Skincare 101

Hello again, I hope you are well! Grab a cup of tea and take 20 minutes to enjoy my latest post. The UK is currently back in a nationwide lockdown which in consequence means I have had to close the doors to my business for the third time. I have been trying to use my time whilst not working in the studio wisely and whilst walking on day 1 in lockdown 3.0, I reflected on my previous few months of business and tried to see if there were any gaps I could be working on to enhance it further. One thing that stood out prominently was sharing my skincare regime with my clients. When in the studio I am asked on a daily basis what I use on my skin to keep it healthy and glowy in appearance. If you know me or are a client of mine you will already know that unless it is a very special occasion I actually wear barely any makeup daily. A touch of brow mascara, brow gel and mascara completes my day to day makeup! There are three reasons why I choose not to wear very much makeup daily: -Firstly, I hate the way it feels on my skin! Now don’t get me wrong I love makeup, I love products and adore testing them out. For someone who hardly wears it my collection is obscene! It is definitely more a psychological thing I would say, which leads me nicely onto reason two... -I am terrified of it clogging my skin and giving me spots. If you have followed my blog for a while you will know that I suffered bad hormonal acne when I was 20. Really bad. Going makeup free then was absolutely not an option as I was so conscious of my acne. Roll on a few years, my acne clearing and my skin settling, my skin definitely favours being makeup free now and I love it! -Lastly I prioritise my skincare regime over applying makeup in the morning. I have a two year old and anyone else with little people or who has had little people will know that time for yourself is minimal when little people are in tow. Therefore I prioritise a good cleanse and nice products in the morning over applying a face of makeup! Your probably gathering by now that my skincare gives me life and I want you to be able to enjoy your skin the same. You may love wearing makeup and it may be part of your identity and that is amazing but just to have the confidence to leave the house makeup free and feel confident if it was desired would be lovely wouldn’t it? I have shared my routine with clients so often but with it being rather extensive it can get confusing. To simplify matters I decide to create an igtv series over on my Instagram (link below) and this blog post that includes all of the same information with added product benefits and details. Let’s get into it! AM Skincare Routine In all honesty I haven’t always cleansed morning and evening. I used to only cleanse at night! However, in lockdown 1.0 I fell in love with skipping workouts. I loved them that much that they have become a staple part of my daily routine Monday-Friday. I may do a weekday morning routine soon thinking about it as that is also something I get regular questions about. Anyway I am getting sidetracked! With the addition of a thirty minute high intensity workout daily into my morning routine, and being a sweaty mess by the end of said workout, a hot shower and thorough cleanse needed to be introduced into my morning as there was no way I could have gone about my day without. Hence my morning skin care routine was born! Around the time a new routine was born I was also reading the Caroline Hirons Skincare book (highly highly recommended to all). I took a lot of guidance and tips from this and that gives me a good starting point for my routine... Post workout I shower. Lots of people would wash their faces in the shower however a tip I took home for Caroline’s book was never to do this! The water will be to hot and damaging for your facial skin so keep that face out of the water, wash that bod, hop out and get in a big snuggly towel to cleanse. I use The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser (£13.90 150ml) to cleanse both AM and PM. Squeeze a pea sized amount onto your finger tip, you will notice it is like a gel to begin with, rub it between your finger tips and it melts into a gorgeous oil like consistency. Massage into the face, concentrating on any congested areas and also any tight muscles! I clench my teeth in my sleep so often wake with a very tight jaw - a good massage helps ease this. Once you are satisfied you have thoroughly cleansed it is time to remove.

