This spring I have decided its time to start looking after my skin. Previously, I've used skincare here and there but never stuck to an actual routine.
There are some products that I have not included in this post but have been using for quite a while. These include the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, Origins Gin Zing Exfoliating Scrub, Origins Gin Zing Moisturiser and the Origins Get out of Trouble Mask. These are the products that I have been using every now and again for a few years now along with my trusted micellar water.
I've always struggled with finding skin care that I like. I have very sensitive skin and the usual result of me branching out into other skin care brands and products is me suffering from a large breakout. So I tend to stick with what I know and what works for me.
I also suffer with dermatilomania and have done ever since I can remember. This is a form of OCD and anxiety which manifests in compulsive picking behaviour. For me this has caused me to pick at any slight bump or mark on my face, normally resulting in ugly scabs which leave scars. Therefore if I do ever breakout this normally sends me into a spiral of picking behaviour which I find very difficult to stop. I am currently waiting to receive further help with this in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and I think this will probably be the biggest thing that I can do to improve my skin, but for now I'll focus on making smaller changes.
MORNING ROUTINE
My previous morning routine would be to wash my face with water and then to use micellar water to cleanse before applying makeup. I would also use my Origins moisturiser on days that I felt my skin needed an extra boost of hydration.
Now, my morning routine has become one of my favourite parts of the day, especially on a weekend when I have longer to get ready.
STEP 1 : My first step is to splash my face with cold water and to pat it dry with a wash cloth. I mainly do this to shock myself awake in the morning, not really to benefit my skin!
STEP 2: I apply the Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm. I gather a small amount between my fingers and rub them together to it forms more of an oil. I then massage this into my face for a few minutes and wipe this away with a damp wash cloth. I was very apprehensive about trying this product at first, worrying that it would be too heavy for my skin. So far I have not had any negative reactions to this product and it leaves my skin feeling very clean and soft.
STEP 3: I then like to put a small amount of the Pixi Glow Tonic onto a cotton pad and use this all over my face. I had heard lots of great reviews of this product but I would not say that it is anything magical. For me, it does not encourage any kind of 'glow' and instead makes my face quite red. I am not a fan of the smell of this product either as I think that it has a very strong unpleasant scent. I will probably use the product up until it runs out but I think it is unlikely that I will repurchase this product.
STEP 4: This is my last step before I apply makeup. At this point I will apply a moisturiser. If I'm wanting a slightly heavier moisturiser I will use the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. This is by far my favourite moisturiser as I think that it makes my skin look very healthy, hydrated and glowy! It makes a really great base for any foundation that I apply. One thing I do not like about this product is the price tag! I will probably re-purchase this product but I would prefer to find a similar alternative for a lower price. If I want to use a lighter moisturiser I either go for the Origins Gin Zing moisturiser or the Antipodes vanilla pod moisturiser below.
NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
Step 1: My first step is to remove my makeup using micellar water and a cotton pad. I prefer to take my makeup off with micellar water as I find it a lot less harsh than a lot of makeup removers and it does the job pretty well.
Step 2: After this I normally splash my face with water and pat it dry with a flannel to remove any remaining makeup left behind.
Step 3: If I choose to exfoliate (which i normally do 2-3 times per week) I will use either my Origins Gin Zing Exfoliating Scrub or more recently I have been using the Pixi Peel & Polish. I like to apply the peel and polish onto dry skin and rub this in with my fingers. Once it has all been rubbed in I normally leave this on my skin for 5 minutes. I then use a damp flannel to wipe the product away.
Step 4: If I am going for a double cleanse, I will then use the Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm, but it is rare that I do this as I do not think that my skin needs this often.
Step 5: My last step is to use a cocktail of the remaining products. Which ones I use depends on how I'm feeling that evening and what I feel my skin needs.
The Ordinary Advanced Retinoid 2% - I love this product. By no means am I an expert in skin care but I feel that this product has contributed a lot to clearing up the breakouts that I have had recently. The formula of this product looks kind of milky, and is very nice to apply. It doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy and I find it easy to layer on other products after using this.
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension - I feel that this product has helped to fade the scars on my face, however I really do not like the formula of this product. I find it to be very greasy and bitty. I feel like it sits on the skin in a greasy layer which makes me just want to wash this way right after applying this. It gives a tingling sensation once applied but this stops after a few seconds.
Antipodes Divine Facial Oil - I am not a huge fan of facial oils as I don't like the greasy feeling that comes with a lot of them. This product is probably the one that I use the least a result of this.
Step 6: My last step is to apply a moisturiser or night cream/mask before going to bed.
DERMAROLLING
In the past week I have started dermarolling. I have a 0.5mm and a 1.5mm dermarollers which I purchased from Amazon. I also purchased a sterile alcohol solution to clean the dermarollers with.
As mentioned above, I have a significant amount of scarring on my face from my dermatilomania. Enough so that when I go to makeup counters often the artists will assume that I have acne scarring. I've been fortunate enough to never suffer with acne and I don't often get many large spots, all of my scars are self-inflicted.
In an attempt to reduce the appearance of scarring, I have taken to dermarolling.
I do not yet know how effective this will be as I have only used the 1.5 dermaroller once so it is too soon to see any results.
Using the dermaroller is slightly painful but not so much so that I would discourage anyone from using it. It is certainly bearable. Its a similar sensation to using an epilator on your face.
I will probably do another post on this once I have been doing it for a few months to see if there are any visible results.
Thank you for reading!
Stacy
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