I wake up thinking about it, I'm constantly searching the Internet for it, I'm forever buying new things to try. You might think I'm talking about make up (usually the case!) but you'd be wrong. I'm talking about my new addiction! SKINCARE!! I blogged not so long ago about the new god in my life - Caroline Hirons, AKA the Skincare queen! My eyes, ears and mind have been opened to a whole new way of thinking!
Pre-Caroline, I used to try bits and bobs, also known as buying whatever was on offer in super drug. You couldn't really say that I had a routine exactly but I always washed my face, and then simply used a moisturiser after washing and just before I put my make up on. I thought that this counted as looking after my skin. The truth is, I was taking a stab in the dark as really didn't have a clue what I was putting on my face - I could have been using creme de la mer and it wouldn't have mattered. Because quite frankly, a moisturiser alone means nothing. Almost like filling your car up to the top but not putting the key in the engine - nothing happens.
For me, and I'm sure for plenty of you other lost souls out there, a cleanser was a cleanser. I have to admit though, I always bought a cleanser and didn't simply use dove soap like my mum does. I used MAC cleanse off oil to remove my make up, and that was it. That was my routine. (I've since found out that cleanse off oil is actually a fabulous product, but I will get to that later).
The one big lesson that I've learnt is about mineral oil. Mineral oil is a product that is designed to sit on top of the skin, almost like a coating, thus whatever it is in is unable to penetrate into the skin and actually do the things that it says it does. For example, you may have a moisturiser that is designed to make you look 10 years younger - but it contains mineral oil, so whatever peptide or plant extracts or whatever other miracle products it contains are useless, because that mineral oil is going to sit there and stop it from getting in. A bit like a moat around a castle if you will. And it is in practically everything. I exaggerate of course, there are products that don't contain mineral oil, but surprisingly, it's in a great many. When choosing any Skincare product at all - if it has mineral oil in it, it's basically going to do jack shit for your skin. I have no idea why it isn't banned to be honest because in reality, it's completely false advertising!
The second lesson I learnt was in terms of cleanser - you must use an oil based product to take your make up off, and one that doesn't contain mineral oil of course. I found that MAC cleanse off oil fits the bill perfectly! Caroline recommends a few on her blog, she loves a balm but as I already owned this, I didn't see the point in buying a new one, as my wish list was already proving to be quite expensive. As well as this, I knew that this worked for my skin as I've used it for years! I've never been dubious about using an oil on my oily skin by the way - oil counteracts oil but not only does it do this, it also feeds, conditions and nourishes the skin with its other gorgeous ingredients! It also comes in a handy travel size. Secondly, you must use a non oil based cleanser to clean your skin. Caroline recommends one for every day and one for when your skin needs a treat. Of course I cannot make precise recommendations because I only know what's best for my own skin based on Caroline's recommendations and what I have tried so far. I have being using Clarins milk for every day and Ren Clearcalm clay cleanser for when my skin is feeling congested or spotty. NEVER USE A FOAM CLEANSER!!! They alter the PH of your skin and make it a breeding ground for bacteria.
How many of you use a toner? I've never in my life used a toner. Now, my role model, my mother, as I've said before uses dove soap. That is her only beauty product. I have to fight with the woman to wear the correct make up and apply it in a respectable way and I've been a make up artist for 6 years now. So I've lost her on the skin care bit, but she's too stubborn and stuck in her ways anyway.
I digress...basically toner is like the best treatment for your skin. Obviously, you could still cleanse and moisturise without don't this step, but basically your skin isn't going to look as good. This is also a two step process. An exfoliating toner will replenish your skin and restore the PH of your skin, which may have altered slightly in the cleansing step. Using a beaded or abrasive exfoliator will only spread any bacteria around the skin. This slightly acidic lotion will do the opposite. Using either a spray toner or just a normal toning lotion after this will once more stop any bacteria as well as sandwich moisture into the skin. It also refines the lo of your skin but tightening pores, helping to clear blackheads as well as reducing the look of any scars or pigmentation in the skin. This is particularly so for the acidic, exfoliating toner.
Now because I'm aware that this blog is almost becoming an essay, I'm going to skip to the moisturiser part, as I'm probably going to do another blog on the treatment step that would come after the toner. Anybody with an acne skin should avoid Shea butter. It's harder for your skin to break down than other oils and so clogs pores easier, but it happens to be in quite a lot of moisturisers. The hydra quench range from clarins is one that Caroline has recommended for oily skins and so I use the lotion. I've also bought more recently the Multi-Active Day lotion, which is supposed to stop the signs of early wrinkles. I'm 23, so I think it's about time that I started the prevention. Of course, any wrinkle cream is preventative - it's not going to undo what has already been done, because otherwise surgeons would be out of a job. Any undoing of fine lines is probably just due to hydrating your skin.
And the last thing I have learnt was another hugely important step and is not actually about what we put on our faces, but more so about what we put in our mouths. The biggest beauty lesson - DO NOT SMOKE!! It's killing every single part of your body! It looks disgusting, it smells disgusting and is helping you to reach an early grave. Having lived with a smoker for 23 years, it is beyond me why anybody would even start. Disgusting, just disgusting. Secondly, eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Exercise! These steps make you feel and look better - you might not realise it, but they're keeping you young - both in looks and body! We know all of these things are good for our bodies but so many of us don't do it and then complain. The solution is simple. Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of sugar, and I'm probably just as guilty of driving to the shops as the next person, but now that I'm more aware of it, I am going to make the changes. No point in moaning when I'm 60 but look 85 is there?
And the last thing I have learnt was another hugely important step and is not actually about what we put on our faces, but more so about what we put in our mouths. The biggest beauty lesson - DO NOT SMOKE!! It's killing every single part of your body! It looks disgusting, it smells disgusting and is helping you to reach an early grave. Having lived with a smoker for 23 years, it is beyond me why anybody would even start. Disgusting, just disgusting. Secondly, eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Exercise! These steps make you feel and look better - you might not realise it, but they're keeping you young - both in looks and body! We know all of these things are good for our bodies but so many of us don't do it and then complain. The solution is simple. Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of sugar, and I'm probably just as guilty of driving to the shops as the next person, but now that I'm more aware of it, I am going to make the changes. No point in moaning when I'm 60 but look 85 is there?
