How 3 facialists anti-age their skin so it looks THIS good

The ONLY facialist skincare tips to know...

Save for dermatologists, only one other group of complexion caretakers is firmly acquainted with the intimate workings of skin prone to spots, pigmentation and fine lines.

We rely on superstar facialists to help us put our best, flawless faces forward. But, we can't help but wonder, how do they care for their own skin? And what do they think a truly great skincare routine consists of?

Below find the ultimate guide to looking like you just twirled out from a mind-bendingly relaxing high-tech facial...

Michaella Bolder

Celebrity facialist and St Tropez ambassador Michaella Bolder has over a decade's worth of experience working in the beauty industry. These are her top facialist skincare tips:

1. Spend the most time on your cleanse

In the morning I leave 5 minutes to massage my face and neck using the Rodial Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm. This kickstarts lymphatic drainage, stimulates blood circulation and plumps muscles.

Rodial Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm, John Lewis

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Then I rinse off with cold water and follow with 30 splashes to my face! It is the best way to awaken your senses and close up your pores - it's probably one of my favourite facialist skincare tips to share.

At night I always leave around 20 minutes to triple cleanse. I start with Bioderma Sensibio H20 Make-Up Removing Solution Sensitive Skin to remove all signs of make-up.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Make-Up Removing Solution Sensitive Skin, Lookfantastic

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Then I will use an oil or balm to dig deeper to remove daily grime. I do this twice and again take this time to massage.

2. Invest in two different types of hyaluronic acid

I press Skinceuticals H.A. Intensifier into my skin while it is still damp in the morning.

Skinceuticals H.A. Intensifier

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Then at night I will apply two different versions of hyaluronic acid – one lightweight with smaller molecules that penetrate deeper into the skin and one heavier serum with larger molecules that sit and plump up the skin’s upper layers.

3. Swap make-up for self-tan

I’m not a lover of wearing make-up so I self-tan my face every other day using St Tropez Self Tan Purity Face Mist. It gives my skin a colour boost and a shot of hyaluronic acid at skincare-level amounts.

St Tropez Self Tan Purity Face Mist, Lookfantastic

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4-5 pumps over the top of my La Mer Moisturising Cream and Ultrasun sunscreen leaves my skin dewy and glowing.

La Mer Moisturising Cream, John Lewis

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Ultrasun SPF 50+ Anti-Ageing Ultra Sensitive Facial Sun Cream, John Lewis

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4. Use an acid toner before bed

I love to use gentle acids on my face rather than exfoliating with creams or using more aggressive acids such as glycolic because I have dry skin already.

The INKEY List has a great PHA Toner, which I sweep around my face, neck and chest on a reusable cotton or bamboo pad. I will do this a few times until the pad feels nearly dry and then pause for a few moments before applying my serum to allow the PHA to lift away dull skin cells.

The Inkey List PHA Toner, Cult Beauty

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5. Oil up to banish stress and nourish dry skin 

Tropic Elixir Age-Defying Omega Oil or Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum are my go to’s – I sometimes even mix them both together as they offer natural and organic plant extracts along with relaxing scents to get my skin and mind ready for bed.

Tropic Elixir Age-Defying Omega Oil

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Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum, Net-A-Porter

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I always apply my oil in bed as I like to prop my head against something so I can use a decent amount of pressure on my facial muscles.

My massage technique is simple: I use my knuckles on my jaw and cheek muscles and then my fingers around my eyes and forehead before a Gua Sha scraper (sometimes straight out of the freezer) or jade roller drains away unwanted fluids and sculpts the muscles.

Teresa Tarmey

With a client list that boasts some of the most beautiful faces in the world, Teresa Tarmey is renowned for targeted skincare and pioneering technology. Her top facialist skincare tips are:

1. Keep things simple

I’m not a huge fan of layering products.

My beauty mantra is ‘skipcare’ – in other words, skip the 10-step regimes and only using two or three products at a time.

In the morning I do a quick cleanse - I’m currently testing my new Teresa Tarmey Cleanser, which I’ll be launching soon. It’s a hydrating face wash, which I think is the best cleanser. I prefer it over a balm or cream cleanser, which I find clogs pores.

I always road test my lab samples on myself for a few months to get first-hand experience of their efficacy.

