Daily beauty essentials needn’t mean humdrum – YOU’s  beauty director’s hero buys

The genesis for this week’s column came when I opened a tube of the new Bamford Geranium Hand Balm (£23, bamford.com) at my office desk and rubbed it into my dry fingers. My colleagues in the immediate vicinity let out a collective sigh and instantly demanded to know what perfume I’d just sprayed. 

No spritzing, just a little squeeze of this delightfully fragranced salve is all that was required to lift multiple moods. The balm is a new alternative to the already popular hand cream, and formulated to be even more nourishing. 

You need only a small amount and it sinks in to leave hands feeling soft and looking fresher. Although it contains essential oils, I have found it to be non-irritating, even on very dry patches of skin.

But it got me thinking about quotidian beauty staples – both luxe and low-price – and how it’s fun to swap them around; upgrade when you fancy feeling more enthused about the fundamentals. 

Yes, the Bamford balm is a joy to use, but in the day-to-dayness of life, a tube of Eucerin UreaRepair Plus 5% Urea Hand Cream (£6.75, boots.com) does an excellent job. 

Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly (from £1.50, boots.com) is another great budget basic that most of us have around. Although I’m more likely to use it on dry lips or chafing feet (in summer sandals/ new shoes) it is also popular as a moisturiser and can be recommended by dermatologists (especially to treat any irritation caused by using retinols).

My mom used Vaseline,’ Tiffany Masterson, founder of skincare superbrand Drunk Elephant, told me recently. 

‘She put it on her face, hands and feet and we kind of made fun of her, but you should see her skin: it’s great. Vaseline locks in moisture, but if I did that it would break me out like crazy.’ 

So Masterson created her own version: Drunk Elephant Wonderwild Miracle Butter (£33, spacenk.com). ‘I put a thick layer of it on top of my skincare at night, and when I wake up it has all absorbed, leaving my skin dewy and soft without feeling greasy.’ She also uses her Miracle Butter as one would use Vaseline – for cuts, scrapes, scars, heels and hands. 

Another upgradable essential is micellar cleansing water. We’re all familiar with the excellent one by Garnier (£5.99, boots.com), but I must say that dispensing Dr Sam Bunting’s Flawless Cleansing Water (£15, drsambunting.com) does feel like a treat, and it’s a lot less greasy on the skin than most alternatives. 

‘It’s what I call a minimalist formula,’ says Dr Bunting. ‘It combines gentle surfactants with excellent cleansing power and is also suitable for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.’