My Everyday Skincare Routine

Happy Tuesday my lovelies!

I had the day off today so I’ve literally just spent it completely relaxing: from a nice lie in this morning, a long bubble bath with a book earlier on, to chilling in comfy clothes all day it’s been bliss. While I was doing absolutely nothing today I thought I’d put together a little post about my current skin care routine. When I was working in London just before Christmas (and when I returned home) my skin was awful. I think going from a very rural clean environment to a big city where there were lots of fumes and bacteria within the air really made my skin break out and my skin in general had never felt so unhealthy. I had really big problems with spots on my face that I hadn’t had before (some had popped up on the side of my face I mean wtf!?) plus my skin in general just felt really dry and dull. When I got home I decided to make a conscious effort to really look after my skin and get it back on track. Don’t get me wrong I always will have a slight blemish on my chin or T-Zone, my skin in general is really prone to, but I cant even emphasise how much better it is. So, I thought I’d put together a little post on some of the vital ingredients I’ve been using over the past two months that have made my skin feel so much better and hopefully if you’re looking to vamp up your skincare routine then I’ll give you a bit of inspiration to do so.

* Disclaimer * I don’t use all of these products seven days a week (I have oily skin so I don’t like to overdo it on products everyday) so I tend to do this entire routine once a week when I have a pamper session. I’ll write how often I use these products per week in the descriptions below. 

Make-Up Removal

Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil (7 days a week) I won’t go on about this too much as I have written about this previously on my Top Beauty Finds of 2015 but I’m still just as smitten with this product.  I use about four pumps (maximum!) of this product in total when I remove all my makeup. By rubbing the oil all over my skin with my fingers I can literally feel all of the days grime and dirt coming off when I continually massage this in a circling motion on my skin. I apply this onto dry skin, rub it for a good 2-3 minutes then wash off with a bit of gentle face soap. It makes all my foundation, blush, highlighter and all the other makeup I put onto my face come off easily and makes my skin appear fresh and clean. It is slightly on the pricier side, but it really does what it says on the tin and I haven’t found a gentler makeup remover to beat it.

Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Lotion (7 days a week) I actually got this product completely by accident, as it was a freebie. My sister and I did a big Liz Earle shop a while back and this was one of the free products we got when we spent a certain amount online. When I first saw this product I honestly didn’t think it would be much good. However, as the Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil is very gentle on the skin I find that this eye lotion is great for getting just those last little bits of mascara or eyeliner off that the Cleansing Oil missed. I put a little bit of this product on a cotton pad and gently wipe my eyes- it is very gentle, soothing and leaves no residue on the skin whatsoever. If I’m in a rush I’ll rub my eyes a couple of times, but if I’m having a girly night in I’ll lie down and leave it on my eyes for ten minutes and it does make your eyes feel fresher and awake. It really does reduce puffiness within a few days and can be used both morning and night.

Exfoliating Masks and Treatments

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask (Once a week) This product may not be applicable for everyone as it is designed for more oily skin, however being one of these people myself I love this facemask. This product is made of highly concentrated ingredients like clay and manuka honey to draw out impurities and excess oil on the skin to leave it balanced, calm and clear. It’s naturally active elements like green clay and propolis with a hint of rose-scented geranium help to tone and balance the skin to target problem areas. It also comes with two sponges to help exfoliate it off the skin. Admittedly, I’m not a massive fan of the scent itself- it does smell very earthy (if that’s such a description!) and musky but whenever I put the mask on I just know its doing wonderful things to my skin. It leaves it feeling fresh, clean and smooth and it really does tackle the oily areas of my skin without getting a breakout that I love.

Lush Angels on Bare Skin and NPW Exfoliating Pads (Everyday twice a day) Anybody who knows me will know that if I was only allowed to buy one Lush product ever again it would always be Angels on Bare Skin. I cannot sing this products’ praises enough. It is super gentle which leaves my skin clean and nourished, it smells incredible plus it is so easy to use. Pop a bit onto the back of your hand, add a little bit of water and it forms into more of a paste which makes it easy to glide across the skin. Recently I’ve been adding this onto my face but instead of using my fingers I’ve used the Natural Products exfoliating pads. I’ve found these little pads have helped me to exfoliate my skin so much better and by using in small circular motions have made my face appear smoother and brighter. They are made of silicone so after each use just wash them under cold water and they’re completely reuseable- I got these from Urban Outfitters where they come in a pack of two for £5. 

