Whether it’s sharing your popcorn while you’re watching your favourite shows or creating couple costumes for Halloween, one of the greatest joys of relationships is doing things together. But if your Netflix routine is getting a little old and you’re looking for new things to try as a couple, may we suggest skincare. Think about it: you can mask with your morning coffee, indulge in some cleansing scrubs and massage oils on lazy weekends, and wind down in the evenings with a relaxing, shared night-time routine.
Ahead, we’ve listed eight great ideas that will help you plan the perfect skincare ritual for you and your partner. After all, winter is right around the corner and there’s no better time to indulge in some extra care and snuggles.
1. A Clean Canvas
When you cleanse your skin right, you lay the foundation for every other skincare step to perform better. But what’s that one cleansing ritual you can share with your beau? Masks! They cater to several concerns at once, are hassle free and don’t take too much effort. So put on a multi-tasking mask and chill with your partner while these hardworking formulas silently do their job!
We suggest pure clay masks or charcoal-based ones for a deep cleanse that will be gentle to your skin. You can opt for an old school face pack or a deeply hydrating sheet mask if your skin is too dry. Try Nykaa Skin Secrets Charcoal Bubble Sheet Mask, TONYMOLY Pureness 100 Hyaluronic Acid Mask Sheet, Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask 2x Mini, L'Oreal Paris Pure Clay Mask Detoxify
2. A Dose of Vitamin C
We cannot emphasise the power of vitamin C enough for skincare. It’s the one essential that both men and women need to add to their daily skincare shelves. Choose a formula that gives you both the right amount of vit C without adding too many steps to your ritual. You can even make it a cute weekly routine where you slap on some vitamin C serum, bring out your gua shas and jade rollers and give each other a relaxing face massage!
Serums are great to add into your daily skincare rituals, but you can also try a nourishing moisturiser if your partner doesn’t want to layer too much. We love Nykaa SKINRX 20% Vitamin C Face Serum, Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum, The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser, Dot & Key Vitamin C + E Super Bright Moisturizer
3. Hydration at Its Best
With winter skin creeping up at us already, a bit of extra hydration is a great idea. The best part about hydrating solutions is that they are mostly gels or water-based formulas that suit every skin type, including sensitive skin (just make sure it’s fragrance-free). You can pick a light moisturiser and keep it on your shared shelf for your morning regimen. Hydration is a much bigger concern for men than for women; with more facial hair than us, their skin tends to get drier.
Light, natural moisturisers are the way to go. Look for one with soothing ingredients like aloe vera, glycerin and probiotics. Try Dermafique Aqua Cloud Hydrating light moisturizer, Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion, Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser, Dot & Key 72 Hr Hydrating Gel + Probiotics
4. Begone, Sun Damage
Coming back to basics, sunscreen is as essential to your skin as vitamin C. In fact, your vitamin C serums work better when you’re protected from sun damage. As you plan to grow old together, do it minus the sun damage with a shared sun protection routine..
Opt for hydrating and nourishing sunscreen gels. Opt for higher SPF and look for protection against both UVA and UVB. You can pick Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 50+, Reequil Ultra Matte Dry Touch Sunscreen Gel SPF 50 PA ++++ UVA, Lotus Herbals Safe Sun UV Screen Matte Gel Pa+++ SPF - 50, Avene Very High Protection Cream Spf 50+ UVB/UVA
5. Don’t Forget Your Lips
Hydrate your lips, not just with moisturising balms but also with lip masks and lip scrubs. Very often, just a balm might not fulfill your moisturising needs. These masks can help keep your lips softer for longer, especially overnight masks. Scrubs on the other hand are great for chapped lips and are a must-have for winters.
We’re loving all kinds of lip masks and scrubs with natural ingredients like rosehip, coconut and berries. Try LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Berry, TONYMOLY Kiss Kiss Lovely Lip Patch, Juicy Chemistry Blood Orange & Rosehip Organic Lip Scrub, Alanna Choconutty Lip Scrub
6. Better Than Mani-Pedis
Yes, going to your favourite salons for some couples’ mani-pedi time is fun. But if you’re looking for a cosier setting, what can be better than your own home? Plus, there are some super fun products available that allow you to spend some quality time with SO while your hands and feet get some much-needed care. We’re in love with nourishing masks and peels that promise to remove all dead skin, cracks, rough or hard calluses and leave you with baby soft hands and feet.
A complete hand and foot care set will include a cleansing scrub, peels and masks to hydrate, and nourishing cream. You can try BodyHerbals Foot Scrub, The Face Shop Smile Foot Peeling Mask, Innisfree Special Care Mask - Hand, Pilgrim Vitamin C Hand and Nail Cream with Shea & Cocoa Butter
7. Scrubs on Weekends
Enjoy a nice spa-like experience with body scrubs that will rejuvenate your skin. You can focus on both of your skin concerns to pick the perfect scrub with healing and wholesome ingredients. Exfoliation can be harsh on your skin, so you can choose products that are gentle and use them once a week. Body scrubs not only help you wash away dead skin cells but also deeply nourish your skin with healing and nutritious oils to make your skin soft.
You can try ingredients like coffee and argan oil that will cleanse your skin and leave a lingering softness behind. Our favourites also include almond- and macadamia based-scrubs. You might like MCaffeine Naked & Raw Coffee Body Scrub, Nykaa Wanderlust Body Scrub - Californian Almond Milk, Dove Exfoliating Body Polish Scrub with Crushed Macadamia and Rice Milk, The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Body Scrub
8. Sleep Tight, Dear Skin
Skincare that works when you snooze is something we truly love. A sleeping mask is great, because it takes away the need to wash it all away, or for too many hydrating products if you use one regularly. You and your partner can invest in a good sleeping mask that focuses on the revival of your skin, especially if you’re both too busy for daytime skincare rituals.
Your skin gets more thirsty during the winter months, so a deeply hydrating sleeping mask is a good pick. Top up your shared routine with more targeted masks for each of your specific concerns, like anti-ageing and under-eye care, if need be. Try Nykaa Skin Secrets Retinol & Hyaluronic Acid Sleeping Mask, LANEIGE Special Care Eye Sleeping Mask, belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask, Plum Bright Years Pm Infusions Sleeping Mask
