Step 1 M&S
Pure Facial Wash
...check!
Step 2 L’Occitane
Divine Lotion
...check!
Step 3 Clarins
Eye Cream
...check!
Step 4 Ultimune
...check!
Step 5 REN
Beauty Shot/Soap & Glory Super Youth Serum ...check!
Step 6 ?
Now all that is left to do is moisturise and the skincare routine will be
complete. I apologise for the
preachy-preachy tone going on over the next few paragraphs but some people (I
won’t name names) don’t moisturise and it upsets me so!
Cleansing
and moisturising are the two most important steps of the routine so if you’re
not doing the bits in between (fair enough), then please do cleanse and moisturise
– they go hand-in-hand. Once you’ve
washed away the dirt, sebum, pollution, grease, make-up (list is endless),
cleansing also gets rid of our natural protective barrier, the acid mantle, so
it is imperative to ‘give back’ and hydrate and protect by popping on a
moisturiser.
This top layer of the skin
(the epidermis) needs hydration to keep it soft and supple and provide comfort
and protection. Using lotions and
potions after you’ve cleansed will help to provide moisture (via humectants)
and seal it in (via emollients) and the best bit, to prevent us from looking
old before our time.
If
we didn’t moisturise, all skin types would suffer. Applied twice daily,
moisturisers increase water content and regulate cell turnover so we can
prevent against itchy, tight, red, flaky, sensitivity and dehydration.
Dry
skins lack oil (sebum), and a cream with glycerin (natural humectant), collagen,
shea butter and hyaluronic acid will be your best friend.
It’s
a myth that oily skins don’t need a moisturiser. Oily skins over-produce sebum and this excess
oil can lead to acne, blackheads and a greasy appearance. You need to find a gentle but effective
cleanser (not one that is so stripping that it makes the skin panic into producing even more
oil) and a moisturiser that is light in texture such
as gels, serums and oil-free lotions that hydrate and decrease oil
production. These are not as heavy as
creams and won’t overload the skin. Look
out for ‘water-based, oil-free and non-comedogenic’ on labels.
For
skin concerns such as sensitivity or dehydration (as you can be oily-sensitive
or oily-dehydrated for example) – then avoid products with fragrance,
artificial colours and preservatives, silicones and mineral oils. For dehydrated skins, look out for
hyalurons.
So
yes, back to me, you’ll probably not be surprised to hear that I use a separate
day and night cream - there’s no need to wear an SPF at night and night
products tend to be full of ingredients that can be effective while the body is
at rest without any environmental interference.
I
always wear an SPF during the day as I’m freckly and burn after ten minutes
without any protection so I am currently using Shiseido’s (surprise, surprise) White
Lucency Protective Day Emulsion SPF15.
The
White Lucent range is designed for any age-group who is conscious of
pigmentation such as sun spots and/or freckles and it targets irregularities in
melanin production (which is triggered by the sun). These products have a brightening effect on
pigmentation and evens out skin tone, skin texture and gives radiance to the skin,
thanks to a generous dose of Vitamin C.
Even though I love my freckles, I want this product to keep everything balanced and strengthen my skin against the sun. I also like that it gives luminosity on application
and I look a bit healthier. It also
comes in a cream for those with drier skins.
Other creams I love are L’Occitane Divine Cream and M&S Super Grape
Day Cream – sadly both of these don’t contain SPF so make sure your foundation
or BB/CC/DD – yawn - XX/YY/ZZ cream has some sun protection in it instead.
At
night, I use Shiseido’s Bio-Performance Super Revitilising Cream. It contains no SPF but it can be worn in the
day as well so I use it when I’m having a lazy day inside my apartment. The Bio-Performance range has been designed
for women who want immediate and efficient results – results that you would get
from cosmetic procedures (so I’m told) - so no need to go under the knife, grab a pot of this fab smelling moisturiser instead. If you have a drier skin then go for the Bio-Performance Super Restoring Cream.
I
absolutely LOVE this product. I was hesitant at first as I’m not a fan of heavy creams (I have a combination skin)
and I used to think it was ‘heavy’ when demonstrating it on my customers’ hands
at the counter. But I fall into its age-range (30-50) so I
thought I would give it a whirl. I am so
glad I did. It’s not heavy at all but is
a thick pink gel which goes on very smoothly.
Without going into the technology behind it, Bio-P contains generous
dollops of hyaluronic acid amongst other things and fights against sagging,
loss of firmness and wrinkles. I love
the effect it has had on my skin and here’s hoping that when I hit 60, I’ll look the same as I do now.
Obviously
there are tons of moisturisers on the market not only hydrating the skin but dealing
with every concern so I am sure that whatever that is, there is something out
there for you.
To save or splurge? I’m
all for buying a cheap moisturiser (I hear Superdrug has got some great
products out at the moment - I can’t wait to nip back to the UK at the end of
the month to stock up) – and the most important thing is to hydrate and protect
so I am happy to use a serum that deals with a concern and then top it off with
a cheaper moisturiser.
Happy
moisturising! The routine is complete.
Next
week, hair care…
No comments:
Post a Comment