The only three products you REALLY need in your skincare regime

This scientifically proven trio is all you need to get the best skin of your life...

I know how busy you are, and that you may not have the brain space to read up on the latest ‘how, what and why’ when it comes to your beauty regime – so I’m laying it all out here for you.

What if I said you don’t need shelves bursting with products to keep your skin looking good. What if, actually, you only really needed three incredible hero products?

Over the years, skincare has become complicated, with multi-step routines and social media feeds filled with this ‘must-have’ or that ‘next-big-thing’. The noise can often become too much, not to mention the cost of investing in one beauty product after the next.

Speak to any dermatologist, they’ll agree that vitamin C, SPF and retinol (vitamin A) are the Magic Trio; the only scientifically proven ingredients that can actually impact how skin ages. That’s not to say masks or oils aren’t necessary – you can use them if you enjoy them, I certainly do – but they won’t affect your skin in the same way using active ingredients will.

You know by now; SPF should be worn all year round. UV rays account for 90% of skin ageing, and your SPF battles this. But studies show sunscreen alone doesn’t protect against all of the free radicals caused by UV radiation - the ones that cause signs of ageing; pigmentation, fine lines etc. Layering an anti-oxidant beneath it stops that free radical damage from happening.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant & a great tool for brightening the skin. It has so many benefits; it tackles hyperpigmentation, reduces redness, protects from environmental aging, boosts collagen production (therefore plumping up fine lines), helps heal breakouts, sunburns and generally leaves your skin looking glowy and bright. Apply this onto cleansed skin, before your SPF.

Then, in the evening we need Vitamin A - aka: retinol. Hailed as the gold standard of anti-ageing it works by stimulating collagen production (boosting plumpness), accelerating skin cell turnover, sloughing away dead, dull skin cells from the surface of the skin to reveal the newer, radiant ones, smoothing out fine lines, and tackling pigmentation and acne marks.

Here are my favourite vitamin C, SPF and retinol products to add to your skincare routine… (*use code THISISMOTHERSHIP for a discount)

• I often find Vitamin C’s cause me to break out, but these don’t:

SkinCeuticals Silymarin, £165 // *L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Clinical 12% Pure Vitamin C Serum, £16 // *Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced, £56

• Start low & slow with retinol, use 2x a week slowly building up to nightly and get ready to see your skin transform:

Beginner: The Inkey List Starter Retinol Serum, £12 // Intermediate: Medik8 Crystal Retinal 10, £71 // Advanced: Skin Rocks Retinoid 3, £90

• The key to wearing SPF daily is finding one that feels more like a luxe moisturiser than a holiday-type formula. These are the ones that I rate:

*Lancaster Sun Perfecting Illuminating Cream SPF50, £40 // La Roche Posay Anthelios Age Correct SPF50, £26 // Eucerin Oil Control Gel Cream SPF50, £19