Eye Cream Chat and Review- Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment With Avocado

When I was younger, I always considered eye-creams the cornerstone of skincare. As I got older, I realised that, in reality, they're less important than I thought. 

A good chemical exfoliation, followed by a great serum will go a lot further than an eye-cream to enhance the condition of your skin. I know some very clever people who are content to just bring their moisturisers and serums up towards their eyes and be done with it. Plus, the best eye creams are crazy expensive and full of anti-aging ingredients, which is not that necessary at my age. 

However, I am a girl who likes an eye cream, for 3 reasons

1. I'm a contact lense wearer- so try as I might, I do pull and tug a tiny bit at my eyes from time to time, which means I want to strengthen the skin as much as I can.

2. In my performing days, I used to grab a makeup removal wipe, and scrub my eyes to get all my makeup and false eyelashes off. I still shudder at the memory. So now I feel like I'm just doing eye-pennance.

3. The skin around my eyes is a bit sensitive- so I can't use my general moisturisers on it.

With all this in mind.... presenting- Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

In a nutshell

Pros: Gentle, great for sensitive skin, very hydrating. 

Cons: Not many active ingredients- purely a hydrator

Price:  $41 for 14mL

Purpose: Eye cream- apply on the eyes every evening 

Packaging: Little white pot, compact and transportable. 

Re- Purchase? Yes. A good price for an eye cream, and perfect for my purposes. 

Firstly, this is not a product that claims too much. It promises to hydrate and protect, and that it does. From my perspective, that's terrific. Plus, hydrated skin is less likely to get fine lines in the first place.

The hydration comes from avocado oil and shea butter, terrific natural moisturisers. 

If, like me, you're looking for a not-so-expensive, sensitive/gentle eyecream, that helps to hydrate and strengthen the skin around my eyes- this is for you. I found that my eye area wasn't so dry and fragile looking, and felt very healthy and a bit more resilient. 

If you want something with more heavy lifting- to reduce the appearance of lines or remove dark circles, this isn't going to work for you. It's more of a preventative cream than a treatment, so great for the 20 something age group.

The colour is very reminiscent of a ripe avocado, a lovely yellow-ish green. The product has no scent, and comes in an easy to use pot. I've been using my pot since February, and still have a little bit left, which is pretty good value for money! At $41 I think it stacks up well compared to other eye creams- as they do tend to be a big ticket item.

The best part of this product for me, is the fact that it doesn't migrate into eyes. This is something they play up in all advertising of this product, and I can tell you that in my experience, they're absolutely right. I didn't have any migration, irritation or teary moments from stray moisturiser which was a great feature of the product. 

It is a slightly thicker eye cream, which I think is associated with its ability to stay put. I put a bit on my index finger, and, using gentle pressure, slowly massage up and out, along the occipital bone. 

I've seen some practitioners using the middle finger, and gently dabbing, but I like to get a bit of massage going, to encourage blood-flow and discourage dark circles. 

As you can see from my very artistic drawing, I always move up and out, never down, to encourage the skin against the pull of gravity. I'm very light, only ever with one finger, and never dragging or pulling. 

All in all, if you, like me, would like a bit of extra hydration and love for your eye-area, I can thoroughly recommend the Kiehl's Creamy Eye treatment- I love a product that does exactly what it promises, and this is exactly that!

Friday Funnies- Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion Review

Finally kicking that cold thanks to lots of herbal teas and some quality down time, I've found myself in some very deep corners of Youtube this week!

Onward and upward to Friday Funny, it's the much publicised Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion. I bought this initially when I was swimming a lot for exercise. Changing from normal gym to swimming, means I was constantly running late in the mornings, and I was desperate to streamline my routine.

While I was streamlining, I was also focussed on moisturising, because my poor skin was hating the regular chlorination, so Nivea's product seemed absolutely perfect. I bought the rich type, given I was applying it to cholorinated skin, I wanted as much moisture as possible. 

