April has been a strange month for me and my skin. I probably hit every single one of my triggers: Stress? Check! (appearing on TV with no make up on: absolutely terrifying) Warm weather? Check! Cold weather? Check! (seriously, spring, get it together) Indulged in too much alcohol? Oh, that’s a big check. So the products featuring in this Skincare Shake Up April 17 edition really had their work cut out for them!
This month I finally tried out all of the Sephora own brand skincare that I picked up in France, discovered some new brands, and was introduced to some bits specifically aimed at rosacea – which is much rarer than you’d think. But I’ll stop waffling and kick off with my…
EVENING ROUTINE:
- I flipping love a cleansing oil. It’s the easiest and most soothing way to remove make up (even waterproof eye make up), and because it’s so slippery and slidey I find this method doesn’t irritate my rosacea. The Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil is a basic oil that quickly breaks down make up but unfortunately isn’t the best one I’ve tried. Most oils emulsify when you add water (i.e. they turn into a milky fluid which makes them easier to remove), whereas this one just turns into a slightly murky oil… it still comes off with a flannel and doesn’t leave any product on the skin but it feels a bit more like work, which no one wants at the end of the day!
- For my second cleanse I’ve either been using the Sephora Collection Soothing Cleansing Milk (which I can’t find online) or the Sephora Collection Make Up Remover Micellar Gel (not online either). Both are simple, get-the-job-done products that I’ll be keeping in my travel stash and would probably repurchase in travel size for that purpose.
- My manual exfoliation choice this month was the Sephora Cleansing & Exfoliating Cleansing Cream (the charcoal one). There are 2 versions of this exfoliating product for different skin types, but I chose this one as it’s detoxifying and purifying which is what I need for my oily and congestion-prone skin. This is a thick grey cream that contains both ‘micro-pearls’ and micro-particles of bamboo and pumice that gently exfoliate the skin without aggravating it. I tried to get in touch with Sephora to ask what the micro-pearls were made of because I really like them – they were soft and squidgey – like jelly – and I wanted to see if I could find other products with similar properties. But Sephora customer service is ABYSMAL. They sent me unhelpful email after unhelpful email (oh, thanks for the ingredient list that I could see for myself on the website… *eye roll*) and eventually they told me that they couldn’t tell me whether the micro-pearls were biodegradable or were going to end up in landfill because “we are unable to provide this due to marketing policy restrictions“. So I’ll assume that means ‘yes, this product is terrible for the environment’. Such a shame!
- I was a bit nervous to try the glo-therapeutics Clear Complexion Pads* just because any kind of exfoliation is a bit of a gamble when you have sensitive skin – plus these have peppermint listed as an ingredient which is usually a no-no for my skin. But these have been one of my favourite discoveries in a long time. They’re waffle-patterned and soaked in a generous amount of product. Between the texture of the pads and the product, my skin has really benefited: the rough skin around my temples and eyebrows is reduced, my blackheads look less prominent and my skin seems more glowy but less oily. THE DREAM. They contain 5% Salicylic Acid, which is great for acne-prone skin as well as easily irritated and inflamed skin. The first time I used it it was a little tingly, but I had no flare ups or reaction to it.
- I followed the pads with the glo-therapeutics Advanced B5 Hydration serum* which is a thick serum that sinks in very quickly. It contains Hyaluronic Acid which is fantastically hydrating so if you have dry skin or just feel like your skin needs some help, this is a great ingredient to look out for. It also contains Vitamin B5 (which is a humectant which means it attracts and binds water – good news for dry skin!) I really like this serum and think it would be an easy, quick way for people to add some extra moisture into their skin especially if they have problem or dry skin.
- My last step before falling asleep was the Sephora Collection Instant Moisturiser+ Cream. It also contains Hyaluronic Acid (which we already know that I love). It’s a simple moisturiser that isn’t particularly groundbreaking but does the job and is very well priced if you wanted to experiment with HA, especially if you get the travel size. Why don’t more brands offer travel sizes? It’s so helpful when you have sensitive skin – take note, brands who read my blog!
MORNING ROUTINE:
- I’ve returned to the Bioderma Sebium H2O micellar water and still love it. It’s a great refresher for my skin as I don’t do a traditional cleanse in the morning (for those of you who are new, my rosacea doesn’t like too much water so I avoid the morning cleanse).
- I’ve been using a few products from Frezyderm* this month and you can read more about them in my sponsored post HERE. But in summary, I’ve been using the Frezyderm Sensitive Red Skin Facial Cream*, the Frezyderm Sun Screen Velvet Face SPF 50+* and the Frezyderm Sensitive Red Skin Tinted SPF 30 Cream*. As I said, there’s more info in that blog post but I am so impressed!
- The above facial cream is fairly hydrating but on days when I’ve needed a little more help I’ve been using the Bliss Fabulous Drench ‘n’ Quench Cream To Water Lock-In Moisturiser*. This is like nothing else I’ve tried: it’s a light gel texture until you start to massage it in to the skin and then it dissolves into a watery consistency that has the slip of an oil but sinks in really quickly. You can actually see droplets on the skin – it’s so odd but actually really fun to use! I’ve been enjoying using it, especially during that brief period of sun and warmth we had – the texture feels so cooling and soothing on the skin. It reminded me of the Body Shop Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask (which I reviewed HERE), but I think I preferred the Bliss version.
And that’s it, my Skincare Shake Up April 17 edition is done! There are some amazing products, some good-but-not-great basics, some old favourites… a real mix this month. What skincare have you been loving recently? Anything you would recommend? As always, the comments are yours!
Lex
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