I regularly post about my skincare favourites and skincare routine and will quite often get comments along the lines of 'you must have amazing skin' - the reality is that I don't! Because I have a chronic illness, my skin has suffered due to the illness itself but also the very harsh and strong meds that I take to combat it. I also have a problem with my stomach, which means that I have problems absorbing certain nutrients - those alongside central heating and the environmental factors that we all experience, means that I have skin issues that I need to work hard to combat - or need my products to work hard for me! Today I have teamed up with Cult Beauty to talk you through the products that I find most effective for tackling dry and irritated or reactive skin and tomorrow I will share the products that I find best for treating dullness and texture issues. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Cult Beauty, the one stop shop for all of the latest brand releases in all areas of beauty - I feel like I check the new section daily because they are always adding new brands that previously weren't easy for us to get our hands on on this side of the Atlantic - Kate Somerville being the latest - a brand I am really looking forward to exploring! I recommend signing up to the newsletter so you don't miss any new releases/sales or discount codes. I also have a 15% discount code CBXBLYM valid until midnight on the 23rd of Feb (with some brand exclusions but most of the products mentioned here today are not on the exclusion list but it's not just for skincare, it can be used on anything on site - see the end of the post for details on the exclusions ) and details of a competition so keep reading until the end for those! Also, make sure you are following Cult Beauty on Instagram because it's like a community on there and you can get great advice from their skincare experts, but also from fellow Cult Beauty customers, plus they regularly have amazing giveaways!
My skin is very dry (think Sahara-levels of dryness) - it always has been, but it's also quite reactive so I have to be very careful with what I put on my face. I'm generally ok with essential oils and a small amount of alcohol in products but if it's a high amount, my skin usually looks red and feels burnt. There have been some mistakes over the years and I'm sure there'll be more in the future but at the moment, I have a great selection of products that help to keep my skin calm, nourished and plump!
Balm cleansers suit my dry skin really well because they cleanse but don't strip. I know that some people think that there isn't really any point in paying too much attention to cleansers because you just wash them off, but I disagree. I think a good cleanser and serum are they key points to any effective skincare routine. If your skin is left stripped after cleansing, anything that follows will be sucked up and your skin will be left feeling parched, regardless of how good your moisturiser is. I have two favourite balm cleansers, both of which I have repurchased several times: Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm and Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm* (longest name ever!!). Both of these balms melt into the skin to dissolve makeup and impurities, leaving the skin soft, soothed and deeply cleansed. A little goes a long way with both. If your skin is hyper-reactive, then I would recommend the Omorovicza one more and, actually that brand in general, as everything in the line is very effective and very soothing.
A facial mist is a must have product for dry skin, but not just any old facial mist - one that will actually add moisture to the skin and I highly recommend Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator*. I have tried A LOT of facial mists in my time but this is by far the most moisturising that I have tried. Formulated with aloe vera juice alongside a host of vitamins and essential oils, including marula, jojoba, evening primrose, carrot seed, vitamin E and many more, this oil instantly soothes, plumps and nourishes the skin.
I have spoken about Omoressence a lot on the blog because it has been a staple in my daily routine for almost 2 years now. This essence instantly soothes and calms the skin, but it also hydrates. It really is a game-changing product for anybody who suffers from dry and dehydrated skin - I would say that my skin is no longer dehydrated since I began using this product. Because it's in a glass bottle, I never take it on holiday with me and I always miss it from my routine as my patches of dehydration will re-appear!
In terms of serums or treatments, there are two in my current routine that address both dry and irritated skin and they are Oskia Super 16 Serum and Zelens Provitamin D Treatment Drops*. You will have heard me rave about the Oskia serum on the blog before because it really is a wonder product. Comprised of 16 super nutrients and bio-actives, this serum soothes, heals, plumps, nourishes and hydrates the skin. With consistent use, there are no signs of inflammation in the skin - it's just calm, even and plump - everything I could ask for in a serum. My friend Anne from Linda, Libra, Loca recommended the Zelens Provitamin D Treatment Drops to me because she knew that I had trouble with my skin last year after a breakout and also because I had a lot of inflammation, and what a great recommendation it was! This can be used either before your serum or after your moisturiser and it is a very potent and powerful product in protecting the skin. It helps to strengthen and repair the skin, restore moisture, improve elasticity and protect against environmental and microbial aggressors. Results can be seen and felt immediately with this product and it is one that all skin types would benefit from.
To moisturise, I use Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream or Alpha-H Liquid Gold 24 Hour Repair Cream*. I am now on my third tub of the PTR cream, which tells you how much I love it. It's comprised of 30% hyaluronic acid, so it really does drench the skin, as the name suggests, but in a very non-greasy way. My skin is just left feeling soft, smooth, hydrated and happy! I tend to use the Alpha-H one in the evenings, rotating with the next products I am going to talk about. This product contains both lactic and glycolic acid, but it also contains hyaluronic acid, so it doesn't irritate or dry the skin at all. I find that this really nourishes, softens and brightens my skin.
My other products of choice for night-time are Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil* and Omorovicza Gold Hydralifting Mask. Although the Luna Oil is a retinol product, I have never experienced any of the drying/flaking side-effects that can occur with some products, which is probably due to the inclusion of avocado oil, chia and grape seed. Also, the Blue Tansy it contains is an anti-inflammatory ingredient so this retinol is suitable for sensitive skin. I press a few drops of this into my skin at night, as a last step in my routine, a few times a week and wake to soft, smooth skin that looks brighter and my pores look refined. This is my second bottle and I know it won't be my last! The Omorovicza mask is not necessarily designed to be an overnight mask but I like to use it that way when my skin is feeling particularly dry but it's also perfect to use as part of a regular skincare routine to perk the skin up and add some moisture. It contains three types of hyaluronic acid and gold ferment, amongst other ingredients, and they combine to hydrate, plump, soothe, firm and nourish the skin. It is the perfect mask to use before a special event as the skin is left glowing afterwards.
All of these products can be purchased on Cult Beauty. They have also very kindly given me a 15% discount code to share with you - CBXBLYM valid until midnight on the 23rd of Feb . It can be used on orders over £20 but there are some brand exclusions (listed here). If you wish to order any of the products that I have recommended, the only brand exclusions are Alpha-H and Sunday Riley. It can also be used on other products on the site - it doesn't have to be skincare alone!
Now on to the competition! You can win a consultation with one of Cult Beauty's Skin Specialists and a skincare regime tailored to your needs. To enter you need to follow Cult Beauty on Instagram, share an image showing what your particular skin concern is, tagging @CultBeauty and using the hashtags #ThisIsSkin and #SkinCareMonth There will be 5 winners chosen and the giveaway runs until the end of the month, so you still have 8 days left to enter!
Have you tried any of these products? What skin issues do you have? I would love to hear and also what your favourite products to combat those issues are!
Don't forget to enter my Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Blush Giveaway here.
Thanks for reading!
No comments
Post a Comment
I really love to read your comments & appreciate all of them!