Skincare Shake Up September 2017 Edition

Another month, another Skincare Shake Up! I think skincare is one of my favourite things to talk about, I love discovering new products and get really excited knowing I can share them with you. There are some proper gems in this month’s post (hello, new affordable liquid exfoliator!) so let’s get going!

Before we get into this month’s Skincare Shake Up, I have a quick question for you. These posts are always ENORMOUS as I try a lot of products and love skincare so much that I get a bit carried away talking about it! So I’m wondering if it would be more helpful/manageable to have this information split into two posts: separating the morning and evening routine? Or maybe putting basic skincare in one post and then all additions (bodycare/face masks) etc in another post? Let me know in the comments, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts!

EVENING ROUTINE:

Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. You’re probably bored of hearing about this cleansing oil in so many Skincare Shake Up posts, but I just love it. And true love lasts a lifetime (super friend points to anyone else who hears Emma Thompson saying that in their head!)

After my success with DCL last month (you can read about that HERE), I was keen to try another product from them. The DCL C Scape Enzymatic Gel Cleanser* contains natural enzymes, sugar, and fruit acids to remove dead skin cells and brighten the complexion. It is a really thick gel and this put me off a little bit, as my skin hates anything too heavy. I don’t know if it was this that made my skin feel quite warm afterwards but I limited its use to 2-3 times a week just in case. It didn’t induce a flare up, it just made my skin a little bit warm, but as soon as that passed it felt very soft, pampered and clean without feeling stripped. Maybe one that’s best for those without sensitive skin!

Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic 5% Glycolic Acid* – I was so excited to try this as the beauty world has been flipping out over it. Dubbed as an affordable dupe for the Pixi Glow Tonic (a review on that coming next month so I can compare!) as it also contains a 5% concentration of AHA. It’s only £5.99 which is great as it’s a 100ml bottle and a great way to try it without shelling out a lot of money. If you have sensitive skin, chemical exfoliators are much better for us than physical scrubs but it’s just about finding the best one for you. This one is very gentle and I didn’t get any prickling, heat, or flare ups from using it, but it’s worth noting that it does contain fragrance and citronellol. It’s also vegan friendly – bravo! I’ve been using it 3 nights a week and I love it but it can be a little drying so I wouldn’t use it more frequently than that. If you want to dip your toe in the chemical exfoliant water then this is a really affordable way to do it.

Dermalogica Ultracalming Mist* I think I’ve mentioned this mist in a previous Skincare Shake Up but I love it. Dermalogica’s Ultracalming range is very highly regarded among the rosacea community and this mist is one of my favourites from the range. I wouldn’t say that mists are a must-have but they are great at calming and soothing skin that feels tight, hot, or prickly – something very common with rosacea – so I love them.

Every time I use products from the Simply Pure range I am amazed by the quality considering how affordable they are. The Simply Pure Hydrating Night Serum* is only £3.99 but is wonderfully light, quick to sink in, and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth with no stickiness.

I’m still using the Kalme Night Repair Cream* (you can read my review on it HERE) but as the weather has turned slightly colder I’ve needed some extra help, so I’ve been mixing in a few drops of The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-oil*. The latter is a great option for you if you like the results of oil but not the oily (!) feel of them. The consistency of this is exactly as you would expect from the name: a thin, more watery version of an oil that sinks in like a serum and leaves the skin feeling absolutely dreamy. I’ve been using this as night, but due to the lighter formula I think this would work in a morning routine as well.

I can’t remember how long I’ve been using the Nuxe Rêve De Miel lip balm but I cannot imagine I’ll ever give it up. It’s thick, slightly gritty, and matte which will put some of you off, but for me it’s the best. I wear a lot of drying matte lipsticks and this is what saves me. This pot is nearly done… luckily I have two back ups – I did tell you I loved it!

