Le Skincare Routine

I love skincare.

More than makeup.

To many, it may seem like a boring chore (and I won't pretend I don't skip the full routine every now and again when I'm feeling super-lazy) but I think there's something really luxurious about high-end skincare. It's taking a moment to entirely focus your energy and time on yourself. And it sure is an easier way to take care of yourself than exercise or avoiding eating deliciously bad-for-you things.

Consistency is key with skincare so I never change my routine hugely. I swap out moisturisers or cleansers or rotate a few at any one time but the steps remain the same, if somewhat refined as I go forward.

Morning is very simple. I don't use cleansers and instead use plain water to wash my face because, unlike in the evening, my skin doesn't have a night of healing ahead of it. I don't want to strip it first thing. After washing my face, I use Lush's Tea Tree Toner and then Ren's Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil* to make sure the last of the impurities are cleansed and moisture is immediately returned to my face. Then I use a little of Ren's V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream*. To finish, I use a high SPF suncream.

The evening routine is more elaborate. I cleanse with VOYA's Cleanse and Mend* most nights but a couple times a week I use Yes To Carrots Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, applying and massaging it very gently into the skin so as not to damage it. The same toner and oil come into play at this stage and then Ren's V-Cense Night Cream*. On top of this I apply Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel and then a dab of pure tea tree oil to any blemishes I might have. Lastly, as I get into bed, I moisturise my hands with Laura Mercier's Ambré Vanille handcream (so lovely it makes drunk people stop in the street and demand what the smell is...several times) and apply a little of Eve Lom's Kiss Mix to my lips.

Other than this, I also regularly use Lush's Catastrophe Cosmetic and Mask of Magnanimity masks to try and keep hormonal blemishes in check, alongside Ren's Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial* to brighten the skin.

 

And there we have it!

I won't say I have anywhere near perfect skin but it's certainly better behaved, softer and more well cared for. And I can attribute that to nothing more than the awesome products I use and research and time put into figuring out a routine that works for my skin - which is combination with dryness around the nostrils and an oily t-zone as well as being prone to hormonal breakouts.

I would also say that you can probably devise a more inexpensive system but I'm personally cool with spending a bit more, especially for products that are more natural...also, all products marked with a * have been sent or gifted to me so I'm a wee bit spoiled...

On skincare - That actually works.

Many times in the past, I've designed myself an elaborate skincare routine and declared myself ready to stick to it. Weeks would pass and I wouldn't see results and so I'd drop the routine.

I guess I never gave it time to start working, or was being overly aggressive with my poor skin, or had unrealistic expectations. My skin, I now know, is combination with dryness around the jawline and nostrils and oiliness in the t-zone. I'm also blemish prone, especially PMS related breakouts, but have never suffered from serious acne. I kind of assumed I'd stop getting spots automatically when I went to college. Sounds stupid, I know, but teen dramas feature people struggling with acne whereas college-age dramas never have an episode where someone skips out on school because no one could ever possibly see them with a spot.

Anyway....now that I know what I'm dealing with...I can go about dealing with it. I've got my concern areas and a certain philosophy. Because I know I'll never stick to anything overly elaborate and I know I don't want to stress out my skin by throwing a shit-ton more chemicals on it. So, my skincare is simplistic but effective, nearly all organic and mostly Irish (as a nice extra point in its favour).

And I've been genuinely seeing a huge difference since I adopted this routine. Not just me either, people have been telling me a lot recently that my skin looks great. As a result of how good its been, even on the days where I decide wear makeup, I use much less. It's gotten to the point that if I do wear BB cream or foundation, I basically just apply a small amount to blemishes with a concealer brush. So, yay for all that! I can see why 80% of Korean women spend much more money on skincare than makeup.

Here are my morning and night routines that have proven to give visible results - at least on me!

Morning:

1. I wash my hands with soap - don't want to be handling your skin with dirty hands, it'd defeat the purpose.

2. Cleanse. I generally use VOYA's Cleanse and Mend - about one pump applied to the face and then washed off. A few times a week (maybe twice) I'll use Yes to Carrots' C is for Clean Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser. This is really important to get rid of dead skin. However, even this organic exfoliator makes my skin bitch at me so I don't use it every day. I just switch out the VOYA for it every now and then. It's applied pretty much the same way; very, very gently massaged into the skin in small circles and then washed off.

3. I have yet to find the perfect toner. There's one from Lush I like. That would go here.

4. I use the VOYA My Little Hero serum here. Again, a single pump applied to the face. A little of VOYA products goes a long way so they really last.

5. I moisturise with the VOYA Softly Does It, focusing on the dry areas of my face and spending a little longer massaging the product in those patches. Technically, it's a body moisturiser but I use it for both. It smells amazing and is so gentle that my face can handle it.

6. I use Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel as the last step. This feels gorgeous, so soothing and lovely and I can visibly see my eye bags calm down. I'm not worried about anti-aging products yet (also think they're kind of bull crap) but eyes are pretty big and, as a result, display my troubled relationship with sleep quite obviously. I genuinely see results with this product. And, again, such a tiny amount is needed. A small downside is that it leaves a layer that peels a little a few hours later but this can be wiped away easily.

Night:

The night routine is pretty much the same except I never, ever use the exfoliating cleanser as I feel it's too harsh. At least if I use it in the morning, I'll be moisturising twice that day afterwards and my skin has time to settle down. The other addition is this Aloe Vera Gel which, again, is organic and bought in Holland and Barrett. Once again, a little goes a long way. I just take a small amount on my fingertips and apply it to any blemishes. This helps them heal and disappear much quicker and takes down swelling overnight. Spots are reduced in size, literally overnight and it takes any pain or tenderness away from blemishes. It's kind of a wonder product. 

Body:

I use the TanOrganic Tan Erase Ultimate Exfoliator mitt once or twice a week. Usually I use it if I'm going to shave my legs and exfoliating goes before that step. The combination of the mitt, shaving and moisturising is unbelievably effective - soft limbs, ahoy! 

The body moisturisers I use are the aforementioned VOYA one or TanOrganic's Oil Arganic. Both smell gorgeous and it's really down to mood as to which one wins out on any given day.

Extra:

I also have two face masks that I use on the reg. The Oriflame Hydrating Face Mask is one an old housemate who worked for the company gave me and really doesn't feel like it does much. I don't use it super-often but it smells nice (of watermelon!). The Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask, however, I'm mad about! You store it in the fridge so it feels lovely and soothing going on and it hardens pretty tight so you feel really cleansed after using it. Long-term results have yet to be seen but I do enjoy it.

So, that's all! What do you guys think? Use any of these products yourselves? Any secret tips you got handy?