My Current Skincare Routine 09/2016

If you've been a long time follower of my blog, you'll know skincare is very important to me. I'm not one of those people that are naturally blessed with good skin, so I'm always trying my best to work with my skins unique chemistry and nudge and nurture it towards the right direction using the right products and ingredients. If I'm a little slack with my routine I usually see it within a few days which has made me realise that I'm one of those people who just have to keep on top of it. I also love makeup and good skin holds makeup beautifully, which is another reason why I'm so passionate about skincare.

Being a beauty addict I'm constantly on the hunt for the next best thing for my skin but recently I've been working on downsizing my collection of beauty products, both makeup (which you'll be aware of if you follow me on Instagram) and skincare, I feel like I've tried a decent variety of products and am a little bit smarter now when it comes to buying new products. I want to use a tailor made regime that effectively works for my skin and caters to its specific needs. I've been using the following products consistently instead of chopping and changing constantly which is what I was doing previously. This way I can really monitor each product individually and see what it's doing for me, i.e. if it's really working for me or actually doing more damage like breaking me out and causing more congestion etc. 

I like to keep to the more affordable side of skincare but will definitely invest in a product if I get worthy and positive results with it. So you'll notice that I have a mixture of high end and affordable skincare pieces in my routine/collection. I do have a few items that are from the same category and usually choose a product by listening to my skins particular need that day or if I'm working on a specific issue. So before I begin I'll just quickly brief you on my skin type and it's concerns, I have combination dehydrated skin, I get the occasional breakout/pimple if I've reacted negatively to a product or if I've been slack with my routine, I'd label my skin as lazy so I need to exfoliate regularly or my skin feels really rough and dehydrated, I have uneven skin tone / hyper-pigmentation around my mouth and from past pimples, I also struggle with skin texture / bumps under the skin (which I think is termed as congestion).

I'll start off with my day time / morning routine which I keep very simple and affordable because I do wash my face several times for prayers/ablution so I don't want to be wasting good skincare down the sink and also because I don't have the patience to spend too much time on reapplying it all. It usually consists of at least 2-3 items but depending on how dehydrated I'm feeling I'll add just a couple more products.

Day Time Routine

Morning Cleanser

Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Cream Wash (currently £4.66) : Because I don't have any heavy duty grime or makeup to wash off, I use this light cleanser to take off any oils that my skin has let out during the night. This doesn't include a lot of SLS so it doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped or taut. I'm not sure which ingredient in it does this but it actually leaves my skin feeling really smooth the way acids do, all prepped and ready to absorb some moisturiser.

Tone (additional step)

I usually skip this step and move onto moisturiser and only use this if I'm feeling a little bunged up, I'll tone using the Bravura Revitalising Ginseng Toner (£12.40 )which has 5% acid. I love using this acid toner as it's mild enough to use regularly and works excellently to prep for stronger acid use.

Moisturiser / Hydration prior to sunscreen

• B. Enriched Restorative Facial Oil (£15.99 BOGOF): This step depends on how dry / dehydrated my skin is feeling that morning or how warm the weather is. I'll use 3-4 drops of this oil if I'm feeling a little parched before I apply my sunscreen. This oil includes a number of plant oils, antioxidants such as Vitamin E and C and shea butter. This one in particularly is targeted for maturer skin, they have other oils for 2 younger age groups but I thought the addition of shea butter in this age group would benefit my skin more than the others. I adore how nourishing this feels on the skin.

• Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum (£2.69 BOGSHP) (additional step) : I love the texture of this serum, it works really well with other skincare products and absorbs instantly. It includes a wonderful mix of emollients, lots of skin identical, skin repairing, skin communicating ingredients, some mild exfoliators like lactic acid and urea, a few antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and some emulsifiers and thickeners. This adds a non greasy layer of hydration for under my sunscreen, if you haven't got this then go get it now! I use this when I can but mostly during the day as its really really affordable.

Sunscreen

I've been using the Boots Soltan Dry Touch Suncare Cream SPF 30 (£6.00) and am really enjoying it. It's a creamy non greasy formula perfect for my skin type, I can use the recommended amount without feeling weighed down by heavy emollience and it works really well under my makeup. It doesn't leave too much of an ashy cast nor does it irritate my eyes like the Simple SPF used to. It's creamy but absorbs really nicely and is moisturising enough for my skin. I sometimes use this alone without any oil or serum if the weather is warm enough or if my skin isn't feeling too dry. Love this! I do want to get my hands on The Body Shop's new sunscreen as its super lightweight and hydrating too.

So that was my morning routine, most of the time I use only cleanser, oil and sunscreen or I do cleanser, toner and sunscreen and I'm good to go! Now for the night time routine which is separated in to 5 categories: Cleanse, tone, treatment, serum, moisturiser.

