When you’re looking for a beauty boost it’s easy to turn to your beauty cabinet for the solution. With all of the glamorous marketing promises of ‘Hailey Bieber’s glow in under two weeks’ or ‘clinically-proven results in 21 days’, we don’t blame you for heading straight for your lotions and potions. And sure, an under-eye patch may temporarily relieve dark circles, a spot treatment for acne will dry out the Mount Vesuvius on your face and a mask can give you an instant boost in hydration. But what if we told you that the long-term solution to your skin woes doesn’t always have to involve skincare products? Here’s how to get all the beauty benefits without using any products at all!

Just another reason to swing the tap to the right, cold showers have been proven to thicken hair and increase blood flow and circulation in the skin. If you can’t go cold for the whole four minutes then try a cold blast for the last 30 seconds of your shower. It’s also a great way to wake yourself up in the morning!

Alleviate puffy eyes by lightly rubbing ice cubes in circular motions under the eyes. The cold constricts the capillaries and also helps to seal in your products nicely. Ice is also the perfect solution to an angry pimple as it will help reduce the swelling and redness. Some celebrities even go as far as a full face ice dunk! Fill a bowl with ice and water and dunk your face in.

An elaborate skincare regimen and endless cups of coffee won’t give you the same beauty benefits of a good night’s sleep. Getting between seven to nine hours of sleep a night will revitalise your mind and skin from the inside out. While you snooze, your body produces collagen and stimulates blood flow which helps to repair your skin. Plus, studies show that a lack of sleep has a knock on effect on poor lifestyle choices like skipping exercise or a bad diet, which, in turn, will impact your skin.

Any excuse for a power nap, right?

As much as a hydrating cream can plump, rehydrate and rejuvenate your skin, the real benefits come from within. Aim to drink two to three litres of water per day and an additional litre for every hour of exercise. Hydration is key in plumping your skin and reducing dryness. If you’re not a fan of water straight from the tap, try soda water or adding a slice of lemon, cucumber and mint to make guzzling more appealing.

Straining our eyes isn’t good for anyone. Not only is too much screen time not great for our mental health but the strain your eyes are under has been found to increase fine lines and wrinkles–eeek! Switch off the screens as often as you can and if that’s not possible try a pair of blue light lenses to block out excess irritation.

Working up a sweat helps to boost blood circulation, keeping your skin nice and healthy. All of this stimulation increases collagen production and promotes the renewal of old cells. Despite what you may think, sweating also helps remove bad bacteria from the skin and is a natural moisturiser.