Then I use my Cryo-Ball for around 5 minutes to depuff my skin. The cold constricts the blood vessels and makes everything tighter plus you stimulate lymphatic drainage by rolling it in circles over your face.

Teresa Tarmey Cryo-Ball Cryotherapy Kit, Harvey Nichols

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Finally I apply my serum and Heliocare SPF, which has a tint so I don’t need foundation. The sun is the most ageing thing for skin so I wear SPF every day, come rain or shine.

Heliocare Color Gelcream Light SPF50, Skin City

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2. Spend your money on serums

Serums contain more actives than your face cream so will make more of a difference at targeting your concerns. They also penetrate better into the skin as they are generally lighter and made up of smaller molecules than the rest of your skincare.

After age 30, you’re losing 1% of your collagen a year so it’s important to invest in a serum that helps skin to replenish its lost reserves. I swear by Neostrata Skin Active Firming Collagen Booster Serum.

Neostrata Skin Active Firming Collagen Booster Serum, Lookfantastic

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I alternate every other night between my Teresa Tarmey Retinol serum, which is gentle but still amazing at fighting wrinkles and acne, and a new product I’ve started using called Emepelle Serum. It's basically packed with a blend of retinol, peptides and hyaluronic acid to address collagen loss during menopause.

Teresa Tarmey Retinol

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Emepelle Serum

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3. Use lactic acid on acne-prone skin

I love lactic acid as it’s perfect for keeping my skin exfoliated and smooth.

It’s also brightening but doesn’t dry the skin out, which is important for acne-prone skin as you don’t want to trigger more oil production to overcompensate.

Unlike glycolic acid, it generally suits most skin types, too.

4. Microneedle + peptides once a week

It’s actually why I created my Teresa Tarmey Microneedling Kit as it has everything I’d want from a weekly facial in it.

Teresa Tarmey Microneedling Kit, Net-A-Porter

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Don’t be intimidated by the microneedling roller. It has tiny needles to deliver the peptide treatment deep into the skin and they don’t hurt, so there’s no downtime.

Your skin interprets the tiny tears in your skin as wounds and shuttles more collagen to the area to ‘heal’ them. That's probably one of my top facialist skincare tips as just this one thing is so effective at making skin look plump and juicy.

Kate Kerr

Loved by beauty editors and royalty alike, Kate Kerr is your go-to for treating everything from rosacea to lines and pigmentation. These are her top facialist skincare tips:

1. Stick to one brand

Especially when using medical grade skincare because it has very advanced delivery systems that carry active ingredients deeply into the skin.

I use the ZO Skin Health line and if you mix and match it with other products you run the risk of pulling ingredients down into skin layers where they are not designed to work.

2. Take your salicylic acid cleanser over your eyes

Yes, really. I use the ZO Skin Health Offects Exfoliating Cleanser on my face and neck but also over my eyes as it helps to control oil in the lash line, which leads to irritated, bloodshot eyes.

Zo Skin Health Offects Exfoliating Cleanser

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3. Combine chemical and physical exfoliators

After using my salicylic acid cleanser I exfoliate with a polish to remove dead skin cells, which encourages fresh ones to come to the fore and stops skin looking flat.

I then wipe over the skin with ZO Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads, which again contain salicylic acid and help to control oil during the day, calm inflammation and ensure that acne bacteria isn’t thriving on the skin.

Zo Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads

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4. Control oil production if you have rosacea

My rosacea is now under control because I use Zo Skin Health Rozatrol to reduce excess oil.

Rosacea activates the sebaceous glands and causes them to produce an overabundance of oil, which can cause inflammation and lead to red, sensitised skin.

Zo Skin Health Rozatrol

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5. Make your facemask work harder

Once or twice a week I use an Enzymatic Peel from AlumierMD. I leave that on for 20 minutes after cleansing and it really brightens the skin, exfoliates and also preps my skin for a facemask.

I like to apply the SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque straight after the peel. It deep cleanses but also has alpha hydroxy acids to exfoliate.

I do a lymphatic drainage massage, basically a press and pat technique, while the mask is on to help drain away toxins. I then take it off and apply a sheet mask to really plump the skin.

AlumierMD Enzymatic Peel

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SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque, £60, Lookfantastic

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No wonder these gurus and their clients have skin as smooth and gleaming as glass. Proof, wouldn't you say, that the best advice really does come from a facialist?