Night Time Routine

Makeup removal and/or cleanse

I'll either use some Micellar Water to remove my makeup if I'm wearing a fair amount if not I'll use the Superdrug Gentle Creamy Cleanser (£3.49 currently BOGOF) with a washcloth to get the makeup off and then do another cleanse to make sure I got everything off. 

Tone

I'll either use the Bravura Ginseng Toner or this Purifying Calendula toner (£12.40) all over my face, I prefer this over the Ginseng one as it leaves my skin feeling a little more softer whereas the Ginseng leaves me a bit tight, which is strange because the Calendula toner contains alcohol and the Ginseng doesn't. The calendula toner has 13% AHA so its exfoliating too. I do sometimes swap these around for both my daytime and nighttime routine, I'm not strict with it at all, just depends on which one I fancy using really.

Serum

• If I'm not using a treatment I'll move straight on to serum, I'm currently alternating between the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (£72.00) which is almost finished, it's an antioxidant rich serum which provides hydration too, I like it but it's quite pricey and I have to use it regularly and consistently to see any benefits, I do tend to wake up with happy nourished and hydrated looking skin the next day but I probably won't repurchase as its not wow enough for me, can't deny that this was an absolute treat to own and use, if you can afford it then go for it.

• I'm also using the Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Retinol (£29.00) . I love this! Reason being when I first got it I used it regularly for a week at night time only and my skin just looked so much better and healthier in every way just after 2-3 uses. It looked more even, the fine lines on my forehead had decreased, my skin looked smoother and the tone just looked healthier too. I refused to wear makeup that week as I felt that good Alhumdulillah (praises be to God). I don't see results on my tough skin that soon, so if I do then I know that that product in particular is a keeper. As the name suggests it's an antioxidant rich serum, it's nourishing and my skin really loves it. I was slightly afraid of any Retinol after effects but I didn't have any, I did notice a teensy tiny flake above my right eyebrow but that was it, it only got me a little excited as it meant that the serum was doing something, luckily no horrible scary effects as we usually hear with Retinol. 

Moisturiser

After applying my serum the last step is a good moisturiser that seals in all that goodness. My current favourite is the Pestle & Mortar Hydrate Lightweight Moisturiser (£38.00) which is an anti ageing cream with peptides and anti oxidants. I received a sample of this when I bought my theBalm Loumanizer Sister palette and fell in utter love with it. This is more like a gel cream hybrid, it's really lightweight on my skin but intensely hydrating, a little bit goes suuuuch a long way. It's perfect for my dehydrated combination skin and it doesn't break me out. A bit on the pricey side but like I said my skin loves it and a little seriously goes a long way. 

Slather on some hand cream and a dab of lip balm and I'm ready to hit the sack. This is my simple go to night time routine when I'm just not in the mood for mask sessions or treatments. Otherwise if I am in the right mood and I fancy (or need) some extra help then this is what I do: 

Treatments and Masks

The treatment step usually happens before applying my serum. This first selection is my Glycolic Acid / AHA selection. AHA's work really well with me, it leaves my skin softer, smoother, radiant and helps keep spots and roughness at bay whilst prepping the skin to absorb all that antioxidant goodness from serums and moisturisers.

• I'll start off with my absolute favourite. The Bravura 15% Glycolic Night Treatment (£17.40) , if you follow me on insta you know this is a firm favourite of mine. This is new skin in a jar. It works AMAZINGLY for me. It gets rid of any dead skin and roughness that I have and just makes my skin feel like butter the next morning. My skin is so smooth, soft and supple, it really helps fade my post pimple marks and my makeup just glides on. It's a must have acid product for me. Totally worth your buck, a little goes a long way and the results are worth it! I use it 1-2 times a week after my acid toner and get better results when I've had a long break from it. This is a leave on product, when I use this I don't usually apply any serum or moisturiser as its really thick and emollient. Sometime I'll use just a serum. LOVE and definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to purchase from the Bravura website.

• Another treatment from the Bravura website is the 10% Glycolic Acid Peel (£9.59). This is almost finished and I don't think I'll be repurchasing as the 15% works so well for me and this is a wash off treatment, I'm lazy so I prefer the leave on treatment haha. I use after toning with their Ginseng Toner, leave it on for 10-15 minutes then rinse off and follow with my routine. Again it does what AHA's do, resurface, smoothen and prep skin for your serums. 

• One of my favourite masks that I love using before an event for extra glowiness and smooth application of makeup is the Rodial White Brightening Mask (£20.00). I've used a few Rodial acid products and I love how smooth and polished they leave my skin looking, my skin literally glows naturally after using this mask and feels so so supple! Hence why I love using it before an occasion. 

Another essential treatment that I love integrating into my routine is Salicylic Acid. Glycolic acid helps a lot on its own for my spots and blemishes but Salicylic acid works that little bit better at tackling congestion especially when I'm going through a spotty phase or treating breakouts. I can't overuse Salicylic as my skin gets really angry and irritated so I use it at least 1-2 times a week or more often if I'm treating congestion and breakouts. I find a combination of AHA and BHA works well for my skin. So at least 3-4 days out of 7 will be AHA/BHA days and I'll increase it if necessary.

