I went through something of a skincare revolution about a year ago, mainly (okay, totally!) thanks to my BFF and beauty blogger Charlie (
check out her blog here!). She explained to me some things that had never occurred to me before, such as the double cleanse and facial oils. I had been struggling with problem skin for several years. Not full blown acne, but I constantly had pimples in my T-zone which I thought was completely unfair considering I'm looooong past puberty. I suffered enough through my teens, I thought my twenties were for gorgeous, clear skin! Well, it turns out that they are, if you use the right combination of products.
So, here's my nightly skincare routine that has transformed my skin so that it now looks lovely, glowing, plump and generally pimple free!
Step 1 - Cleanse Part 1 - Remove make-up and/or dirt and pollution
Micellar water is a new thing for me, and I have a feeling it might be new for most people, but I don't want to make any assumptions as I'm not great at keeping up with beauty trends. I used to use a basic drugstore own brand cleansing fluid liquidy water stuff, but this Garnier Cleansing Water claims to do more and be, well, better. I have to say I really like using it, and the bottle is enormous so you feel like you're getting a really good deal.
I've sworn by the Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for YEARS. I only ever wear waterproof mascara and eyeliner as my eyes water in the wind, cold, summer (hayfever, OMG go away), just all the time, and I've had some really ghastly experiences of makeup removers that claim to blitz waterproof eye makeup but that just don't. It ain't pretty! Clinique on the other hand has made the perfect remover that's a mixture of something oily and something... watery? I don't know, anyway, it works! Swear by it, can't live without it, cry when it runs out and I don't have a spare.
And just a quick note about cotton pads. I only use organic ones because I feel like they're better for the earth and possibly also better for my face. I'm not completely certain but I feel very strongly about this despite my vague assertions as to why they're better than normal ones. Give them a whirl, they may or may not be better than normal ones!
Step 2 - Cleanse Part 2 - Time to get really clean and fresh
So I'd never heard of cleansing butter/balm things before Charlie introduced them to me, but I'm converted. I lost my cleansing butter virginity to the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm which was truly wonderful and I definitely recommend it, but on a recent trip to The Body Shop website, I spotted this Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and thought I'd give it a whirl as I was running low on the Clinique Balm. I just love The Body Shop because their products are cruelty-free and they make a real effort to get their ingredients from responsible sources such as Fair Trade farmers (although I recently found out that The Body Shop is owned by L'Oreal, which is owned by Nestle, which makes me feel really rather sad and annoyed...) This butter is just as good as the Clinique Balm, so I think I'll stick with this one.
In case you were wondering, you scoop a wee blob out, rub your hands together to warm the butter and then massage your face - no water needed yet! Then you get a warm/hot damp face cloth and wipe off the butter. It's a divine experience, I have to say.
Step 3 - Exfoliate
Okay, I'm not entirely sure about this, as in, I don't really know what it is, and I only vaguely know what it does, but it came highly recommended from Charlie and I do think it's a really great product. So what I think it does is gently exfoliate your skin. So it's kind of like a cleanser, but not. It might be a toner, but I'm not sure. You still put it on an (organic?) cotton pad and rub the pad on your face like you would with a cleansing water, but it removes dead skin, tightens pores and generally smoothes things over. You know like when your foundation looks a bit crusty and ew? This prevents that. Amazing. I'm about to run out and I will be re-purchasing.
Step 4 - Spritz
Another product that I don't really know much about, but nonetheless swear by. These are waters that you spray on your face. That simple. The rosewater (left) is supposed to function as a toner, I'm not sure if it does but it's really refreshing and smells nice and it's organic, so basically it's a win. The Avene Eau Thermale (right) is equally as wonderful. I particularly enjoy using these after a shower, and I absolutely have to use them before I apply a face oil (see below). Basically, I don't know what they do but I love using them, so I definitely recommend them.
Step 5 - Facial Oil
Another of Charlie's recommendations, and boy has this made a difference to my complexion. Whoever would have thought that putting oil on a face that produces enough oil to lubricate a small engine would actually result in less oil production and clearer skin? Not me. But I turned sceptic to worshiper overnight. I'm serious, if you aren't using facial oil, try it. I spritz one of my sprays on my face and then quickly rub 4 drops worth of one of these two oils all over my face. I alternate between the two. The Body Shop one is slightly richer, but generally I find them interchangeable. Basically, I just use whichever one takes my fancy.
Step 6 - Moisturise
Okay so I have a confession - for quite a while I just used the facial oil on its own, so I didn't moisturise after I'd put the oil on. Apparently this isn't what your supposed to do, and since I've started moisturising after I've put a facial oil on I've noticed my skin is even more hydrated but not more oily in the morning.
I pick my moisturiser based on the state of my skin in the evening. Looking only slightly dry? I reach for Clinique Moisture Surge (I AM IN LOVE). Looking reallyyyy dry? It's a richer moisturiser in the form of Avene Rich skin recovery cream. One too many blackheads, visible or blocked pores? I use Avene Cleanance K Cream Gel (I don't know why it says gel, feels and looks just like cream to me, but oh well) on my t-zone, and then one of the other moisturisers everywhere else. The Cleanance K is great for occasional use, but if you're like me and you have sensitive skin be a bit careful as it can sting a bit as it's an exfoliating cream so contains some kind of mild acid (sounds awful, but won't burn your skin off, don't worry).
If I spy a pimple trying to make an entrance, I apply Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel to the area. I have sworn by this product since my early teens and I really cannot live without it. I've tried more than a few cheaper alternatives, but they just don't compare. I'm not a massive fan of the new packaging, but the stuff inside is the same so I can't really complain.
And finally, I cannot go to sleep if I haven't applied some lip balm. I have what many would describe as a vast collection of lip balms and I'm proud of it! I'm currently obsessed with Eos balms, yum!
I do also use a hand cream last thing at night, but the one I have at the moment (Nivea Q10) is far from satisfactory, so if you can recommend a great one then leave me a comment please!
Do you use any of the same products as me? Do you double cleanse? Tell me what your evening skincare routine is like, I'm always on the look out for ideas and new products.
Much love, Bemsy
xxx
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