"I'm 53 and I need it": Caroline Hirons told Mia Freedman her entire skincare routine.

If you're a person with skin on your face, it's likely you've heard of Caroline Hirons.

She's a qualified aesthetician and skin expert, blogger, author and she's just launched a new (free) beauty app - Skin Rocks. She's the no-BS queen of skincare who has become one of the most authoritative voices in the industry. 

Because while the skincare world can seem really bloody confusing, Caroline cuts through all the noise and sneaky (and often overwhelming) marketing fluff out there, giving us her honest opinion on what we really need to spend our money on - and what we don't.

So, when Mia Freedman sat down with Caroline Hirons for a chat as part of Mamamia's Skin Summit, we knew we were in for one big ol' treat - and yes, we had ALL of the questions.

Image: Mamamia

Namely, what does Caroline Hirons actually put on her face?

As you'd probably guess, the skin expert tries a lot of different products. And she's forever switching and swapping between formulations, rotating what's in her skincare wardrobe. But! There are some tried-and-true products and steps she sticks to on the regular.

Here's exactly what products Caroline Hirons uses in her morning and evening skincare routine.

Caroline Hirons' morning skincare routine.

While some people like to cleanse in the morning, and others just splash their face with water or completely skip it, Caroline is firmly on team cleanse in the AM.

"This morning I tried out the new CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser ($21.99)," she shares. 

Next, she tells Mia she'll usually reach for a face mist, followed by eye cream.

"I mist with the Curel Deep Moisture Spray ($17.66). I must be on my fifth or sixth tin. Then I use a Tatcha Eye Cream, ($93)."

Image: Adore Beauty; Curel; Mecca .

Caroline goes on to say she follows this with a moisturiser and an SPF - telling Mia that her go-to is an Aussie-owned favourite: Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF50+ Luminising Sun Serum, $47.

We love to see it.

Caroline Hirons' evening skincare routine.

Question: Are you in the double cleansing camp? Or the single cleansing camp? 

The whole double cleansing thing can sometimes be a little confusing - because while some experts say it's the best way to thoroughly clean your skin, others say it can be stripping and that not all skin types need to cleanse twice.

According to Caroline, it just depends on the day and what she has on her face. 

She told Mia, "Generally [I'll cleanse] twice - but if I haven't been out of the house and it's a weekend and I haven't been wearing SPF, then I just do it once."

When it comes to her favourite cleansers, she's not loyal to a particular one and said she likes to use a mix of different formulas.

"I usually use The Ordinary Squalene Cleanser ($13.90), Tatcha The Camellia Cleansing Oil ($72), Medik8 Cleansing Oil ($56) - there're loads of cleansing oils out there. If there's a cleanser on hand, I'll use it."

Another favourite? "I'm nearly at the end of Mya Chia Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($48)." 

Image: Adore Beauty; Mecca; Look Fantastic.

All stellar choices!

Caroline also tells Mia that you don't necessarily need to switch between products when you double cleanse. That's just a big ol' myth.

"Sometimes I just use the same one twice because I can't be bothered - you don't always have to follow with something more foaming or more stringent or a gel or anything like that. Just double cleanse with the same thing."

"Or, I'll just play with all the ones I've mentioned just for f**king shits and giggles, to be honest."

Did we mention we love you, Caroline?

Image: Mamamia

After cleansing, she tells Mia she usually mists her skin (similar to her AM routine), either using Curel Deep Moisture Spray ($17.66), La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Mist ($25.95) or Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator Mist, ($130). "He's always on my desk."

In case you're not across the buzz around mists, experts say misting in between product application is not only great for sealing in hydration, but they're also often packed with do-good ingredients to add an extra kick of nutrients to the skin.

Image: Josh Rosenbrook; Adore Beauty

Next on the list? Eye creams.

If you're anything like us, you might've heard a lot of conflicting things about eye creams - mostly, that they're just overpriced moisturisers sold in smaller packaging.

So... are they? 

Well, as Caroline tells Mia, "Some absolutely can be."

"I would always say that if you're going to drop something, drop an eye cream. If you're young and you don't need it, don't use it."

If you decide to use an eye cream, Caroline said you just have to choose a hardworking formula with ingredients like ceramides and peptides. Most importantly, you need to apply it *correctly*.

"I'm 53, I've got the dark circles, I've got the lines, but they're not as bad as they could be - I think because I use an eye cream. And I actually always just liked the ritual of doing my eyes in the morning."

When it comes to what brands she likes, she said she switches between different formulations on the regular - but has a few staples.

"I love Sunday Riley Autocorrect Brightening and De-Puffing Eye Contour Cream ($98) [and] Tatcha Eye Cream."

Her most important tip on the application front? 

According to Caroline, there's one goal we all need to focus on when it comes to applying eye cream - and slapping it under your eyes or over your lids isn't going to cut it. 

"People spot it underneath your eyes and I'm like, you don't get lines there! Apply it around your temples."

Image: Mamamia

She also notes that applying eye cream over your lids can often make them look puffy. 

"Ultimately, my number one goal with an eye cream is hydration - and yes, you'll get that with moisturiser or your serum. But I like the thought of just having dedicated peptides and ceramides - I just like an eye cream."

"I don't know who in the industry decided that it should be 50ml for the same price as a moisturiser - I'm not on board with that. That's annoying. But look at it as a more concentrated moisturiser rather than just a moisturiser."

"If you can afford it, use it. But if you're younger and can't afford it - don't even worry about it. Just forget it and move on."

When it comes to her evening skin treatments, Caroline also uses a retinoid, telling Mia, "Because I'm 53 and I need it, honestly. I tend to use a retinoid in an oil form, so that I'm already getting an oil and then I lock it in with a moisturiser."

While most people will assume you should switch to a 'heavier' moisturiser in the evening, Caroline said this isn't always the case - and it's totally dependent on your skin type. 

"Heavier is not great for me because I'm also prone to breakouts. So I like the hydration and I'd rather do one or two layers. And then I'll carry on with my evening - because I don't do my routine before I got to bed. I do it the minute I'm in and when I know I'm not going out again."

"If I know I'm not going out again, it's bra off, hair up, face off. And that can be at three o'clock in the afternoon - I just take the makeup off my face as soon as I can."

Hard relate.

Keen to know more of what Mia's learned about skincare and the changes she made in her 40s? You can read about that here, or take a peek at the  two serums Mia Freedman uses every day.

Feature image: Mamamia.