Until reading Caroline’s book I only ever removed cleanser using my hands under a hot tap. Not any more! I now use a fresh flannel daily. Use one flannel per day and then launder to prevent spot causing dirt and bacteria build up. It is also worth noting that Caroline says to be careful what you wash your flannel in to be kind to your skin. Run your water until it is hot and then saturate the flannel, squeezing before you gently remove your cleanser and wash your face. The benefits from doing this include being gentler to the skin, the heat will open your pores and the flannel's material will give a gentle exfoliation. It is also worth noting then that I don’t dry my face on a towel after using my flannel. The air will dry it very quickly. Let your skin soak up that extra water! Once I am all cleansed I tone my skin. In the morning I use the Aldi Lacura Healthy Glow Toner (£3.99) It doesn’t come in very often so when it does I always stock up! I would have never thought a few years ago that I would be raving about the Aldi’s skincare products but here I am - I feature my faves in this post. They are all dupes of big name products that work equally as well believe it or not. I pop a few drops onto a cotton pad and wipe all over my face, even under and around my eyes, on my neck, décolleté, behind my neck and then to finish I wipe any excess toner left on my pads on my hands. Your hands are one of the first places to show signs of ageing so the glycolic acid within this toner will help refine the skin giving it that youthful glow. You may notice that I bring my toner right around my eyes. Another Queen Caroline hack! Products that contain an acid have to by law state “do not use on delicate eye area” this will be to cover there back. However these type of products can benefit these areas by gently exfoliating the skin, refining the appearance of pores and stimulating cell renewal to help the skin look brighter and clearer. Once my toner has absorbed and feels dry to touch I go in with my Forever Awakening Eye Creme (£17.72). Again, the forever products took me by surprise as I didn’t have high hopes for them but actually a few of the products have become firm staples in my routine. I only use a tiny half pea size amount of product for my two eyes and massage the gel like formula into the area surrounding my eye socket bone. If I have any excess product left on my finger tips after doing this I wipe this over my lips. The skin on our lips is similar to our delicate eye area so your lips will thank you! The creme uses peptide technology, collagen and other powerful ingredients. It gorgeously smooths and firms delicate under-eye skin to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness. Next up is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (£8.90 60ml). This high-strength vitamin and mineral blemish formula would be one of the first things on my dessert island list! I can’t even remember how I stumbled across The Ordinary skincare but I am so glad I did! “Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity.” “Independent studies suggest Niacinamide is also an effective ingredient for brightening skin tone.” I pop three drops onto my fingertips and apply all over my face and neck morning and evening. Due to its active ingredients this product can tingle on application - all a good sign it is getting to work! I let this product totally absorb whilst I brush my hair and pop my deodorant on.

Once my skin feels completely dry it’s oil time! In the morning I use The Ordinary 100% Plant Derived Squalane (£5.50 30ml). I use 8 drops onto my finger tips and apply this to my neck and face, again massaging in well. “Squalane is a saturated and stable hydrocarbon that is found naturally in the skin. It has very high emollience, is an exceptional hydrator and can prevent ongoing loss of hydration that impairs dermal suppleness. Squalane is non-comedogenic and is suitable for use on all skin types. It can also be applied to hair to increase heat protection, add shine and reduce breakage potential.”

