this, take a close look at your skin in the mirror. If it feels dry, tight, and uncomfortable, this is a sign of dry skin. On the other hand, if it looks shiny or feels greasy, this signifies oily skin. Combination skin will show signs of both, usually with the cheeks feeling dry and the T-zone looking oily. If your skin type is sensitive, you’ll likely be feeling some form of irritation, whereas normal skin would experience none, or very little, of the above.

Method 2: The Blot Test

Although the blot test isn’t much help in identifying sensitive skin, it’s still a great way to determine whether your skin type is dry, oily, or combination. 

Unlike the wash test, don’t carry the blot test out soon after cleansing as this can skew results. Instead, wait until midday, once your skin has had time to settle but before too much environmental damage takes its toll.

For this test, you’ll need a sheet of blotting paper. Press this against different areas of your face before holding it up to the light to see how much oil it has absorbed. The more oil that the sheet holds, the oilier your skin type is. If there is no oil, or very little, on the sheet, then this means that you have dry skin. Meanwhile, if the sheet only absorbs oil from your T-zone, then this points toward combination skin.

Method 3: The Day Test

The day test is another easy way to figure out your skin type. However, its accuracy can vary depending on the environmental factors your skin has been exposed to that day. For example, even if your skin type is oily, spending the day in a dirty and heavily polluted environment could trigger sensitivities that may make you think that your skin type is sensitive. So, for best results, pick an average day when your skin hasn’t gone through too much turmoil.

For this test, all you need to do is carry out your regular skincare routine in the morning and then go about your day as usual. Once evening rolls around, it’s time to take a look in the mirror to assess your skin.

If your face looks and feels greasy, this means you have oily skin. If it looks flaky or rough, this is a sign of dry skin. Combination skin will display a shimmer in some areas combined with dryness in others while sensitive skin will likely feel irritated by the end of a long day. As always, none of the above means that you probably have normal skin.

Method 4: The Derm Test

If you’ve already tried all of the three methods detailed above but are still confused about what your skin type is, a visit to your dermatologist would be the next best step. Often, a dermatologist will be able to immediately tell what your skin type is simply by looking at it. However, if this doesn’t provide any answers, they’ll have other tools available that will help to accurately determine this.

Many dermatologists turn to photographic methods to identify skin types. Certain filters clearly show blood vessel distribution, which will tell you whether or not you have sensitive skin. They’ll also show changes in pore size, skin texture, UV exposure, and more. All of this in-depth information will not only enable you to pinpoint your skin type but will also provide clues into your skin’s other requirements.

What’s Next?

So, now that you know what your skin type is, what exactly should you be doing with this information?

The main purpose of figuring out your skin type is so that you can then ensure that the products you’re using and the routine that you’re following are genuinely beneficial for your skin. Here are a few important tips to keep in mind:

Oily Skin

With oily skin already producing so much excess oil, you’ll need to learn how to care for your skin without clogging up your pores, which would only lead to acne breakouts. This involves using lightweight, non-comedogenic products.

Try to prioritize products that hydrate the skin while also rebalancing how oily it feels. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum does this beautifully. It’s brimming with hydrating ingredients, including sodium hyaluronate, seaweed extract, peptides, and ceramides. It also contains a number of ingredients that will help to lighten the look of acne marks and other forms of hyperpigmentation, bringing you a clear and healthy complexion.

Dry Skin

Since dry skin doesn’t produce enough oil on its own, your skincare routine should be geared toward compensating for this. How? With the use of rich moisturizing ingredients. 

You’ll find plenty of them in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto-Silk Mask. This is a leave-on mask, making it fantastic for giving dry skin the extra moisture that it craves. It also contains several ingredients that will soothe and revive your complexion, making it ideal for countering the look of dullness.

Combination Skin

With combination skin featuring two skin types in one, providing the right care can be difficult. While you could use separate products on the oily and dry areas of your face, life becomes much easier if you can find skincare products that can safely be used on all skin types.

Take the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Toner, for example. It boasts hydrating ingredients that all skin types will love, along with aloe vera and chamomile to soothe the feeling of irritation. The witch hazel extract will help with your oily areas by minimizing the look of large pores. 

