Is growing up with good skincare habits down to chance – or is it a family thing?

Sponsored feature in partnership with Boots No.7

Did I get skin care tips from my Mum? Not many really. She used to have a pot of something called vanishing cream when I was very small. She rubbed that on followed by a dab of loose powder from a mother of pearl compact and then a slick of lipstick and that was her done. Over the years I think she might have updated the moisturiser she used but I’m pretty sure she washed her face with soap. I always wanted to be the little girl on the soap ad and there was a competition every year to find the cutest child. I used the soap thinking that it would make me pretty enough for the ad – I think that I was expecting a bit much really!

I did get one tip from my Auntie Bessie (no it’s nothing to do with frozen Yorkshires!) about splashing your face with cold water to close the pores. I wasn’t convinced that it worked and to be honest I didn’t do it often enough to find out – much too chilly for me!

I think that perhaps a stronger influence was my brother – he didn’t teach me about skin care but he did work in a factory making mascara and so I had the chance to buy discounted make up and skin care from the factory shop.

When I first started work the older girls introduced me to high-end products that I could barely afford and I would save up patiently and then hope to get a gift with product so that I could try out some of the newest formulas.

Have I passed on any advice to my daughter? I think it’s been more about setting an example than giving advice. I’ve never smoked and I always try to avoid too much sun and I think that these are really key ways to prevent skin damage.

As for what I put on my skin I’ve taught her the benefits of moisturising and using SPF and helped her to select cleansing products that are right for her skin. But it wasn’t until I started to blog that I learned more about how to layer skin care products and how you can create the right cocktail of products for you. I’d heard about serum and used serum before I blogged but I thought that you either used a serum or a moisturiser but I’ve learned so much over the last three years and I’ve passed on everything I’ve learned to my daughter.

We have very different skin types. She’s younger of course but also has skin that tans easily and leans towards being oily whereas mine is combination with a tendency to burn. So we each need something a little different. But the principles are still the same.

Learning from experience and adding a new twist? I’ve figured out that what probably happened in my family and probably for a lot of people is that we learn from those around us. We learn from our mistakes (don’t over pluck your eyebrows for example!) and then we innovate and try new things and follow fashion a bit and things evolve. I think that the same thing might have happened with Boots No 7. It’s been around for generations too. More than 80 years – so it was around when my Mum was young. It’s continually reinvented itself to keep up with the times and it’s innovation and research and development that’s made it into the brand it is today.

Boots No 7 serum for all generations. I’m pretty sure that most of you will have heard about the independent research that showed that a No 7 serum was proven to improve the appearance of wrinkles. They made a documentary about it 10 years ago and since then they’ve been continuously working to understand what makes skin age.

The latest is the No 7 Restore & Renew Face & Neck Multi Action Serum. It’s been specifically designed for mature skin – which is why I’ve been putting it through its paces – and it’s a multi action serum that’s been clinically proven to deliver anti-aging results.

I’ve been surprised by the texture and feel. It goes on with maybe something like the look and feel of a primer rather than the usual wetness of a serum – if that makes any sense at all? So it instantly makes my skin look and feel better. When I feel confident about how my skin looks then I feel ready to take on the day.

It has anti-wrinkle firming and lightening complexes from clinically proven No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced and Lift & Luminate serums as well as a unique skin fortifying complex of calcium, amino acids and ceramides. All coming together to provide essential nutrition to make your skin look and feel like young skin.

The promise from Boots No 7 is that after one week you will look more radiant and your skin will feel firmer. I’m one week in to trialing it and feel I can definitely tick that box! After 2 weeks they say you’ll look younger, revitalised and lifted. I’ve a few more days trial to go before I’m at the 2 week point but I figure that this change won’t be so much one I’ll notice but I’ll know it’s worked if people start to tell me I look well. That’s the best test.

All the Boots No.7 serums contain the highest concentration of anti-aging ingredients in formulas that absorb really quickly to penetrate deep into the skin. There’s one suitable for every age so you can pick the one that’s right for you. You can find them Boots stores and on-line here.

Join the Twitter chat & get the chance to win No.7 skincare treats! I’ll be joining in with the @WeAreThirtyPlus twitter chat on Thursday 13 April at 8-9pm GMT and I’d love you to join me to celebrate the skin care tips, regimes or traditions that have been passed down and to get some bespoke skincare advice from No.7’s skincare expert. There will also be the chance to win one of 10 goody bags filled with No.7 skincare treats. Here’s the social media info you’ll need:  @WeAreThirtyPlus #Generation30Plus #No7Ready

Looking forward to chatting to you all there! And as always feel free to comment below.

Hazel

This is a sponsored post and contains PR samples and affiliate links. Opinions are, as always, my own.