Loofahs are a great way to exfoliate skin – but how often do they need to be replaced? Ideally, you should throw out your loofah (they can also be composted brilliantly) every couple of months due to the build-up of bacteria from dead skin cells (bacteria can potentially travel from loofah to skin, infecting hair follicles). Alternatively, combat bacteria growth by soaking in a 10% bleach solution once a week. But be sure to rinse it very well indeed before using again.
New summer shoes? When the temperature and humidity rise, it's a recipe for blisters. Ideally, wear new shoes for short periods while they shape perfectly to your feet. If you do get a blister, bathe for a few minutes in salt water and then cover with a Compeed plaster, which covers (almost invisibly) while helping healing.
Have your sunglasses left a white strip on the bridge of your nose? First off: remember to wear sunscreen all over your face. Second: match a concealer with your tan and pat it into the white strip. Set with a fine dusting of power and touch up during the day.
To avoid a burned scalp, apply sunscreen along your parting. And if you have thinning hair, spritz the entire scalp with an SPF spray.
Follow the advice of our beauty editor friend Grace Timothy when she feels a spot coming. She double-cleanses before using a light oil to massage the skin around a spot, with the aim of bringing the ‘bad stuff’ to the surface. ‘Whacking on an oil might seem like a bad idea, but the right oils don’t make your skin more oily.’ By adding a small amount of oil, you’re telling the skin to stop overproducing and rebalance.
How do you apply your foundation? Our friend Charlotte Tilbury advises: ‘Start in the centre of your face and blend outwards.’
Beware of products that irritate your eyes at all – make-up, skincare, eye make-up removers or tinting treatments. Irritated skin looks puffy, red and can appear more wrinkled, so keeping sensitivity in check is a key part of making eyes appear more youthful.
You might’ve heard the advice to keep summer Colognes in the fridge. But in the same way that you shouldn’t keep tomatoes in the fridge – because it stops the flavour developing – Colognes are best enjoyed at room temperature, so they can blossom on your skin fully.
If you're a new specs-wearer, you'll need to adjust your make-up to suit your glasses. Specs will magnify farsighted eyes, so wear matte textures and blend precisely. Nearsighted eyes will seem smaller, so be sure to wear liner and mascara to stop them getting lost.
Overdone the garlic mayo (or any other delicious garlicky food)? Chewing on fennel or fennel seeds helps, but the best way to get it out of your system – according to dermatologist Dennis Gross – is a vigorous workout, which makes you sweat and thus metabolises it out of your body.
Feeling frazzled? It’s really no surprise, with things as they are. When your mind’s frantic, breathing becomes shallower. Move into longer, calming breaths by breathing out and placing one hand on your stomach, the other over your heart. Allow the stomach to rise with each breath to relax the nervous system, take slower breaths than you usually do, and draw out each exhalation. A couple of minutes of this can be transformative.
We’ve heard many reports of friends feeling panicked over the last few uncertain weeks and months. Panic attacks aren’t that unusual – but they are horrid. Remind yourself that what you’re feeling is a normal bodily function, happening at the wrong time – and it’s not going to hurt you. You’re not going crazy – and it will be over soon. But if it keeps happening, you might want to consider dialling down the caffeine as a first step – limit your intake of coffee, tea, cola and chocolate and see if that helps.
Footbaths feel great, if you’re doing a home pedicure. (Our favourite is to add a few drops of jojoba or almond oil to the water, along with a drop or two of favourite essential oils – peppermint is great for tired feet, or frankincense for a meditative, wind-down vibe.) However, if you soak your feet for longer than 25 minutes or so, skin can start to become waterlogged and loose, making the rest of your pedicure (especially buffing) difficult.
Life still hasn’t gathered pace to its previous breakneck gallop for quite a few women we know. (Not the ones home-schooling, we acknowledge.) So: devote half an hour to experimenting with your lipsticks, sheer tints or glosses, layering two shades to create a third. Bright red and coral, sheer orange over rosebud pink… The permutations are endless, and will deliver new lip looks without spending a sou…
We love supermodel Karolina Kurková’s philosophy: ‘I’m all about prevention – I’m 36 and I haven’t done anything. You want beautiful skin, but you’re smoking two packs of cigarettes, you’re never sleeping, you’re drinking wine or cocktails every night, you’re never removing your make-up before you go to bed…? And there’s a lot you can do to take care of yourself, going back to nature with honey face masks or avocado on your hair. I do face and body acupuncture, cupping and ge facials. I’m taking care so I can look good and maintain, but you can’t fight time. I want to age gracefully. I want to feel like I’m me.’
Research is increasingly showing that multi-tasking may not be the most efficient way to get stuff done. Try doing one thing at a time, giving it your full focus. (We like to tick items one by one off a ‘To Do’ list – Kikki.K is a favourite source of stationery.)
The mosquito season is upon us. So you might want to try rubbing basil on your skin; it’s a trick that’s been used in India and Africa for centuries.
Don’t be tempted to head for a tanning salon to make up for the fact you’ve been cooped up in #lockdown. The words ‘Never. Ever’ come to mind. Reach for the self-tanner, instead.
You know those spatulas that come with skincare…? Don’t just use them. Keep them clean. A grubby spatula is no better than a finger, so wash it with hot water, whenever you use it, and dry with cotton wool.
It’s going to be REALLY hard to remember the kit you need to travel, next time you’re going away. It will never be easier to forget essentials (and find yourself toothbrush/cleanser-less in a strange place). So unless you keep your sponge bag permanently packed, have a think and tuck a little packing checklist inside. And to avoid leaks, pack bottles containing liquids inside Ziploc sandwich bags, inside your kit.