skincare routine

The Morning Skincare Routine Update

While I haven’t had the worst skin the world, I have always struggled with my skin. I deal with moderate acne on the body and milder stuff on the face, have eczema and otherwise catastrophically dry and sensitive skin, have issues with redness, clarity and texture but since beginning this blog, I’ve noticed remarkable improvements in my skin. Over the last two years, my skin has improved as I’ve stuck to my skincare findings and have made tweaks here and there, but my skin is at its finest with my current routine that I’ve been consistent with for three or four months. Rather than rambling on and on about the products, I figured that I would update you all on the products that I’m currently using in the morning. And by the way, I promise my routine is more consistent than it sounds. Basically, this routine has done its best to keep my skin calm and hydrated and clear by sticking to gentle products and ensuring that my skin renews more effectively – it seems to naturally be very sluggish.

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First off, I gently cleanse my skin, generally with the underrated Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($9-10) [review], or if I cannot be bothered to actually apply and then rinse something, I just go for the classic Bioderma Sensibio H20 ($22).

Without fail, I follow up by applying the Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment ($30 US) [review] to get that AHA brightening action (along with a boost of BHA),with some moisture and a general calming effect on my skin. A couple of times per week, I’ve been applying a few drops of my sample of the Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster ($48 US) to ensure that I’m getting the environmental protection that the antioxidants provide during the nighttime – as I was beginning to feel that I wasn’t getting the most of the product solely at night.

Afterwards, I either use my favourite facial oil, the Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil ($55), [review] or one of the two lovely facial moisturizers that I’m alternating at the moment, depending on how my skin is – the Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer ($46) and my love, the Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40) [review].

I do use two moisturizers because my skin reacts to chemical sunscreens and mineral formulas are not hydrating enough on their own – and because makeup sits so much nicer if I do double up. Speaking of mineral sunscreen, every day I reach for either the Skin79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream ($36) [review] or the Avene Mineral Cream SPF 50+ ($30) for protection without irritating my spectacularly sensitive skin.

Any skincare thoughts or favourite products to share?
Maggie, x.

Evening Skincare Routine

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Like loads of others, I’m sure, my evening skincare routine is a wee bit more intensive than my morning one and although I would describe myself as someone who is dedicated to their routine, although it tends to vary night to night throughoutthe week in terms of treatments – I’ll get onto this later.Because my eyes are so sensitive and dry, I always begin with two cotton pads soaked in the cult-favourite Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution ($22) and hold them over my eyes for up to a minute to thoroughly remove mascara and other stubborn makeup although I’m sure others could get away using the cleansers to remove eye makeup as they are so gentle.

Not just because of the recent widespread belief in double-cleansing at nighttime, I’ve been dedicated to washing my face twice at night because I have the kind of skin that makeup clings to like nothing else in this world; I’m fortunate that I’m someone whose foundation stays on the skin for an amazing amount of time but this characteristic has made intensive but supremely-gentle cleansing essential to the whole skincare shebang. For the first cleanse, I alternate between the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($9-12) and the Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12) as both textures of products nourish the skin while cleansing gently and removing makeup with ease. I might be tempted to say that the cleansing oil has slightly stronger makeup removing power as it can remove makeup completely and to be honest, I can be satisfied with a single thorough wash with this one (on a rare occasion when I’m feeling spectacularly lazy) but it is the messier option of the two and contains mineral oil – I know mineral oil is problematic to some but it isn’t for my fragile skin type. I make sure to always use a washcloth with the first cleanse to ensure that the makeup has been truly removed.

I have the kind of skin that holds onto foundation and the like in the same manner as glue I reckon and therefore even before all of that double cleansing hoopla took over, I was faithful to cleansing the face twice; unless I’m not wearing makeup (or sunscreen – naughty), I cleanse my skin the second-time with the basic fragrance-free non-foaming lightweight thin gel-cream Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($11-12). This cleanser actually does remove makeup as well but I prefer to go in with a more nourishing oil-based cleanser beforehand and strikes me as the superior version of Cetaphil. 