It's a think white lotion, with that typically 'Nivea smell'. It's a clean smell, not at all herbal or floral. 

Nice and easy to use, squeeze it out of the bottle, and apply like a moisturiser, I did arms and legs only, as I didn't think it was sensitive/gentle enough for my neck/face/chest area. 

I like that they call it a Skin Conditioner, because that's exactly the process and procedure for using it. You put it on like a conditioner, then step out of the shower so it can soak in a bit. 

When you rinse it off, it's the same kind of silky smooth feel your hair gets when you rinse off a conditioner, which is quite nice. When you step out and dry off, your skin does feel softer. 

That sensation doesn't last for long, so I wouldn't consider this  a great moisturiser. But if it's the difference between not having time to moisturise at all, and putting something on arms and legs, I think it's worthwhile.

Also I can absolutely second the warning that you need to watch for it on the ground. This product is slippery and if you drop some in the shower and don't notice, you'll be in strife. 

The ingredients are not for senstive skin, the chemicals which make it work in the shower are not particularly gentle, so I'd really recommend for arms and legs only, and only when you're in a big rush. 

Overall, it's probably worth buying if you've got dry skin and very little time, although most days (now I've stopped swimming) I will just get out of the shower and use a more high quality product. That said, it's not terribly expensive at $7.99 for 400ml and there are a few different scents/variations which have hit the market, so I'd say it's worth having on hand for frantic moments. 

Aaaaand now, the moment you've all been waiting for, today's joke! 

Q: What did the duck say when he bought a lipstick?

A: Put it on my bill!

Happy weekend! 

What's in my basket? Springtime Skincare Favourites

Happy Monday! Hopefully someone is out enjoying the sunshine, even if I'm not. You might remember way-way back when, I posted my solution to organised skincare- a basket. 

The other day while I was reorganising things/playing a game of 'product tetris' I decided to lay everything out, and elaborate a bit more on what is currently in my skincare basket. 

These are things I use daily, or at least regularly enough to warrant promotion out of the cabinet to the basket.  I like to think each serves a different (and justifiable) purpose to warrant their spot in the basket, which I'll detail down below. I'll link where I've done reviews- but doing this has reminded me I need to do a lot more! (REN serums and acid exfoliants to come soon!) 

Just realised- my headbands made the first photo (top left) they're for....uh... keeping the hair off your face. Extremely high-tech. 

First little group is things for getting my face nice and clean. I've got....

The Gentle, Softening One- The Body Shop- Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter 

The Scrubby One- Lush- Angels on Bare Skin Facial Cleanser 

Hardcore Acid Exfoliant (once weekly at most)- Dr Dennis Gross- Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

More Gentle Acids (twice weekly)- Go To Skincare- Exfoliating Swipeys

Heavy Eye Makeup/Lipstick Remover- Bioderma 

(I've also got a big pump-pack of Sukin Sensitive Cleanser which is my all purpose cleanser)

On to the serums. I possibly have a few too many of these, but they all do something a bit different! Plus, as the most active, concentrated element of my routine, I figure they're worth splurging on. 

The Super Luxe Serum- REN Rose Synergy O12 Restoring Facial Serum

Economical Night Serum- Sukin Purely Ageless Intensive Firming Serum 

Anti-Aging Serum- Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Elixir

Splurge-ish Daily Serum- REN Radiance Perfecting Serum

Economical Daily Serum-  Rosehip Plus Rosehip Oil- this is the one I meant to take to Port Douglas, as replacement for my A'Kin one. 

I'm still on the search for a perfect moisturiser, but here's what I'm working with at the moment

All Purpose Gentle Night Time- Swisse - Sensitive Vitamin E Face Moisturiser 

Day Time, with some SPF- Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturiser

Anti-Aging Night Time-  First Aid Beauty- 5 in 1 Restore Cream Age Delay

General light weight moisturiser for daytime? Still searching! I've just picked up two Lush moisturiser samples, to consider (Imperialis and Celestial)

Finally, things that can't really be categorised and stand by themselves. 

