I’m a skincare expert – my golden rules for anti-ageing won’t break the bank, you need a 75p buy and your fridge
A SKINCARE expert has revealed her golden rules of anti-ageing that will help you look refreshed, rested and youthful – and a must-have buy is only 75p
Fiona Ross, 33, is the founder of The Aesthetics Club which boasts clinics in Bearsden and Newton Mearns, both near Glasgow, and London.
But the aesthetics entrepreneur has revealed that you don’t always have to splash the cash to achieve a flawless face.
Fiona, who launched The Aesthetics Club in 2018, maintains that sticking to routines are crucial – but knows not everyone’s purse strings can stretch to expensive products.
So she’s shared her top skincare tips to suit all budgets – revealing what shoppers should, and shouldn’t splurge their hard-earned cash on when it comes to creams, serums, cleansers and more.
She said: “I’m big on not spending massive amounts of money on your cleanser and moisturiser.
“There are really nice, budget-friendly products that don’t break the bank.
“What I would try to spend money on is what we would call ‘correcting products’ or ‘treatment products’ that target issues like acne, redness, dryness etc.
“If you use those products that specifically target those concerns you can sandwich them with the cheaper options.”
More affordable at-home pampering is something Fiona is all for.
“I really like a mandelic peel every two weeks at home and I love using a gua sha – it should not be underestimated if your face is feeling a bit puffy. I use mine once or twice per week.”
And with Shein flogging a gua sha for as little as 75p, it works out as a very cost-effective skincare hack.
Fiona also stresses the importance of a morning and evening routine as she added: “In the morning I start with a cleanse with an exfoliating cleanser.
“At night I would always recommend doing a double cleanse as some makeup and SPF can be really stubborn to get off.
“Cleansing is very important because it is taking the day off for you. It will reduce congestion, blackheads and breakouts.”
The expert realises that no two faces are the same and skin concerns can vary depending on a range of circumstances – with age being one of the biggest factors to consider.
“In terms of anti-ageing advice I would say avoid sun, smoking, sugar and stress as much as possible.
“Sun and smoking are the top two, but sugar and stress can also cause a lot of skin issues.
“Meanwhile for younger, oily skin I would take oil completely out of the skin routine. Use oil free products and opt for cleansers that work against oil production. If something has BHAs and AHAs in it, that will help.
“If someone’s skin can’t create water it creates more oil, so sometimes getting the appropriate hydration is all they need.”
Ultimately Fiona has golden rules for anyone looking to improve or protect their skin.
“Double cleanse, apply SPF, keep eye care in the fridge, and put the remainder of products on the backs of your hands,” she said.
A special skincare treat
For those looking to splurge on special, powerful treatments, Fiona suggests some that she believes to be the most effective.
“I’m a huge fan of the Lyma Laser,” she said.
“It is more effective than at home LED lights, I do that every evening if I remember.”
And for that ‘deep clean’ feeling, Fiona will always recommend a facial.
She added: “I don’t get as many facials as I would like. With Oxylight I love that there are six steps and they really combat a range of concerns.
“You get a good exfoliation, but you’re not dry afterwards, you get dewy skin but also a deep clean. It’s amazing if you have a special event like a wedding and you want that really glowing, sculpted hydrated skin.
“It’s something that I would love to do more of but I don’t seem to fit it in – the results are incredible.
“Also, Moxi laser treatment is amazing, it completely transforms the skin. After the treatment you will experience dryness but only for four to five days.
“It’s excellent if you’re looking for rejuvenation and a more advanced treatment. I think it’s great if you want the results but don’t have the time for downtime in a busy schedule.”
While these treatments can be pricey, Fiona believes they save money long term.
She said: “Investing more upfront for treatments like moxi can save you in the long run because you’re doing really good groundwork for your skin quality.
“That can often mean that you don’t have to do treatments in the future such as injectables, botox, fillers and skin boosting treatments.
“You’ve set off that excellent cascade, you’re working on your skin quality and not having to do anything else alongside it because the results can be so dramatic.”
Fiona has also brought cutting-edge treatments and skincare used by Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston to Scotland.
Her most recent move saw the introduction of Oxylight, a six-step facial to achieve the ‘filtered skin’ look, and Moxi, a laser that achieves non-ablative skin resurfacing, to her Newton Mearns clinic.
The Aesthetics Club is also one of only a few firms in the country to offer Ameela, also known as ‘salmon sperm’ facials.
Ameela is an injectable gel made up of polynucleotides. These skin boosters interact with fibroblasts – the cells that produce collagen and elastin.
They hydrate, firm and contour while reducing free radical damage under the skin – one of the main contributors to ageing.
With Ameela, its polynucleotides are derived from salmon DNA.
Fiona hails the Ameela injections as an “amazing and powerful anti-ageing solution”.
She added: “We will always strive to be at the forefront of technologies and modalities offering best evidence-based treatments.”