Did you know your body corrects DNA damage and restores collagen in your sleep? That’s why consultant dermatologist Dr Mary Sommerlad says prioritising good quality sleep is “essential” when it comes to protecting your skin.

“Good quality sleep means completing between four and six sleep cycles – light sleep phase, followed by deep sleep phase and then REM sleep phase – per night, with each cycle lasting about 90 minutes,” she recommends.

“If you are waking up exhausted or feeling groggy, or you have issues staying asleep or falling asleep in the first place, you are experiencing poor quality sleep which can wreak havoc on the skin, gut and brain.”

For bonus points, Dr Sommerlad suggests sleeping with a silk pillowcase “to keep skin cool and crease-free” – a trick that’s a fast-track to glossier hair, too.

The quest for firm, glowy skin can lead us down all kinds of garden paths, so it’s good to remember that not all skincare serums are created equal. If you’re just starting out, keep it simple and choose antioxidant-rich skincare.

“Every cell in your body is under siege from free radicals generated by environmental and psychological stressors such as UV, pollution and anxiety,” explains Ingeborg van Lotringen, beauty expert and author of Great Skin. “What neutralises them and stops them breaking down your cells is antioxidants.”

Set yourself up for success by picking a trustworthy brand. Shiseido, for example, has 150 years of skincare experience, and its Ultimune Power Infusing Serum contains Camellia seed extract, which is powerfully antioxidative, along with barrier-strengthening flower extract, soothing camellia leaf extract and camellia seed oil, which improves skin moisture.

In trials it’s even been clinically proven to future-proof your face in seven different ways (from tackling fine lines to loss of elasticity), with 95% of women feeling that it gave them more youthful skin in one week*. You can apply it in the morning before moisturiser and SPF, and again in the evening between cleanser and your night cream.

Just as hitting the gym keeps your body strong, taking care of your facial muscles can pay off over time by toning the face and helping with lymphatic drainage.

Want to try it DIY-style at home? No need to overthink it, according to Michela Rand, facial reflexologist and founder of Rand Holistics, who says “it’s all pretty intuitive”. Just keep motions gentle and in an upwards direction, to avoid tugging on the skin.

Try it when applying your skincare, which will give a little extra ‘slip’ to keep things comfortable.

In the morning, she suggests upward strokes on the neck, cheeks and forehead. And for a post-cleanse evening routine, she recommends slowing movements down and “opening the lymph system, which is found along the collarbone, jawline, sinus and temples, using gliding motions and soothing slow ‘pulse’ movement”. Work gently with fingertips, or a gua sha stone if you prefer.

If you’ve got time, get an extra boost by rinsing a towel under comfortably hot water, wringing it out and placing it around your neck. Facialists do this for a reason, after all. “Muscular tension shows in the face, and hot towels can release that tension,” Rand explains.

Ever heard of transepidermal water loss (aka TEWL)? It’s a totally normal process where your skin loses water to the environment throughout the day – but it also explains that frazzled feeling your face gets when 4pm hits and your Stanley cup’s empty.

Hydration is “super important” when it comes to future-proofing your face, according to Dr Sina Ghadiri, consultant dermatologist and founder of Sinaesthetics, because it can go some way to replacing the water lost to TEWL. And, generally, the more hydrated you are the more resilient and radiant your face is, too.

Dr Ghadiri also explains that scientists think TEWL is greater in the evenings, which is even more reason to stick to nourishing night time serums and moisturisers before bed. 

The UK’s not the sunniest place on Earth, so you’d be forgiven for slipping into a “fair-weather friend” kind of relationship with your SPF. But consultant dermatologist Dr Beibei Du-Harpur’s got news for us: SPF is the bare minimum, and it’s time to “get UV Index aware.”

“Although routine sun protection – applying a sunscreen as part of your daily skincare routine – is generally recommended for prevention of sun damage, you really need to ramp this up in high UV index conditions,” she explains, adding that this is especially true when the UV index reaches above seven.

You can track the UV index on your phone – and when it’s above seven, Dr Du-Harpur warns it’s time to “avoid or minimise exposure, seek shade, wear protective clothing like UPF tops and hats and consistently reapply sunscreen”.

This will help you avoid the risk of sunburn, which she warns “causes widespread DNA damage and destruction in skin cells”. Dr Mary Sommerlad adds that the sun’s UVA rays also “break down collagen faster than it would otherwise naturally have broken down, and can contribute to patchy, uneven pigmentation”. For quick, easy and invisible UVA & UVB protection, try Shiseido’s Clean Suncare Stick SPF50+.

“I really do swear by exercise as a skin strategy,” says beauty and skincare expert Ingeborg van Lotringen. “It can speed up nutrient and oxygen flow to your skin,” she adds, explaining that it also drains the system of cortisol, a stress hormone which can wreak havoc on skin.

Eating the rainbow will also help keep your skin glowing, according to Dr Ghadiri, who recommends ensuring you aren’t deficient in any of the key vitamins your skin needs. “Those particularly relevant for the skin would be vitamins C (found in citrus fruits and berries), A (egg yolks, fish, carrots) and E (nuts and seeds, leafy greens and fatty fish).”

She also suggests incorporating probiotics, like those found in yogurt, kefir, kombucha and other fermented or pickled foods like kimchi and miso, to ensure a healthy gut – particularly relevant as research is increasingly indicating the gut microbiome has a link to good skin health.