If there is only one piece of advice I wish I could give to my teenage self, it would be to take better preventative care of my skin. Sure, I might have been cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising, but when it came to protecting my skin from environmental aggressors such as UV rays and pollution, my vigilance was shoddy. Now, I’m left with pigmentation, fine lines and issues with my skin texture in certain areas of my face. And the worst part is the damage is already done.
That’s right, once pollution and UV rays have their grasp on your skin, there’s very little that can be done to reverse the damage. Of course, certain products can work to better the appearance, but nothing can truly take your skin back to normal. As I have got older, I’ve become borderline obsessed with making sure that my skin is protected from the environment. And when I learned that indoor pollution can be up to five times more concentrated than outdoor pollution, I stepped up my daily antioxidant game tenfold.
After a few days of asking every beauty editor and skin expert I know what products I should look into, I noticed that one in particular kept springing up. The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate (£26) was recommended to me countless times as a means to not only protect my skin from further damage but also deliver deep hydration for a plump, youthful, glowing finish.
A quick Google search showed that actually, this little serum was quite the hit amongst customers. Jam-packed with natural antioxidants to combat the effect of everyday pollutants on the skin, customer reviews bring up its ability to clear breakouts, minimise the appearance of wrinkles and smooth uneven skin texture. Given the strong testimonials, when I discovered that one bottle sells every 27 seconds, I can’t say I was surprised.
Before we get into this, I want to make it very clear that when it comes to any form of anti-ageing product, I’m a sceptic. I’m much tougher and quicker to scrutinise any product that promises to reverse the signs of ageing. So, ignoring the fact that this serum isn’t going to make anyone look 10 years younger (because no serum will), it’s one of the best skincare products I have come across in a long time. It’s non-irritating, non-comedogenic (that's the fancy term that brands use to say something doesn’t block pores) and really nourishing. It leaves my skin healthy-looking, glowing and refreshed. It does for my skin what multivitamins appear to do for my immune system; it just makes everything a little bit better.
And the great news is that the now-famous Drops of Youth formula comes in an array of other products too, all equally as brilliant as each other. Keep scrolling to shop the other Drop of Youth products that I reach for when I want to inject some life into my tired complexion.
For a deeper level of hydration, this face cream gives skin more bounce and works to create a smoother texture.
This eye cream has been recommended to me countless times as a result of its ability to help reduce the signs of fatigue around the eyes. It's also one of the only eye creams I can use that doesn't cause irritation.
When I have an event that requires my skin to look healthy and full of life, this is the first mask I reach for. Plus, it's biodegradable, which is a big win in my books.
This rich mask is the ultimate product for overnight hydration. Every couple of weeks, I treat my face to a night of this stuff and wake up with a plumped, dewy complexion.
For days when my skin feels extra congested, this exfoliant is one of my go-to products. It really feels like it's ridding the skin's surface from potentially aggravating pollutants without stripping it of moisture.
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