Mask-  Puretopia - Purify and Renew Deep Cleansing Clay Mask

Refreshing Face Spritz- Lemongrass House-  Green Tea Toner

Eye Cream-  Kiehl's- Avocado Eye Treatment- 

And here they all are! More detailed reviews to come, but for now, that's a snapshot of the kind of things I'm loving this Spring, that warrant a prized basket-position. 

The Hunt- A Lovely, Light Moisturiser. Sampling: Lush Imperialis and Celestial, Darphin Hydraskin Light.

It's true, I'm on the hunt. 

I'm looking for a soft, light moisturiser that I can use day or night. Something hydrating, without being too sticky or heavy. Lovely and a bit luxurious, without irritating my skin or breaking the bank

Harder than it seems! I even took to my Twitter for suggestions so that I can leave no stone unturned in this quest. 

To get started, the lovely people at Lush and Mecca have given me some food for thought, in the way of samples. I'm trying two from Lush (Imperialis and Celestial) and from Mecca, Darphin Hydraskin Light

Firstly, the Darphin Hydraskin Light.

As soon as I mentioned the word 'light' to the staff at Mecca, they whisked me towards the Darphin, and I can see why. It's extremely delicate, and leaves only a very soft skin feel, no heaviness or stickiness at all.

I was interested that it actually had quite a strong smell, similar to a fancy sunscreen I suppose, which is unusual in a moisturiser suitable for sensitive skin.  I haven't had any reaction at all to the fragrance and I quite like the scent, as it adds to the luxurious feel of the product. 

The product itself feels extremely light, both to use and on my skin, which makes it easier to use less.

It contains a range of hydrating and antioxidant rich natural ingredients (Butterfly Lavender, Kiwi Fresh Cells), and Hydralonic Acid, the moisturising wonder-kid, designed to help your skin absorb moisture extremely efficiently, basically, this stuff is absolute gold. 

Given these terrific ingredients, I wasn't surprised that my skin felt extremely soft and supple after use. The only downside with the Darphin is the price. Mecca sell it for $68 for 50ml  which is down the splurge-ier end of my budget.

However, given how much I've loved the sample, and am yet to find something I prefer, I might be indulging in a pot of Darphin very soon.

Lush Imperialis

This is Lush's specific moisturiser for sensitive skin. It contains a range of soothing anti-redness ingredients including Lavender Flower and St John's Wort, which are mixed in with deeply hydrating products like Olive Oil and Cocoa and Shea Butters.

As you can see, it's a pinkish moisturiser, which, I promise, looks much better in a Lush pot than in this sample photo. (Also, yep my nails are covered in glitter, more on that Friday)

While it may seem quite heavy in this photo, in reality it is a very light cream. It doesn't sit on the skin or leave a heavy residue, and I experienced no irritation at all.

My only issue with this product was the smell. It gave off an extremely... medicinal odour. I'm not exactly sure of the source- St John's Wort maybe?- but I found it quite strong and not particularly pleasant. 

Given the smell, and the fact that this product followed the Darphin sample, I felt overall that this moisturiser just didn't feel luxurious enough. Admittedly it's not nearly as expensive, but at $33 for 45 grams it still isn't cheap, and I just didn't love or even particularly look forward to using it. 

A good moisturiser for sensitive skin, but not quite right for Goldilocks here. 

I much preferred the scent of Lush Celestial Moisturiser

With vanilla and almond milk, it had a lovely creamy, almost vanilla custard scent, which wasn't very overpowering at all. Also, the colour and consistency of this moisturiser felt slightly more luxurious than the Imperialis. 

It is a heavier moisturiser, and on the skin, I could feel that it was a heavier product, and it sat in a layer on top of my skin if I used too much.

