Your Burning Beauty Questions Answered

From serums and eye creams to cracked heels and home waxing, here’s great advice

- Kim Abrahams

Have you ever wondered why hand creams work best at night? Or why your beautician insists you invest in a good quality face serum? Are you unsure whether to buy into the eye-cream hype and is it really worth buying different body lotions for different seasons?

Looking your best is hard work and can be expensive, which is why busting myths is so important.

We asked a few local experts to answer some of your most frequently asked questions.

1 Do I really need eye cream?

Yes. Whether you want to get rid of puffiness, sagging, fine lines or dark circles, there’s an eye cream to help, says Vanelwa Ndongeni from Collins Aesthetic Skin & Nails in Cape Town.

Fine lines and wrinkles are caused by sun damage and the skin producing less collagen as we age. To combat this, find an eye cream that contains vitamin C, peptides and retinol. Any cream with cucumber in it helps with puffy eyes as cucumber improves circulation.

“Eye cream should be applied every morning before applying your day cream,” Ndongeni says. An amount the size of a rice grain is enough for both eyes. Use your ring finger to gently apply to the skin under and around your eyes in an upward, circular motion. Don’t get too close to your lash line and the inner corners of your eyes. Dab lightly until the cream has been absorbed.

2 Help! How do I get rid of cracked heels in a hurry?

If it’s just dry skin you’re battling, apply a generous amount of foot cream to your heels and wear cotton socks for a few hours to lock in the moisture. But there isn’t really a quick fix for cracked heels, warns Vanelwa Ndongeni from Collins Aesthetic Skin & Nails.