My Skincare Life - Danielle Jackson

Danielle Jackson a content creator and a skincare lover. When she is not sharing her skincare tips and buys on Instagram she is studying at King’s College London. She took time out to tell us about her skincare regime. 

I first came across skincare products before my teens. I would always use whatever I could find at home, such as Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion a lot of the time because it was in the cupboard and it looked good. It was too strong for my skin though, but I just wanted to feel boujee and use the same products that my family were using. I came across skincare products properly at the age of thirteen and my teen years were when I really started to purchase my own skincare products and attempted to find items that would work well for me.

My dermatologist was my first influence with regards to my skincare. I needed a lot of help with my skin when I was younger because I had severe acne and seborrheic dermatitis which affected my scalp and eyebrow area. I don’t remember how it looked, but I remember being bullied for it, so my family decided to seek help for my skin. Ironically, the dermatologist was no help at all for my seborrheic dermatitis – he literally used Google and yet he was still unable to identify what my scalp condition was at the time - so from that, I decided to learn about skincare and find more products myself.

Some people in the skincare community have been a huge influence in regards to my skincare too. When I started sharing my skincare story on Instagram, I had no idea that there was a whole community dedicated to skincare and beauty and now I am part of it. @joycaramel @melaninstyle__ and @adeola.ash have been some of my main influences on the gram – I didn’t even know that Double Cleansing was a thing until Joy told me about it. 

I have also been able to work in the beauty industry with brands such as Deciem and Fresh Beauty, to name a few, and I have also worked in the Harvey Nichols beauty department. Being able to work in the beauty industry taught me so much about skincare and I received extensive training from various brands which also influenced me. I met my good friend @michellefarcas through working in the industry too – she’s another influence for me – we literally talk about skincare all the time and we always send each other products.

Since my teen years, I have learnt that my skin requires tender loving care. The way I was just slapping on everything and anything back in the day really wasn’t cutting it, and my skin was truly unhappy. Now, I am feeding it with the goodness it needs, and I am treating it with the love it deserves. So it’s definitely safe to say my skin is a lot happier now. 

I have also learnt a lot about my skin, its type and how important patience is. I tend to get Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) following a breakout, but now I am patient with my skin, and I trust the process. My PIH fades with time, good products, and patience makes all the difference for the fading and healing process.

When I was younger, I wasn’t even using SPF. I really believed that I didn’t need it because I’m Black, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The sun doesn’t discriminate, nor does it come to play, so SPF is needed regardless of skin colour.

So, my skincare regime has evolved massively since my teens because I have a proper routine now. I cleanse, tone, apply my serums, and moisturise - followed by SPF during the day of course. I follow the 60-second rule (created by @labeautyologist) religiously, and I Double Cleanse too. Those cleansing steps have made a huge difference to my skin and I have noticed that my skin isn’t as congested as it used to be.

In the morning I use: CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Face Mist, The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum, The Inkey List Q10 Serum, Belif Moisturising Bomb, Avène Refreshing Eye Contour Care Cream and Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating SPF 50 Fluid.

For the evening I usually use: Farmacy Green Clean cleansing balm, CeraVe Foaming Cleanser or SA smoothing cleanser, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Face Mist, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum + B5, The Inkey List Q10 Serum, a simple fragrance-free moisturiser such as CeraVe’s facial moisturising lotion, and the Avène Refreshing Eye Contour Care Cream.