Current skincare-am and pm routine!

Over the Christmas period (which seems a lifetime ago to be honest!) my skin was really suffering and bad skin always affects my self confidence.  I made a few tweaks to my skincare routine and touch wood, it has been the best behaving it has in a long time.

I am no skincare expert but here are my current am and pm routines.  For the record I have combination skin and my skin concerns are cystic acne spots every now and again, mainly around my chin and jawline (had none since the first week of January though touch wood again), enlarged pores and the odd small whitehead and blackhead.

I have learnt so much about skincare since I have been blogging and it is a real passion and interest for me now.

In the morning I start by massaging the MD Formulations Facial Cleanser into my dry skin.  Initially I was using this as my second cleanse in the evenings and it just wasn't fitting into my routine well so I switched it to my morning cleanse and now I love it.  It's a light, white lotion containing glycolic acid so it sometimes tingles when I apply it to my skin.  I feel like it's just a nice light cleanse for the morning and washes off easily without needing a flannel.  Despite the name it does not exfoliate manually i.e there are no grains in the lotion.  MD Formulations will soon be leaving the UK so stock up now if you're interested!

I then spritz my skin with Serozinc which is a Zinc Sulfate solution in an aerosol.  It provides a good antibacterial base for the rest of your skincare.  This is the second or third tin of Serozinc I have used and I have to say I am not enjoying it as much as I first did.  But it is good.  And it's cheap (I purchased mine from an online french pharmacy).  Am looking forward to trying a new hydrating toner when I use this up.

I then apply my eye cream and I am currently using the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Tone Perfecting Eye Gel Creme.  I have to say I am not very impressed with this-the texture is very silicone based and it actually feels like you're putting vaseline under your eyes.

It does feel quite soothing and it dries quickly but I would not repurchase this.  It claims to brighten and depuff, improve tone and texture.  However I haven't felt like I have seen any benefit from using it.

I have then been using this Perricone MD duo.  They are hideously expensive and my experience with them hasn't been plain sailing.  In fact I stopped and then re-started using them three times before I worked out it wasn't them causing the breakouts I was having (It was, it seems the Kate Somerville Goat Milk cream).

Perricone MD Blue Plasma is a non acidic daily peel.  You put 3-4 drops from the pipette into your palms and then press it onto your skin.   It dries almost immediately and has a slightly tacky finish.  It claims to resurface the skin without causing redness or irritation.  It removes dead skin cells and adds moisture to the skin.  The end result is soft and smooth skin, reduced pore size and diminished wrinkles.  My experience is that it does indeed leave your skin very soft and does not irritate the skin.  I have been using it for about 10 weeks now but I haven't seen a noticeable reduction in pore size (a big concern for me).

Cold Plasma is complimentary to Blue Plasma and is applied after applying the Blue Plasma.  It's a light gel/serum that absorbs easily and quickly and claims to tackle the 10 most visible signs of aging.  I found the more I used, the more my skin liked it.  A more is more approach.  I would love to buy this for my mum and get her into a proper skincare routine and see if she likes it.  I have felt my skin has been more radiant since using the cold plasma but not enough to make me want to repurchase it right now.  I am 33 and so aging is becoming a concern but not enough to justify the price of this, as after 10 weeks I am now on the last dregs of the jar.

Finally, before I apply my make up I apply a thin layer of this light moisturiser.  My skin does not like heavy moisturisers at all, hence why I don't use one in the evening.  It really does like this light fluid from Caudalie and I would definitely repurchase this moisturiser.  It doesn't give a very matte base but it absorbs instantly meaning you can get to work on your make up.
 

In the evening I take a little more time over my routine, although in total it doesn't take me more than 5 minutes.  I remove my eye make up first, usually with the Garnier Soothing 2 in 1 make up remover-it's cheap and effective and I get my mum to bring it for me from the UK or bulk buy when I come home.

I then use the Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel to remove my make up.  I wear make up every day (unless I am literally dying with illness) and so I want to ensure I really thoroughly remove it at the end of the day.  I have been using a lot of balm cleansers in the past six months-like Emma Hardie, Elemis, Clinique Take The Day Off etc so this was a bit of a departure for me.  But it is amazing.  It's a peachy scented gel that you apply to dry skin and then emulsify with water.  It's really easy to spread over your face and doesn't have that 'I'm spreading thick honey all over my face' feeling you get when you apply something like Emma Hardie.  I rinse my face and then finally remove any excess with a damp flannel.  This is important otherwise I can feel like I have a film on my face.  It feels very gentle and can be used around the eyes and leaves skin feeling clean and soft.  I have already purchased another one.

As my second cleanse I am using the Zelens Radiance Luminous Facial Cleanser.  To be honest I am just using this up and haven't been terribly impressed with it.  There is nothing offensive about it, it just hasn't blown my socks off considering it costs about the same as gold!!

Again I massage it into dry skin and then rinse and flannel off.

