Wednesday 28 January 2015

Find YOUR perfect skincare routine!

Hi Ladies,

I am always getting asked for advice on skincare routines and what products to use at home to suit your skin. It can sometimes be hard to get impartial advice so my aim today is to give a few pointers on how to find the right skincare for YOU, A lot of which is trial and error. What works for one persons' skin may not work for someone else's or a review for a product that may be brilliant but may not necessarily suit your skin type. My aim today is to give a few simple pointers to help you on your way.

I have a lot of experience working as a facial therapist and over the years have seen it all with regards skin so I thought I would share some tips and tricks to get the best skincare routine for you!

Your skin type:
This might sound a little obvious but a lot of women aren't actually sure what there skin type is. It is key to use products that are suited to your skin. Skin types may be Normal, Oily, Dry or Combination. Skin conditions can be classed as Dehydrated, congested or sensitive. You may have a combination of any of these. 

So although you may get breakouts along your jaw, you may not be oily. Breakouts can be caused by stress, hormones, allergies etc as well as oiliness. For an in-depth skin analysis having a facial with a skin expert is a good place to start. This way you can really get to know your skin.

Cleansing:
Cleansing is so important (I'd nearly say most important) when it comes to a skincare routine. Regardless if you wear make up day to day, but more-so if you do. Start with a separate eye cleanse to remove eye make up and mascara. I use my trusty old coconut oil or No7 eye make up remover is also very good.
I recommend a cream cleanser if you wear makeup and to cleanse twice. If you are partial to washes, keep this for your second cleanse or for in the mornings ( as they can be drying on the skin). To cleanse simply massage a euro coin size amount into the skin and remove with warm damp facecloth. 
Tip: Bulk buy cheap baby muslin cloths to save your nice facecloths. click here to find.

Toning:
Toning your skin is also very important but often overlooked. It removes excess oils/ cleanser residue and prepares your skin for your moisturiser. Unless you have excessively oily skin avoid using toners containing alcohol. Simple natural toners such as rose water are perfect. Or again No.7 have some nice mild toners

Moisturising:
Finding a moisturiser that suits your skin and makes an impact can be quite trial and error. For drier skins try to opt for a water-in-oil mix (heavier) and for normal skin oil-in-water tends to sit better. With oily or very oily skin try opt for oil-free and non-comedegenic moisturisers (won't block your pores). I will try to do more reviews on products with tags on suitable skin types but as I said it is quite a personal thing! From late 20's onward you will want to start introducing some anti-aging into your skincare. For oily/sensitive/ congested skin check out my review on La Roche Posay skincare

Eye care:
Again from mid 20's an eye cream is something you might want to consider using. They are lighter in consistency than your facial cream so better suited to the delicate eye area. It also targets fine lines/dark circles/puffiness.

If you get this much done, your not doing too bad!

Exfoliants:
Exfoliants help remove any build up of dead skin cells. This in turn helps your moisturiser to better penetrate to the living cells.( I hold my hands up, I do slack on this sometimes/ alot). If your skin is sensitive try use a mild exfoliant and limit it to once per week. Otherwise 2-3 times per week is recommended. 

Serums, masks, oils and elixirs are all add-ons really. If you can nail the basics down and then gradually build up your products you will be more likely to stick with it. I hope this helps. Any questions or tips please feel free to share.

Rachael 

x

My skincare fave's at the moment!







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