Body & beauty

NH’s Talking About: Skincare Sticks

Tired of decanting your various moisturisers and cleansers into containers before you head through security? Skincare sticks are the beauty industry’s answer to liquid-free beauty products

While skin-care sticks are a great solution to summer skin woes, not all them are full of natural ingredients. To find out what we should be looking for to help protect our skin, we asked skincare and facialist expert Chelsee Lewis (chelseelewis.co.uk) what ingredients are summer-skin-friendly and what products she would recommend. Many skincare sticks contain nourishing butters and oils, such as coconut oil, and when these are formulated into a stick, you get a more condensed version of your product, which means that you’ll end up using less. “For day protection, I would suggest looking for something that has vitamin C in it to help protect your skin from pollution and UV rays,” says Chelsee. “Citrus properties are good for lightening up your complexion as well, so look for ingredients such as grapefruit extract, sweet orange, and lemon if you want to achieve glowy looking skin.” During the summer months, keeping your skin hydrated is important if you want to prevent your skin from drying out. Natural beauty brand Burt’s Bees have also released a Hydrating Facial Stick with Aloe Water, £10.20, amazon.com, which is rich in antioxidants – great for UV protection and helping to repair your skin from existing damage. The roll-up applicator on this product makes it travel-friendly, so you can keep it in your weekend bag without worrying about leaks or spillages. For those who want to go make-up free during the warmer weather, sticks like the Turmeric Spot Treatment from Cocokind, £10, freepeople.co.uk, contain ingredients such as sunflower oil, turmeric, beeswax and tea tree oil, which can be used to treat blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and scarring – helping you look and feel confident when going bare-faced.