When it comes to masks/treatments I’ve been using the Cure Natural Aqua Gel once a week as an exfoliator and it is the most bizarre skincare product to ever feature in a Skincare Shake Up! You apply the gel on dry skin and as you start to massage it into skin, disgusting little balls of ‘dead skin’ start forming. There is some debate over whether this is a genius product that really works, or whether it’s all just a chemical reaction that forms the rolls… but my skin feels absolutely incredible afterwards: so smooth and soft. As an experiment I used it twice in a row, and there were definitely fewer ‘balls’ produced on the second use, which makes me think that maybe it is actually doing some form of light exfoliation. Fair warning, this product STINKS of alcohol and may be aggravating to those with really reactive skin, although personally I haven’t had any issues. Interestingly, I’ve heard that the Body Shop have a version in their Vitamin C range that does something very similar (THIS product) so maybe I’ll try that! Let me know if you’ve used it, I’m very intrigued…

I bought the Topicrem Ultra-Moisturising Body Milk in Paris and although it does ‘smell like old ladies’ (according to my tactful and brutally honest husband) I love it. It’s lightweight (which doesn’t irritate my keratosis pilaris/chicken skin), doesn’t make my stick to the bedding, and makes the skin on my body look like I take much better care of it than I actually do!

MORNING ROUTINE:

When I wake up, I’ve either been using the DCL gel cleanser or the B. Pure Micellar Water* to give myself a quick once over. I’ve been waxing lyrical about micellar waters for years and this is a brilliant one if you are on a budget or don’t get on with my holy grail (Bioderma, FYI). It’s just as quick as make up wipes and so much better for your skin, this also works as a make up remover/first cleanse.

On days when I was wearing make up and leaving the house I used the Simply Pure Light Emulsion Moisturiser* with the Dr Sebagh Rose De Vie Serum* on top. They layer well and sink in quickly, meaning I can move on to my primer and make up without worrying that everything was going to slide off! This impressed me just as much as the night serum I mentioned earlier, but as this is a moisturiser it’s a little thicker. It’s still a great price and a really good simple product that does what it says it will. It does contain SPF 15 but you should obviously still be using an added SPF (I’ve included my current favourite below). I feel like the Dr Sebagh product should say ‘serum’ in bunny-rabbit-ears on the packaging, as it’s similar to the Body Shop product from earlier: an oil/serum hybrid. I was expecting a traditional serum and was a bit thrown by the pipette and oily consistency! It’s very pampering and delicate on my sensitive skin but I’m not sure it gives me enough benefits to warrant the price, but having said that I only use a few drops a day so this bottle would last AGES. I know I have some readers who love their effective but luxurious skincare and this would definitely fall into that category.

I wasn’t sure whether to include The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver in this Skincare Shake Up as I think it’s branded as a primer/skincare hybrid. Vitamin C can be a little bit tingly and sometimes my rosacea hates it, so I introduced this very carefully but thankfully had no issues. My skin felt a little bit prickly the first few times I used it but there was no flare up, redness, or heat. It’s a very silky almost greasy feeling gel, so if you’re not a fan of that silicone-y texture then you’d be best to avoid this. I think it did help my skin to look more radiant and glowy but I didn’t like the way it felt under make up so I think I might try some of the other products from the Body Shop Vitamin C range instead, to get that glow without the weird texture!

On days when I wasn’t leaving the house, I used the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum with the Bioderma Sensibio Forte Cream* on top. This has a thicker consistency and I liked to apply a little bit more than I needed to – almost like a face mask – so that I could continue to massage it into my skin as I had my morning coffee. I love the Bioderma Sensibio range and find it really helps my skin when I’m recovering from any flare ups.

For SPF, I’m still in love with the Bioderma Photoderm AR Tinted Cream SPF50+*. It’s so light, slightly tinted, and doesn’t make my skin feel clogged or suffocated. It’s appeared in previous Skincare Shake Up posts but I wanted to include it again. It’s love love love!

The final item in this Skincare Shake Up is the Dr Hauschka Almond St Johns Wort Soothing Body Oil*. I am the laziest person when it comes to caring for my body but I am trying to make a proper effort now that we’re getting into colder weather. I’m going to be honest, I hate the smell of this oil: it’s very herbal and strong, but the way it makes my skin look and feel is so worth it. Plus the smell doesn’t linger so I just suck it up for the first 30 minutes or so!

And we’re done! This Skincare Shake Up was a bit of a mixed bag: a little bit of luxury, some very affordable gems, some hits, some misses. What skincare treats have you discovered or relied on this month? Let me know in the comments below, I love to be enabled!

Lex

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