Get Ready to #DareToBare

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means the #DareToBare campaign is soon to return. #DareToBare is being led by Escentual.com and Cancer Research UK to raise money and awareness for breast cancer – the UK’s most common cancer, with one in eight women affected by the disease during their lifetime.

#DareToBare is asking women to ditch the cosmetics and go bare-faced in October – whether it’s for the whole month, a week or just a day. To get involved, all you need to do is post your #DareToBare selfies to Twitter and Instagram, make a donation to Cancer Research UK, and nominate friends to do the same. It’s an easy thing to do to raise funds for such a worthy cause.

Full details on how you can take part will be revealed very soon, but for now I thought I’d share some skincare tips for those of you who may be more reluctant to #DareToBare.

As a self-confessed beauty junkie, I admit giving up make-up is quite a daunting prospect. However, following the right skincare regime will give you the confidence you need to let your natural radiance shine through without the need for cover-up. Here are some of the key products I’ll be using while I #DareToBare this October:

My #DareToBare Kit

1 – Cleanse

In preparation for going bare-faced, I’ve been cleansing my skin with the Nuxe Micellar Foam Cleanser twice a day. Its soft, foamy formulation feels super fresh and soothing on the skin, plus it’s completely soap free meaning it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin at all.

For breakout prone skin, I highly recommend the REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser. Whether you’re 13 or 30 and suffer from blemishes, this kaolin-based cleanser banishes the build up of sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria, leaving skin looking clear and feeling purified.

2 – Tone

Toner is a product many people think it’s fine to omit from their skincare regime, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to use a toner daily to ensure your skin stays supple and keep your pores tight.

One of my current favourites is the Caudalie Moisturising Toner. My skin can get quite dry sometimes, particularly in the colder months, and the gentle yet effective formula of this toner leaves it feeling hydrated and refreshed.

If you have larger, more troublesome pores, I would suggest the Vichy Normaderm Purifying Pore-Tightening Toning Lotion. Its powerful formula – made with blemish-busting salicylic acid – both unclogs and tightens pores for a more even, matte complexion you’ll be confident to bare.

3 – Moisturise

My moisturiser of choice while I #DareToBare in October is looking likely to be the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense UV Light. Perfect for dry or sensitive skins, the formula drenches dehydrated skin with long-lasting moisture without leaving it looking or feeling greasy.

If you’re an oily-skinned gal, the Bioderma Sebium Mat Moisturising Mattifying Fluid will change your life! Its lightweight, gel-like formulation immediately mattifies the skin and leaves it looking fresh. The fluid also treats shiny skin from the very core, by regulating sebum production and preventing pores from getting blocked. Bye-bye shine, hello flawless skin!

4 – Exfoliate

Ensure your bare-faced skin is the most radiant and beautiful it can be by exfoliating once or twice a week. There are a whole host of facial exfoliators around for even the most sensitive of skins, so select your weapon wisely and you’ll reap a world of benefits without having to worry about your skin becoming irritated.

I’ve been loving the Trilogy Gentle Exfoliant recently. It gently buffs away impurities and dead cells on the skin’s surface, leaving you with a radiant, glowing complexion. The gorgeous macadamia and rosehip scent mean it’s a real treat to use, too, making this scrub a definite #DareToBare staple for me.

For skin that’s prone to oiliness and blemishes, try the Avene Cleanance K Exfoliating Cream-Gel. It controls oil-secretion and reduces shine while offering a deep cleanse to the complexion, leaving skin feeling soft and fresh.

Don’t forget your eyes – if you’re planning to #DareToBare like me in October, make sure your peepers look bright and healthy by using an under eye gel like REN Vita Mineral Active 7 Eye Gel to banish puffiness and dark circles.

Finally, use a good quality lip balm every day to combat chapped lips. My ultimate favourite is the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm – slather a layer of this gorgeous honey-scented, creamy balm over your lips at night and you’ll be guaranteed to wake up with a super-soft, kissable pout.

So whether you’re planning to go bare-faced for a day, a week, or the whole month of October, get your skin ready with your own #DareToBare prep kit.

Until next time,

Binky xxx