Skincare that Works #3 | Back to Basics

Since January my skin has been atrocious, in particular my chin, which has been up and down (quite literally) for four solid months.  I'm not sure what exactly has caused this, although I have an idea it might be something to do with university stress (my dissertation and FMP were due in the past four months), using and trying an array of products all at once or just my hormones being all over the place. Whatever the reason, my skin has really been getting me down.  As a result, I completely stripped back my skincare routine, beginning with products I knew my skin would tolerate before slowly introducing other products into the mix.

To start off, I swapped out a cleanser for my old and faithful Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I (and so many others) have an ongoing love affair with this product, but my skin loves it and I knew I would be safe.  I then cut out my morning cleanse, changing it for a clean flannel and warm water, to wake my skin up, followed by a double cleanse in the evening.  I've found this to be a lot better for my skin, the double cleanse means my make up is completely wiped off in the evening.  Another cleanser I've been using a lot more recently, due to Liz Earle running low, is the infamous Emma Hardie Amazing Face.  I originally purchased this in January when everyone and their dog in the beauty blogosphere had discovered it, but it was around this time that my skin had gone berserk and I wasn't sure if it was products that were fuelling my breakouts or not, so it got thrown to the back of my stash.  I pulled it out mid-March, not wanting to waste the money I'd spent on it, to give it another go and to my surprise my skin has taken to it quite nicely (a full review is coming soon).  I use this in the same way as Liz Earle, using it only in the evenings with a muslin cloth. 

Once or twice a week I will follow a cleanse up by exfoliating my skin.  Another greatly loved product by myself is the Origins Modern Friction.  I usually exfoliate whilst in the shower, the product is quite abrasive but also has a creamy lotion too it so it's not extremely stripping on the skin and gets rid of the dead skin cells that have built up over the days.  My favourite part of the routine is my night cream, another product from Origins.  I have the oil-free High-Potency Night-A-Mins and it just feels wonderful on the skin.  It's got a gel like texture which is cooling on the skin and extremely moisturising - the formulation is somewhat comparable to the Drink Up Intensive mask by the brand, except it's lighter.  

So that's my current skincare routine, quite stripped back in terms of what I was using but it seems to be working (for now anyway).  Sometimes I will pop on a face mask (usually Out of Trouble, again by Origins) but I'm trying not to overload my skin at the moment.  

How do you banish those pesky breakouts?

How To: Beat Bad Skin Days

There's nothing worse than a bad break out.  My skin has never been perfect, but I've managed to find a routine, along with some tips and tricks that helps my skin in its time of need.  I have normal to combination skin, so the majority of my break outs happen around my T-Zone. Although it sounds obvious, making sure your make up is taken off properly is essential to clearer skin. We're all guilty of turning to the face wipes after a night out but nine times out of ten, face wipes are just not enough.  I'm currently using Bioderma and loving it but another affordable and easily available option would be the No7 Cleansing Water.  

After I've removed all of my make up, I then go in for a second cleanse using the REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser.  This is a lovely product, which helps soothe skin and helps clear up any break outs.  Once a week after cleansing, I will turn to my favourite face mask. Origins Out of Trouble is great at drawing out all the impurities and sucking up any excess oil which may lead to further out breaks.  I would then follow up with a toner and a moisturiser. I've been enjoying Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate, which is a simple, non greasy moisturiser, recommended by make up artists and models.  

If my skin is particularly bad I will pop a bit of PanOxyl Aquagel 2.5% on angry areas.  This gel dries up the spot and helps reduce the redness in just a few hours.  After a couple of days with this routine, I find that my skin clears up pretty quickly. I also try to drink as much water as I can during the day, which also helps when it comes to break outs.  

How do you keep your skin clear?

My Current Skincare Routine

Before we get into this post, I would like to say it is in no way sponsored by Liz Earle, I just really love their skincare range and find it works for my skin.  

Until about two years ago, I'd never really been into skincare and tended to use a baby wipe to 'remove' my make up at night - I say 'remove', as I would wake up with panda eyes the next morning without fail.  When I began blogging, there was a huge buzz around Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. Liz Earle were a brand I'd never heard of before blogging and I owe some of you lot my life as there's certainly no way I could do without now!  I thought I'd share with you my current routine, when I use products and why, so without further adieu...

When I wake up the first thing I grab from my basket of goodies is my cleanser.  I find my skin to be dull and rather puffy when I wake up and by using the infamous hot cloth cleanser, I find it really helps wake up my skin and also brighten it. About six months ago that would be it for my skincare routine (perish the thought).  

I follow up my cleanser with the Instant Boost Skin Tonic which refreshes the skin as well as removes any traces of cleanser.  I squirt a bit onto a cotton pad and then rub in circular motions over my face.  Once I've done this, I'll use the Skin Repair Moisturiser for normal/combination skin. I've learnt that a little goes a long way with this product!  After the three step routine is complete, I use the Daily Eye Repair cream on my under eye circles. This product is great as it has light reflecting particles, which really open up and brighten your eyes. This can also be used on fine lines around the mouth and on the forehead.  When it's complete my face is completely transformed from dull to bright and glowing!

In the evening I take my make up off with Cleanse and Polish and follow up with the tonic and moisturiser.  The only difference at night is that I don't use the eye cream. I want to invest in an evening eye cream, do you have any recommendations? 

About once or twice a week, depending on what my skin has been like, I will exfoliate with the Gentle Face Exfoliator.  It's a great exfoliator for all skin types as it's not harsh against your skin and also digs deep into the pores.  I use this after cleansing and usually in the shower and the jojoba beads are quite difficult to get off otherwise!

What products feature in your current skincare routine? I'm looking into trying some skincare which contains bee venom, as I've heard it's great for the skin!