Do you need to portion control your beauty products?

Do you ever wonder how much moisturiser you should use, how much shampoo is enough to clean without dulling the hair? Well after a little research these are  my top tips – not based on any qualifications just some good old fashioned research and experience as well as an addiction to beauty products!

For the face

If you have blemish problems then use just a little product designed for this as it can be too harsh and drying. If you over treat it you can find that your skin will dry out and become too dry. I have quite acne prone skin combined with sensitive skin. I am currently getting microdermabrasion combined with using Dermalogica products for sensitised skin and I am noticing a real difference. I use just a little and it has made such a difference.

Although you should be careful with harsher products, there is no need to tight with the moisturiser. In fact, you should apply a little more than you think and massage well into exfoliated skin.

According to my beautician, I used too much eye cream. This resulted in a build-up under the skin and she advised that all I needed was a pea-sized amount. 25 per cent of this should go under the lash line which you apply by patting, another 25 per cent should go above the eye then repeat on the other eye.

For foundation, again less is more. Foundation will stay on better and be more natural looking if you apply layers of little amounts as opposed to a great big dollop! Apply one thin layer, let it be absorbed while you do something else (your hair, your nails!) and then apply another thin layer. Only then do you need to apply concealer – applying it before your foundation means that you will have to apply more as you are not taking into account the coverage that your foundation provides.

For the hair

My hairdresser told me about 6 years ago that I was using too much shampoo and it was dulling my hair. This is common and with short hair you should use just about a 1p size amount, larger for longer hair and you might need more if you live in a hard water area if you find that you have difficulty building up a lather. Your roots need more shampoo while the ends need more conditioning. Then when you are out of the shower, dunk your head under a cold tap to seal the follicles and increase shine.

Use the least amount of styling products that you can get away with but always apply a heat protector to protect the hair from harsh blowdrying and straighteners.