Caroline Hirons is one of the most influential people in beauty. She is trained in well over 100 beauty brands and is a globally qualified advanced aesthetician. She has been in retail beauty space for 35 years and has worked as a consultant to brands in the beauty industry for 15 years. So it was a no-brainer she was invited to join Mamamia's The Skin Summit.
During their session, Caroline Hirons spoke to Mamamia's co-founder, Mia Freedman, about the things she really wishes people would stop doing to their skin, celebrity skincare lines, and how to help your teen's skin.
Here are the five biggest takeaways.
1. Please stop using makeup wipes.
Caroline Hirons wants you to stop using makeup wipes. Now, please.
"If you have some form of a disability, whether it is a physical disability or mental disability and the most you can manage is wipes for your face, do what you need to do," she told Mia Freedman.
"But for the able-bodied person who has the time and the ability to wash their face. You have no business using makeup wipes.
"Look, if you only ever wiped your ass and never washed it, you'd smell like s**t and no one would want to be your friend. Don't make your face smell like s**t."
Got that analogy burned into your brain? Great!
Save the makeup wipes for emergencies only. Camping, festivals, or flights.
Oh, and while we're on things you need to stop doing to your skin... Stop wearing makeup to bed, cut out smoking, too many exfoliating ingredients are never a good thing, and for goodness’ sake, always wear SPF.
2. Celebrity skincare lines usually aren't worth the money... but not in all cases.
Celebrity skincare lines have a bit of a bad reputation which Caroline Hirons argues is, for the most part, well-earned.
But, there are a few that are worth the money if you're currently in the market for a new buy.
"There is scope for celebrities to do skincare well, and I just treat everything that comes across my desk as an individual product. I don't care who made it. Let's just see what the product actually does," Caroline said on skincare that's worth the money.
"The Hailey Bieber [skincare line, Rhode] was actually affordable.
"She's selling very well to her demographic, you know, her glaze moisturiser. I joked earlier that I need the whole dough, not just the glaze, but it's very nice and she's not trying to rip people off."
The Selena Gomez line, Rare Beauty, while basic is a strong contender. And for men, Caroline says the Pharrell Williams line is great.
Kim Kardashian's 16-something-step skincare line though? Not worth the expensive price tag.
3. Take your teen's skin concerns seriously.
"I think the biggest mistake we make with our teenagers is not taking them seriously," Caroline said.
"When your kid says to you: 'my skin is really getting me down.' [Don't] say 'oh, you're fine, you're beautiful to me'... they don't care. They do not care. All they care about is that their friends look better to them in their eyes and it's really, really demoralising. So taking them seriously helps."
Teen skin can have a whole set of unique concerns which can be treated effectively with the right information.
A common skin concern for teens is known as fungal acne.
"It's the little red, tiny little red spots on their forehead, and it can be managed by using a fungal shampoo," Caroline says.
"It's really common with all the hormones, and dirt, and sweat, and androgens... It all gathers like a perfect storm.
"You can use a mild gel, an antifungal shampoo... Change their pillowcases a couple of times a week, make sure they're using oil-free products... Everyone is different but remind them it's very common."
4. If your skin goes haywire, your hormones are probably haywire.
Speaking of hormonal teenage skin, breakouts in your 40s and 50s aren't usually an everyday occurrence, Caroline says.
"I would recommend someone immediately go and see their GP or a hormone doctor [if they're breaking out in their 40s]... If your skin goes haywire, your hormones are haywire."
Skin changes can be an early sign of perimenopause, which Caroline herself experienced.
"I had to completely change my skincare [when I started perimenopause]. I was getting spots and they wouldn't heal because you're slower to heal once you're menopausal."
5. If you're going to squeeze a pimple, do it like this.
We've all been there. Despite the world's best advice telling us never to pop a pimple, it can be an impulse that's just too strong.
So if you're going to do it, at least do it right.
"The thing to remember is [your pimple] needs to have a head, you can't squeeze it if it's red. Leave it alone, hit it with acid and some oil or a retinoid and let it come to a head..."
Next Caroline wants you to get the head out and stop before you start bleeding. "That's when you scar."
"Be gentle, go over it immediately with an acid and don't pick from the top, come in from the sides and bring it out like that.
"You know, if in doubt, watch Dr. Pimple Popper."
Did you miss The Skin Summit presented by Mamamia? Get on-demand access to the best skin experts in the world. Whether you love nerding out over a 12-step skincare routine or still use a bar of soap, the summit is the secret to the best skin of your life. Streaming directly to your couch. Catch up on-demand here.
You can find Caroline Hirons on Instagram, Twitter or on YouTube.
Feature Image: Mamamia