“Many people see it as the second step in cleansing as opposed to the first step in skin treatment. Toner helps restore hydration, balance skin’s pH and, depending on the formula, micro-exfoliate. I can’t imagine applying serum without first applying toner.”

“This press-and-release way of applying a product works for most skincare, except cleansers. When you press, your skin opens up microscopically; when you release, it sucks in what’s on the surface.”

“Anything that’s cold is anti-inflammatory. Heat is actually a huge factor in hyperpigmentation. My favourite way: Wrap ice cubes in lens cleaning cloth. It’s so soft it won’t scratch your skin, and it prevents the ice from burning it. Run it all over the face to soothe and depuff, or over a sheet mask to seal its benefits into skin.”

“I can be fainting, but I’ll never forget my night routine. Your skin is 60 per cent better able to absorb skincare during this time. If you don’t take care of your skin at night, you might as well not do anything in the morning as it doesn’t matter.”

“ATP (the main carrier of energy in cells) is needed for cell division, but our body’s production of it drops drastically from the age of seven and keeps falling little by little after that. That’s why to me, any product that stimulates cell energy is fascinating. So when I heard that Dior Capture Totale is based on cell energy and works by re-energising cells to slow down ageing, that changed my view and doubts of it as skincare by a fashion brand entirely.”

“Wearing a face mask creates a micro climate that has a lot of carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, which is antibacterial. There’s also a lot of moisture, so you’re going to get irritation and breakouts. Use a balancing toner and a protective product like a balm over areas that may get irritated from contact with the mask, like the nose bridge, sides of the face and behind the ears.

Leave products on skin for 30 to 40 minutes before stepping out with the mask. Never forget sunscreen as it protects against friction from the mask that could remove part of the skin’s top layer, sometimes creating micro scabs and skin discolouration. Once you get home, remove the mask ASAP and wash your face, rebalance with toner, then apply skincare that hydrates and soothes.”

This article first appeared in Her World