Skin care at 25

Cleansing is a skincare golden rule, no matter what age we are! Cleansing before bed removes all the grime that's built up during the day (pollution, smoke, dust, make up), whilst a morning cleanse will remove impurities that accumulate overnight (toxins, sebum...). Go for products suited to your skin type: a milk for dry skin, micellar water for oily skin and a cleansing gel for combination skin. Whatever you do, make sure your cleanser is right for your skin or you could end up with spots or blackheads.

Give your skin a twice-weekly scrub. It'll boost your micro-circulation to give you a fresh-faced glow and help your skin to soak up the active ingredients in your moisturiser. Fruit acids, enzymes, grains - the choice is there! Once your skin is squeaky clean, treat it to a green clay mask for its purifying, repairing and anti-ageing properties.

Moisturising is up there with cleansing! Fortunately, at 25 we don't need to bring out the heavy artillery. A moisturiser (serum, cream, mask) will leave your skin supple and radiant, whilst keeping the wrinkles at bay. And despite what you may have heard, moisturising won't give you a greasy shine: nowadays the active ingredients in lighter creams balance sebum levels, leaving our complexions matt and blemish-free. To round off, apply an eye contour cream to prevent the early appearance of crow's feet. 

 We all love to party! Downing a few glasses and sneaking in a couple of cigarettes at the pub, basking on a beach, hitting a club and ending the evening with a kebab in hand... Sadly, going on the razzle can wreak havoc with our skin. Booze dehydrates our skin and ciggies increase wrinkles by 80%! Plus they cause spider veins to burst, leaving us with a blotchy complexion. They also cause blood vessels that nourish our skin to contract, literally starving it of essential nutrients. So it's vital we protect our skin from our fun-loving lifestyles - the sun included! To prevent red patches, sunburn and premature skin ageing, make sure you apply a day cream that contains an SPF. You'll moisturise and protect your skin in one go.  5 Keep a check on your lifestyle  The importance of getting our beauty sleep? Our skin recovers overnight, particularly between midnight and 4am, when cell renewal peaks. Adopt a relaxing bedtime routine: a hot bath, a face mask, a cup of herbal/fruit tea. It'll help you unwind, let go of your hectic day and enjoy a good night's sleep. And if you apply a night cream, you'll help your epidermis to repair itself. Diet-wise, keep up with your 5 a day for their antioxidant goodness (raspberries, nuts, artichokes, red cabbage) and drink LOTS of water!