So while I liked the scent and feel when I used Celestial, within a couple of minutes of it on my face, I wasn't thrilled with its heavier texture.

I didn't experience any irritation or breakouts, so I still think this is terrific for sensitive skin, but it's not a completely light-weight moisturiser, and that was one of my criteria. At $27.95 for 45grams, this is a cheaper product. But given the heavier feel, I'll probably search for something a bit lighter within the same price range instead of purchasing.

So my quest continues, to find something I love as much as the Darphin, or just splurge on it. 

While I've got you here, you've probably noticed that all these moisturisers are samples. As a sensitive-skin-type, I couldn't make any significant purchases without giving something a good try out. I have no problem asking for a sample, particularly at stores where they know I'm a good customer, and will return if I'm happy.

Below you can see my catch-all in the bathroom, with  three little sample jars that I was working through at the time, one of which (REN Rose Serum) I fell in love with and purchased almost immediately. 

If you're going to ask for samples, and I think it is a good idea, I've got some basic guidelines to ensure you foster good relationships with the stores and brands you sample from, and get the most out of the experience

Do
- Know what you're looking for- I walked into the stores and specifically outlined my skin issues, and what I needed from a product (and wanted to avoid) to save myself and the sales assistant's time.

- Trust the sale staff- it's a give and take relationship, if you're asking to try their products, you can at least pay attention to what they're saying about them.

- Consistently use the sample. There's no point mixing the sample in to your routine with other samples, because then you can't pinpoint the source of any irritations. When you consistently use a product, you'll quickly work out how it feels and works for your skin, and how you feel about using it.

- Label your samples. Nothing worse than coming home with no clue what you've got in your handbag.

- Return if you're purchasing. Unless there's a serious price differential online, I am very loyal to the stores that let me sample. I think it's only fair, given I wouldn't have brought the product without their assistance, and, over time, I'm able to build good relationships with staff. (Favourite places to buy- Mecca Cosmetica by an absolute country mile, plus Tom Ford and Bobbi Brown have brilliantly trained people. Also encountered great staff at Lush, Kiehls and Aesop )

Don't
- Interrupt another customer. Firsly, it's rude. Secondly, you're asking for a sample, not a blood transfusion, it can wait.

- Disregard the sales people. While it's easy to do a lot of research online, they spend all day with these products and are a terrific resource. Plus, it's quite unreasonable to expect them to cough up samples when you're not willing to engage with their knowledge and abilities.

- Over-do it. I wouldn't take more than two samples in the one visit, it's not reasonable to compare a whole swag of products, plus it starts to seem like you're being a bit dodgy. Equally, I wouldn't take the same sample twice, if you got back for it again, just buy it.

- Be shy about price. There's no point sampling things you can never afford- you'll just break your own heart! Let the sales-person know what price point you're looking at, and don't be afraid to ask how much a specific product is.

- Think you need to buy every sample you use. The idea of sampling is to find what you like. If it didn't work, go back to the store and tell them why, they'll probably be happy to use your review, and steer you towards something more suitable.

Most of all, have fun! There's nothing I love more than chatting about a few products, and coming home with a couple of samples to try. I'd like to thank the lovely people at Lush and Mecca, who made this post, and my quest for the perfect moisturier, possible. 

Have you used a moisturiser that you love? Don't be shy! Let me know via the comments, or connect with me on Twitter- @spackleon 

Holiday Skin- Part I- New Purchase Reviews- Sukin Purely Ageless Intensive Firming Serum, Swisse Sensitive Vitamin E Face Moisturiser, Essano Rosehip Oil

Apologies for the mini blogging break, I've just spent from a week at the beach with family where I went on a bit of a phone/ laptop detox. 

But I'm here at the airport, with a whole lot of holiday/ sun care skin tips, all ready for us to start heading into warmer weather (please Melbourne, give us some sunshine!) 

First up, three new purchases for my trip. I had 3 requirements when packing for this trip/ buying skincare.