Sensitive Skin

You need to be very careful when caring for sensitive skin because it often doesn’t take much to trigger a reaction. The products that you use should be free from common irritants while also featuring plenty of soothing ingredients to keep the skin feeling calm and relaxed.

Sun protection is also absolutely essential. Although important for all skin types, it’s even more so if your skin is already damaged and sensitive. Look for a product that offers a minimum SPF of 30, just like the Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. 

Normal Skin

Normal skin is the easiest skin type to care for. This gives you plenty of options when it comes to deciding which products to use. 

Since normal skin doesn’t have any serious skin concerns, keep your daily skincare routine relatively basic. A cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen should form the three main steps that you follow each day. A hydrating antioxidant serum, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum, would also be a great addition to your regime. 

Skincare For Every Skin Type From Vine Vera

While some skincare brands only produce products for certain skin types, Vine Vera caters to all. Whether your skin is dry and flaky, greasy and acne-prone, red and sensitive, or somewhere in between, you’ll find everything that you need and more to care for your skin from the Vine Vera online shop.

Noticed dark circles appearing under your eyes?

This could be down to a few different reasons. A lack of sleep is one of the most common but allergies, hyperpigmentation, dehydration, and aging cause these dark shadows to appear as well. Genetics play a part too – if dark circles run in your family, then your genes could be partly to blame.

If you’re not sure what the cause of your dark circles is, or you suspect that they could be due to multiple factors, don’t worry – Vine Vera is about to share eight ways to lighten the visibility of dark circles and shadows under your eyes!

1. Start Using an Eye Serum…and Pick the Right One!

One of the first steps that you should take after noticing dark circles under your eyes is to add an eye serum to your skincare routine. If you’re already using one, make sure that it’s a formula capable of tackling the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Eye serums can be designed for various purposes, from dealing with the look of puffiness and fine lines to lightening the visibility of dark circles. If yours doesn’t contain proven complexion-lightening ingredients, then it’s unlikely to be able to noticeably help.

How do you know if an eye serum is going to make a difference to the dark circles that you see?

There are certain ingredients to keep an eye out for. Some of the most important are licorice root extract, vitamin C, resveratrol, and peptides. We’ve used all four in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Eye Collection Age Defying Eye Serum. Not only will this potent blend help to make your dark circles look less visible in a matter of weeks, but it will also soften the appearance of fine lines.

For best results, make sure that your skin has been thoroughly cleansed before using your eye serum. Any dirt or sebum on your skin will only block your serum from penetrating through.

2. Add More Vitamin C to Your Skincare Routine

Vitamin C is a fantastic ingredient to turn to if you’re struggling with dark circles. Research shows that this antioxidant is able to significantly reduce the visibility of dark circles while also leaving the eye area feeling thicker and stronger. It has an overall brightening effect on the complexion too, leaving the skin with a radiant glow.

Ideally, the eye serum that you’re using contains vitamin C, just like the eye serum featured above does. However, if you want to see results as soon as possible, try adding the ingredient into other stages of your skincare routine too.

For example, with the Resveratrol Vitamin C Cleanser, you’ll be giving your skin a splash of the antioxidant as soon as you start your skincare routine. You could then follow up with the Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum, which combines two forms of the ingredient. Add your vitamin C-infused eye serum into the mix and top it all off with the Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer. By giving your skin vitamin C in so many different layers, the ingredient will be able to work its magic on your complexion so much more efficiently!

3. Gently Exfoliate Your Eye Area

As we mentioned earlier, dark circles will often fade on their own. Over time, the skin will shed those layers of discolored cells. One way to speed things up is by exfoliating your skin. This removes the outer layer, allowing the layer below to show through sooner.

With that said, the eye area is very fragile – much more so than the rest of the face. Many of the more abrasive or acidic facial exfoliators won’t be suitable for the delicate skin here. Use the wrong product and you could end up making your dark circles even worse.

So, what’s the solution? 