Whilst my oil is absorbing I tend to get dressed for the day and make the beds. I like each product to have time to absorb as if you don’t let this process happen you wouldn’t benefit from each product. Once dressed and the oil has absorbed well I apply my moisturiser. For my AM moisturiser I use the Liz Earle Skin Repair Gel (£24). Don’t forget your neck again! I love the gel texture of this product, it’s super lightweight and fast absorbing so will soak in quickly - the perfect pre-makeup moisturiser! The gel is enriched with a blend of moisturising borage oil, avocado oil to smooth and soften, soothing echinacea, toning hops and natural source vitamin E. Now most days this would conclude my morning skincare. However, if for any reason I’m still feeling a little dull, I do have an extra product that gives a magic glow and even a hue of colour with the right choice of the product. The By Terry Cellularose CC Serum is rather an investment at £61 but it is just beautiful to use. It can be used alone on makeup free days or as a primer underneath your foundation to boost your glow and/ or your colour. “Enriched with White Rose Stem Cells and antioxidant Vitamin E, the lightweight, quick-absorbing formula enhances luminosity and provides long-lasting protection for a lit-from-within finish. Innovative light-reflecting technology effectively minimises the appearance of fine lines and imperfections, whilst promoting a radiant glow and a smooth, even skin tone. Blends seamlessly onto lack-lustre skin to leave your complexion looking bright, flawless and refined.” I personally use apricot glow in winter, this one smoothes and illuminates light to medium skin. In summer I use Sunny Flash which gives a bronze hue and sun kissed glow to darker skins. PM Skincare Routine Very similar to my morning routine, I start my PM routine with a hot shower. Again the rule applies - no face under the water! Once I am showered I wrap myself in a big towel to dry and move onto my skincare. If I have worn mascara or any facial makeup I douse two wet cotton pads in Garnier Skin Soothing Make-up Remover and use to remove any makeup. The oil in cleansing water solution breaks down makeup so quickly! I then cleanse using exactly the same product, method and removal as my morning routine below states. Let your face air dry again at this point whilst you prep your toner. My evening toner of choice is The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution (£6.80). Another dessert island must have! I apply this using a cotton pad all over my face - remember the tip below, even under and around your eyes. Include the neck, décolleté, back of neck and wipe any excess over your hands again. Glycolic acid is an AHA that exfoliates the skin. This toner offers a mild exfoliation for skin radiance and clarity. The toner will also improve the texture of the skin when continually used every evening. Ideally keep this product to evening use as it will get to work on the skin whilst you rest and sleep. The use of direct acids on the skin can increase the skin's sensitive to the sun so an SPF the following daytime is recommended. If you are new to acids a patch test would be advised before commencing use.

Next up is another Aldi steal. The Lacura Glycolic Pads. These haven’t been in store for a while now so when/if they will be back in is anyone’s guess. The pads are actually the supermarket's very cleverly done version of the Nip & Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads, just a fraction of the original brands price. I’d still absolutely recommend the Nip & Fab pads if you can’t get Aldi’s one anymore. The pads come pre-soaked in resurfacing Glycolic Acid, soothing Witch Hazel and hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and will help improve the skins texture, eliminate dead skin, impurities and brighten the skin. The same product and routine comes next for my eye cream followed also by the same The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% formula! Again let these soak in before moving onto the next step. For my evening oil, if my skin is feeling pretty good and hydrated I use the same oil mentioned below, The Ordinary 100% Plant Derived Squalane. If I am feeling rather dry or in need of a treat I use the Lacura Healthy Glow Rose Oil (£7.98 for a pack of two). Rose oil is intensely moisturising and suitable for sensitive skin. I apply this in exactly the same way as the Squalane oil.

To conclude my night time routine, once my oil has had time to absorb, I go in with the Infinite By Forever Restoring Creme (£56.33). This gel like formula contains over fifteen skin conditioning ingredients, absorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling so soft without feeling greasy or heavy. This product also contains squalene so will support the oil you have just used! Weekly Skin Treat Once a week I treat my skin to a peel. I got into skin peels around five years ago and that is when my love of direct acids started! I am currently using The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution (£6.30).

AHA’s exfoliate the skin’s topmost surface for a brighter and smoother appearance. BHA’s also exfoliate the topmost layers as well having the extended function to clear pore congestion. “This combined 32% AHA/BHA solution offers deeper exfoliation to help fight visible blemishes and for improved skin radiance. The formula also improves the appearance of skin texture and reduces the look of fine lines with continued use.” “Note: This formula contains a very high concentration of free acids. We recommend use only if you are an experienced user of acid exfoliation and your skin is not sensitive. Contraindications: This formula should not be used on sensitive, peeling or compromised skin. Please refer to additional sun protection note and other warnings in provided Directions.” I use this product only once a week for no longer than 10 minutes. It fits into your evening routine straight after your cleanse and before your toning solution. Remove with the same flannel you used to cleanse (obviously rinsed in fresh warm water.) The peeling solution does tingle on the skin - this is a sign the free acids are at work! I hope this post will further help and enhance your skincare routines! For any more information or any questions either contact me via email or through my socials. Love Beth xoxo

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