A celebrity skincare expert says his secret to flawless skin for himself and his clients is £3 products from Lidl, Aldi and Primark. Scott McGlynn, 35 - host of Celebrity Skin Talk - struggled with acne growing up and says he spent all of his wages on luxury skincare products that "didn't work".
He started learning more about skincare - collaborating with brands such as Dermologica - and quickly became fascinated by the science behind healthy skin. Now he hosts an Instagram talk show where he chats with different celebrities and shares his skincare hacks with the world.
He claims everyone should cleanse, use a serum and moisturise twice a day. But he says some of the best products on the market cost as little as £3 from budget supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi.
Scott, who splits his time between London and Cardiff, said: "Growing up I had bad acne and I used so many products that damaged my skin and dried it out. I was only 16 and I wasted all my McDonalds wages on expensive products, but I was being sold things that didn't work.
"I remember going into Debenhams and Howells and spending £100 on things that didn't work. I soon discovered what worked for me and learnt about ingredients."
Scott realised his skin didn't react well to heavily fragranced products - as they led to big red flare ups - learning through trial and error.
He said: "One of the first things I learned was you can use make your own face wipes. You can buy reusable large facial pads for £1.49 from B&M and use your own cleanser. My favourite cleanser at the moment is the Cien cleansing milk from Lidl that costs just £1.79."
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Another hack Scott recommends - which costs just pennies - is using a tea bag for puffy and tired eyes. Scott reveals another free way to revitalise your eyes- by putting old tea lights in the fridge over night and placing them on your lids.
Scott added: "I often have late nights and this solution is completely free as most people already have them in their homes. You brew the teabag, then wet a reusable facial pad with the tea, you then can place it onto your eyes and have a well deserved rest.
"After you've used your tea lights pop them in the fridge, I leave mine over night. I have a lay down, pop them on my eyes so they're lovely and de-puffed for the rest of the day."
Scott's skincare routine was revolutionised when he had Dr Pimple Popper on his show. She suggested putting moisturising skincare products on just after showering or bathing when your skin is still damp.
"I had Dr Pimple Popper on and she's so fab," he said. "She taught me this trick - after you have a bath or shower, leave your skin a little bit damp after drying then apply all your moisturisers.
"You get so much more benefit from the product that way as it sinks in deeper whilst your pores are still open. Let it sink in and do its magic."
The skincare expert revealed there are amazing products available on the high street that too many people shy away from in favour of pricier designer brands.
He added: "Even Primark has blown up. The Primark Vitamin C cream is an exact dupe of the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base."
The Primark Vitamin C moisturiser retails at just £3.50 whereas the designer alternative would set you back £49. Scott's favourite moisturisers are ones from Revolution which all retail for less than £10.
"They are incredible, they're so nice and so rich, which are perfect for winter," he said.
The skincare advocate revealed everyone's skin is completely different and it's a case of trial and error to see what products work for you. His biggest surprises came from celebrity guests Nadine Coyle, from Girls Aloud, who dislikes makeup and from Loose Women's Kaye Adams, who hasn't worn moisturiser for three years. Scott encourages everyone to take 10 to 15 minutes twice a day in the morning and afternoon to 'pamper themselves'.
He said: "You should cleanse twice a day and use a serum and a moisturiser twice a day. It's nice to put aside time to yourself to pamper yourself."