The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. It makes use of mandelic acid, the gentlest of the alpha-hydroxy acids, combining this with bamboo powder, which will physically exfoliate without tearing or irritating your skin. Even better, it’s packed with vitamin C. As we discussed earlier, this ingredient is worth incorporating into several steps of your skincare routine. Using an exfoliator that contains it gives your skin one extra layer of this hard-working antioxidant.

4. Invest in an LED Light Therapy Skincare Device

Topical skincare combined with the other tips we’re about to share is often enough to fade the appearance of dark circles. However, if you’d like to take things a step further, consider investing in an LED light therapy skincare device. 

LED light therapy is renowned for the numerous ways in which it can help the skin. One of these is its ability to lighten the look of hyperpigmentation. This applies to all forms of hyperpigmentation, including dark circles.

LED skincare devices are available in many shapes and sizes. Ideally, you want one that has been designed specifically for the eye area. This will ensure that it’s capable of accommodating the various contours around the eyes. 

The Photonix-2 Jade Eye Wand is one such device. It offers two LED wavelengths; red and blue. Both colors are beneficial when it comes to lightening the look of dark circles, making this device perfect. Start with red and then switch to blue and you should start to see some improvements soon!

5. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can lead to a number of different skin concerns, one of which is dark circles. This is due to how the skin starts to look sunken when it lacks moisture. Since the eye area sits so near to the underlying bone, this results in the skin taking on a darker and more shadowy appearance. 

If dehydration is your issue, then there are two steps that you need to take to turn things around. The first is to hydrate your body. Make an effort to drink more water – aim for the recommended eight glasses a day. Including more water-rich foods in your diet, such as watermelon, cucumber, celery, and lettuce, will help to give your hydration levels a boost too. 

The next stage is giving your skin some extra hydration. While drinking more water will benefit the inner layers of your skin, there often isn’t much moisture left by the time this filters out to the outer layers of your skin. 

This is why the use of hydrating skincare products can sometimes be a game-changer for those struggling with the appearance of dark circles. Ingredients like sodium hyaluronate, collagen, glycerin, seaweed, and peptides all have moisture-binding properties that leave the skin feeling plumper and fuller, with dark circles looking less noticeable.

For best results, find yourself a serum that contains several hydrating ingredients, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum. It features all of the must-haves mentioned above, along with kojic acid. This ingredient is revered for how it lightens the look of hyperpigmentation, enabling this serum to help with the visibility of dark spots in multiple ways.

6. Eat Foods Rich in Iron and Vitamin B12

If your diet is lacking in iron and/or vitamin B12, dark circles can arise. The deficiency causes poor oxygenation in your body’s tissues, resulting in those bluish veins becoming more pronounced. Since the skin under the eyes is so thin and near to the bone, that darker tone is more visible in this area, causing shadows under the eyes.

Although supplements are available and can be helpful in the short term, try incorporating more natural sources of these nutrients into your diet. Animal foods are packed with vitamin B12, from meat to eggs to dairy products. Plant-based foods don’t naturally contain the nutrient, but there are fortified options available. Meanwhile, you’ll find large amounts of iron in red meat, beans, and nuts.

7. Adjust Your Sleeping Habits

If you’ve had a poor night’s sleep and wake up with dark circles under your eyes, then the cause is clearly sleep deprivation. This affects the skin in a couple of ways…

Firstly, a lack of sleep can cause the skin to turn pale and dull. This means that the blood vessels underneath the skin look more prominent. With the eye area already being very thin, those blood vessels show through more noticeably, resulting in dark circles.

Sleep deprivation also leads to fluid building up under the eyes. This makes the area look puffy, resulting in dark shadows being cast. 

The simple solution to this is to make an effort to get better sleep. Studies show that this alone can lessen the appearance of dark circles while also improving the skin’s overall health. Aim for seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night and you should immediately see a difference in your complexion.

Elevating your head more while you sleep can help too. This encourages blood to travel downward, away from the face, which leaves the eye area looking lighter and brighter.

8. Use Makeup to Your Advantage

If you’ve woken up with dark circles and need them gone ASAP, you can always turn to makeup. Concealers and color correctors are the best tools for the job. The shade that you pick to counter-balance your dark circles should be influenced by your skin tone:

• Peach tones for light skin
• Yellow tones for medium skin
• Orange tones for dark skin

Start by applying your color correcting shade and then follow up with a concealer. Ideally, use your fingers, rather than a makeup brush, when working on dark circles. The warmth from your fingertips will encourage the product to melt into your skin, giving you a much more seamless finish. 