 

Spot Treatments and Moisturising

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Moisturiser (Once a day) As mentioned I’ve got oily skin so moisturisers in general are hard to find for me, as they’re often too rich for my skin. I’ve already chatted to you about this on my Best Beauty Finds of 2015 post but I haven’t found any better moisturisers since. I absolutely love the fresh orange scent plus it makes my skin feel hydrated and nourished after use. I am actually using this occasionally in the morning if I feel my skin needs a bit of a boost but I tend to use this product primarily in evenings where it gives my face all the skin repairing benefits without leaving that dreaded film of grease in the morning. Pick up the Oil Free version if you’ve got oily skin like me otherwise the regular version for all other skin types would work just as efficiently! 

Grease Lightning Spot Treatment (When necessary) This is such an ideal product to keep in your makeup drawer/cupboard if you haven’t got any tea tree oil to hand or if your skin is prone to breakouts. This Spot Treatment from Lush is designed to be used before spots have appeared as it’s much more effective at preventing a breakout than curing it. It includes ingredients like antiseptic rosemary, anti-inflammatory green tea and tea tree oil so you know it’s doing the job. It’s cheap and cheerful and something that I always reach for when I see a spot appearing to keep it at bay.

Origins Starting Over Eye Cream (Everyday twice a day) Now I know what you’re all thinking. What is a 21-year-old doing with an anti aging eye cream? And the honest answer is that I felt previous ‘refreshing’ and ‘boosting’ eye creams just did not feel hydrating enough underneath my eyes. I previously used the Origins GinZing eye cream that was designed for refreshing and brightening the eyes and I genuinely felt as though it wasn’t doing anything whatsoever. So, I decided to try something a bit thicker in consistency and I found the Starting Over Eye Cream. The texture is a lot thicker than the GinZing eye cream but it doesn’t feel heavy or too rich. Admittedly I didn’t buy this product for the anti aging qualities so I haven’t seen any obvious improvement but it has helped to reduce puffiness and my under eyes feel a lot more hydrated. A little goes a long way so I definitely think I’ll be purchasing another one of these when it runs out. 

 

Alongside mentioning my facial skincare routine I thought I’d share what I’m also putting on the rest of my skin to keep it silky smooth and hydrated. 

Lush Ro’s Argan Oil Body Conditioner (Every Other Day) I’m still not over the Ro’s Argan hype yet- this is easily the best body lotion that Lush produce. I use this product just like I would shampoo in my hair: I massage it all into the skin and rinse it off just before I hop out the shower. It leaves my skin so hydrated without it feeling greasy plus its anti aging ingredients are also a bonus. I also use it to shave my legs in the shower and if I really feel like my skin needs a thick product to hydrate it I apply it onto dry skin and let it sink into the skin. The smell is amazing plus it always delivers so I can’t recommend it enough. 

Lush Love and Light Handcream (Every evening) In winter I find that the skin on my hands gets super dry and does occasionally have the tendency to crack. I’m currently using the Love and Light Handcream however I also love Nivea’s range of hand creams, as they are equally as thick and hydrating. I have a pot of this product by Lush by my bed so I lather on a layer of product before I go to sleep that has massively improved the dryness on my hands. A big factor as to why I love the Love and Light handcream is the scent- its brazillian orange and orange blossom ingredients brighten my hands and boosts my mood in an instant. 

Bio Oil (Three/Four times a week) Anybody who knows me well knows that I always seem to fall over. Whether I’m in heels for a night out where I seem to bail every single time or if I’m walking on a completely flat surface in comfy trainers I always manage to slip and fall on something. My best friend Molly introduced my to Bio Oil at university and initially I didn’t think it would make any difference on the scars I’d acquired from my appalling sense of balance, but the appearance of these war wounds has definitely improved. Bio Oil is to be used on a wound/scar that has completely healed (not on broken skin!) to help the healing process. While the product doesn’t say it will completely remove the scar, it does make them appear a lot less obvious and improve its appearance. I’ve lathered this product on for a while now and I’ve seen a great improvement, plus I’ve also converted my dad to Bio Oil after his hand surgery AKA if I can convert Papa Hughes with a product almost anyone will use it. The bottle lasts for ages- I picked up this bottle from Primark- and it’s a great product to keep in your beauty drawer whenever you’ve taken a tumble and to incorporate into your skincare routine.

That’s all from me today folks! I hope this has proved insightful for you if you’re looking to get some new skincare goodies soon or if you merely wanted to know what I’m doing to my skin recently! If there is anything to take away from this blog post remember the golden rule for skincare: always take your make up off! As much as you can’t be bothered to remove it all at night nobody wants to wake up with black crazy makeup like Taylor Momsen in the morning…. Give your skin a treat and give it the best routine it deserves, as whatever you put into your skin, it will definitely give back.

What's your current skin care routine at the moment? Do you recommend any products that I should try?

A x