Even after a night out I still make sure I’m sober enough to remove all my makeup before nestling down into bed- mental I know, but for me, it’s always had to of been a bit more complex than a quick makeup wipe to the face and that I think has all stemmed from suffering from acne throughout most of my life.
The whole skincare routine has been drilled into me from my early teens. In fact, I’ve been using moisturiser since around the age of 12 so I’d like to think into my late 30s all that time spent on my skin will pay off, or at least I’d like to hope so.
This post certainly isn’t intended as a skincare 101 or a guide to curing acne because that it isn’t, oh no. My skin problems are still very much present at least for now but over the past few months, I have discovered certain products and developed different routines to help iron out some of the problems with my skin. So for that reason, I wanted to share with you some products I’ve trialled and tested and have been using for quite a while now, products that have made a really big impact big or noticeable impact on my skin. with the intention that you too can hopefully take away information on products that will be beneficial for you.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Niacinamide has kind of been a go-to product for me for a while now. I started using it to help calm my blemished skin and have found it to be a product I keep coming back to. I wouldn’t say it has drastically changed my skin but it has certainly helped to keep a lot of my blemishes at bay. I use it morning and night in the areas I need it most even after continued use I can feel the tingle on my skin as if to say it’s working. The consistency is a factor I happen to love also, for me out of the ordinary products I use this one has the best spreadability (definitely a factor to favour in skincare) I find that a little goes a long way. With this product, I'm also able to spread it around my face without it soaking in too quickly and feeling the need to add more.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Out of all the products I’ve ever used on my skin Hyaluronic acid has by far had the biggest and most noticeable impact on my skin. Big statement but very true. I dismissed Hyaluronic acid for a while having heard of it via a friend and that said friend absolutely swearing by this product, however, me being me and occasionally a tad stubborn I wanted to find my own route or journey to deciding this product was one to try.
I actually bought it for my mum first for her birthday last year after a request from her to research into products for ageing skin. After a few months of her having the product at the time, I’d grew tired of my skincare regime and decided to try it out on a whim one day. Fast forward a few days later and I could already notice a difference in the texture and look of my skin. Fast forward a few months and my skin looks healthier, fresher with a glow. (I did buy my own by this point I must add)
One thing I’ve noticed in particular when it comes to this product is that for the first time this winter I haven’t badly suffered from dryness on my skin, you could say my skin has changed or it quite simply hasn’t been cold enough this year in order to affect my skin but without speaking too soon I have noticed no dry patches on my face, in particular, my nose gets very dry a common problem for many and truly my nose has never been so smooth.
Mandarin Energising Face Mist
What I love about it, is that you can use it with or without makeup, some days I use it even if I’m bare-faced at home factors such as having the heating on this time of year really dries my skin out so a little spritz and my skin feels instantly hydrated. On the other hand, I carry it about in my bag so that if I’m out and about or on my break at work I can again spritz and feel instant hydration, this one also particularly helpful because of the added caffeine honestly I can really notice a difference post use. I'm quite looking forward to trying out the others especially during the warmer months.
High Adherence Silcone Primer
For a while, I stayed clear of primers, not purposely but again another product I felt I could live without for a while, which I did. Buying this product is very much in relation to the reason behind buying The Body Shop face spray. At the time I felt like my skin was either going through some weird phase or it just needed a little something prior to makeup application but I felt like for a while my makeup wasn’t sitting right on my skin- I’m sure it’s not me but I feel like we all have those days where your makeup just doesn’t sit quite right and you find it rubbing off in certain places or becoming a little dry in areas so I thought perhaps it would be good to get back into some sort of skin primer again.
I opted for the ordinary being a brand I’m very fond of- much as you can probably tell from this post but also because their price point is extremely good. This primer only costs £3.90 and for me, it’s lasted a good few months and I still haven’t run out. It’s got a really good consistency and I tend to find you don’t need to apply much in order to make it go far. The texture feels quite creamy but light and once applied to your skin it feels almost matte. Again this is a product however you can use before or without makeup, on bare-faced days I just pop some on as a sort of finisher product and find that it does the trick.
Carbon Theory Cleansing Bar
The first block of this I bought wayyy back in April when my skin was playing up big time I'd started doing a little research about what other products I could delve into and came across this one. I think I queried it on Instagram and had a good response in favour of this product so off I went to place an order on this bad boy. 7 months, yes 7 months later I was finally washing the last little bubble of soap down the sink and reaching to re-order. It lasted me a whole 7 months, I mean this block is certainly worth its RRP price, that's for sure. For me this product certainly made a difference in my skin, I'd say my cheeks have cleared up quite a bit since frequently using it and the best thing is I can use it with my facial cleansing device for a daily cleanse so I pop it on my face, lather it up and they use my brush to fully cleanse my skin and it works a treat.
I opted for this toner in the summer when I had a £5 birthday treat from the body shop on my card (their discount card is well worth it) and no I don’t always shop at The Body Shop whenever there’s a discount but every little helps. At the time I’d run out of my current toner being the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution from The Ordinary another amazing product and one that lasts me ages but for me, I just didn’t feel like it was doing anything for my skin anymore so I decided to switch it up a little. I’d used toner from The Body Shop previously. I used to buy frequently from the seaweed range however after chatting to the girl in the shop about what type of product I was after, what my skin was currently like and what I wanted the product to do for my skin she recommended I opted for the Tea Tree Toner as it is great for blemished skin with its oil-absorbing powders that remove any skin residue. It also has 'shake to wake' mattifying powders that help keep oily skin at bay. I use mine before bed and find that in the morning now my skin isn't half as oily as it usually is. I also hugely recommend toners in general for a full cleanse. You don't realise the amount of residue left on your skin until you use one.
What's your opinion?