Once you’re done, finish off with a setting powder to lock your makeup in place and save you from having to touch it up throughout the day. A powder with light-reflecting minerals can be particularly beneficial as it will give your skin an extra glow!

Summary

Although dark circles aren’t harmful in any way, they’re a sign that your skin isn’t happy. Whether this is due to dehydration, a lack of sleep, aging, or anything else, putting things right should be your priority. Sure, makeup will help temporarily but getting to the root of the problem is the best way to ensure that you’re able to get rid of the appearance of your dark circles for good!

Click here to browse more skincare bestsellers from Vine Vera.

Looking for a way to up your beauty game this year?

Vine Vera has you covered! Whether you want to iron away the appearance of wrinkles, lighten the look of dark spots, or simply give your skin a bright and radiant glow, these are the beauty products to turn to:

The Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30

It’s no secret that the sun causes serious damage to the skin. In fact, up to 80% of the wrinkles and dark spots that you develop over the years are down to sun exposure. This is a well-known statistic, yet many still neglect to adequately protect their skin from the sun, citing inconvenience as one of the main reasons. 

That’s why we developed the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. It’s a two-in-one product, acting as both a moisturizer and a sunscreen. Hybrid sunscreens, just like this one, are set to soar in popularity in 2024, making this one of the beauty products that you absolutely need to try. 

There are several noteworthy ingredients in this cream. In addition to its UV-blocking agents, it’s also packed with antioxidants. Resveratrol, green tea extract, and vitamin E come together to keep the skin feeling even more safeguarded against sun damage. Meanwhile, aloe vera and glycerin provide long-lasting hydration, leaving the skin looking soft and dewy. 

The Resveratrol Cabernet Plump & Correct Treatment

Have you ever found yourself wishing that you could instantly erase the appearance of the fine lines and wrinkles on your face? With the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Plump & Correct Treatment, you can! 

This revolutionary solution is capable of restoring the youthful complexion that you once enjoyed in a matter of seconds. These effects are down to the fast-acting ingredients that have been incorporated into the formula. With a blend of sodium hyaluronate, DMAE, and acetyl hexapeptide-8, it gets to work straight away, leaving the skin looking smoother and tighter.

What sets this product apart from other beauty products that also promise instantaneous results is that this formula works beautifully in the long term too. It’s brimming with antioxidants and plant stem cells. These tackle the appearance of skin aging over time. Use it weekly and you’ll soon notice your face taking on a firmer and younger-looking finish.

The Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum

Looking for a multi-tasking serum that will enable you to tackle several of your visible skin concerns at the same time? This is where the Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum shines.

This silky serum offers up so many benefits, which is why it’s one of our most-loved beauty products. For starters, it will help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This is ensured by the numerous vitamins and antioxidants in the formula. It’s a superstar at lightening the look of dark spots too. With kojic acid and peptides, it will leave your skin tone looking much more even.

If that wasn’t enough, this also happens to be an incredibly hydrating serum. It’s packed with humectants, including sodium hyaluronate, seaweed extract, and glycerin. Even better, all of those ingredients, as well as the others in this formula, are wonderfully lightweight. This makes the serum suitable for all skin types. Those with dry skin will love how it hydrates and softens the feel of the skin, whereas those with oily skin will appreciate its weightless sensation and the inclusion of witch hazel extract to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores.

The Vitamin C Power Set

Vine Vera’s Vitamin C Power Set features three standout beauty products, each one worthy of a place in your daily skincare routine. You’re probably already aware of how beneficial vitamin C can be for the skin, and each of the products in this set contains at least one form of the antioxidant.

Let’s start with the Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. Unlike many other exfoliators, which use either chemical or physical exfoliants, this one contains both. However, it utilizes gentle forms of each one. This means that it won’t be too harsh on your skin yet it will get the job done beautifully. The addition of two types of vitamin C, along with vitamin A, vitamin E, and resveratrol, will give your skin an extra boost of antioxidants at the same time.

