Blogtember Day Five: My Morning Skin Products!

My Morning Skincare Products!

Hello Friends!

Since I outlined my Caroline Hirons inspired skincare routine yesterday, I thought I'd go into a little more detail on the products I've picked out. My skin is responding really well to these, and they are [almost] all drugstore products!

My morning routine starts with a cleansing. I chose the Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser with Royal Jelly ($10, pictured above). I love this cleanser! It's really gentle, and 99% natural. It doesn't have any foaming agents or parabens, and almost all of the ingredients are derived from plants. It does have cleansing beads in it, but the beads are jojoba, and don't abrade the skin, so they don't bother me. I find it to be really effective, and the royal jelly is really nourishing (it's what bees produce to feed the larvae and queens). I'm about halfway through with this bottle, and I am planning on repurchasing.

I follow that with a the Avalon Organics' Vitamin C Renewal Balancing Toner ($12.50). This stuff is amazing. It is filled with nutrients- vitamin C to fight hyper-pigmentation, fruit acids to encourage natural exfoliation, and aloe to soothe the skin. It is also pH balanced to what a normal skin environment should be. And can I just say- it smells AMAZING. I don't know if you guys grew up drinking Tang, but that's what it smells like. The bottle is really big, too. It's 8.5 oz (251 mL), but since you only need one or two dampened cotton rounds, this is going to last me a very long time. I'm very happy with this stuff, and I will definitely repurchase.

The next step is my Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz ($8.40). I'm not in love with this hydrating spray, but it does the job. It's 100% organic, and is mainly water and rose water. However, it has a very high alcohol content, which kind of counteracts the hydrating properties. I'm on the look out for a better spray hydrator, but it looks like I'm going to end up spending a little more for a hyaluronic product.

The moisturizer I use changes most days, but the one that I use most days is the one higher end product on this list- Ole Henriksen Vitamin Plus moisturizer for oily and blemish prone skin ($35). I find this stuff to be really moisturizing, and it seems to help with oil control. I love it! A little goes a long way, so I will repurchase, but probably not for a long while yet.

This is routine generally takes me about five minutes (depending on how awake I am!), so I do it most days. When I'm in a rush, the last two steps tend to get neglected.

Check back Friday for my evening routine!

Always,

Nani xx

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Blogtember Day 4: My Skincare Routine, Part One!

My Caroline Hirons Inspired Skincare Routine

Hello Friends!

I have been really struggling to keep to my schedule, but here's my make-up post for yesterday!

My skin is nowhere near perfect, but since updating my skincare routine, I have really seen improvement.

With acne-prone skin, I always favored acne face wipes, foaming or scrubbing cleansers, harsh toners, and lots of chemicals. A few months ago, I discovered skin expert Caroline Hirons on Youtube, and after spending several hours reading her blog, I knew I needed to make a change.

First to go were the face wipes. While they take off a lot of makeup, they leave anything that has settled into pores. Next was the foaming cleanser- they can be hard on skin and can affect the pH of the skin, actually encouraging acne. Finally the astringent toners. They strip the skin of all oils, drying it out, and can inflame acne.

Now that you know what I  don't do, here's my routine.

Morning:

• Natural, gentle cleanser, free of parabens, foaming agents, mineral oil, and other nasties, applied to dry skin, and then scrubbed off with a warm, wet wash cloth.
• Fruit based, pH balancing toner, applied with a cotton round. I looked for one that was alcohol free or low, and high in fruit acids.
• Spray Hydrator with rosewater and glycerin. One with Hyaluronic acid is best.
• Mineral Oil free moisturizer. (sometimes I skip this step and go straight to my Miracle Skin Transformer.

Evening:

• Cream cleanser, applied to dry skin, allowed to sit for a few minutes, and then wiped off with a warm, wet wash cloth. There's two routes to go with this- cream or balm. I prefer the balm, but it is harder to get off. I find that I need to rinse out the wash cloth at least once during the process. This step really helps to get all of my makeup off. It's definitely too heavy for morning use.
• I use the same cleanser from the morning in the evening. The second cleanse takes off any residual makeup or balm cleanser. Caroline Hirons says that a second cleanse is essential, and I'm always so surprised how much more makeup comes off.
• I follow with the toner and spray routine from the morning.
• Acne treatment- I'm still using my same treatment, since it was too expensive to toss, but I will be looking for a natural option once I use it up.
• Night cream-  I use an enzymatic cream to help with my skin.
• Toss my washcloth in the wash- they grow bacteria that can cause acne!

