Blog of the Month: Beauty Mouth

Beauty Mouth blogger Caroline Hirons' grandmother

4Beauty met skin care expert and beauty blogger extraordinaire Caroline Hirons to talk about her blog Beauty Mouth, and Give and Make-Up, her non-profit organisation supporting victims of domestic violence. Then we got her top five beauty commandments for flawless skin.

Photo copyright: Caroline Hirons

Why did you start Beauty Mouth?
I'm very opinionated on Twitter and my followers kept telling me to start a blog. I often get asked for skin care advice, and Beauty Mouth is a place for me to answer those questions.

What kind of blog is it?
I see so much good stuff in the beauty industry and I use the blog to talk about that. I don't reproduce press releases and I don't take advertising, so you know that what you read on the site is always my opinion. I also have an 'Ask the Mouth' section, which is growing all the time. Hearing from people about their skin care concerns keeps me interested in what I do.

How long have you worked in the beauty industry?
Fifteen years. I'm a qualified beauty therapist and I've worked as a consultant with brands including Aveda, Space NK, Chantecaille and Liz Earle. I'm constantly training and making sure I am across the latest research. Beauty is a family obsession - my grandmother (pictured above, and on the front page of the blog) worked for Coty and Guerlain, and my mother worked for Helena Rubinstein, among others.

What is Give and Make-Up?
It's a non-profit organisation that donates unwanted cosmetics to victims of domestic violence. These women often have to leave home with little warning and can take nothing except absolute necessities with them. I receive a lot of products because of my work - I suddenly thought, these could go to someone who really needs them. With Give and Make-Up, we accept donations of products and we pass them straight on to Refuge and Women's Aid.

> Help victims of domestic violence

Caroline's Beauty Commandments

Cleanse properly. Your skin should rest and restore during sleep. Your make-up acts as a barrier - especially if it contains an SPF - and blocks the pores, so if you leave it on overnight your skin will be dehydrated and dull.

Don't smoke. It causes bad circulation in your skin and fine lines, and it's ageing. I can spot a smoker a mile off, and I can even tell which side of their mouth they hold the cigarette, because of the wrinkles around their lips.

Get some sunshine. Try and get outside for half an hour a day. Obviously you have to be careful not to burn, but if you wear too much SPF you'll get no vitamin D. It's a balancing act.

Rehydrate. Most people are dehydrated. It's not just about drinking water, it's about eating foods that help you retain water, such as fruit, vegetables and salmon. Use a good serum and plenty of non-mineral-oil-based moisturiser.

Cut down on sugar. Too much sugar causes glycation, a process which breaks down collagen. Collagen is like scaffolding for your face, and as it depletes, your skin becomes looser and saggier. Cut down and you'll see the benefits very quickly. Your body will forget a sugar addiction more easily than you think.