An award-winning health and beauty writer, stylist and creative director, Lisa Oxenham is one of the UK’s top beauty editors and the Beauty and Style Director at Marie Claire UK. With 20 years of editorial experience Lisa is a brand partnership expert, and a popular speaker, panelist and interviewer on a range of topics from sustainability to the future of beauty in the digital world. She recently spoke at Cognition X and Beauty Tech Live and is on the Advisory Board for the British Beauty Council’s Sustainable Beauty Coalition. For evening, she recommends a cleansing balm, which acts as “a make-up and sunscreen remover. Massage it into your face, add a little bit of water, it immediately turns into a milk and comes clean away with a flannel.” This would suit anyone looking to get started with Vit C, and who wants a fuss-free one and done serum to use in the mornings. As well as a gentle yet effective concentration of Vit C (7%) this contains Vitamin E for extra antioxidant powers and jojoba seed oil that gives it a lovely, plumping, and juicy feel. Obviously, if you have very oily or breakout-prone skin then oil-based products won't be for you but our dry-skinned texture absolutely loved it. The Must-C Daily Anytime Serum is a hydrating and brightening Vitamin C formula, that can be used in the morning and evening. And while many skincare pros advise against foaming face washes that can strip the skin of moisture, Hughes isn’t so prescriptive: “The most important thing about cleansing is that you do it. Actually, loads of people like a foaming cleanser. I personally don’t, I don’t think it’s the best thing, but if that’s what you need to make you cleanse every day, you do you.”

This was one of the serums we, as a team, all agreed on. We're big fans of this brand for their high-tech formulas and (as this sort of active skincare goes) affordable pricing. This serum is the hero of the range and would be the first product we'd recommend trying. Beauty is my passion, and I’ve been writing adoringly and fanatically about skincare for 23 years, but in the last five, I’ve become concerned. As fast as women have become skincare obsessed, they’ve got more and more confused. Dozens of times a week, they message me to ask what ingredients can be used safely with others. “Can this be layered?”, “Will X stop the Y from working?”, “Do I have to use this with this to get a result?” and so on. There’s a wisdom and confidence that comes with ageing. It's not arrogance. Part of it is having children and you’re not prepared to take any nonsense and you become a tigress about things. I’ve had incredibly long friendships and that also gives me confidence - because I know that I am loved and understood and there’s a loyalty there and that makes me a stronger person. It’s still a work in progress." Who do you look up to and learn from? is what my son earns for babysitting - so when I was making the serum I thought about it representing an evening of childcare. Even if it’s too expensive you always make sure there’s something more affordable. I would hate for anyone to sacrifice anything." What’s your philosophy on ageing?

How we tested

You do what you can when you are at the less expensive side of the market. Everything is recyclable but one of the products has a pump which is impossible to recycle. The jars and tubs are made out of 50% post consumer plastic. It’s more sustainable to have a formula rather than single ingredients. We manufacture in the UK so the products don’t have to travel far and we are supporting local infrastructure. I was adamant that I wanted it made here." Finally - what’s your favourite product from the range? Sali says, “I've worked with great formulators, and proven active and supporting ingredients, to create a 100% cruelty-free and vegan-friendly core range of two cleansers, one exfoliant, one serum and two moisturisers, all fully compatible, to be applied in four simple steps over just four minutes.” Paula's Choice is something of an insider's favorite amongst beauty editors. Founded by the inimitable Paula Begoun, a.k.a. The Cosmetic Cop, this brand specializes in no-nonsense ingredient-led skincare that never oversells itself, and this Vitamin C serum fits into the cannon very nicely. Beginners should ease in: Don't jump straight into 20% concentrations if your skin's not used to active ingredients, warns Dr Metreveli. "Those with more sensitive skin should start on a lower percentage, and gradually work their way up once the skin begins to tolerate it."

It's the jeans and white T-shirt of skincare – great, reliable, effective formulas that always work." – Sali Hughes First things first - the ampoules are biodegradable, which should assuage any environmental concern. The second thing to say is, naturally, individual dosing could not be more suited to Vitamin C as an ingredient, as every drop is kept safely away from light and air until it's going onto your face in fully active form. The capsules also contain ceramides, Arden's signature ingredient, which nourishes and rebuilds the skin's barrier function for soft, plump, protected skin. SPF is not about weather, but it is about how much time you spend outside,” says Hughes, who varies her sunscreen according to how long she’ll be outside. “If I’m spending a lot of time outside, I use a dedicated sunscreen from a suncare company. If I’m not spending much time outside, I might use an SPF in my make-up. If I’m spending a little bit of time outside, I might use a moisturiser with an SPF in it.”

Butterclean Cleansing Balm

Really, everyone can use the best Vitamin C serums - there's really no downside to using one. I've you're not sure whether Vitamin C can be bad for the skin, the short answer is no, it's usually not - if it's in date and the right concentration for your skin type. I am a very curious person. If you have a journalist sensibility - you are on the outside of the room listening in. That’s a journalistic personality - I like to work people out and I’m very sensitive to temperament in the room and always thinking how is this person feeling. It’s also about being adaptable to the future. When the digital stuff happened - so many people in the industry were pissed off as they thought they were 'glossy editors'." You are also one of the most recognisable and authoritative names in the industry. Do you feel a sense of pressure that comes with that? I’m a prescription tretinoin [retinoic acid] user,” says Hughes. “So what I do is I use vitamin C [serum] in the morning, then a day cream, and then at night I don’t use the vitamin C, I use tretinoin.”

If you haven't heard of Farmacy, this Vitamin C serum would be a perfect product to get to know the brand. Why? Because unless you are on a tight budget there's very little not to adore here.It contains 10% ascorbic acid, the most stable and powerful form of Vit C, and combines it with gentle exfoliant lactic acid plus alpha arbutin, another antioxidant, for extra skin-protecting powers. It also has a waterless base, which means that precious vitamin C won't be prematurely destabilized by the oxygen in H2O, while the airless pump bottle boosts this protection further. You don’t necessarily have to shell out on premium brands either – even the most powerful ingredients can be found in reasonably priced products – nor do you have to spend more than about five minutes in front of the mirror to get the job done. Hughes has done the work in terms of effective formulas – yet she doesn’t insist that beauty buffs use every single item in her six-piece range to get the best results, which many brands often claim. “If a brand tells you that you need to use the whole line-up for it to work, then walk away, because the products aren’t good enough to stand on their own two feet,” Hughes observes. Some industry figures - Marcia (Kilgore) is so inspiring - she has really good ideas and is open to new things. She’s a really nice person and has done everything without being ruthless. It’s people that work hard without being mean to people. In my personal life I’m hugely inspired by my friends. I’m in such a close friendship group and we speak multiple times a day - they want me to make things better. They also directly inspire me - all different circumstances and good, kind people who are still hilariously funny - Caitlin (Moran), Lauren (Laverne) and Sharmadean (Reid). Another group that I used to work with at the Gap in the 90s and we go on holiday together. Both groups really love each other. There’s nothing they don’t know. I've also considered my skincare line for them - it doesn’t contain silicone - because Lauren is allergic to silicone." You have a huge following as a journalist - to what do you attribute your success?

I love being the age I am, I think it’s a privilege - I have had too many people go too early at a young age. There are a few things that I prefer five years ago - there’s not much I can do but always look after my skin. I get botox every six months. I do not understand people being angry with injectables. Look at our society that leads people into not wanting wrinkles. I’m learning so much from older women - like my family, but also female brand founders." How do you find confidence?