Finding Skincare Favourites With Boots UK #AD

A few weeks ago I posted about my finding skincare favourites challenge with Boots UK (read it HERE). In that post I gave a little introduction to my skin and its issues – primarily rosacea and therefore ridiculously sensitive skin – and also showed you the products I would be trying out. I’ve been doing this challenge for about three weeks now, but many of these products are trusted skincare favourites of mine, ones that crop up in so many of my recommendations and ‘favourites’ posts, so you could say this is a bit of a skincare ‘dream team’!

*This is a sponsored post in association with Boots UK.

So much of my confidence is tied to my skin. If I wake up and I’m having a good skin day then it can change my whole day: I’ll feel more confident, more likely to want to go out, I’ll feel happier… just more like myself. Boots know that by enhancing your skin and your natural beauty, you can make a direct impact on confidence. And while every person is unique, the Boots skincare advisors are there to chat you through the various products to help you discover the right skincare for you. Boots has just relaunched its much anticipated 3 for 2 deal, with great savings on selected skincare and I’ve been so excited to tell you about the bits I’ve been using.

I love a skincare challenge and the past few weeks have definitely put my current Boots skincare selection to the test: I’ve been in France where it’s been freezing one moment, then roasting hot the next, interspersed with warm evenings by the fire, buckets of wine and cheese… basically all the things my rosacea hates! But my skin has been remarkably well-behaved. This collection is a bit smaller than my usual skincare routine, but I haven’t felt like anything was missing – perhaps because the weather has finally started to turn towards spring.

If you’ve read my blog over the years you will have seen me write about the Bioderma micellar water countless times as I’ve been using a version of this product for years. Before it was available in the UK, I used to stock up every time I came to France, running the gauntlet of exceeding my baggage allowance in order to keep my picky skin happy. I’ve tried a lot of other pretenders to the micellar water throne, but this is still the best. There are a few different versions in their range but this month I’ve been using the original: Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Water*. It works so well as a first cleanse to get rid of the bulk of make up before going in with a second cleanser, or as a morning refresh to remove oil and dirt (it’s also great as an alternative to face wipes for those times when you can’t wash your face properly). It leaves my face soft and smooth without any tightness, stinging, or any sort of reaction from my rosacea.

I’ve been using the Avène Gentle Milk Cleanser* as my second cleanse and it’s going straight in my bathroom cabinet (for any new readers, that’s where I keep my all-time skincare favourites!) I’ve tried a few different cleansers by Avène, across many of their ranges, and found all of them work incredibly well with my temperamental skin. This particular cleanser is a light milky cream that feels cool on the skin and leaves it clean without any residue or discomfort. It will remove make up – including waterproof mascara – but not as quickly as Bioderma or a dedicated eye make-up remover so if you have sensitive eyes, you may want to remove eye make up with a separate product.

La Roche-Posay is another brand that I’ve used and loved for years, I don’t know what it is about French pharmacy brands but they seem to *get* sensitive skin. I’ve tried quite a few products from the Rosaliac range, the collection designed for redness-prone skin, and the La Roche-Posay Rosaliac UV Legere moisturiser* is one I’d recommend to pretty much everyone. Lightweight but moisturising enough to deal with even my persistent dry patches of skin, this cream soothes and smoothes with anti-irritation properties – everything a sensitive-skinned gal could ever need in a moisturiser!

I’ve been using the Avène Cleanance MAT Mattifying Emulsion* as my evening moisturiser and I have already seen a change in the oiliness of my skin when I wake up on a morning. The Cleanance range is aimed at acne/blemish-prone skin, designed to gently assist cell turnover (using salicylic acid to break down the dead skin cells which can block pores), while also helping to lower oil production with the inclusion of Monolaurin. It’s halfway between a gel and a cream and sinks in very quickly, something I always look for in products I use at night.

I think the combination of the Avene moisturiser and the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips* have drastically improved the appearance of my blackheads and congestion on my nose and chin. I hadn’t used these type of strips in years as I was worried they would irritate my sensitive skin as they contain tea tree oil and witch hazel (two ingredients that usually trigger my rosacea), but the box says you can trim them, so I simply cut them to fit the exact proportions of my nose and the centre of my chin, so they never came into contact with my cheeks where I’m most sensitive. The results of these pore strips are exactly what you’d expect: part fascinating, part horrifying to see what is left on the strip! You get 14 in a pack and I’ve been using two once a week so they work out to be very affordable.

I had tried the Vichy Purete Thermale Relieving Solid Water Mask* before and raved about it. I am a big fan of face masks and recommend them to any who asks me for tips for managing sensitive skin. This Vichy mask is intensely hydrating while being so soothing and calming – perfect for when I’m having a flare up or when my skin feels harassed and tight. I’ve been using the mask three times a week and my sensitive skin loves me for it. It’s a jelly-like consistency that spreads easily on the skin and doesn’t entirely absorb so I leave it to do its magic for 20 minutes and then remove with a cotton pad soaked in Bioderma.

And that’s my whole routine – I had so much fun finding skincare favourites: so many wonderful and trusted products, some of which have saved my skin countless times over the years. Will you be taking advantage of the Boots 3 for 2 deal to stock up on your reliable skincare staples while they are half price? Or will you try to find your new skincare favourite?

I’ve tried so many products and brands that are great for rosacea or sensitive skin from Boots over the years, so if there’s anything you have your eye on from the many skincare products on offer, add a comment below and I’ll let you know if I’ve tried it!

Lex

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