My skin situation has been somewhat a roller coaster over the passed 6 months or so, with regular trips to the doctors to find out what exactly has been causing my out of control acne. After a number of tests, I have been diagnosed with a condition that means my hormone levels are all over the shop. Unfortunately for me, one of these symptoms is typically, acne.
There are so many articles online about how the 'only way' to clear skin is through a healthy lifestyle involving diet and regular exercise. I began exercising every day and purely clean eating for 4 months solid. However, even with a strict skincare routine involving high end products, there was still no luck. When I returned to uni (considering my depressing student budget, my lack of nutritious meals and the absence of any form of exercise), I was terrified that my skin was going to continue getting worse. This is where I am excited to share with my readers some absolutely amazing products that I have discovered that have made my skin crystal clear, without prescription creams, drugs or a change in lifestyle. It's all down to the products, and considering I'm a stressed out, hormonal imbalanced wreck with a rather unhealthy lifestyle, I'm pretty amazed at what these products have done for me!
Morning routine:
1. When I'm in the shower, I remove all of the previous nights products with warm water, or if I have any going, a very simple facial soap with no harsh chemicals. This ensures the skin isn't dried out or stripped too much of any oils.
2. Next I tone my face with a SPRAY toner. This is important because again, too much toner can strip the skin. This is the gentler method and Boots Botanics is perfect for me. It's full of organic goodness and only £4.99
3. Before applying any makeup, I like to use a very simple moisturiser. I usually just use whatever is knocking around, either Ren, e45 or Simple. Something along those lines.
Evening routine:
1. To remove the majority of my makeup I like to use Boots Botanics cleansing wipes. These are great because they are very gentle on the skin and the actual wipe itself its extremely soft with a natural feel. Also full of organic goodness, these are £3.49. They are great compared to other cleansing wipes because they don't contain any harsh chemicals that dry out the skin. I would never use these alone as they do not remove all of the makeup, you would need to use a good 3 to do so, however they are brilliant at removing the first lot.
2. Boots Simply Sensitive eye makeup remover also does what it says on the tin! Just a lovely, simple oil-based solution that removes even waterproof mascara. Just a few sweeps using cotton wool and the job is done! £2.79
3. Now, getting to the exciting products that have made the biggest difference to my skin...I have started using the raved about cleanser that is Emma Hardie's amazing face cleansing balm. It honestly is divine. At £34 for 100ml it seems a lot to spend, but with its gorgeous smell and the actual feel of the oils as they melt onto your face is amazing. The reason why this is so good compared to other cleansers is because it is so gentle on the skin, it is full of essential oils that condition the skin, and it removes every trace of makeup. I massage this into my face and remove using warm water and a muslin cloth.
4. After hearing Caroline Hirons rave about the p50 exfoliating toner, I knew I needed something along these lines. But at £50 a pop, there was no way I could afford this being a student, so I ended up trying out Pixi's dupe - Glow Tonic. This is a really lovely toner that gently exfoliates the top layer of skin and removes any remaining grime. It leaves your skin tight and glowing and I have noticed a major decrease in the amount of pimples on my face. A really lovely product with natural extracts for £16.
5. The last step before going to bed is to moisturise my face. I am really big on using oils to do this as I believe they are much beneficial for the skin. I like to mix Balance Me's radiance face oil (£30) with the Body Shop's tea tree night lotion (£9) to get the best of both products. Together they kill bacteria, moisturise, and feed the skin of many beneficial nutrients. I smother this all over my face and wake up in the morning with lovely soft and glowing skin. Another two great products that have had a huge impact.
I hope this has helped anyone in search of some guidance to a clear complexion! Comment if you enjoyed and feel free to ask any questions. I really do feel passionately about these products!
Thank you for reading
