Moisture is so so important for me, I have combination skin, I get oily in my t zone when I'm hot, normal in some places and get easily dehydrated and dry in others, so I need to make sure that the moisturisers I use deliver appropriately. The most important aspect of a moisturiser for me is hydration and absorption. It really needs to quench my skins thirst and my skin needs to drink it up straight away. I'm extremely fussy with moisturisers, and if I find one that works for me I will continue to use it and keep it as a staple. I need my moisturisers to be affordable because of how often I will apply it during the day for ablution. But because I'm always looking for the next best thing I am always willing to try out new things. So here are some quick reviews on the moisturisers I currently own.

This is Part 2 of my current skincare routine. Toners. Back in the day toners were used to rebalance the PH level of your skin and to remove any residual cleanser or leftover grime. Now is the era of the Exfoliating Toner, made famous by Caroline Hirons. These toners work to scuff away dead skin cells and bring out newer layers of skin! There are so many variations of exfoliating toners, some have higher acid levels and some low.

This particular post will be shorter than my first because I have only 2 toners that I am rotating between. The first one is the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner. Full review here

Bravura Detoxifying Eucalyptus Toner 15% AHA

A little stronger meaning I've bumped it up to 15%. This is the Bravura Detoxifying Eucalyptus Toner, for oily problem skin, now I don't have oily skin but I do have problem skin. This is the strongest AHA I have ever used on my face and I think it's a little too strong for me. This smells really strong and almost medicinal which I don't think is everyones cup of tea. I'm not sure if it's the percentage of the AHA or one of the ingredients like the alcohol but I found my skin getting really dehydrated after using this, it did work to clear some of my spots out and some bumps, a lot more than the Clarins one but it was making my skin more dry and dehydrated and really parched. I've finished this and will be moving onto something else now. I used it after cleansing and before moisturising. This would be good for people with very oily problematic skin. Overall I do like their products and I can't wait to try out more Bravura London products. Bravura specialise in AHA products which was how I discovered them, they also do anti-aging products and other products for all your skincare needs, heres the link to their website.

Next post up will be : Moisturisers!

Because of the extensive collection I own, I am dividing this post into several parts so it doesn't turn into one massive never ending post. One post will be about my cleansers, another about my toners, another about moisturisers, another about face masks and another about treatments. I use particular products appropriately for when my skin needs a certain treatment, I don't use them all at once! I try to keep my regime simple, I don't like layering products and you have to remember I wash my face up to 5 times a day to perform ablution for my 5 prayers, so I won't be reapplying hundreds of layers over and over again.

This post will be about my cleansers. I use a cleanser to take off my makeup if i have any on and then another cleanser at the sink to get a more thorough clean. I always cleanse more than once. Just to be safe.

Boots Time Delay Micellar Cleansing Water, Dr Darren McKeown AHA Active Radiance Cleanser, Neutrogena Spot Stress Control Scrub, The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

Next we have an old favourite which is Dr Darren McKeown AHA Radiance cleanser, This has 3% AHA so it very lightly exfoliates and cleanses, removes leftover makeup and grease and leaves skin soft. It was the way it left my skin feeling smoother that had me hooked on this stuff, hence why I kept repurchasing it off of Ebay. Though I have found another alternative that is easily attainable from Boots or Superdrugs.  I have almost finished this bottle and probably will not purchase anymore, I thought I should include it in this post as an honorary mention. Adieu my old friend adieu...

The other alternative that I came across is the Neutrogena Spot Stress Control Scrub. This my friends is a true hidden gem. I had no intention of purchasing this, I only bought it because I had a Boots voucher to use with it. The first time I used it, I applied it as I normally would do any cleanser, smothered it on,  I brushed my teeth for 2 minutes and then went back to my cleanser, since this was a scrub I massaged it around a bit and then I started rinsing it off, as I was rinsing it off, I felt (what i thought was) a slimy residue on my skin, immediately I knew I hated this cleanser, I hate residue on my skin. BUT as I kept rinsing, I realised there was no slime, my face wasn't slimy it was incredibly SMOOTH! It was BUTTERY SMOOTH. I grabbed the tube and scanned through the ingredients. There it was. 4th in line. Glycolic Acid! 4th! Glycolic Acid was the 4th ingredient! WOWZERS!!!! Me and AHA's are like best buds, so I was ecstatic that this drugstore cleanser had AHA's in it that made my skin feel impeccably smooth. It was instant love. This washes off makeup and grime and helps to control future breakouts. The little scrubby particles encourage the Chemical exfoliation too so its a double whammy! I will do  a separate blogpost on AHA's and why I adore them so much. Please please please, go out and buy this, so affordable and effective.



This last cleanser was one I bought on a whim. I had read about oil cleansing and really liked the idea of an oil cleanser that gently dissolves your makeup and then turns into a milk when mixed with water and washes away leaving skin soft and nourished. I'm a moisture junkie, so anything that imparts hydration and softness is a must have for me. And in these cold winter days we could do with some extra hydration. The Body Shop's Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil costs a hefty 10 GBP, which for me is a lot for a cleanser. Though I should mention that The Body Shop has regular sales and offers so you never really have to pay full price if you buy at the right time. They say to apply on dry skin, massage and rub into makeup then add some water and massage some more then rinse a plenty. it does leave skin feeling really soft and nourished, for someone who doesn't like residue this does leave a teeny weeny bit of residue but not so much that I feel like washing my face again. Though on days when I'm washing off makeup I do do an extra cleanse with the oil or a separate gel cleanser. I don't think I will repurchase this because I am way too eager to try out other cleansing oils and balms available in the market.

So that is it for my cleansers, having good cleanser is very important for me, I will do my best to avoid breakouts and will try and make sure my skin gets a thorough clean. Never sleep with makeup on guys! Hope this was helpful. Watch out for part 2 which is Toners!