For my second cleanse in the evening I normally look for a cleanser with skincare benefits (usually for me with an AHA) but I would say this Zelens cleanser is a basic cleanser at best and I wouldn't repurchase.

Double cleansing is something I have been doing for about a year now after reading a lot of posts on Caroline Hirons blog and I have noticed a real difference in the clarity of my skin.  Using a flannel has also been an absolute game changer for me in my skincare routine-so cheap, so simple and so effective.  I literally own like a million now!

I then apply my eye cream-I am currently using the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye.  This is an excellent eye cream, it's nourishing whilst being very lightweight, I have seen a visible difference in fine lines and dark circles and I would definitely repurchase.  It absorbs really quickly as well.

 

I then move on to my double tone regime.  I am currently using the Biologique Recherche P50W toner as my exfoliating toner which I apply first, sweeping it over my skin with a cotton pad.  P50W is the mildest of the P50 formulas and something I wouldn't buy again.  I like the tingle of an exfoliating toner-the AHA's bursting into action on your skin.  Again this is crazy expensive and I do not think it any better than the much cheaper La Roche Posay exfoliating toner or the Michael Todd AHA Lemon toner.  But I do love a good exfoliating toner-they exfoliate your skin by removing the top layers to reveal new shiny skin underneath.  They add radiance.  They fade old scars.  They give you baby soft skin.  They kick start your skin into renewing itself.

I then spray with Serozinc as my hydrating toner step.  As I mentioned above I am not enjoying this toner as much as I have previously and am looking forward to trying something new when this runs out.  But my skin does seem to like this combination and has been largely blemish free since the start of 2014.

You can read about the benefits of double toning from my post here.

As I mentioned earlier, I do not use a night cream in the evening but I do use a serum or an oil.  Currently I am using the La Roche Posay Effaclar Serum and the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil on alternate evenings.

With both of these products I apply 3-4 drops from the pipette into my fingertips and then press the product into my skin before lightly massaging.

The La Roche Posay Effaclar serum is a fairly viscous but non oily serum that smells slightly clinical.  Again this contains 2 AHA's-a glycolic compound and LHA and states it refines pores, smooths wrinkles and boosts radiance.

I've found that this serum in particular seems to stop upcoming spots in their tracks and has been good for fading acne scars.  My skin also feels so soft after using it.

The Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil is an incredible recent discovery and I recently wrote a full review on it here.  It is slightly heavier than the oil I was using before this one (the Kiehls Midnight Recovery) and I was worried when I first started using it I was heading for breakout city.  But my skin was so bad I was desperate and this seemed to get rave reviews.  And from the very first usage it was love.  I don't know how it does it but this oil absorbs oil.  Seriously it actually regulates and controls oil.  When I wake up the next morning my skin is less oily and less shiny.  I don't get it but I like it!  It smells heavenly as most Clarins products do.  I use 4 drops pressed into my skin and then leave it to do its thing.  This oil is specifically for oily and combination skin and contains rosewood, geranium and lotus extract.

The only problem I have at the moment is that some of these products are now on their last dregs-the Clarins and MD Forumlations cleanser, Serozinc, the Cold Plasma and the Caudalie moisturiser will all be in my Feb empties.  Thing is, I love trying new things so my routine will still be shaken up again!

Oh and one thing I did forget to mention, and it literally is a holy grail product for me is Alpha H Liquid Gold-which I reviewed here and is one of my all time most viewed posts.  I always have a bottle of Liquid Gold in my bathroom and use it whenever my skin feels like it's going to break out.  It's a little miracle worker and I strongly recommend it for anyone with problem skin.   You can see my before and after pictures in the post I have linked in.

Do you use any of these products in your routine? 

The new additions

This 'new additions' post is all about skincare.  My skincare routine has had a little re-shuffle recently and *touch wood* seems to be working.

First up is the Caudalie Moisturising Mattifying Fluid.  When I was in the UK over Xmas my skin was constantly breaking out round my chin and had been for a couple of weeks.  I quite frequently switch up my skincare and I finally pinned down that it was the Kate Somerville Goats Milk Cream that was causing the breakouts.  It was making me really miserable and I didn't have another moisturiser with me, so on Boxing Day, out of sheer desperation I ordered the Caudalie moisturising sorbet which I had used before from Look Fantastic and threw this into my online basket too.  I was really impressed with Look Fantastic by the way-I ordered on Boxing Day and it arrived first thing the next morning.

This moisturiser is very light and absorbs quickly.  It does mattify the skin and will be great in the summer months in Dubai when the weather is so hot and humid.  My skin cleared up in days as well after I started using this.  I am really pleased with it.

The packaging is great for not over dispensing the product and keeping it hygienically sealed.

Next up is the Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel.  I have probably had this in my skincare stash for almost a year but something (and I really don't know what) was putting me off trying it.  Until Rebecca from Be Beautiful reviewed it.  If she liked it I knew I would too so I opened it up straight away when my Clinique Take The Day Off balm ran out.