Five (or six on occasion) times per week, I go for a product of the gentle chemical exfoliant variety. I’m still faithful to my long-time trio of gentle exfoliants of this variety – the BHA-based Clinique Mild Clarifying Solution ($16) and the slightly more concentrated Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment ($10-12) as well as my much-loved AHA-based Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Cream-Serum ($40) – but I’ve also recently brought the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($14/37) as my supply of the cream-serum is dwindling. Although it isn’t strictly a chemical exfoliant but rather a gentle alcohol-free retinoid and antibiotic gel that rapidly increases the cell-turnover, I figured I would include the expensive prescription-only topical called Bianca ($90) that I’ve added back into to my routine 2-3x a week at this stage. I will warn you, however, that these retinoid products are one of the very few products that cause purging in the skin initially before the improvement begins.

If I haven’t already applied a serum-textured product in the above stage (the Neutrogena, Indeed Labs or Bianca), I’ve been applying the lightweight La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense ($35) serum before moisturizing with the soothing Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator ($45) that am a huge fan of. A few times a week, when I’m not going for a chemical exfoliant or I’m opting for one of the serum-textured-variety, I go for the soothing and brightening Organic Rosehip Oil, applying it on top of everything in the case of the first scenario and applying it over the chemical exfoliant in the second, skipping the moisturizer altogether.

When I’m not entirely too lazy to remember, I slather my poor chapped lips with the lovely multipurpose La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 ($16). 

This might seem rather exhaustive or unlike a routine at all but I promise that it is a constant routine that I follow and takes less than five minutes and it’s entirely worthwhile, for my skin at least.

Have you tried any of these products? What does your nighttime routine look like?

Maggie, x.

P.S. There will most likely be a weekly treatments post up in the near future…

 

Additions to the Skincare Routine

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So here I am, as promised, delivering another installment in the creatively-titled ‘skincare series’. Gradually I began making drastic changes to my skincare routine about a year ago but ever since the initial changes I’ve been rather consistent with my morning and evening skincare routine with results that I can’t complain about by any stretch of the imagination. However as one reaches the end of skincare products and is a beauty addict such as I am, some products are purchased and switched in for others and the rare additions are added to the routine, having made the cut.

Not too long ago, I featured the newly-acquired Boots no7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser($12 CDN) when I confessed my accidental shopping sins. While it is a new addition to the routine, I picked it up to replace the Cleansing Balm from the same line that I actually finished up after loads of use because the formulation was similar and I was curious. As expected, this offering that presumably is created to imitate the oh-so-popular Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish – that I’ve never tried – without the fragrant essential oils seems to be just as nice, rich and soothing whilst removing makeup effectively with a washcloth but it comes with 50 mls of extra product and is housed in the practical pump packaging. The following two products received mention in mere passing in contrast here to the cleanser that I’ve discussed before in some detail.

This purchase was induced by the brand being available at a 20% discount but truly I was interested in adding a serum with all of the benefits they seem to be toted as providing that could be used once or twice daily and the La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense Localized Redness Serum ($35 CDN) seemed to fit the bill without having irritating alcohol or stuff of that sort. While I don’t suffer from rosacea, I do suffer from redness and all-around skin irritation and this doesn’t have any sort of life-altering ingredients but this glycerin-based serum has proven to be gentle, soothing and hydrating and it has been a valuable addition to the routine. Unlike my serum love, the Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright, this can be used daily, evening and night and I have been doing so. The pump packaging of the serum is also to die for especially if you’re particularly concerned with keeping ingredients stable and avoiding contamination.

With some legitimate sadness and regret, I’ve noted that my beloved brightening and smoothing treatment/serum, Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright has been running dangerously low and I was not ready to be without an effective AHA chemical exfoliant in my routine somehow I ended up at the cash register with the smaller size of the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($14 CDN) – it’s funny how that happens. However, I’ve been impressed to say the least — not only are these alcohol-free AHA-filled cotton pads fairly affordable, they are extremely concentrated yet gentle with their abundant aloe-leaf juice and I’m able to report that they provide the adequate results of a brightening resurfacing chemical exfoliant – and they are so concentrated that I’ve been able to get two uses off of one pad, using both sides individually. The exact percent of the acid doesn’t appear anywhere (that I can find) but I assure you that its concentrated without being irritating in the least. I can see why everyone seems to be holding these pads in high regard but I’m not ready to offer any definite conclusions yet…

Have you tried any of these products? What have you added to your routine as of late?

Maggie, x.