Next up, we have the Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum. Again, it contains two forms of vitamin C. The visible effects of the ingredient are enhanced by the other vitamins and antioxidants in this formula. It’s one of the best beauty products around for brightening and tightening the look of the skin.

Finally, the Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer. Shea butter gives it a velvety feel yet it still sinks into the skin quickly, taking a long list of antioxidants and hydrating compounds with it. Purchase it on its own and it will work wonders on your complexion, but use it with the other two products in this set and the results will be even more impressive.

The Resveratrol Cabernet 60-Second Eye Solution

With the skin that surrounds the eyes being thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of the face, this area is prone to problems that the other parts of the face may not experience. The appearance of puffiness, for example, or dark circles, both of which become more common with age.

A good eye serum and eye cream can help with this, but those beauty products often don’t work immediately. However, this is where the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet 60-Second Eye Solution can step in and make a difference. This is another of our fast-acting skincare products, one that addresses eye-related visible skin concerns in just 60 seconds. It’s a lightweight formula that the skin quickly drinks up, meaning that you can easily apply makeup over the top if you want to.

The unique applicator that comes with this product makes it so easy to use as well. Simply push down on the top of the product to release a small amount of the solution from the other end. The applicator can then be used to spread the product onto the targeted area of your skin. This will save you from having to use your fingers.

The Resveratrol Tightening Neck & Chest Mask

Sheet masks are fantastic beauty products. They’re capable of deeply hydrating the skin, with the barrier that they form over the skin’s surface helping to encourage the skin to absorb a greater percentage of all of the ingredients within the mask. However, there’s one problem with the majority of the sheet masks out there – they only cover the face, leaving the neck and chest mask-less.

Why does this matter? Because the skin on your neck and chest has more in common with the skin on your face than it does with the skin on your body. This means that it’s just as susceptible to the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and the many other visible skin concerns that face masks aim to target. Yet, it’s often neglected, which is why it tends to develop signs of aging sooner than the face does.

That’s why we created the Resveratrol Tightening Neck & Chest Mask. It’s a hydrogel sheet mask that has been soaked in a hydrating serum solution. Drape this mask over your neck and chest and that serum will be released onto your skin, leaving it looking fuller, plumper, and smoother.

The Pure Soothing Eye Jelly Masks Limited Edition

We’ve talked about neck and chest masks, so now let’s turn our attention to eye masks. These beauty products have become increasingly popular lately, with more and more people raving about their benefits. They’re a great way to give the eye area some extra TLC, which helps with the unique issues that this part of the face often encounters.

This is exactly what the Pure Soothing Eye Jelly Masks Limited Edition does. It’s filled with ingredients that smooth, brighten, and perk up the look of the skin. At the same time, this botanically-rich formula also keeps the skin feeling soothed and calm, reducing the appearance of puffiness and inflammation.

If you’ve been looking for a way to pamper your eye area, this is one of the beauty products that you need to try this year. If you’re tempted, make your move soon. Being a limited edition product, these masks won’t be available forever!

The Resveratrol Cabernet Travel Kit

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as having to change up your skincare routine when you’re traveling, simply because your current beauty products are too large to fit into your luggage. Sure, you could decant them into smaller containers but, let’s be honest, that can be quite the hassle, especially when you already have plenty of other travel-related stressors to deal with.

However, if you’ve turned to Vine Vera for your moisturizing needs, the Resveratrol Cabernet Travel Kit makes life so much easier. This cleverly-designed container features two of our moisturizers; the Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Moisture Day Cream and the Resveratrol Cabernet High Potency Night Cream. 

With this set, both your daytime and nighttime moisturizing needs will be covered. Both creams are exquisitely hydrating, with the night cream boasting a slightly richer consistency than the day cream. However, they each contain a decadent blend of plant proteins, fatty acids, and antioxidants. They’ll give your complexion the moisture that it needs, no matter the time of day. The best part is that this set is small enough to be conveniently packed. You could even store it in your hand luggage and it wouldn’t take up much room!