• I might use the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Skin Perfecting Liquid (£23.50, currently £19.98). I use this after toning and let it absorb before applying my serum, this and the PC Antioxidant Serum are a match made in heaven, my skin is so smooth and healthy the following morning. It really helps with congestion and keeps spots at bay.

• Or I might use the Bravura 2% Salicylic Acid Peel (£9.59), again it's a rinse off treatment so I'll use it when I'm bothered otherwise it's the PC one mentioned above. 

When I'm in the mood for a masking session I'll definitely include a mud mask in it, I wish I used mud masks a little more often actually, I like how clean my face feels after using them but I keep forgetting or I'm too tired to keep it on. I use it especially on hot days when I've been sweaty and days where my skin feels a bit bunged up and oily. 

• First we have the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mud Mask (£3.48) : This was a cheap thrill, I got a whopping tube for £3 so I didn't feel like I was losing out. I've never been keen on mud masks because I feel they do nothing for my skin but surprisingly this ones really really good! My skin looks so clear and clarified after I use it. It smells a bit weird though, a bit like weed, and it's quite strong too :/ .

• I also love using the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox (£13.45) . This mud mask leaves my skin looking bright and my skin feeling clean. Smells really nice too!

• My two favourite Superdrug Mud Masks are no strangers here on the blogosphere, the Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel Mud Mask (discontinued). They're another cheap thrill that work perfectly fine to absorb excess oil from the skin. I like to slather these on generously after acid toning just so that I can feel that tingle that everyone mentions about these and then rinse off after 20 mins, I like how clean and clarified my skin feels. 

Additional Extras

I have a decent amount of skincare so can't really mention every single one in this post but there are a few worth mentioning that I have been incorporating into my routine recently here and there.

• Rodial Super Acids Xtreme 5% Micro Scrub (£14.85) : I do like Rodial acids and this is no exception. I use after acid toning and get better results like this. After reading the words "micro scrub" you'd think the granules were tiny and dense but it's not, it's not the gentlest scrub, but because it's a combination of chemical and physical exfoliants, you don't need to use a lot of pressure and the beads do encourage the chemical exfoliation process. Again I adore the polished appearance of my skin after using.

• Pestle & Mortar Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£33.00) : This was an accidental gift, I was after the moisturiser and got gifted the serum instead, I wasn't complaining though. I haven't used this consistently enough to comment on it but it's been mentioned on Caroline Hirons blog and she likes it so you know it's good. I've read reviews and a lot of people love it. I need to use it consistently to see how it benefits me. The few times I have used it I've found it absorbs really well and my skin feels quite firm and plump. 

• Terra Prime Argan Oil Serum (£8.99) : This is a great moisturising oil and works well in my routine as it absorbs really well without leaving a greasy residue like most oils do. Full review here

• Bravura Azulene Moisturiser (£9.90) : I adore this moisturiser, I love that I know every single ingredient in this. Being Aloe Vera based it's wonderfully light but provides ample moisture and hydration without feeling heavy or greasy. Love using this in the summer, it's reliable and moisturising enough for my dehydrated skin and how gorgeous is that blue packaging? I have the Collagen Moisturising Cream too and it's better for the cooler months when my skin needs more emollience and moisturiser as its a lot more thicker. Love both of these!

• The Ordinary : This brand and its products have caused a major stir in the blogosphere. It's too early to tell how I feel about these but I can definitely comment on the textures, beautifully absorbent and don't interfere with the rest of my routine, The Buffet (£12.70) (multi peptide anti ageing serum for hydration, lines/wrinkles and skin texture) is very hydrating and the Niacinamide+Zinc (£5.00) (for blemishes and pores) sinks in superbly. I have high hopes for the Advanced Retinoid (£8.00) (for anti-ageing and texture) as Arly from Detailed Oriented Beauty has already raved about it and my skin seems to have responded and taken well to retinol so far, so yes high hopes! If you haven't already picked these up I don't know what you're waiting for. If they are indeed revolutionarily priced for the quality and effectiveness then you need to own! Now! I plan on completing my collection slowly but surely (especially the Vitamin C one!), the prices are ridiculous and I don't mind including these into my daytime routine! Keep your eyes open for a review on these! 

So this is my current routine and I'm really happy with it at the moment. My skin is in a moderately good place now Alhumdulillah and I know (and hope) I'm treating it right with the correct products. I have a few marks that I'm working on fading and some texture on my forehead that I'm trying to banish, apart from that my skin is supple and not too dehydrated and I'm pretty content with it right now. I hope this was helpful and if you'd like any more information on any of the products then do let me know, I'd be more than happy to help! Toodles!