1. Low maintenance, for a week away with family and lots of kids, I wanted a quick routine I could stick to without feeling like the most high maintenance person around, or giving up on it in favour of pool time.

2. Protect, knowing that this was the first time my winter skin would be seeing sun, I had a goal to minimise any damage. Plus my skin tends to get cranky after regular sunscreen  application (sunscreens post coming later) so I wanted to minimise damage. I was particularly interested in getting my hands on some antioxidants, as they're dynamite in preventing redness, agespots and other sun damage. 

3. Economical, as I was leaving my more expensive products at home, I was looking for cheap, pack-able alternatives that would do the job, without taking up too much room in my bag, or causing me grief if they broke in transit. Also, they can all be grabbed from your local chemist at the last minute. 

Here's what I picked up

Sukin Purely Ageless Intensive Firming Serum

Swisse Sensitive Vitamin E Face Moisturiser

Essano Rosehip Oil (with Acai Berry Extract)

And here they are, festively laid out on my beach towel (ignore the yucky front part of the moisturiser- do Chemist Warehouse stickers drive anyone else crazy trying to get them off?) 

I'll do a mini-review for each one, bear in mind I've only be using them for a week, and I'm reviewing mainly based on their suitability as a travel product. 

In general, I was really happy with my skin this trip. My skintone stayed nice and even and not red during my holiday which was great, and I didn't get any of the sunscreen breakouts that I can be prone to (although I credit this more to washing thoroughly than product- again, another post) I was careful to keep my face out of the sun, but all up, very happy with my skin at the end of the trip. 

(source)

Sukin 

Price: $23.95 not the cheapest botanical serum you'll ever buy, but I think quite reasonable for a night-time serum, especially one with a range of active ingredients (compared to basic Rosehip) and no mineral oils or other cheap fillers. 

Packaging: It is in a glass bottle, which is slightly less convenient, however the pump pack top more than makes up for this! Hooray for those of us who can never get those dropper-apparatus right!

Purpose: A double hitter, has a range of antioxidant ingredients (Argan Oil, Goji Fruit, Acai, Vitamin E) to treat any skin damage- great for skin that might be tempted to pigment in the sun, plus Cocoa Butter for moisturising. Because it's so moisturising, I've been using it as a night-time serum. 

Review: Firstly, the smell. It's quite intense, a vanilla-y herbal smell, that took me a little while to get used to. There's no added frangrances or any irritants- that's just the natural botanical fragrance. But it's a strong one, and those who don't like strong smelling products, or are allergic to essential oils should probably steer clear. It goes on really nicely, as a milky gel like fluid, one drop from the pump top is perfect for the face, it's nice and thin so a little goes a long way. It is very moisturising, due to the Cocoa Butter, so I would use it at night only, I suspect it would feel a bit heavy for the day. I did notice my face felt a little tighter and heavier after I applied it, but not too bad. I occasionally layered this on top of the Rosehip oil in the evening, if my skin was looking a bit ragged. 

My skin looked very hydrated and happy in the morning, particularly if I layered it with Rosehip, I had no reactions or breakouts from this product, and I'll continue using it when I get home. Overall, a reasonably priced serum for a non-oil product, and one I'll happily incorporate into my night-time serum choices. 

(source)

Swisse

Price: A very reasonable $14.95 which made me sure it would have mineral oils or other nasties, but not at all. A steal! 

Packaging: The tube is great for travel. It's less than 100mL so can be taken in hand luggage, and I used it liberally during my flight. It's not breakable or likely to get too messy. Sure it's not so glamorous, but for a travel product, packagin is spot on. 

Purpose: A big drink for sensitive skin. Contains a range of nourishing ingredients, namelyVitamin E and Olive Squalane plus Plantolin, Chamomile and Oat to sooth the skin and calm any redness or irritation. 