Shop For Exquisite Resveratrol-Infused Beauty Products From Vine Vera

If you’ve been looking for a way to upgrade your skincare routine and finally see the improvements in your complexion that you’ve been striving for, the beauty products that we’ve featured above will no doubt get you there. Pick the products that best target the visible skin concerns that you’re dealing with, use them regularly, and you should start to see a noticeable difference in your appearance in no time!

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

It’s a well-known fact that if you want your skincare routine to be as effective as possible, you need to apply your products in a certain order. This usually involves starting with the thinnest and lightest product and working your way up to the thickest.

When it comes to face masks, these are usually applied after cleansing and toning, but before serums and moisturizers. Take a look at the directions on any face masks that you happen to have lying around and it will most likely say exactly that. 

However, some rules are worth breaking, and this is one of them. More and more people are now experimenting with applying their sheet masks after their serums, and they’re seeing great results from this. 

Curious as to how this works and whether you should try it? Read on as Vine Vera sheds some light on this secret skincare ritual.

Why Use a Sheet Mask in the First Place?

Sheet masks are a great way to give your skin some extra TLC. These masks are made from various materials, such as fiber, cellulose, coconut pulp, and hydrogel. They’re then soaked in a highly concentrated serum before being packaged. When a sheet mask is applied to the skin, that serum transfers over from the mask onto the skin.

What sets sheet masks apart from other face masks is the barrier that they form over the skin’s surface. Not only does this push the ingredients from within the mask into the skin, but it also prevents any lightweight compounds from evaporating away. 

Using a Sheet Mask After Vs. Before a Serum

As mentioned earlier, a sheet mask is usually applied before a serum. The ingredients within a sheet mask tend to be lighter than serums, so this allows them to soak in without any interference. 

However, doing things the other way around can have its benefits too. The way in which sheet masks push ingredients into the skin while preventing evaporation not only applies to the ingredients in the mask itself, but also to any other products that you may have already applied. Sure, this means that you may not experience maximum benefits from the lighter sheet mask ingredients, but it means that the serums you use will be so much more effective.

Choose Your Serums Wisely

Since this skincare ritual is all about enhancing the effects of the serums that you apply, it only makes sense to use serums that are designed to really hone in on the visible skin concerns that you have. After all, your sheet mask will be pushing this serum into your skin in a way that wouldn’t have happened if you were to apply the serum on its own, so pick a formula that will benefit your complexion on a deeper level.

Here are a few Vine Vera serums that would work well with this masking technique:

The Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum

If you aren’t sure where to begin when it comes to choosing serums, a vitamin C serum is always a great place to start. 

Vitamin C is one of those rare ingredients that can help with just about every visible skin concern. It will brighten, tighten, smooth, firm, and hydrate your complexion, making it one that everyone would benefit from.

Vine Vera’s Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum is all about highlighting the power of vitamin C. It does this by blending two forms of the ingredient, doubling up on its content within the serum. It also combines vitamin C with other antioxidants, including vitamin A, vitamin E, and resveratrol. This only adds to the serum’s multi-tasking abilities!

The Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum

The Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum is another incredible multi-tasker. It features a diverse ingredient list, enabling it to boost the complexion on multiple levels.

To start with, it’s deeply hydrating. It’s packed with humectants, from sodium hyaluronate to seaweed extract. Thanks to its antioxidant content, it’s also a superstar at reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Even better, this serum also boasts ingredients that can reduce the look of hyperpigmentation. Whether your dark marks are down to acne, sun damage, or anything else, the kojic acid, ascorbic acid, and peptides in this formula will leave your skin tone looking beautifully even.

The Resveratrol Pinot Noir Longevity Serum

If your skin has been looking dull and tired, then the Resveratrol Pinot Noir Longevity Serum would be a great choice for you.

This serum combines vitamins A and C, a fantastic duo that produces even better visible results when used in conjunction. It also contains DMAE, which will help to smooth away the look of wrinkles, while lactic acid provides some mild exfoliation to clear away dead skin cells and brighten the appearance. Lactic acid also happens to be a hydrating humectant, just like the sodium hyaluronate in this formula. Together, they’ll leave your skin looking plump and dewy, especially when used underneath a sheet mask.

