Skincare is something that I love. I am always trying to learn new things about skincare. This all has to do with me trying to find the perfect routine that keeps my cystic acne in check. By reading and learning so much about skincare and skin types, my friends and family are always coming to me for tips and tricks when they have their own skin concerns. Now I am going to be giving a little disclaimer as I am in no way an expert or followed a course for this, so please don’t take whatever I am saying too serious. Throughout the years I found a routine that works for my skin, however this routine of products might not work for you.
Recently one of my friends was asking advice about what kind of routine they should start using as they have joined the ‘twenty club’. I decided to turn it into a blog post as I thought it would be fun to read and it could be quite helpful to you too. Yet again, I am in no way an expert or have studied for this so please do your own research before creating a routine and buying products too.
Let’s talk about having a routine. I feel like a routine should be as basic and natural as possible. I don’t think it’s necessary to use lots of serums or creams if you have clear skin. Over the years I have learnt that it’s best to not add too many products onto your face if you don’t even have skin that looks or feels bad. As much as I would like to believe that slathering on product after product will work for you, sometimes using lots of products only makes skin concerns worse. Also, I would recommend to never buy products for specific skin concerns such as acne. Usually these products are very drying for your face and while you’re (temporarily) cured from your acne, your skin will start feeling very dry. I am speaking from my own experiences, as well as hearing experiences from friends and reading other people’s experiences online.
Cleansing balm
I always double cleanse my face, as I first want to remove all of the makeup and dirt off my skin and then move on to actually cleanse it. For this I usually start cleansing my skin with a cleansing balm and then use a gentle moisturising cleanser.Some of my favourite cleansing balms that aren’t too harsh on the skin are the Camomile Cleansing Butter by The Body Shop, the Camomile Silky Cleansing extract by The Body Shop, the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical cleansing oil, The Take the Day off cleansing balm by Clinique and the Moringa Cleansing Balm by Emma Hardie.
Last weekend I got myself a cruelty free, vegan friendly cleansing balm by Rituals. So far I have been really liking it, but right now it’s still to early to say how much I like it, as you probably will start noticing a difference in skin after about two weeks.
Gentle cleanser
The most important thing to have in your routine is a gentle cleanser. Harsh cleansers usually make your face break out or make them feel really dry. Cleansing your face is so important and I would never, ever go to sleep without taking my makeup off or washing my face with water and at least a single cleanse before bed.I like to use cleansers that are gentle, so they won’t break me out. Whenever I go shopping for a cleanser, I always look for cleansers that are made for sensitive skin. These will usually be quite gentle while still feeling moisturised. Some of my favourite, gentle cleansers are the Cetaphil gentle cleanser or the Centella Skin Calming Cleanser by Kiehl’s. Sadly enough the Kiehl’s skin calming cleanser has been discontinued, so I am now on the hunt for a another, gentle second cleanser.
Toner
Something I only recently started using again is a toner. The main reason was that my aesthetician told me I should start using one to balance out my skin’s Ph Balance. Apparently your skin’s Ph balance can get messed up after cleansing your face with a cleanser. This means that your skin has to work quite hard to get back to ‘normal’ on your Ph scale. Because it has to work quite hard to get balanced out, it can get quite oily. I remember the one rogue year I took science in high school my teacher taught me that your skin usually has a Ph balance between 5 and 6. Like I said, when you cleanse this balance can get quite messed up. A toner can be used to help bring your Ph balance closer back to your normal Ph balance. This means your skin does not have to work as hard anymore.Some of my favourite cleansers are the Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner by Clarins, the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial toner and the First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads.
Hydrating Moisturizer
After cleansing and toning your face and applying eye cream, it’s so important to also use a moisturizer. A moisturizer helps hydrate your skin, as well as combat any fine lines that might appear over the years. I would always recommend a hydrating moisturizer to anyone, even if you have oily skin or suffer with acne. I usually tell people to use a hydrating moisturiser because lack of moisture actually could be the underlying problem of your skin producing more oil or acne.My favourite moisturisers are from Kiehl’s, La Roche Posay and my ultimate favourite moisturizer is the Clarins Hydra Essentiel Silky Cream. It’s such a thick and moisturizing cream that I love to put on my face before bed. It absorbs into the skin quick too.
If you’re more into more affordable moisturisers, I would highly recommend using the La Roche Posay Toleriane Ultra, which is designed for people with very sensitive skin to make it appear smooth. Then another affordable moisturizer I love is the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial cream.
Eye Cream
This may sound weird, especially as I only just turned 21. But I am a firm believer that some sort of a cream should be applied under the eyes to moisturize the soft skin around your eyes. This all came from multiple people I have met in their fifties who had been using eye cream ever since they were twenty. They barely had any fine lines around their eyes because they have been using eye cream and I made it my mission to also have fine lines that looked as beautiful as theirs by the time I am fifty. So with that comes incorporating an eye cream into your skincare.My favourite eye cream by far is by Kiehl’s. I have barely used any other eye cream in my life, as I heard so many great things about the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. Another eye cream that is quite hyped but I have not gotten around to trying, is the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronizer Complex II. So I am dying to give that a go soon. Besides that I am also eying up the Rituals Firming Eye Cream, as I am pretty sure it’s vegan friendly and cruelty free.
SPF
If you struggle with acne scars, pigmentation or are using harsh, acid toners or treatments on your face, an SPF needs to be in your everyday skincare routine. When you suffer from acne scars or (hyper)pigmentation is such a must to make sure the scars and pigmentation does not get any darker, as the sun can cause that kind of damage.If you’re using harsh, acid toners or treatments on your face, you need to use SPF. Because these harsh toners are getting are treating your acne scars, pigmentation or anything like that, it is kind of eating away some of the dead skin cells. This kind of products usually ‘remove’ the top layer of your skin, which means your face is extra exposed to sunlight. This may lead to your skin being extra sensitive to sunlight as this top layer is ‘gone’. Therefore it is always recommended to use SPF to prevent sunburns because of the treatments you’re using.
SPF should actually always be included in everyone’s skincare routine as the sun can cause so much damage to your skin, even on a cloudy day or during the winter. I only started using SPF on a daily basis since I was 16 but regret not knowing so much more about this earlier on in life. SPF helps to keep your skin looking healthy, which means it also helps to prevent any signs of aging. So start stocking up on SPF if you want to look a few years younger than you actually are when you are 50 years old.
My favourite SPF’s are the Bioderma Photoderm AKN matifying fluid, the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Face Ultra Light fluid and Rituals The Ritual of Karma sun protection face cream.
I'm rubbish when it comes to cleansers so this is super helpful for me! Definitely want to try the Cetaphil gentle cleanser :)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAnika | anikamay.co.uk
It's really lovely! I hope it works for you Anika :) xx
VerwijderenThe Kiehl's avocado eye cream is honestly the best eye cream I've ever used, I simply love that stuff! xx
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt's just the best, isn't it? So good! :) xx
VerwijderenHow great is the Take the Day off balm, literally my fave!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenx Rubi
Pose & Repeat
It's so lovely, isn't it! :) xx
Verwijderen