Help! I Really Need To Improve My Skincare Routine
In a mere two months I will be 35. Which seems quite a lot closer to 40 than 34 was. I guess technically I am there already, but a birthday makes it all the more real.
I’m not one of these people that hates birthdays. Nope, birthdays are awesome! In general I’m not panicky about getting old either. Sure I worry about the usually things, but don’t we all?
However, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about my skin lately. While I love make-up and I wear it pretty much everyday. I hold my hands up and I can honestly say my skin care routine is crap.
Ok, are you ready for this….? This is my current skin care routine:
I use Simple Facewipes to take off my eye make up and clean my skin. And erm… that’s it…
If I remember I put on Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil at bedtime. I do notice a difference when I do this, so I am going to make an effort to do this everyday.
In the morning I wash my face with Dove soap and I use Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Moisturiser.
I think the main problem is I’m not into faff. I have some pots of creams and lotions that I have collected over the years and I rarely use them. Make up faff I love, lotions not so much. I know I’m an odd ball. I’m also still pretty sleep deprived with a baby who isn’t too keen on sleep. That picture above, was taken yesterday I had been up since 3am. So a long skincare routine quite frankly isn’t going to happen.
I have combination skin which is prone to breakouts, but it does tend to be very dry. You can see on my chin I have a tempted to cover up my current breakout – believe it or not I am wearing foundation.
I got the Boots Electric Cleansing Brush for Christmas, and I’m not sure why I haven’t used it yet, because I’m really pleased with it. So I am going to start using this stat! As my skin is quite dry, I think twice a week will be enough. After reading Caroline Hirons’ blog
on a recommendation, I now know that I need a serum above anything else.
I have had several recommendations on Twitter for hot cloths and coconut oil, to Dermatologica and Liz Earle. The problem is, my budget isn’t huge, so I need to choose carefully.
So tell me what would you recommend I do with my skincare routine? (Apart from change everything!). And what serums would you recommend I purchase? Advice very gratefully received and I shall report back my trials and findings on here :-).
I’ve started to overhaul my routine, after reading Sali Hughes’ book (she also writes an awesome column in The Guardian) and have noticed such a difference. Cleansing has made a huge difference. I’m using Liz Earle, but may try the cheaper Sali recommendation of Weleda Almond Cleanser. I’m using a Boots botanic serum although am dying to try the Aldi one for £3.49! (Again another SH recommendation) and Liz Earle moisturiser.
I basically google any query and stick Sali Hughes’ name in the search and a useful column always pops up!
Oh I shall check her out thank you. And I need to go to Aldi this week to get nappies (they’re awesome too by the way) so I shall get so,e serum to try 🙂
About 18mths ago and with the prospect of being my best friends maid of honour, I went to Boots and asked the Skincare Specialist to help me.
My exact words, I am a 30 something woman who has never gotten control of her skincare. I feel like I have been grapling with this for too long, please help me.
She advised me to use a range by laroche-posay.
I did, I do and I recommend it.
It’s in the premium skincare section in Boots, alongside Sanctuary, but it does go a long way.
Another tip I picked up was to wash my face once a day. If that is at night, a quick cleanse and moisturise before bed, then a splash of cold water in the morning.
After all how grubby does your face get sleeping…? Anyways it has worked and my face is more settled in the morning vs the usual assault by product and then hours to calm down the redness.
I have recommended to others who have also seen good results.
If you do too, I would love to know how you get on.
#taking control in your 30’s
It must be a 30s thing! My poor neglected skin. I’ve got lots of brands to check out with all these recommendations. Thanks Emma 🙂
Have you read Caroline Hirons’ cheat sheets? She has a great one for “routines” – she’s the queen of double cleanse & acid toners. But she also says emphatically that serums are where you should spend your money. It depends what you really want to address – I would say check out her posts on all the topics that feel relevant & narrow down to most important concern. For me, it was large & blocked pores – I found a fantastic (but £££) acid toner & the Dermalogica cleanser I mentioned made an ace combo. I also love Emma Hardie moringa balm cleanser (I get anxious when I get near the bottom) – it’s great to leave on for a while when skin is a bit dryer.
I did start to read her blog yes, she actually recommended the Lotus Oil which I laready have so at least I am doing something right. I shall do some more reading 🙂
Lots of advice here to think about. All I would say is use a sun screen or make sure when you next buy moisturiser and foundation that it has a sun screen in it. It will keep the wrinkles at bay!
My foundation has SPF in 🙂 x
I use face wipes and wash my face in the shower. That’s about it! SInce my last birthday, my 30th, I have been saying I need to start a skincare routine but it hasn’t materialised just yet x
I shall keep you up to date on here oh what I do so you can see if you fancy giving any a try 🙂
Laura, I think you and I have very similar skin. We are the same age too as you know. I’ve always been a skin are nut as my skin has always affected my confidence. I’ve used the expensive stuff had regular dermalogica facials however, the kids put paid to that. I think I have it on point now. I use No 7 cleansing gel/oil with the aldi hydrating serum I also love the clarins facial oil but after my son poured it away, it hasn’t been replaced. I’ve found the NO 7 beautiful skin moisturisers for combination skin, both day and night fab as they are matifying. I also used dermalogica skin refining mask once a week and the dermalogica anti ageing multi vit mask once a week. After reading Caroline hirons blog I’m after an acid toner and a facial oil. I also desperately need an eye cream
Yes I think I need an acid toner too Claire! Ooh eye cream… I’m not sure I can afford all of this, but I think I need that too!
Caroline Hirons does tell you about tons of acid toners & a few aren’t too spendy – Pixi Glow Tonic springs to mind. For a facial oil, it really depends on what you want from it – she swears by the Sunday Riley ones, but they’re ££££.
I am going to have a good read of Caroline Hirons blog before I purchase I think. You are a font of knowledge too Kay! 🙂