The Resveratrol Pinot Noir Dissolving Pre Mask

Although Vine Vera’s Resveratrol Pinot Noir Dissolving Pre Mask isn’t technically a serum, it’s still a great product for layering underneath a sheet mask. 

The purpose of this product is to prep the skin for a mask while also providing its own array of nutrients. It gently exfoliates the skin, after which the numerous vitamins and antioxidants in this silky solution can soak right in. This also means that the ingredients in your mask will be so much more effective.

Find a Sheet Mask That Works With This Skincare Technique

If you want to give this skincare ritual a try, choosing a good face mask is key. Sure, just about every sheet mask will work with this technique but, ideally, you want one that’s going to trap in and push in as much of your applied serum as possible.

This is where the Vine Vera Pinot Noir Anti-Aging Luminating Face & Eye Mask shines. This is a hydrogel mask, which immediately sets it a step above regular face masks. It’s much thicker and denser than a regular sheet mask, making it perfect for layering over a serum. 

Hydrogel masks are also extremely hydrating. Apply it without a serum underneath and you’ll see a big improvement in your complexion as soon as you remove it. With a serum underneath, those improvements are enhanced even further.

Of course, when it comes to your skin, you shouldn’t stop at your chin. With the skin on your neck and chest being just as thin and delicate as the skin on your face, this area would benefit from this skincare ritual too.

That’s why we would also recommend treating yourself to the Resveratrol Tightening Neck & Chest Mask. Again, it’s a hydrogel mask. However, this one has been designed to snugly fit the neck and chest area. It can be used at the same time as our face and eye masks, enabling you to pamper a much larger overall area of skin.

Don’t Forget to Start By Cleansing and Toning

Eager to give this skincare ritual a try?

Don’t go reaching for your nearest serum just yet. Before you allow any serums or masks to come near your face, you need to make sure that your skin has been cleansed. This will remove all of the impurities that are coating your skin’s surface. 

Even if your skin already looks clean, you can be sure that it’s sporting a layer of dirt, excess sebum, dead skin cells, and more. Not only will this block your serum and mask ingredients from penetrating your skin, but once you apply your sheet mask, all of that grime will only end up pushed deeper into your pores. Once there, they’ll wreak havoc in the form of inflammation and breakouts.

As always, make sure that you use a cleanser that’s suitable for your skin type. If your skin is dry or sensitive, the Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser would be a great choice. It’s exceptionally moisturizing and is gentle while it cleanses. Meanwhile, if your skin is excessively oily, you may prefer the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Cleanser. It’s a little more potent while also containing ingredients that will help to reduce how greasy your skin feels.

Once you’re done cleansing, follow up with a toner. This will help to prep your complexion for the rest of the products that you’re about to apply. We would recommend choosing a hydrating formula rather than an astringent blend, just like the Resveratrol Cabernet Toner. It will leave your skin feeling balanced, refreshed, and ready to take on the rest of your skincare routine.

Follow Up With a Moisturizer

We’ve covered what you need to do before applying your serum and your face mask, but what happens afterward? 

Well, once you’ve removed your sheet mask, your skin will be left with a light layer of serum from the mask itself. The actual serum that you previously applied will likely already have been absorbed into your skin. 

All you need to do is gently rub any remaining product into your skin before following up with a moisturizer. This will help to lock all of those ingredients in, preventing them from evaporating. In a way, it will act just like your sheet mask did, forming an additional barrier on the skin’s surface.

To really enhance the effects of your masking session, pick a moisturizer that complements the ingredients in the serum and face mask that you applied. The Resveratrol Vitamin C Moisturizer, for example, would be great for anyone trying to brighten or firm up the look of their skin. In addition to vitamin C itself, it also contains several botanicals that are natural sources of the antioxidant, making this formula even more powerful.

Summary

It’s always fun to try out new skincare rituals, and this is one that will undoubtedly impress you with its results. If you’re still on the fence about it, give it a go, keeping all of our above tips in mind when choosing which products to use. Use the same face mask with and without a serum underneath and you’ll be able to see just how beneficial this masking technique can be.

Click here to shop for more skincare bestsellers from Vine Vera.

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.