My Current Skincare Routine – Spring 2018

In 2018 I’ve decided to get into skincare in a big way. Up until now I haven’t been so hot on my skincare, with such sensitive skin I’ve always been a little afraid to put too many products on my skin and, until very recently, I washed my face using literally soap and water because it’s the only thing I found that didn’t irritate my skin. To provide some background information, I used to have bad skin; redness, spots, irritation, the lot. I spent months on end piling spot prevention creams and face washes on to my skin to no avail and one day I just decided enough was enough. I tested myself by not using any face washes or fancy ‘miracle spot solving’ remedies for a couple of weeks and told myself that I’d see what the result was. To my surprise my skin actually got better, the high level of perfumes, acids and other harsh stuff in these products had actually been irritating my skin, and without them my skin could finally breathe. I still had spots but without the products the redness, under the skin bumps and rashes died down and I got myself into a routine of washing my face with simple baby soap and water then using a light Garnier moisturiser, the only ‘proper skincare product’ that managed to survive the skincare purge. This routine turned into habit and with that voice of ‘your bad skin will return’ sitting quietly in the back of my head I stayed clear of any new skincare. I’d look on longingly as I saw people online testing out new products, but told myself that it was better sat here feeling a little envy compared to having inflamed skin once more.

It’s only been in the past six or seven months that my skin has really got its act together, I now have mainly clear skin, bar the breakouts along my jawline that I just can’t seem to budge. My cheeks, which used to be my main area of concern, are practically clear and I don’t suffer with redness anymore. Even though it did worry me a little bit I thought I’d just force myself to try some products that I trusted to not be too strong on my skin. I’m a great fan of Kiko makeup and I can’t believe I didn’t know that they did skincare too! When I was in London their Covent Garden store had a massive sale on and I thought I’d treat myself to a couple of products whilst they were reduced (though they are super affordable anyway!). I picked up their Pure Clean Foam which is part of their Pure Clean range; it is a cleansing and purifying foaming face wash, which I thought sounded good for cleansing my skin of impurities, which are causing the few remaining spots, but in a soothing way. Also this face wash smells amazing! I’ve used it for the past few days and it’s already begun to start making a difference, my skin looks a lot fresher and so I’m very impressed.

The other Kiko product that I picked up was the Hydra Pro Mask in this gorgeous pink and rose gold packaging, which may have drawn me in a little (oops!) but the packaging isn’t even the best thing about it. This mask smells of roses, which of course is a gorgeous scent, and feels so nice on the skin. It’s soothing and moisturising and I’m really impressed with the results on my skin. The lovely girl in the store told me that it contains salicylic acid which helps fight acne, so works deep into your skin to fight spots, and with continued use it is meant to improve the look of makeup on your skin, so I’ll keep you guys up to date on whether it lives up to that over on my Twitter (follow me here). If that’s true that’s such a unique property for a mask so I’ll be really interested to see.

I’ve been using the Garnier Botanical with Rose Water collection for a while now and I can’t see a time where I would ever not repurchase it. I use the Cleansing Milk to remove my makeup, as it is very soothing on the skin for everyday use and doesn’t irritate my eyes. I wear waterproof mascara most days, because I find it lasts longer, so I need a hardworking makeup remover that will remove my mascara without taking half my eyelashes out or hurting my eyes. This one does just that! If I don’t use the Cleansing Milk I will definitely reach for the Rose Water micellar water which I also love for removing makeup.

One product that I have only started using recently is toner. I had honestly never thought to purchase it as I’d never felt the need for it but I decided to purchase the Garnier Toner and try it out. I’ve only used it for a couple of days but I already like the results. This smells great, like the whole collection, and left my skin feeling smooth and calm. I’ll update you on my thoughts as I use this more and more. For moisturiser the Botanical Day Cream has been my go-to for a few months now and I love how it feels on my skin. It’s light and soothing without being too heavy on the skin and I’d recommend it to anyone with dry to combination skin.

That sums up my current skincare routine but it may change over the coming months as I start to explore the amazing world of skincare so I’ll keep you guys updated. I can sense that the skincare section of my blog is definitely going to grow!

Watch my beauty and skincare haul over on YouTube where I talk about these products and more!

Love Chloe x