A Lethal Combination
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Dry skin? Check. Blemish’s? Check. Random breakouts? Check. Chapped lips? Check. Yes, winter is here and it’s in full force. Every year my skin find the autumn to winter transition a challenge and I am forced to act quick to keep my skin from freaking out. Luckily, for me (and now you) I have found a kick-ass combo to keep those bad skin days at bay.
Exfoliate. Buffing off those dead skin cells on a regular basis is crucial. I tend to alternate between the St. Ives Blemish Prone Facial Exfoliator and the Brightening Facial Exfoliator and exfoliate 3 to 4 times a week. A lot of people like to exfoliate every day but I find that with my sensitive skin, it can be a bit too much for it to handle and so I stick to 3 to 4 times a week depending on how my skin is looking and feeling. The rough grains of the exfoliator help to remove dead skin cells and leave your face with a new layer of skin. The perfect base for the next steps of your skincare routine.
Cleanse. Making sure that, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, do you go to bed with makeup on. Its unbelievably bad for your skin and overnight destroys your defences against winter nastiness. And by cleanse, I don’t just mean wiping micellar water over your face morning and night. I mean a deep clean to get rid of all that ‘grogg’. In the morning I tend to hit up Elizabeth Arden’s Visible Difference Oil Free Cleanser. It’s a strange consistency, somewhere between a cream and a gel, but its satisfyingly good. Afterwards your skin feels super smooth and soft. In the evening, I opt for a hot cloth cleanser. In particular I have been enjoying the REN one. I rub it into my face, eyes and neck to break down all of the makeup on my skin and then take a muslim cloth soaked in very hot water, rinse it out and rest it onto my face. I gently press the hot cloth onto my face and eyes and this is the BEST FEELING EVER. Super relaxing. After a stressful day nothing else helps me to relax and calm down. I then gently swipe away the makeup in movements away from the centre of my face. Once all of the dirt is off my face, I run the cloth under a cold tap and rest it back onto my face. This helps to close the pores, preventing any future breakouts. The whole thing is such a relaxing process and I whole heartedly recommend going for a hot cloth cleanser in the evening.
Serum. If your skin is super dry then you CANNOT miss this step. This is how you are going to lock that moisture into your skin. If you need something hydrating yet brightening then the L’Oreal Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum is ideal. I lean towards this in the morning as the product has a slight shimmer to it, which helps to give your skin a healthy glow. An alternative is the Indeed Labs Hydraluron. It is a hydration serum which holds up to 1000 times its weight in water and so is a perfect partner for the dry skinned gals out there. For me that’s my night time choice as it has all night to sink in, make up free.
Moisturise. Not just your face, but your lips too. Applying moisturiser should be part of your daily routine even if the above steps are not. For me, I like a correcting moisturiser but nothing as heavy as a BB or CC cream for under my makeup. L’Oreal’s Skin Perfection Perk Up Cream is a daily moisturiser with a difference. The formula is really light weight and comes out white however when rubbed into the skin, it becomes slightly fresh toned. Very little coverage however gives your skin that ‘perked up’ look it promised you. It’s also a really nice base for the rest of your make up routine so that’s always a plus. The Nuxe Crème de Beaute 24hr Rich Moisturising Cream is my evening indulgence. The consistency is super thick and it smells delicious. It just feels really luxurious and again is the perfect relaxant before bed. Along with the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray of course. Finally, pucker up and hit those lips. At the moment I am alternating between the EOS lip balm is Pomegranate and the Malin and Goetz Lip Moisturiser. One is a solid balm and the other a gel. Both are amazing and super moisturising. The Malin and Goetz one is a little clinical but does the job so I am a happy bunny.
An optional step which I add in the morning is to tone. I do this in between my cleanse and serum steps. It just helps to gently balance, sooth and refresh your skin. If I am completely honest, I’m not sure of the benefit to my skin but it certainly makes me feel refreshed and ready for the day. Currently, I am enjoying the This Works Fresh Skin Toner. I think it’s been discontinued now but they have reformulated and packaged it and it is now called the Clean Skin Toner.
So there you have it. My lethal, anti-bad skin, winter rescue combination.
Serum. If your skin is super dry then you CANNOT miss this step. This is how you are going to lock that moisture into your skin. If you need something hydrating yet brightening then the L’Oreal Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum is ideal. I lean towards this in the morning as the product has a slight shimmer to it, which helps to give your skin a healthy glow. An alternative is the Indeed Labs Hydraluron. It is a hydration serum which holds up to 1000 times its weight in water and so is a perfect partner for the dry skinned gals out there. For me that’s my night time choice as it has all night to sink in, make up free.
Moisturise. Not just your face, but your lips too. Applying moisturiser should be part of your daily routine even if the above steps are not. For me, I like a correcting moisturiser but nothing as heavy as a BB or CC cream for under my makeup. L’Oreal’s Skin Perfection Perk Up Cream is a daily moisturiser with a difference. The formula is really light weight and comes out white however when rubbed into the skin, it becomes slightly fresh toned. Very little coverage however gives your skin that ‘perked up’ look it promised you. It’s also a really nice base for the rest of your make up routine so that’s always a plus. The Nuxe Crème de Beaute 24hr Rich Moisturising Cream is my evening indulgence. The consistency is super thick and it smells delicious. It just feels really luxurious and again is the perfect relaxant before bed. Along with the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray of course. Finally, pucker up and hit those lips. At the moment I am alternating between the EOS lip balm is Pomegranate and the Malin and Goetz Lip Moisturiser. One is a solid balm and the other a gel. Both are amazing and super moisturising. The Malin and Goetz one is a little clinical but does the job so I am a happy bunny.
An optional step which I add in the morning is to tone. I do this in between my cleanse and serum steps. It just helps to gently balance, sooth and refresh your skin. If I am completely honest, I’m not sure of the benefit to my skin but it certainly makes me feel refreshed and ready for the day. Currently, I am enjoying the This Works Fresh Skin Toner. I think it’s been discontinued now but they have reformulated and packaged it and it is now called the Clean Skin Toner.
So there you have it. My lethal, anti-bad skin, winter rescue combination.
Let me know what your winter essentials are for your skin.
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