It's been a year since my last skin care post (click) and I think it's time for an updated version. I haven't changed that many products actually, a lot stayed the same, nor have I experimented a lot in this year. I already found some great products last year and I kept using them. So I suppose I could even call them my holly grail products. My skin is combination to normal type with areas on my cheeks and forehead getting drier in colder months (I get dry patches there). I rarely get spots, in general I'd say about one every one or two months and even those tend to go away fast. However, some have left small red spots on my chin which are fading significantly slower. My skin had never looked better since I completely changed my routine last spring.
Starting with make up removers and cleansers. I still use Bioderma Sensibio H20, I'm on my fourth bottle in a row now. This might be the most recommended skin care product in the make up/beauty blogger community and for a good reason. It's very gentle, feels like water but removes all make up and does not irritate my skin or eyes. However, I do find it does not remove all of the waterproof mascara (actually it depends which one it is), so if I'm wearing waterproof mascara and I feel that Bioderma didn't get all off, I use Maybelline waterproof remover. It's oil based and I'm not really a fan of the oily residue is leaves, but it completely removes waterproof mascara.
After make up removers I always use a cleanser and rinse my face with water. I just don't feel comfortable with just leaving all that remaining make up remover just sitting on my face. I need to feel that my skin is completely clean. I use different baby shower gels or soapless gels. Right now I'm using one of SauBär ones and I don't really like it. It's too thin and it's not a good shampoo either (it claims to be a 3 in 1, shower-shampoo-conditioner) as it really dries out the hair. Since they discontinued my HG Nivea Todddies gel, which I repurchased a dozen times in a row, I've used a lot of different cleansers. I didn't really like any of them, Neutrogena pink grapefruit one was particularly nasty, because it dried out my skin badly. But I got a sample of Skin79 O2 Bubbles BB cleanser and I loved it. It's on my wishlist already.
After cleanser I use Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum. I got it on eBay for half the price it's sold by our retailers, but it still cost an arm and a leg. I bought it sometime in Spring and I've got only about 20% left. My skin is definitely clearer, spots occur really rarely now (as I said before one per 1 or even 2 months) and if I get any they heal and disappear faster. In the first month using it, my forehead broke out like crazy. I almost stopped using it, but I pressed on and now my skin looks better than ever. It's meant to be used with a moisturiser as I find that itself is not moisturising at all. In fact if I use it on it's own my skin gets really tight after five minutes. Now that it's on it's last legs I really want to repurchase it, but it's so expensive. I'll probably repurchase it sometime, but for now I'll replace it with a much cheaper Eucerin Aquaporin light moisturiser (I got a few samples and I love how light, yet really moisturising it is).
I'm still using Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse dry oil as my moisturiser. I've been using it non-stop since last May and my skin looks so healthy, dewy, soft and all in all just really great. I had one 50 ml bottle for a year, because you only need a few drops. I recently repurchased a bigger 100 ml bottle that comes with a pump. Here is my original review.
I've just recently written a review for self tanners which you can find here click. I use Clarins Liquid Bronze and Xen-Tan Transform light. The first is a light lotion and appropriate also for more oily skin types and the second one is really moisturising so I prefer it more for my skin type (it leaves my skin really soft even if I forget to use Nuxe oil). You can go really light with both, so to give your skin more of a glow than an actual deeper tan, or you can build it up by using it several days in a row.
As my exfoliator/anti-spot mask I use Dermalogica gentle cream exfoliant which has high percentages of salicylic and lactic acid. It's a brilliant product, you can find my rave review here. I bought it when my skin was acting up as a result of Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair's purging stage and it worked amazing. I still only have the small tube (I've been saving it like crazy) and I tend to use it as a spot treatment. It just dries those suckers right out. I'm saving for a full size tube.
My favourite spot treatment has been discontinued. It is PureSkin pure teint spot fighting duo by Essence. The concealer end is absolute rubbish, but the treatment end was amazing. It was a clear liquid and it didn't leave any dried gel type of things on top. It worked great and it dried the spots fast. Now I've been trying other ones (I'll advise you to stay clear of the new treatment from the same line by Essence as it's really bad) and nothing works the same (apart for the Dermalogica mask). I miss it, I've probably repurchased it a least half of dozen times. So far I purchased one from Balea and I hate it, and one from CadeaVera Young, which is just ok, I don't like the fact it's a gel that dries on the spot.
I occasionally make a home made mask when my skin is acting up a bit (but it been a while since that happened and I had to resort to it) made from either just honey (if my skin is dry) or adding a couple of crushed aspirins into the honey (if I get spots). It's a great cheap treatment that works like a charm. Honey works as an antiseptic and Aspirin has salicylic acid which is good for treating spots. You can also use honey instead of a cleanser as an everyday wash, but beware that it doesn't wash of completely. Also I use to use Aspirin toner (instruction here, below the second picture) but it's become a bother to me make and use. Still if my skin got a bit crazy I'd definitely start using it again. Another nice treatment is using baking soda as an exfoliator.
I wear BB creams everyday now because of the high SPF they have (I count BB creams also as skin care products, not just make up). Here I'm wearing Holika Holika Peachy Girl BB cream (shade #2, review here), but only a small amount as I don't like too much coverage. I want my freckles to show through. On my lips I have color changing lip balm by Essence from the Miami Roller Girl TE in 01 Miami heat (the orange one) and nothing on my eyes.
So this is my updated skin care routine. I know it looks like I use a lot of products, but in fact on most days it's just three: cleanser, Estee Lauder serum and Nuxe oil. Thanks for reading!
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