Are You A Skincare Mastermind?

The word on the street is that you fancy yourselves aficionados when it comes to the art of skincare. Well, we’re not quite ready to hand over the crown just yet, so we want to see how you shape up. 

Are you a skincare mastermind or epidermal dunce? Find out by answering our quiz below. And no cheating!

Question 1 (an easy one to start): Finish this sentence: Your skin is an …

1. Organism
2. Organ
3. Orange

ANSWER: 2! Your skin is, in fact, your largest organ - and as Aretha and Jenn both say, as such, it deserves some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 

Question 2: What does vitamin A do for your skin?

1. Dries it out
2. Makes it more tan
3. Aids cell renewal 
4. Adds PZAZZ and GLAMOUR

ANSWER: We will accept both 3 and 4. Vitamin A can affect cellular change to your skin, aid cell turnover, re-educates and renews your skin!

Question 3: Which of the following is a list of chemical exfoliants?

1. Glycolic acid, mandelic acid, salicylic acid.
2. Hydrogen peroxide, H2O, sodium bicarbonate
3. There’s no such thing as a chemical exfoliant!

ANSWER: The answer to this one is, of course, 1 - glycolic acid, mandelic acid and salicylic acid are all chemical exfoliants!

Question 4: Which is better for your skin - sun or sand?

1. Sun
2. Sand

ANSWER: This was a bit of a trick question. Sun is not an enemy. We need it for vitamin D production, and it can also have a profound effect on mood and mental health. 

However, exposure to sun without protection can have a negative impact on our skin health, and, as we have become increasingly aware over the last twenty years, can contribute to the development of skin cancer. Sunlight can also prematurely age our skin by degrading our collagen and elastin. 

Sand isn’t actually bad for your skin, technically. Some folks suggest that it can be a great natural exfoliator, but we suggest keeping it to your feet and bod, not heading down the strand and scrubbing your face with the stuff. No, thank you. 

Question 5: You should wear SPF: 

1. Daily
2. Twice daily
3. February-September
4. You shouldn’t!

ANSWER: We hope you got this one. The answer is 1! Every. Gosh. Darn. Day. If you’re going to be exposed to sunlight throughout the day, then reapplying is definitely encouraged, so we’ll allow 2, too! 

Question 6: How does an antioxidant work?

1. Neutralises free radicals 
2. Smells good 
3. Fights with oxygen

ANSWER: The answer to this particular pickle is 1! Antioxidants neutralise free radicals. Free radicals are unpaired molecules introduced into your body by environmental or lifestyle factors. If too many accumulate or wander unpaired through your body, they can do you mischief. Antioxidants pair off with free radicals to neutralise them. 

Question 7: An average skin cycle takes …

1. 20 days
2. 35 days
3. 28 days
4. 40 days
5. 6 weeks

ANSWER: If you said 2, 35 days - then close, but no cigar! The average skin cycle takes 28 days! This means that if you start using a product today, it’ll take approximately 28 days to see a change in your skin as a result. 

Patience is a virtue, but skincare is everything. 

Question 9: The thinnest skin on your body is …

1. Your lips
2. Your eyelids
3. Your wrists
4. Your ankles

ANSWER: 4) Your eyelids are the correct answer! They are less than a millimetre thick, and although your lips come close, eyelids pip them to the post. 

Question 10: True or false: you can no longer develop acne post-25.

1. True
2. False

ANSWER: A resounding 1)! False, false, false. Unfortunately, we can develop acne at nearly any point in our lives, depending on hormonal or environmental factors and how they play out. 

So, how did you do? Let’s consider …

1-3 Correct

We’re not saying going to make you write lines, but if we were, they would probably say, ‘the skin is an organ… respect it accordingly!’ We’re banishing you back to the drawing board (no, we’re not), and hoping that you have a chance to tune into a few Facebook Lives and blogs to get yourself an education!

4-7 Correct

You’re an apprentice Nerd, at this point. You’ve been paying attention and getting to grips with just what the heck the skin actually is, but perfection is an illusion, and one can always seek to improve. 

7-10 Correct

Nerdie credentials and street cred pretty much intact! Congratulations on your skintelligence - you certainly know your lipids from your liquorice roots, and your ceramides from your keratin!