Review:
I dithered between this and their more general moisturiser, but decided that the sensitive one with all their anti-irritant ingredients was the best choice in case of sunburned skin. It's quite a thick moisturiser, no scent or colourings, but the fact that it really sat on my face meant I was more likely to use it at night only. For such a reasonably priced product, I think you have to make some concessions, which in this cases were 'face feel'. Having said that, I don't mind the feeling of a heavier, nourishing moisturiser at night, and I think this one was particularly good in keeping my skin nice and calm and hydrated after long days in the sun.  I'll be keeping this on hand for travel, particularly on the plane, as I think it forms a great barrier for dehydrated skin, however, next time I travel I'll be bringing a lighter, day moisturiser as well. 

(Source)

Essano Rosehip Oil

Price: $19.95 which is down the reasonable end of standard for organic Rosehip Oil.

Packaging: Ah! The glass jar and the eye dropper again. I think I'm going to have to accept that this is standard in the Rosehip world. The dropper has a wider bottom than I'm used to though, and so was slightly more difficult to use a small amount. 

Purpose: Rosehip is a terrifically strong antioxidant alone, and this one has the extra Acai which adds to the antioxidant effect, and serves as a preservative to keep the Rosehip fresh. Layer under moisturiser and sunscreen in the morning, to prevent sun damage, and at night if you're trying to reverse some damage done that day. 

Review

I have a confession, I actually bought another Rosehip Oil that I was very interested in, then left it at work. So this was the result of a quick dash to Coles the day before I left. I didn't love the consistency of this product, it was stickier and heavier than other Rosehip Oils that I have used previously, and didn't seem to be absorbed as well by my skin. I felt particularly uncomfortable using it on my decollete as it just seemed to smear around. It was also a much ligher colour, which my research tells me indicates a less potent, lower quality Rosehip Oil. So unfortunately, a thumbs down for Essano. 

That's all for my new products and reviews, I've got a few more holiday skin posts up my sleeve (updated cleansing routine, sunscreen reviews etc) then it's back to normal posting. 

Until then, there's a dodgy airport coffee calling my name. 

Product Review- Mario Badescu Buttermilk Moisturizer and a note on Mineral Oils

I'm on a bit of  roll with these reviews, so figured I may as well keep going, with my first thumbs down, Mario Badescu Buttermilk Moisturizer.

 I was disappointed because I'd read such great reviews of this product, and it was such a reasonable price. Although I will admit, when I got to Mecca to purchase it, I was a little surprised that it was so small. As you can see here inside my (normal, human sized) palm it's a petite little bottle. 

Nevertheless, it was a good price for a product that had been raved about so I bought it. I really liked the smell (it's a bit earthy but quite light) didn't mind the blue colour so much (although it did make me look a little washed out if I used too much) and felt that it absorbed quite nicely. Also, the handy top meant a little went a long way. 

Unfortunately, after a few weeks of using, and by powers of deduction I realised it was this moisturiser that was causing clogged pores, and a whole lot of little raised bumps.

This was extremely annoying, and I really did try to blame other products, but at the end of the day, Mario was the culprit. While I was trying to work out why, I realised that this was a product that contained Mineral Oil (yes, seriously I should have checked the label beforehand, but previously I'd only checked for alcohol and fragrance)

I think it's quite likely that the Mineral Oil (which seemed harmless written as Carnation (Mineral) Oil but I now know it's a brand called Carnation, not Carnation the flower) was blocking my pores and causing the red lumps. I'll elaborate more on Mineral Oils and why this happened at the bottom of this post, but to summarise this product

Pros: Nice smell, good price, feels nice on the skin, good packaging

Cons: Mineral Oil- a no-go-zone if you're prone to spots.

Price:  $24 for 59 mL

Purpose: Basic moisturiser for combination and sensitive skin types 

Packaging: I think quite useful

Re- Purchase? No, Mineral Oil is not a good match for my skin. I'll continue to use the bottle I have as a handcream.

