I have always taken care of my skin over the years, it's something that has been passed through the female generations of my family from my mum and grandmas. I was told from a young age that in order to keep healthy skin it's really important to look after it by ensuring to take your makeup off every night and always use a moisturiser. As I said this is something I follow religiously however, recently I've fallen into the trap of spending a near fortune on expensive skincare in the hopes that it will vastly improve the overall texture and look of my skin. When looking at my skin it is mostly dry/combination as I do get oily throughout the day, I do wake up with a tight feeling across my face so I need to make sure I use a very hydrating moisturiser. I also suffer with pigmentation, sun spots, redness and have the odd few freckles over my skin, all of which I would like to reduce especially the redness and pigmentation.
6 months ago:
So as named by the title I've recently re-vamped my skincare routine in the last few weeks but I want to take you through the products I was using a few months ago and the effect it had on my skin, as well as the sheer cost so you can understand that spending big doesn't always mean the best outcome!
1. Cleanser - Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm (105g) £41.00
My first step in my routine was to remove any makeup, excess oil or dirt on my skin both morning and evening by using a small amount over dry skin. The balm itself turns into an oil like texture which makes it easy to remove when using the cloth. It's safe to use over your eyes and smells like you are at the spa. It's suitable for all skin types and is suppose to give you a glowing complexion. I really liked using the cleanser as it could be used as a face mask also, I was obsessed with the smell and because I had dry skin it was a good cleanser to combat this. It is a pretty high price point for a cleanser and I can't say it made my skin look any clearer or 'glowy' as it states. I do think if you have oily skin this won't be suitable as it does leave a slightly greasy feeling to your skin afterwards, I also wonder if the thickness of the balm could potentially clog the skin.
2. Cleanser number two! - Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (100g) £10.00
Yes, I used two cleansers. I know this seems a bit excessive but when you wear as much makeup as me you need to be super sure that all your makeup is off before you hit the pillow. Although the cleansing balm helped to remove most of my makeup I still felt as though my skin needed a deep clean. The Burt's Bee cleanser is 100% natural and a very good cleanser to leave your skin squeaky clean. I love this cleanser but you do have to be really careful not to get it in your eyes because it stings like a b***h so the downside is that you need a separate eye make up remover.
3. Serum - Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (50ml) £75.00
I know what you're thinking... £75.00 for a serum, it's expensive. If you haven't tried the famous Night Repair serum then you won't understand the hype around it. This serum fights the look of ageing to reveal a smoother, more radiant complexion where lines and wrinkles look significantly reduced. It's safe to say I am obsessed with this and if it wasn't for the stupid price point this would be a staple in my skincare routine. I did notice within a week of using this my skin changed completely, I had far less redness and texture to my skin and it looked really radiant.
4. Moisturiser - Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream (49g) £33.00
After working for Benefit for a while I can safely say that this is my favourite product of theres. It is perfect for anyone who has dry/very dry skin as it has a 'tri-radiance complex' to develop the skin's reserves of water & reinforce skin's moisture barrier for a radiantly refreshed complexion. It is the most hydrating moisturiser I have ever tried and it left my skin feeling super soft. Again, it is a slightly higher price point to be buying a tub of every month as it does run out quite quickly.
5. Eye Cream - Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream (14g) £28.00
Another important piece of advice I've been told is to always use a separate eye cream for the under eye area due to the type of skin we have in this area. We have extremely thin skin around our eyes and therefore need to take more care when using products, this eye cream contains a peptide complex to help restore elasticity and firmness. As much as I listened to all the raving reviews about this eye cream I was actually massively disappointed, it really irritated my eyes every time I used it causing my eyes to pretty much water all day. It didn't improve any dark circles or lines that I had in that area and for £28 I was expecting far more .
TOTAL:
£146
VERDICT:
Most skincare routines take at least 1-2 months to have an effect on the actual look and texture of your skin, all of the products above lasted for around 4-5 weeks meaning that if you wanted to continue using them it would cost you around £300! Seeing this amount of money for your monthly skincare routine is ridiculous, I know compared to brands like La Mer and Sisley it seems reserved, but for the everyday gal it's a lot of money to splurge. My overall skin texture wasn't massively improved, I still suffered with redness around my nose and cheeks and at least once a week I was having breakouts of very sore, swollen spots which is unlike me. The dark circles around my eyes did not improve and once my Night Repair had ran out my skin looked dull like I needed a good nights sleep.
NOW..
One of the main reasons I cut down on my skincare products was because it was costing me so much money to keep it up, once my Night Repair and Pro Collagen Balm had come to an end I decided to quickly buy a few cheapy replacements to keep me going until I bought more however, I found that the 'cheapy' products have actually completely changed the way my skin looks and how it feels. I want to share the products I've been using and the difference in price between the two to show you that you don't need to spend a fortune. I feel as though using too many products in my skin clogged my pores causing me to have breakouts.
1. Nivea Sensitive Cleansing Wipes - £2.50 per pack
I've recently gone back to using makeup remover wipes to quickly take off the top layer of my makeup before my cleanser, this basically means that I don't have to use two cleansers in order to remove all of my makeup. These wipes are probably the best ones I've used, they smell lovely and are really gentle.
2. Cleanser - Coco Loco Coconut Oil (300ml) £2.29
I switched to using coconut oil due to the pure benefits all round for skincare and haircare. It's 100% natural and is amazing for removing makeup especially for dry skin. It can be used over your eyes and lasts for ages as you only need a small amount. Since using the coconut oil to remove my makeup my skin has become softer and more radiant.
3. Olay Pro Vital Anti Wrinkle Day Lotion (100ml) £10.00
My Benefit moisturiser had ran out and I quickly needed another one as my skin is so dry I can't go to sleep without using a moisturiser. I decided to pick this up because it had an SPF15 to protect my skin in the daylight and it also was an anti wrinkle cream, I like to use an anti wrinkle cream to help prevent fine lines from appearing. The cream is actually really hydrating considering it doesn't state it's for dry skin and because it's a lightweight formula it's not too heavy.
4. Serum - The Ordinary 100% Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil (30ml) £9.00
Rose Hip Seed Oil is a well known loved product used by celebrities to keep their skin radiant and way it targets photo-ageing (premature ageing caused by repeated exposure to ultraviolet radiation). As I've said above I do have high pigmentation, redness and sun spots most likely caused by my excessive time using sunbeds or sitting in the garden. I've previously used a few different The Ordinary Products and I've been obsessed with every single one. This serum has totally changed everything about my skin, it's massively reduced any redness I have, it has evened out my skin tone and texture and reduced the size/colour of any sun spots I have.
TOTAL:
£23.79
VERDICT:
As you can see the price of the products I've been using the past month is hugely less than the previous amount I was spending. Using less products or products that are not so highly concentrated with chemical/scents or extracts have greatly increased the overall look of my skin. All of my blemishes have pretty much disappeared, my redness gone, my pigmentation reduced. My skin feels softer and looks more radiant as well as being more hydrated which in turn reduces the likely hood of wrinkles forming.