My skin type is combination (oily in the t-zone with HUGE pores and normal skin elsewhere) and my skincare concern would be that I suffer from dehydration – sorry, but I do love my red wine – so I prefer facial washes, gels and foams which address the oilier parts but don't strip my skin and that are hydrating too. Once the skin has been cleansed, it’s normal to feel that ‘tight’ sensation but if the skin still feels tight after 15 minutes, then I would suggest trying another product that is more hydrating.
If you were to ask me if I would save or splurge on a cleanser, then I would opt for a cheaper one seeing as they don’t spend too long on the skin and your money isn’t literally going down the plughole. The cleansers I have on the go at the moment are expensive (one from my time at Shiseido and the other is from Space NK - I went to a product launch and just had to purchase, like you do) but normally I buy my cheaper M&S favourite mentioned below.
I shower every morning so I want something quick to use and I like a facial wash. So if I wasn’t currently using Shiseido, my first choice is Marks & Spencer's Pure Gently Refreshing Facial Wash (€8). Not only does it smell like I should be in my local beauty salon but all the ingredients used in the Pure range are sustainable and responsibly sourced. I am now quoting from the tube; ‘95% ingredients which are nature derived, 100% essential oils, eco-friendly packaging and manufactured in an eco-friendly factory.’ There are no artificial colours or synthetic fragrances and it’s free from parabens (artificial preservatives), free from silicones (silica is a natural product but once chemically treated, turns into silicone) and free from mineral oils (by-product of the petrochemical industry). I use this in the shower in the morning and it gently purifies, revitalises, conditions my skin and importantly, I have never experienced that ‘tightness’ I was talking about. I love it.
AND Seeing as I LOVE red wine, I was delighted last year when M&S launched an addition to their Pure range; Pure Super Grape. Not only are grapes full of anti-oxidants (one of which is the miracle ingredient of the year – resveratrol) and brilliantly anti-ageing, M&S actually use the by-product of the grapes that are used in the wines they sell in store for this skincare line. I am all for not wasting the grape. Unfortunately, they don’t do a facial wash in the Pure Super Grape range.
My second choice is Shiseido’s Ibuki Gentle Cleanser which is a cleansing foam and I am currently using this at the moment. As with all Shiseido products, a little goes along way so if you want to avoid a ‘Jacuzzi with bubble bath’ scenario on the face, seeing as it comes out of the tube like a worm, just use less than a centimetre of the product and lather it into the hands and then on to the face. Seeing as it is expensive and I want to get the most out of it, I tend to give myself a good massage before rinsing it off. Ibuki is a range for the 20’s to 40’s (ahem, I am a little out of this age-range but I feel it suits my skin) and helps to build resistance to external aggressors (sun and air pollution), resurfaces the skin (minimising the appearance of my HUGE pores) and hydrates. I have been using this cleansing foam since December every day and am only half-way through the tube. It’s an expensive €35 but it looks like it’s going to last me another 3 months so that works out at €6 a month….that’s not so bad, is it? Shiseido actually go one better with their Future Solution Cleansing Foam (€65) and instead of getting 6 months, you can get a whopping 12 months out of this as you only need a tiny amount for it to foam up (believe me, I squirted too much out on the first squeeze in December and looked like Mother Christmas). Future Solution combines premium Japanese natural ingredients with cutting-edge scientific technology and I have sampled all of this range and it is truly amazing – you will see a visible difference on the first application so if you have the cash, splash it. It’s worth it. Oh, I forgot to mention the 'Shiseido Squeak', as I call it - all their foaming cleansers make my skin squeak once they've been rinsed off but I experience no tightness, so I'm all for the squeak...
Now, I have to admit that I absolutely adore L’Occitane and my third choice is their Precious Cleansing Foam, which contains their infamous anti-ageing Immortelle extract (the flower that never fades even when picked). The foam feels so luxurious on the skin and it gently eliminates all the toxins, the make-up and the grime. The only thing I am not so keen on is the smell of the Precious range but with the cleansing foam, it’s being washed off so the scent doesn’t linger. I have this in a travel size and use this for weekends away. My next product purchase will have to be their Immortelle Oil Make-up Remover (€26) – am dying to try this.
Finally, in the evening (if I don’t shower again and use the above), I use Oskia London Renaissance Cleansing Gel (Space NK €35) after I’ve removed my eye make-up (with L’Oreal’s Absolute Eye & Lip) and I massage it onto my skin and it gently loosens my make-up. Renaissance is a lovely smelling pink, thick oil-gel and contains Vitamins A, C & E, Omega 6, pumpkin enzymes, chamomile and rose. After a few days of using it, you will notice that your skin is becoming softer and softer and more radiant. The pumpkin extracts help to clean out my HUGE pores, vitamins A and C help the appearance of sun damaged skin and protect against environmental damage (the sun particularly) and gives radiance to the skin. Well, I could go on and on and on about the benefits of Renaissance – it’s such a treat to use. What makes this product for me is the texture, it feels so lovely that it’s a great excuse to give yourself a good old facial massage before bed. I use it on dry skin to massage off my make-up. The bottle says to emulsify it with water but I’m lazy when it comes to getting my face wet at night (as you know from last week) so I don’t bother and I WaterWipe it off instead.
Have a great weekend. Next week, it's the turn of the toning lotions - catch you next week?
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