Mineral Oil

Switching pace a bit, a note on Mineral Oil

What is it? Mineral Oil in it's most unglamorous description, is a by-product of petroleum which has been highly filtered and purified for use in cosmetics

Why use it? Unlike plant and animal oils, mineral oil is extremely stable and can be preserved in-tact for a very long time. Also, unlike plant oils it is not particularly reactive or abraisive, so is likely to sit well on sensitive skin

Why not use it? As Mineral Oil is not a natural product, it is not easily absorbed by the skin, generally it will just sit on top forming a barrier between the skin and the outside world. While this may be good to protect dry skin in winter, if you have acne-prone skin, or skin that doesn't like a lot of product, a Mineral Oil may cause breakouts as it will simply sit on the outer layer of skin

What's the controversy? There's a lot of talk about the use of petroleum in cosmetics.  To be honest, my research has shown that cosmetic grade Mineral Oil is extremely highly purified, so not very close at all to putting a petrol product on your face. That said, you may object to any use of Mineral Oil for environmental reasons.

My 2c? From a purely functional perspective, I will avoid products with Mineral Oil from now on, as it is too dense for my skin and causes breakouts. That said, I wouldn't necessarily tell my friends not to buy products containing Mineral Oil, unless they too were prone to breakouts.

 I'll continue to use my product as a hand cream, because I think that kind of barrier protection is quite useful in hands, and also I have too much left to throw out completely!

Serum? (with drawings!)

When serums hit the market, all of us who were confidently following the old cleanse-tone-moisturize routine made popular by the Clean & Clear of our youth were thrown for a bit of a loop.

Suddenly serums were on every pharmacy shelf and beauty blog, and I was left scratching my head wondering what were they, when to use them and, was this the end of the road for moisturizer?

I’ve come up with an analogy for the two products, which helps you remember when and why to use them (spoiler alert, you need to use both) which hopefully is somewhat helpful, or at least good for a giggle at my drawings.

Imagine that your skin is going for a night out at the pub, except instead of getting hammered, your skin is hoping to repair itself in a classic case of nursing your problems at the local.

Serum is like a shot, it’s crazy concentrated and has the active ingredients only.

You take shots with the intention of putting maximum alcohol into your body, with minimum effort. Your skin uses serum to get maximum active effect to treat problem areas. For example, a serum might be designed to reduce scars and even skin-tone, work on fine lines and wrinkles, or even target acne. Popping a serum on your face first is the equivalent of taking a shot at the start of the night, it gets things off to a great start with a huge concentration of active ingredients.

After your shot, you want something less intense and enjoyable, like a mixed drink, or, in your skin’s case, a moisturizer.

The main purpose of a moisturizer is to hydrate, and protect your skin from the outside elements. A moisturizer can also contain active ingredients, but they’ll be mixed in with hydrating ingredients, so less intense, like a mixed drink. By popping a moisturizer on top of your serum, you build on the active ingredients already there, but also hydrate and protect your skin, so it feels lovely and soft.

In summary, your serum (shot) is the most potent ingredient, it goes straight on clean skin for maximum effect and you only need a tiny bit. As this is the most active element, if you’re going to spend money, spend it on a good serum. 

After your serum comes moisturizer (mixed drink) whose job is to hydrate. You can choose one with active ingredients in it, or a purely hydrating moisturizer. The active ingredients won’t be as potent, so if you’re on a budget it isn't worth spending as much as you would on a serum.  

Now, just in case you can’t get enough of my drawings, here’s the whole thing in a cute printable.

Daily Routine (Clean, Treat, Moisturise)

Before I get into some serious product reviews, I'm going to quickly run through my routine. I won't list any specific products here- just the basic steps and what kind of product I use when.

When I was researching routines I initially got quite confused about which order to use products in.

I had a breakthrough when I realised I could group products into 3 categories- clean, treat, moisturise. 

By sticking to that classification and that order, I've managed to bring in a range of new products, and stay on top of when to use them based on whether they clean, treat or moisturise.

