If anything is guaranteed to get me excited, it’s skincare. I used to hate anything to do with skin because my rosacea would flare up at the drop of a hat. I was terrified and so I just used the same products over and over and tried to ignore the reactions, as I felt it was better the devil you know. I have now reached a point where I know my skin a lot better and actually look forward trying new products as I am so excited to find the next thing my skin loves. Do you want to hear all of the products I’ve discovered in my July Skincare Shake Up?
I’ve tried some independent brands, some big brands, and kept some favourites from last month so let’s get going! Don’t forget to leave a comment below with the products you’ve loved this month so I can add them to my ever-growing wishlist!
MORNING
My morning exfoliation and clarifying routine is unchanged this month: this toner and gel combo remains a firm favourite. The La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Micro-Exfoliant Lotion* and La Roche-Posay Effaclar K[+] are both gentle enough to leave my skin happy, but effective enough to keep me flake free, limit oil production, stop my skin from becoming dull, and help with clogged pores.
Some products from Green People have been in my ‘to try’ pile for a while but I’ve recently seen some great reviews from other sensitive-skinned bloggers so thought I’d give them a go. I also have a discount code for my readers, so if you’d like to order anything from Green People, just use the code LEX15 for 15% off! The products from the sensitive range are great as they have no alcohol, no fragrance, colourants, and focus on soothing and calming the skin. The Green People Sensitive Hydrating Calming Serum* is one of my favourite products from the range: it’s quite jelly-like but feels incredibly lightweight, isn’t at all sticky and sinks in really quickly. It contains camomile, marshmallow and aloe vera, all renowned for their soothing and caring properties.
The Green People Sensitive Light Day Moisturiser* has similar positive points to the serum: it didn’t feel at all heavy on my skin which is great as the weather has been so crazy this month and anything too intense would definitely have made my rosacea flare up. It didn’t give quite enough moisture for me without the serum underneath, but I have very dehydrated skin so if your skin is more normal then I’d imagine this would be perfect by itself.
The only product I didn’t get on with was the Green People Scent-Free Facial Sunscreen*. It has an SPF30 with UVA and UVB protection, it is designed to be non-greasy and non-irritating something that’s hard to find with these types of products. But the only issue for me was that it was quite thick and left a slight white tint to my skin. It didn’t affect the way make up sat or lasted on top of it, but my skin just doesn’t get on with anything heavy and it felt a little too intense for me. I think if you have drier skin, the slightly thicker formula might help to keep your skin feeling comfortable so that’s worth bearing in mind.
EVENING
I love hearing the stories behind skincare and make up brands. I have so much respect for people who just go for it and make the products that they can’t find out there. And Cheryl from Honesty is one of those people. A scientist in the drug industry in a previous life, she became frustrated at the lack of honesty in skincare and wanted to help those with atypical skin to find products that really worked. So she came up with Honesty. She kindly sent me 3 products to use and I am so impressed. Firstly, it all looks seriously high end: the spray and moisturiser come in reassuringly weighty glass packaging and you know how I love simple and modern aesthetics. You would be proud to have this on display in your chic and minimal bathroom (I’m projecting onto you now – my bathroom is anything but minimal!)
The Honesty Protect Nourishing Cleanse Balm* is a gorgeous product and one I’ve really been looking forward to using every night. It is dispensed through a pump nozzle (no digging around in a pot for a blob of balm) and as soon as you start to rub it between your palms it turns into a light oil. I found it so soothing and it was fantastic at removing my make up with no need for scrubbing. There was a little product separation, but it didn’t affect the way the product worked so don’t worry if you see some oil at the bottom of the bottle.
My skin can get very aggravated by cleansing as water itself can be irritating, so I’m always looking for cleansers that not only remove make up, dirt and oil but also don’t strip my skin or leave it feeling sore. I have been using the Green People Sensitive Cleanser & Make Up Remover* as my second cleanse and really enjoying it. It’s a milky cream cleanser that feels very calming and doesn’t leave the skin tight or hot.
Avéne Cleanance Expert Emulsion* – I raved about this last month and just couldn’t give it up. It contains X-Pressin which is Avéne’s alternative to glycolic acid. It prevents the build up of dead skin cells, unclogs pores, and smoothes skin texture. I apply it to my chin, nose and between my eyebrows and it keeps everything smooth and clear.
You know that I’m a sucker for a facial spray. They cool aggravated skin and add moisture so they are a very welcome step in my routine, especially now we’re having slightly warmer weather in London. The Honesty Hydrate Facial Balance Mist* smells of cucumbers (guaranteed to make me feel instantly calm and cooled, anyone else?) and gives my skin a lovely hit of moisture between cleansing and moisturiser. Think of facial mists as the ganache filling in the sponge cake of your face … too far? Dammit, now I want cake.
The Honesty Soothe Facial Comfort Cream* is another treat for sensitive skinned people as it not only gives your skin the moisture it needs overnight, but it also actively works to strengthen and rehabilitate damaged and irritated skin. Its ingredients are balancing, anti-inflammatory and healing and my skin has been loving it. You only need one pump to cover your whole face and it’s not sticky or greasy (which can sometimes be the case with ‘comfort creams’ which tend to be more emollient).
TREATMENTS
Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel. If you’re anything like me, the word ‘peel’ will make you want to run for the hills. It’s a scary word. But as I’ve mentioned many times before on this blog, if you have very sensitive and fragile skin then the traditional exfoliation methods of scrubs etc are just too harsh. Chemical exfoliators are absolutely wonderful because you just apply them like a regular cream, leave them to work their magic and then gently remove. I had heard wonderful things about this product from others with rosacea so I decided to bite the bullet. If you’ve never used FeelUnique’s Try Me service, I can’t recommend it highly enough – the basic premise is that if you buy certain products, you get sent a sample size so that you can try the product without breaking into the full size. It’s perfect for people with temperamental skin like mine as you aren’t left with a super expensive product that you can’t use again! I tried the sample (and halved the recommended time for using the product) and have had no reaction or flare up at all, so have been using it once a week ever since. It leaves my skin glowy and smooth, exactly what I’d look for in an exfoliator!
Caudalie Instant Detox Mask* – How cute are these masks? I love Caudalie packaging and these are so lovely with the wooden lids and the botanical illustrations. But these are not just a pretty face, I’ve been using these as a pampering treat one after each other to keep my skin balanced. I apply the Instant Detox Mask, which is a clay mask, to my t-zone to draw out impurities. Then I apply the Caudalie Moisturising Mask* over my whole face to rehydrate. They are an absolute pleasure to use and haven’t upset my skin at all.
What have you been loving this month – tell me your July Skincare Shake Up recommendations in the comments below!
Lex
*Provided as PR sample. Some links may be affiliate. For more information please see the disclaimer tab at the top of the page.
I know I’m always promoting Canadian products, probably because I’m Canadian, go figure. Anywhoo, Batty’s Bath has wonderful skincare for people with Rosacea. I think you’ll find the prices good even with the shipping. I’ve been using the Rosacea kit for a couple of weeks and I used the detox kit before that for 3 weeks. My skin feels wonderful and my Rosacea has actually gotten better. I must mention though that I was using Dermaced redness redux for a few weeks before starting this line and it had significantly reduced my redness. I stopped it during the detox but then started it again with the Rosacea kit. I also use the hydra healing gel for hydration and Rosacea serum from Batty’s Bath.