Tiffany's skincare diary

Tiffany’s routine

Age: 28

Skin type: Combination

Trinny London Copywriter Tiffany, 28, has combination skin. Her complexion tends to feel dry overall, with the potential to experience hormonal breakouts across her chin, forehead and cheeks. Her skin goal is a clearer, more comfortable complexion with an even tone.

Overall, Tiffany takes pretty good care of her skin. She’s dabbled with vitamin C, moisturises twice a day and religiously applies an SPF every morning. She’s even perfected her evening double cleanse, washing once to remove her makeup and SPF, and a second time to give her pores a thorough clear out.

Step 1: Cleanse

What Tiffany hasn’t managed to master is finding a cleanser that leaves her skin satisfyingly clean but not tight. That was until she introduced the Trinny London Better Off AHA/PHA Gel Cleanser into her routine. The kind-to-skin formula combines gentle exfoliation with conditioning ingredients for a clearer, smoother complexion.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Tiffany is also yet to explore the wonderful world of liquid exfoliation, which is why we introduced her to the concept with Trinny London TIptoe In, our PHA exfoliant. This formulation is the perfect starting point for newbies to the category, delivering effective exfoliation without irritation. It’s all thanks to the large molecule size of poly-hydroxy acids, which allows them to break down the bonds holding dead skin cells to the surface without penetrating too deeply.

“I’m really loving it,” said Tiffany after seven days of use. “I feel like my skin is looking a bit clearer and definitely brighter.”

“I love that I can use it every single day, twice a day, without worrying about my skin being irritated. A really big thing I’ve noticed is that my skin doesn’t feel as dry as it did before – all of those dead skin cells are leaving my face which is amazing. As a result, I don’t feel like I need such a heavy moisturiser, which has been a real, real game-changer.”

Step 3: Serum

No matter your skin type, lack of glow is a common gripe. Vitamin C offers a brilliant way to bring life and vibrancy back to a complexion that has lost its zest. Tiffany used Boost Up, our 30% vitamin C serum, in the morning to help protect her skin from radiance-robbing free radicals that come from things like pollution. It is worth noting that Boost Up is highly active, and a patch test on the forearm is advised before first use. After three weeks of use for Tiffany, the results were clear to see. “Honestly I can’t tell you how much brighter my skin is looking,” says Tiffany. “I have had so many compliments.”

To support that glow, as well as target those first signs of ageing and pesky hormonal breakouts, Tiffany introduced a retinal serum in the evening. Overnight Clarity, our retinal + niacinamide serum, is the perfect introduction to retinoids, and does a brilliant job of clearing existing blemishes, as well as keeping new ones at bay.

“I have read a lot about how retinoids are important to have in your routine but I have always felt quite overwhelmed by the amount of options,” explains Tiffany. “Which is why I was so excited to try Overnight Clarity.” Forget everything you’ve heard about retinols causing irritation — our next-generation retinal offers all of the gain with none of the pain. Think game-changing, no-strings attached results.

“After three weeks my skin looks really glowy and even,” says Tiffany. “I definitely feel that a lot of the dark marks that I had, left over from picking spots, are toned down too. When I’m having those bad skin days, when it feels like my skin is plotting against me, knowing that I have this in my routine makes me feel really confident.”

Step 4: Moisturise

As Tiffany has combination skin, a good moisturiser is key to nourish the drier parts, without overwhelming her oilier T-zone. Energise Me, our lightweight gel-cream, is just the ticket, and can be used day and night.

“It feels really nice and nourishing and is good for keeping oiliness under control throughout the day,” says Tiffany. “You can immediately see how much glowier my skin looks, without feeling like it's over-loaded with oil and pore-clogging moisture. This is really working for me.”