To make this blog easier to read, I'll be splitting all skincare products into those three categories. I find it's easier to both stick to a routine, and also to know when to buy of something if you think in terms of categories, not individual products. I've got a slightly different routine for morning and evening, so will list both with the help of some cute Disney gifs.

MORNING

1. Clean 
- Headband on, and make sure I've got a clean cloth ready
- Run the water quickly to make sure it's hot to touch, but not so hot I can't put my hand underneath it
- Massage a very gentle cleanser onto dry skin, then dip my fingertips back in the water, so I can create a bit more of a lather* in my massage.
- Run my cloth under hot water, and wring it out, place it over my face and let the steam soak in for a quick moment, before gently wiping the cleanser off. I usually repeat this step twice or three times, mainly because I love the feeling of a hot cloth on my face.

2. Treat
- I quickly spritz with what used to be known as toner but is really a hydrating mist, this step is mainly for the nice smell and refreshing feeling.

- Serum- I tend to use a cheaper serum that's more hydrating and general antioxidants than targeted treatment, mainly because I assume it will cop a bit of wear-and-tear during the day, and not have as much chance to be effective.

3. Moisturise
- I like to layer a light moisturiser, and then an SPF product (if it's sunny).

I think moisturisers with SPF do neither job particularly well. They'll often only contain a low level SPF (usually15) but then they don't moisturise as well either, because the main ingredients are SPF related. Also, because my skin can be a bit sensitive, I like to put a layer of moisturiser between skin and SPF so I'll use separate products for each.

After this I'll layer makeup, or head out as is. 

PM

1. Clean 
- Remove any heavy eye makeup- I soak two round cotton pads in eye makeup remover and place them on my eyes. Leave them there, applying a bit of pressure for a minute or two, then gently wipe off. The idea is that there's no rubbing or excessive wiping on the gentle skin around your eyes. If I'm wearing very bold lipstick I'll also wipe a pad with remover along my lips.

Note: This is just a first step to get major gunk off, and stop black lines or lipstick going on my wash-cloths. Not all the makeup needs to come off at this stage, just the most heavy duty layer.

If no makeup, or just standard, daily makeup- start clean here. 
- Cleansing balm- a deeper, more moisturising clean that the cleansing liquid I use in the morning, again I start on dry skin, then slowly incorporate wet fingertips so I can do a little massage and lift of all the grime, SPF and makeup from the day.
- Take balm off using hot cloth technique.

- Second cleanse- using cleanser. I only do this step if I've been wearing makeup or SPF, as a final step to get every last particle off my face. I use a face cloth to take it off in the same way.

- 2-3 times per week I exfoliate using acid based exfoliant pads, to make sure all my dead skin cells are cleared off, and my skin is replenishing nicely.

2. Treat
- Firstly I gently dot an eye cream around my eyes, as if I don't do it now, my eyes will soak in the serum and general moisturisers instead, and any eye-cream I apply will be wasted.

- Serum- here I can get a bit more heavy duty. I tend to rotate through depending on my skin concern. Typically in my basket I'll have a general mid-range antioxidant serum, a moisturising oil-based serum and some kind of treatment serum (my treatment focus at the moment is to even skin tone, but more on that later) and choose based on my skin condition.

- I'll also apply any pimple treatment products at this stage if necessary (on clean, dry skin, under the serum).


3. Moisturise
- I'll usually rotate through a stronger, anti-aging moisturiser, and a more general hydrating night cream which I massage into my face, and down my neck and decolletage.

-Some kind of moisturising lip treatment from the stash by my bed

And then it's goodnight, sweet, product scented dreams. 

*when I say lather I don't mean foam- nothing natural foams or bubbles too much, if you're getting that result you're using something with mad amounts of chemicals, which are doing more harm than good. Here I'm only referring to a sort of milky feeling with a few small bubbles. 

(Disney gif source)