The Quest For Perfect Skin

I never believed I would be someone with good skin. For thirty years of my life I waged a war with my body’s largest organ. I doused it in acids; attacked it with lasers, I picked at it and smothered it in foundations that were thick and suffocating. I dreamed of having anyone’s skin except the one I found myself in.

My problem was not so much acne as it was a weird, almost pebbly texture that plagued me from my teenage years right up until my late 30s. If I got caught under any sort of light -daylight, strip lighting, changing room mirror lighting- my entire face looked like a 18th century cobbled street. No one could fix it.

Instead I tried to excavate these tiny bump with finger tips, nail edges and on one occasion a scalpel I bought off Amazon. (Never try this at home please). The result was terrible scarring, pot holes and bumps that instead of refusing to go away started to meander down my face towards my neck.

In the early days of courtship with my husband I would drape my hair over my face in the mornings so that he would not see the scares and holes, fearing as I did that he would leave me once he saw the creature beneath the foundation. And in our wedding pictures, taken almost a decade later, my hair is arranged strategically across my cheekbones so as to minimise the (imagined) stares and gasps of those who watched me walk down the aisle.

By the time I hit my late thirties I had all but given up on finding any form of salvation for my skin. Besides, life seemed too short. Instead I trucked on with life and it’s many decisions: to have or not to have children? To embark on the ‘big career’? To roost in city or country? And my skin and all its woes settled to a soft, background little grumble.

And then, maybe around 42 something miraculous happened. Looking in the mirror one day I noticed the lumps had all but disappeared. (To this day I have no idea why, other than it must have been some long, drawn out hormonal issue.) And there, in its place was rather nice-looking, olive skin. Time had dulled the scarring and gentle pigmentation (which I think can look rather cute- like a little spray of chocolate milkshake caught on cheekbones) disguised the pin pricks. I had lines sure, but they were soft and fine and told of a life of gentle smiles and frowning concentration.

Today I often get asked about my skin. Which is bizarre to me. People enquire about the products I use, how much sun I take and whether I have ‘good genes’. (It is true I come from a long family line of good skin, which made having bad skin for the first three decades of my life so frustrating.)

I don’d do anything especially complex for my skin. A good cleanser. A reliable facial tool. Water. As much of it as I can remember to drink. And a few little potions and weird bits I picked up in Japan whilst on holiday there a few years ago- which you can find below.

But mainly we’re just on better terms nowadays. No grumbles. No Amazon scalpels. No hate talk. Just appreciation for the skin I’m in.

Share

My skin saviours

And here’s the things I use again and again…

An At-Home Facial Tool

Everyone has gone a bit nuts for ZIIP Halo - the at-home facial device that I started using about 8 months ago- and with good reason. They sent me one last year and I’ve been using it religiously ever since. It is super easy to use, which is a huge plus point for me as I hate anything fiddly and complicated- and the benefits have been extraordinary. In fact I’d go as far as to say this year I’ve had the best skin of my life so this is definitely a staple for me. Yes it’s a little pricey but when you consider it’s the price of two facials at a spa, it’s actually very good value. You can use it in a variety of ways- in place of a facial as a way to make skin smooth and glossy (which I do before a night out) but also to target bigger, deeper concerns like texture and sagging. Personally I don’t use it for a snatched jawline but I do like a bit of a lift around the chin area, so I use ZIIP once a week around the chin and jaw area. They also have a very good app which sends one of the 17 different facial treatments in the device and then off you go. Some of my favourite treatments are for face lifting, collagen boosting, targeting fine lines and another that I like which concentrates on lymphatic drainage.

All readers of Things Worth knowing will hey 10 per cent off a device AND get a free full sized Silver Conducting hydrating and plumping gel worth £69.99 to use with it if you pop the words ZPFARRAH in at check-out. If you do splurge let me know- would love to know how you get on. Use this link to get your ZIIP Halo and free gel.

A simple serum

I have banged on about this brand before but I will say it again: Emma Lewisham’s Skin Reset Serum is the best thing I have ever put on my face. It’s light but hydrating and leaves my skin dewy and fresh.

A detoxing mask

Of course there had to be one French product on here, since the French are so good with skincare. I love a mask that detoxes skin (I’m also partial to those terrible pore strips), declogging pores and leaving skin squeaky clean. Masque Vivant is a little pricey but works so well. Skin is left matte, firm and with every bit of dirt hoovered out of your pores. Dr Barbara Sturm’s Clarifying Mask is also very good- and the 20ml is cheap enough to give it a try.

For my other secret saviours see below