A Skincare Overhaul

Lately I've been really thinking about my skincare routine, and what products to keep in and which ones to ditch. I have too many products and can't afford to spend hours on my skin, but at the same time there are staple items which don't break the bank and I think are worth using. I thought I'd share my favourite skincare products with you, and justify why I love them so much!

My night time routine is actually much more complex than my daytime routine, as I really do believe a good routine aids you in your beauty sleep. Listed below is my nighttime routine (except for the nights that involve too many glasses of wine, for these occasions I do leave face wipes by my bed!)

1. The Clarisonic Mia 2. I actually wrote a post on this here, I love it so much! I use this in the evenings, used to use it twice a day but now I try and at least use it twice a week. It gives my skin a really deep cleanse, which keeps breakouts away, shrinks pores, and makes my skin feel really refreshed, too.

2. Olive Oil & Castor Oil mix - When I am not using the Clarisonic, I use a 30% castor oil mix with a 70% olive oil mix to cleanse my skin which works really well and moisturises too. Plus it's totally natural. If this sounds like a really weird suggestion, check out my post on this method here, I've explained myself as best as I can and I promise it does work!

3. Retinol A - I actually bought this off Ebay, initially skeptical, I've now moved up from a 1% to a 10% strength. Vitamin A is extremely powerful - I once spoke to a 50 year old who looks like a 25 year old and swears it's because she uses it religiously! I also originally learned about Retinol A when I started using Environ products - one of the reason they are so well received as a brand is their use of Vitamin A in their products. Sadly Environ is a bit rich for my blood - but this makes my skin look great so I see no reason not to stick to it.

4. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - This is an absolutely beautiful product and moisturises my skin with just a few drops and the lavender smell is lovely too. It calms stressed skin and I've noticed a glow since I incorporated it into my routine and replaced my night moisturiser with it!


Daytime:

In the morning I wash with my olive oil and castor oil mix again (honestly, I know it sounds mad but it's the best cleanser I've ever used).

1.  Murad Perfecting Day Cream - is a good SPF day moisturiser and I am trying to get into the habit of using SPF even in the winter months. This doesn't leave my skin looking greasy and sinks in nicely.

2. Pro Genius Omega Treatment oil - I use this instead of a serum as just a few drops in the morning provides ten active plant oils enriched with omegas 3, 6, 7 & 9 - it really hydrates my skin.


3. Environs Colostrum Gel - I had a skin review and they noted that my only major problem was redness. Since using this product my redness has decreased a lot - still not completely, but I am a pink skin tone as opposed to yellow so there's not much more I can do about it!

None of the above were too expensive - the omega treatment oil arrived on my doorstep in a beauty box and the rest I have sourced on Ebay for a fraction of their normal costs. For the most part, even store bought they shouldn't break the bank and are definitely products worth investing in.

What skincare products or regimes do you swear by? I love finding out about new products, so I'd love to hear about them. Follow my blog with Bloglovin