For more information as to the rationale of this routine, I really recommend looking at Caroline Hirons' blog, BeautyMouth, and especially her cleansing and routines cheat sheets.

Tomorrow I will go into more details about my morning products!

Always,

Nani xx

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Hot Cloth Cleanser

Hello Friends!

Lately it seems like everyone is talking about the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. All the talk caught my interest, so I thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Apparently Liz Earle is only sold on the Liz Earle website in the states, so in order to get it, I was going to have to pay $43 plus shipping. I couldn't do it, so I gave up on the idea, until I found out that Boots No 7 (available everywhere here) had a dupe!

I've been using the No 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser ($10.49) for about a week now, and I really like it. If you've never used a hot cloth cleanser, you spread 1-2 pumps of the cleanser over a dry face, then moisten the included muslin cloth with hot water, and drape it over your face. The moist heat opens the pores, allowing the cleanser to clean inside them. After leaving it on for a minute or two (the cloth is thin, so it cools quickly), you take the same cloth and scrub it in little circles to remove the cleanser, and then rinse your face and the cloth.

After a week of using it every night, I'm not sure that my skin is clearing up very much, but it's certainly less red than it was before. I missed a day, and the next day my skin rebounded. I'm definitely going to keep using it- if nothing else, because it feels great! The combination of the heat and the clean feeling after I use it feels like a spa treatment. I love it!

There's only two things I don't like about the cleanser. First, the smell. I'm not really sure what it's meant to smell like, but it's just a little strange- although not particularly bad. The second thing is just something I need to fix myself- the cleanser only comes with one cloth. I've been looking around, but I haven't found anything similar yet, so I may end up making my own. I also recommend using a facial wipe or makeup remover before using the cleanser, since any make up you have on your face will stain the cloth.

Overall, I'm happy with this stuff, especially at a fourth of the price of the Liz Earle!

Always,

Nani xx

What skin care products can you not live with out? Leave them in the comments below!

Micellar Water Comparison

Hello Friends!

A few months ago, I was introduced to the joys of micellar waters by a Caudalie sample set I got at Sephora. Micellar waters are a soap-free makeup remover/cleanser. The micelles absorb the makeup, dirt, or oils on your skin, removing them instead of smearing them around on your skin. The waters are not meant to be used on their own, but are a great step in a skin care routine.

The first cleansing water I used was Caudalie Cleansing Water ($28 for 6.7oz/200mL)

Caudalie is a French brand that uses extracts from grape plants in their products. Their cleansing water is brilliant. To use, I simply apply a small amount to a cotton round, and wipe over my face, starting on the forehead and working my way down. I have found that 1-2 rounds remove all of my makeup, including waterproof eye makeup. After I use it, my skin feels clean, and ready for the rest of my skin care regimen (I'll discuss that in a later post). The water has a gentle scent, clean and mildly fruity, from the grape extracts, presumably. Using it twice a day, the 6.7oz size lasted about four months.

While I love the Caudalie water, I wanted to look for something a little less expensive when I ran out last week. After doing some research, I settled on the Melvita Bioexcellence- Micellar Toner ($19 for 6.7oz/200mL)

                           

Melvita is also a French company, started by a biologist. Their products are all organic, and draw their ingredients from nature. The main ingredients in this micellar water are damask rose, Seville orange blossom, cornflower, and lavender (along with some other botanicals). The combination of these ingredients makes for a slightly overwhelming aroma- sweet and definitely floral. I can't decide whether or not I like it. The product itself works well, although I find that it takes 3-4 cotton rounds to fully remove my makeup, and I often use another one to remove my eye makeup. After using, my face feels clean, but the skin itself feels tight, so I find myself using more moisturizer. I haven't noticed a difference in my breakouts since using this one instead of the Caudalie.

All things considered, I like both products. I think that if I had used the Melvita first, I would have been happy with it, but when compared to the Caudalie, the scent and skin tightness are the nails in its coffin. I'll continue using the Melvita, but once it's gone I will be returning to the Caudalie.

Always,

Nani