Take a closer look at your bathroom shelf and you’ll find plenty of products that can do double duty to give your skincare products a whole other purpose. To inspire you, we've created our own list of satisfying skincare switch-ups to make the most of what you already own.
Hack 1: Use cleansing balm as a face mask
If your complexion is looking lacklustre, give it some extra TLC by dialling up the effects of your cleanser. The skin-loving nutrients in the Willowberry Nutrient Boost Cleansing Balm, bursting with vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids, double up perfectly as a nourishing, calming mask. Do a quick cleanse first, then apply a thin layer of the balm over the entire face (avoiding the eyes), leave for 15 minutes then wash off as usual, for instant skin glow.
Hack 2: Double the benefits of bath oil
This time of year can be very drying for skin. The cold weather combined with long hours spent inside centrally-heated homes result in skin that is dehydrated and can feel sore and itchy. Adding a nourishing bath oil to your tub is a low-maintenance way of helping your body to say bye to the dry but to really get your skin feeling silky soft again, massage the oil directly into your body. While you can do this as a treatment on its own, for the ultimate skin-nourishing treat, massage the oil into your body before adding a glug more to your bath and taking a soak, for baby-soft skin.
Hack 3: Use face oil as a highlighter
Tapping a facial oil onto the high points of your face not only adds glow but also acts as a more flattering alternative to powder-based highlighters, especially on more mature skin. It’s also a darn sight easier than trying to navigate a contour palette. Apply your make-up as usual then as a final step, tap a little facial oil (using your fingertips) onto the top of cheekbones, brow bones (underneath the eyebrow) and the bridge of the nose. The trick is not to use too much. Our Willowberry Nutrient Boost Face Oil is perfect for this, as it is light and easily absorbed so won’t sit too heavily on top of the skin. This way will add beautiful natural highlights whilst also imparting a moisturising boost.
Hack 4: Soap up your brows
Using soap to tame brows is an old school make-up artist trick turned internet sensation and has to be one of the easiest hacks around. Simply take a spoolie (easily available online) or a clean mascara brush and a bar of soap. Slightly dampen the spoolie and rub it gently into the soap (you only want a little). Brush brows upwards and slightly outwards to create the shape you want. This technique gives brows a natural, full look and keeps them perfectly tamed.
Hack 5: Maximise your moisturiser
The amazing fact about skincare super-ingredient hyaluronic acid is that it can retain 1,000 times its weight in moisture. That makes it an absolute hero when it comes to keeping skin hydrated and plumped up. Naturally present in the skin, hyaluronic acid is also present in Willowberry Nutrient Boost Day Cream along with nourishing rosehip, chia seed and vitamin E. If you only ever apply it your face however, you are missing a trick. To really make the most of all these skin-loving ingredients, don’t stop at the face when you apply your moisturiser: keep on going over the neck, chest and even massage a little into the hands and elbows. These areas lack moisture as we age, yet we often forget to hydrate them.
Hack 6: A facial in a bottle
Give yourself a facial gua sha massage with a couple of drops of Willowberry Nutrient Boost Face Oil. Gua sha is essentially a shaped flat stone massage tool, traditionally made from jade or quartz, that is gently rubbed upwards and outwards over the face to promote circulation and stimulate lymphatic drainage. Applying your facial oil first will ease slip of the massage tool over the face and prevent skin drag, while the technique will enhance the absorption of the beneficial vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids in the face oil.
There are plenty of tutorials online that can help you master the technique, or you can experiment with what feels best. Not only will it give your complexion a boost – there’s the immediate benefit of the rush of blood to the surface making you look healthier, more awake and glowy – but the minutes spent quietly focusing on the task also offer a calming meditative moment.
Willowberry is ‘Nutritious Natural’ skincare for grown-ups for your best skin. Loved by top make-up artists and facialists, Willowberry’s luxurious award-winning products protect skin’s natural barrier function, to nourish and transform grown-up skin. As seen in Vogue, The Independent, The Telegraph, This Morning and more.