God I love this cleanser!!!  Why oh why did I take so long to try it!!  It fits into my skincare routine as my first 'make up removing' evening cleanse.  I apply the gel to dry skin, massaging it in.  It turns into an oil on contact with the skin and then a milk when you rinse it.  I also go over my face with a wet flannel as well-I think if you don't you can feel like you have a residue left on your skin.  It smells amazing, so light and fruity and does a great job removing make up.  I have had no breakouts and can see me buying this over and over again.  It doesn't strip or dry out the skin and I find my skin feels really soft and nourished after using it.  It makes a nice alternative from cleansing balms and I really really enjoy using it.  I am so glad Rebecca reviewed it or else it would still be sitting unloved in my skincare stash.

Next up is Serozinc.  This is my 3rd tin of this toner and I use it twice a day as my 'hydrating' toner after using my 'exfoliating toner'.

It's has a very fine spray which you spritz over your face after cleansing (close your mouth-it does not taste nice!).  It's a simple concoction of Zinc Sulphate, water and sodium chloride which is soothing, hydrating and antibacterial and it feels lovely and cooling on the skin.  It dries quickly and causes zero irritation (if does say you can also use it on razor burn and nappy rash).   I have two more as a back up.  You still cannot buy this in the UK or Dubai-I have ordered all of mine from French online pharmacy Le Guide Sante.  It's less than £5 and postage was really fast from them to the UK.

Next up is the exfoliating toner which replaced the Michael Todd Organic Lemon Toner.  It's the much hyped and stupidly expensive Biologique Recherche Lotion P50.  I picked this up in Liberty in London in September (who were the only UK stockist but I read recently they have stopped stocking it) and this is the new formula, not the Caroline Hirons raved about formula, which contained 'phenol' which has since been banned-and that is the ingredient Caroline really raved about.

There are now 3 versions of the P50-P50, P50v and P50w.  I have the P50w which is the mildest version of the toner and claims to gently exfoliate and balance the epidermis.   It doesn't sting or smell particularly strong and is as good as the Michael Todd and the La Roche Posay exfoliating toners-but it's not better.  And for the price of £52 (ouch) it should be amazing.  It does leave my skin clear and soft but I haven't been blown away.

So if you're a big fan of Caroline Hirons you can skip this entire next paragraph but if you're relatively new to skincare and thinking 'why do you use two toners and what the hell is a hydrating toner and an exfoliating toner' then here is my (non expert) explanation.

Back in the day toners were used to ensure you'd removed all traces of make up and tended to strip the skin.  Then someone went 'Duuuuh, shouldn't your cleanser actually remove all your make up and therefore shouldn't a toner have some other kind of skincare benefit??'  WHEN YOU USE TONER YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TRACES OF MAKE UP ON THE COTTON PAD-GO BACK AND WASH YOUR FACE AGAIN.  AND USE A FLANNEL (Gets down from high horse)

So in came toners with actual skincare benefits.  And they broadly fall into 2 categories-exfoliating and hydrating.  Exfoliating should be used first, followed by hydrating.  Exfoliating should be swept over the skin with a cotton pad.  Hydrating should be (ideally, according to Caroline) be spritzed on (I tweeted and asked, she replied) or if that's not possible, applied with a cotton pad.

Exfoliating toners contain AHA's.  They are naturally occuring fruit acids.  They exfoliate your skin by removing the top layers to reveal new shiny skin underneath.  They add radiance.  They fade old scars.  They give you baby soft skin.  They kick start your skin into renewing itself.  They're gentler than 'grainy' facial scrubs on your skin.

Hydrating toners erm hydrate the skin.  They will contain ingredients like glycerin or aloe or hyaluronic acid.  They keep your skin plumped, hydrated and really for your next layer of skincare.

And here the lesson endeth.  I am no expert but I can tell you that double toning has changed my skin for the better.  And I will do it forever.

NB the first few days of using a new exfoliating toner I tend to first spritz the cotton pad first with a purified water spray (like the Evian or Avene ones) to dilute the toner a little bit so I can assess how strong it is.  Tingling is common with exfoliating toners but should not last more than a few seconds and will subside as your skin gets used to the toner.

Finally, my last new addition is Glamglow-the white version.  I raved and raved about the black version here.  The white version or 'Supermud' focuses more on clearing the skin and has a whole heap of fancy ingredients such as patented Teaoxi Eucalyptus Leaf and Acnecidic-6, a blend of 6 AHA's and BHA's such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid and lactic acid for a multitude of skin benefits.  It also contains charcoal and clay for deep cleansing.

You can read all the fancy ingredients here.  So far I have used this mask three times and again have been really pleased with the results.  It doesn't feel as tingly on the skin as the Black version but it's a little harder to wash off-you definitely need a flannel to help with the removal process.  I have a sneaking suspicion I could like it as much as the black version.

Have you tried any of these products?