If you try one beauty product this week, make it a cushion cleanser

Hi, and happy New Year on what I suspect is the very last day we can get away with saying that. Did you make any resolutions? If so, have you kept them?

I've scaled back my Crémant intake and might give a 2025 nail trend a go but that's about it on the life-change front. I don't feel the need to repent for having fun over Christmas and January's no month for a revolution. However, one bit of New Year new me-ing I will endorse is a good old clear-out. After the month of too much everything (telly, pâté, glitter particles I'm still finding in various crevices) the desire to strip back, shake off and shed is strong.

Can you relate? I'd suggest that instead of banning a joy-sparking square of Lindt during Traitors, try a kinder form of clean living - one you'll actively enjoy and that's very underrated. Here, in the first in my series of Sunday Service beauty advice columns, I'm making a case for cushiony cleansers.

Why a cushion cleanser is my beauty buy of the week

What's a cushion cleanser? It's a collective term for the sort of thing you should absolutely be washing your face with right now. These are the best cleansers in rich textures that don't just remove things but add them. Namely, a plumping layer of skincare ingredients to bolster your skin barrier, which I'm sorry to say is probably under siege.

This layer of skin cells, lipids and ceramides traps natural hydration in and keeps harmful toxins and allergens out. Most skin conditions, from dehydration to dermatitis can be traced back to a disrupted barrier. Guess what disrupts it? A lack of nutrients and sleep, overly-stong skincare, improper cleansing, cold weather and hot water (the type that feels amazing to wash with during cold weather.)

If that list sounds like life right now, allow yourself to fall into the comforting embrace of a cushion cleanser. Truly, these are your skin barrier's first line of defence. There's no one-size-fits-all but these three are an absolute delight to use, with gentle actives, non-stripping surfactants and lovely textures and scents:

Cleansing, generally, is so undervalued compared with what we put on our skin - but that expensive serum can't do its job if your skin barrier's sad and your complexion's not clean. Lathering up a nice cleanser with lukewarm water and then removing it with a face cloth (I bulk-buy Bamboo Flannels from Amazon) also feels great. It's honestly my favourite bit of my skincare routine, like a mini facial every evening - do it before dinner if you're too tired to be bothered by bedtime. I won't call this a resolution, just a habit that's worth getting into. Sound good? Great! Happy cleansing and let's chat next Sunday.