I've seen a lot of posts recently about skin care and have invested in a lot of products recently, particularly from Origins and some French pharmacy brands.
I don't think I've ever done a post on my usual skin care so here's my general day to day products that I could not live without!
(It's rather a long post so I'd grab a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable, there's lots of photos though!)
First up is the cleanser....the one and only Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.
I'd obviously heard rave reviews from everyone but had never invested until it came free with Red magazine a fair few months ago.
Needless to say I fell in love completely, my skin looked and felt so much better and because I was previously only using face wipes the difference was amazing!
This has definitely become a must have product in my collection and I'll probably never be without it.
I still have some other cleansers that I'm using up, particularly one from Neutrogena.
This is the 3 in 1 Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Cleanser Scrub and Mask in One.
I believe Hayden Panettiere is in the advert for it?
I bought this when my Liz Earle ran out and I was penniless, and the Visibly Clear range was on 2 for £5 offer, which is amazing considering their normal price is around the £4.80 mark.
This obviously wasn't the same as the Liz Earle, but my skin has been so bad recently that I needed something more directed towards my spots and I have to say I was quite impressed.
The cleanser did work really well and all of my little spots and blackheads cleared right up and my T-zone was looking pretty good!
I also like that you can leave it on for a while as a mask which really feels like a deep clean for your skin.
This was great for when my skin was breaking out all over and if it happens again I would happily repurchase.
I was also sent 2 Actives from Etat Pur to try, after my previous experience with one of their Actives.
I had used their Zinc Glycolate (A20 which helps to restrict sebum secretion and to eliminate spots) and hadn't had a great response from using it. Initially it worked great but after 4/5 weeks I broke out and nothing would make them go away!
Their PR department noticed my reaction via twitter and kindly sent me another of the A20* to be used in conjunction with the Salicylic Acid 300mg (A22*) which when combined enhance each others activity and help get faster results.
I've been using this for a couple of weeks now and I would definitely have to agree that combined they produce a much faster response in regards to oiliness and helping to clear skin of blackheads and little spots.
My skin is very clear thanks to the combination of the Liz Earle cleanser and using these two products.
Unfortunately for me, I keep breaking out in larger spots along my jawline which can't have anything to do with oiliness as my skin isn't oily in these areas, just normal which is a huge shame as everywhere else where I am used to having spots is so clear!
Just my luck really! If you have any product ideas that might get rid of these please let me know as I really can't think what else to do!
My normal moisturiser for daily use is Vichy's Normaderm.
I bought this on a whim a few months ago and absolutely love it, it's not too expensive and Vichy seem to have some great offers on.
Their Normaderm range is quite popular and I can definitely understand why.
My full review is here and I bought this product in April. Considering that I have been using it twice a day since then that's a massive bargain as I've had probably around 5 months usage out of that one bottle.
I have of course used others on random occasions but for the most part this has been my moisturiser of choice.
I have a new Origins one that I bought recently and am desperate to try out but I would definitely repurchase the Normaderm moisturiser for the effects and the value!
As for a mask I have a few newbies in my collection including the Origins 10 minutes Out of Trouble mask.
The mask is a gorgeous thick white cream that you apply to the face and then wash off after 10 minutes.
It is so thick it feels really luxurious but isn't too thick to spread, it stays exactly where you put it which is great.
It also tingles on the skin but only ever so slightly, and has a cooling effect which I love.
It makes my skin feel great afterwards and was worth every penny!
I have also been given a sample of the Origins Charcoal Mask which I'm really looking forward to trying.
Lastly two of my favourite products to use....my eye creams!
I never used to use an eye cream until around March, when I bought Origins Eye Doctor (review here) as my eyes have become really sensitive.
But this was a perfect buy along with the Origins No Puffery eye gel (here) and it has really helped my eyes become less sensitive though they still don't like my contact lenses!
Needless to say having not used an eye cream before the skin around my eyes has improved dramatically and the fine lines I had have miraculously disappeared which was a massive bonus!
I also was given a sample of their famous GinZing eye cream which I went on to buy in the full size as I loved it so much. So I used GinZing in the mornings to hide any bags and Eye Doctor and No Puffery at night and this seems to be combating my eye worries for now.
So there you have it! A rather expensive skin care regime to keep up with particularly as I don't have a job....but I'm a firm believer that skin care is a priority as you only get one of them so you'd better look after it!
When I get the odd spot I also have been using Sudocrem
This is so cheap and an absolute must for anyone, it's great for spots, dry skin and irritation and it's been great for the odd one that has appeared on my T-zone.
The only things I can see missing from my regime really is an SPF and a serum. I will have to look out for an SPF that's easy to incorporate in the morning and a serum would be great for helping to keep wrinkles at bay.
What do you have in your regime? Do you have any suggestions for my spot worries?
L xxx
This was my recent Origins haul and I'm so excited to start using them but I'm determined I'm going to finish up the old products first!
Beauty Rehab post coming up tomorrow to show you how much I've been using up :)
* = PR Samples
