The new year is the perfect time to reset—not just your goals, but your skincare routine too.
After months of cold weather, late nights, and holiday indulgences, your skin may be craving a little extra care.
Refreshing your lineup with the right essentials can help restore balance, boost radiance, and set the foundation for healthy skin all year long.
Back to Basics
Whether you’re simplifying your routine or upgrading it, focusing on proven basics like gentle cleansers, nourishing moisturisers, and targeted treatments can make all the difference.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the skincare essentials you need to start the new year with confidence, consistency, and glowing skin.
Cleanser
It is so important to cleanse your face every day, twice a day. You should use a gentle cleanser morning and night to remove impurities without stripping your skin.
It is also advisable to double cleanse at night if you wear makeup or sunscreen.
A cleanser from our Beauty Hall that we love is the Clarins Soothing Gentle Foaming Cleanser.
This gentle foaming cleanser effectively cleanses while calming and hydrating dry skin, supporting its natural balance for a refreshed feel.
Exfoliation
Exfoliating 1-2 times a week removes dead skin cells and boosts radiance. It is a step that shouldn’t be skipped, but it should not be done more than once or twice a week.
An exfoliator that is much-loved in McElhinneys is the Lancome Rose Sugar Scrub Exfoliator.
This top-selling product contains sugar grains and rose water and leaves a comfortable and supple finish to the skin.
Toner
A toner helps rebalance your skin’s pH, removes leftover impurities, and preps it for better absorption of serums and moisturisers.
Depending on the formula, it can also hydrate, soothe, minimise pores, control oil, or brighten skin without stripping or irritating it.
A great toner we stock is the Declaré Soft Cleansing Tender Tonifying Lotion, which should be applied with a saturated cosmetic pad on the face and neck after washing your face.
Serum
A serum is a concentrated treatment designed to target specific skin concerns like dullness, fine lines, dark spots, or dehydration. It delivers active ingredients deeply into the skin, boosting effectiveness and enhancing overall texture, tone, and radiance.
One we recommend is the Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum. Shiseido’s power serum boosts firmness, smooths wrinkles, and hydrates for radiant, resilient skin.
Face Masks
Face masks provide an intensive boost to your skin by delivering concentrated benefits in a short time.
They can hydrate, detoxify, soothe, brighten, or target specific concerns like acne, oiliness, or ageing, complementing your regular skincare routine.
A new brand we have introduced, Medicube, has a fantastic Collagen Wrapping Mask. This is an overnight peeling mask. The Medicube Collagen Wrapping Mask deeply hydrates and locks in moisture while you sleep.
It helps improve skin firmness and elasticity, smooths fine lines, and leaves the complexion looking radiant and refreshed by morning.
Eye Cream
Eye cream is designed to care for the delicate skin around the eyes by providing targeted hydration and treatment.
It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, puffiness, and dryness while keeping the eye area smooth and refreshed.
One eye cream in particular that is a big hit with our customers time and again is the Clarins Double Serum Eye.
This eye serum is a thoughtfully crafted formula that combines hydrating, calming, and skin-conditioning ingredients to nourish and reduce puffiness while also smoothing wrinkles and reducing the appearance of dark circles.
Lip Care
Lip oil nourishes and hydrates the lips while sealing in moisture for a smooth, healthy shine. It helps soften dryness, improve lip texture, and protect against moisture loss without feeling heavy or sticky.
Clarins Lip Comfort Oil deeply nourishes and hydrates the lips while providing a glossy, non-sticky finish. Infused with plant oils, it softens, smooths, and protects lips, leaving them comfortable, plump, and naturally radiant.
As the new year begins, investing in the right skincare essentials is a simple yet powerful way to care for yourself.
At McElhinneys, you’ll find expert-approved formulas and luxury favourites to help you build a routine that truly works—so you can step into the year ahead with healthy, confident, and glowing skin.
Visit us in-store for personalised advice from our Beauty experts, or discover more in our beauty collection online.
What skincare products are you taking into 2026?
Until Next Time,
Leah x
