From viral lifestyle trends to smart sleep tips, TikTok is a source of knowledge for those of us looking for tips and tricks to make our lives easier, especially when it comes to skin care.
Experts ranging from brand founders to dermatologists and estheticians have created TikTok accounts to dispel skincare myths (glycolic acid isn’t a good deodorant alternative), share helpful skincare tips (try layering with SPF)
and Recommendations for the most popular skin care brands currently. The app is also very helpful for those who struggle with skin issues like acne and eczema or are looking for a simple skin care guide.
In fact, while browsing the app, it’s hard not to come across someone sharing their “game-changing” skincare routine. While there are some methods you should avoid, there are some real gems, including genius techniques and
affordable skin care brands.
If your current skincare routine isn’t meeting your needs, or you’re just looking for a change, we’ve rounded up the smartest skincare routines TikTokers have been sharing lately – where you can shop all the brilliant specials.
Skin care routine for oily and combination skin. Posted by Nicolle Finn, certified dermatology assistant, this morning skincare routine for oily skin can easily be adapted to the evening. It all starts with a foaming cleanser.
Nicolle recommends La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel (£15), which foams on contact with water and quickly dissolves oil. Next, Nicolle recommends The Ordinary’s 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc Serum, £5. Niacinamide
minimizes oil production (preventing breakouts), reduces the appearance of large pores, and relieves inflammation or redness. The last step is to apply a moisturizing sunscreen with a high SPF.
While Nicolle’s favorite Biossance product isn’t available in the UK, R29 is Polaar Very High Protection SPF50+ Sunscreen Lotion (£22), which absorbs quickly and leaves no white streak.
At night, you can swap your niacinamide serum for a gentle retinol serum, such as Versed Press Restart Gentle Restart Gentle Retinol Serum (£20), followed by a light moisturizer. Eye cream is optional.
Dermatologist Dr. Adel shares her favorite skincare routine for dry skin, which includes many gentle favorites. La Roche-Posay’s Lipikar Syndet AP+ Shower Gel (£19) is a great cleanser, followed by Naturium’s 5% Quadruple
Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£18), applied to damp skin for maximum hydration.
If you want a cheaper option, check out The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, £7.75. If you want to add an exfoliation step to your evening routine, one of the gentlest acid exfoliants is lactic acid, such as The Ordinary’s
Lactic Acid 5% + HA, £6.75.
Next up is La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Soothing Face and Body Balm (£18), which is packed with skin-repairing ingredients to soothe and protect even the most sensitive skin.
For your morning routine, simply skip the lactic step and apply a high-SPF sunscreen after your moisturizer, such as moisturizer. B. Vichy Idéal Soleil Anti-Aging Sunscreen Lotion, £18.95. Skin care routine that’s neither too
oily nor too drying
Dermatologist Dr. Jenny Liu has the perfect daily skin care regimen that’s neither too oily nor too dry. Cleansing twice a day (morning and evening) is your first step. Choose a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin and
cause tightness or discomfort, such as: B.
Honest Beauty Gentle Cleansing Gel, £13.50. PhD. Liu recommends using a vitamin C serum after cleansing in the morning to boost brightness and protect against environmental aggressors like pollution. R29 likes Lumene Nordic C
[Valo] Glow Boost Serum, £32.90.
Then apply a layer of moisturizer, followed by a high SPF sunscreen or simply a hydrating sunscreen. Apply these products to the eye area to add moisture. At night, swap your vitamin C serum and sunscreen for a retinol serum,
followed by moisturizer.
Priced at R29 are Olay Retinol 24 Unscented Night Serum, £19, and Liz Earle Skin Repair Light, £25. Daily care for acne-prone skin. Dermatologist Dr. Howard, aka @dermbeautydoc on TikTok, makes acne skin care easier in this
short video.
Start your evening routine with a double cleanse (cleanse twice to really remove makeup and oil) with CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, £11.50. Next up is Paula’s Choice’s Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Salicylic Acid Toner,
£28.90, which opens pores and smoothes skin texture. If you want to be more eco-friendly, apply with a cotton pad or your fingers. Follow with a light moisturizer. PhD. Howard recommends SkinCeuticals Cream (£140), which leaves
skin feeling soft and radiant a cheaper alternative is SVR SEBIACLEAR Hydra Moisturizer, £15. Dermatologists also recommend alternating the use of salicylic acid and a mild retinoid serum each night to unclog pores. However,
this comes down to your personal preference and what your skin can tolerate.
Cleaning up in the morning is enough. Paula’s Choice Salicylic Acid Toner can also be used in the morning. However, if you apply a skin acid, be sure to follow it up with a sunscreen with a high SPF
such as Sunscreen. B. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Liquid SPF50+ Sunscreen, £19.50. Because acids can make skin sensitive to sunlight.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
