I said to myself that I wouldn’t talk skincare on this blog but then I thought to myself that having good skin or making the best of you skin is essential to having good makeup. I’ve kind of become a bit pre-occupied with skincare recently especially since a) I’ve passed a certain age in life which leads to b) the fine lines under my eyes suddenly becoming very prominent c) my skin has developed a T-Zone and has gone from “normal” to more “combination” which leads to d) heavy outbreaks (especially on the forehead and around the chin area) particularly when the weather starts to get warmer. As you can see, I have a multitude of issues to deal with and suddenly the skincare I’ve been relying on (and without much thought to be honest with you), just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. So where is one to start when there are a plethora of skincare products and brands out there all claiming to do everything at once? Well if like me, the internet and blogs are a good place to start.
I have been obsessed with skincare specialist and straight-talking (and hilarious) blogger, Caroline Hirons. She has a way of explaining skincare that makes it very difficult not to understand and in a way that just makes good, god damn sense. If you haven’t heard of her, check out her blog here.
I have a slightly different routine from day to night, merely because at night,
I have makeup to take off whereas in the morning, I don’t (unless I’ve been on a crazy night out where I’ve literally crashed into bed without taking my makeup off, but those nights happen far and few between nowadays). Also, my skincare routine used to consist of just a drugstore makeup remover, a splash of water and a slap of moisturiser. That was it. Had I had known what I know now, I would have invested a bit more into my skincare routine a good decade ago. Oh well, no point dwelling in the past. So here goes…
Morning Routine:
Cleanse
I currently use Biotherm’s Biosource Hydra-Mineral Cleanser Toning Mousse first thing just to give my face a quick wash to take off any night time grime and sweat. This is a mousse formulation which is one I’ve never used before. It doesn’t lather up like soap which is a good thing (as that apparently alkalines the skin and creates a breeding ground for bacteria…yuk!) but is soft and creamy on the face. I rinse it off with warm water and go in with a toner.
Tone
I think I’m not alone in saying that until recently, this was a step that I used to miss out. I simply didn’t understand the point of it only because no one ever made it clear what the point of this step was. That was until i stumbled across Carline Hirons’ blog. It suddenly all makes sense. I alternate between two. An acidic exfoliating one and a hydrating one. With the former, I am using is Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner which does exactly what the name says. It gently exfoliates away the dead skin without the need for thick, paste like scrubs with microbeads in them which can be extremely harsh on the skin. I then apply a quick spritz of La Roche Posay’s Serozinc which hydrates and prevents break-outs. On the night I’m not using Clarins, I am using Biotherm’s Biosource Instant Hydration Toning Lotion. A hydrating toner helps to attract and trap moisture from the air and into the top layers of your skin.
Moisturise
I then go in with eye cream before my moisturiser and I’m currently using Clarin’s Eye Contour Balm. This is a very lightweight formula that pretty much sinks into the skin upon application. It claims to minimise the look of wrinkles and fine lines whilst protecting the vulnerable skin around the eye. I don’t think I’ve been using this long enough to notice any difference so I am still sceptical.
Finally, I go in with my moisturiser which is currently Biotherm’s Aquasource 24 Hour Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel. I am using this day and night. This is a very hydrating moisturiser which I am surprised by considering how lightweight the formula is. I thought I would only be using this during the day but I’ve been finding myself using this at night and it’s been fine. More than fine in fact. It sinks into the skin without much effort and feels so cool and refreshing and makes my skin feel quite plump and supple even when I wake up in the morning.
Evening Routine:
The evening is pretty much the same as the morning bar the cleansing stage.
I go straight to the eyes to start breaking down the waterproof mascara (which is a must for my poker straight lashes) with Garnier’s Simple Essentials Soothing 2-1 makeup remover. This is holy grail status for me. It’s strong enough to break down waterproof mascara without having to rub aggressively at your eyes, but the formulation is so gentle and soothing and leaves the skin feeling soft and supple. It does contain oil but as I only use it around the eye area, I haven’t suffered from any breakouts because of it.
I then take the rest of my makeup off with Bioderma Craline H20 Solution Micellaire. This is a cult status product and it’s easy to see why. It’s a gentle water formulation which looks pretty much just like plain simple water (but obviously it isn’t). It’s gentle on the skin and get’s rid of the rest of the makeup on my face.
I then go in with the same cleanser from the morning and have a good old massage before splashing of with warm water. Without water, my skin wouldn’t feel properly clean. Then I go on as I would in the morning with the toning and moisturising stages.
Although I have been doing the same routine for a good few weeks now, I am on the lookout for products that can give me a bit more. I do find my current routine hydrating,but I’m not convinced that it’s helping me to prevent and reverse the signs of ageing, which for me is one of, if not the biggest concern. I have got my eye out on a few products that I think will add to and/or ramp up my routine like serums, cleansing balms and masks with ingredients such as Vitamin A, C/E, AHAs and Niacinamide to name but a few, so will keep you posted with my findings.
That’s all from me. What’s your current skincare routine? and what products would you recommend? It would be very interesting to hear your suggestions.