There are many pieces in my skincare routine but I've narrowed it down to my favorite skincare bits, the best of the basics you could say. I have combination, acne prone skin so breakouts are a big problem for me. Not as big as they used to be, but they can still be a problem when the crop up so the first things on my list are two spot treatments.
My top two spot treatments are The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil, although any Tea Tree oil would be fine, and Mario Badescu's famed Drying Lotion. They both essentially doing the same thing but when used in tandem they produce great effects. I use the Tea Tree oil more on newly opened acne and the Drying Lotion I use on the acne before it's opened in hopes that it will just go away. Then again, don't we all want that?
My face wash of choice is Soap and Glory's Face Soap and Clarity Vitamin C Facial Wash. It has gentle exfoliating beads and a wonderful scent. Along with all of that it really cleans your face :) As well, you get a really
gigantic bottle which is great because you only need a pea sized amount which makes it last a good long while.
Toner is a must in my skin care sessions, and if it has Salicylic Acid that's even better because it helps to clear up my acne. Now I wouldn't recommend this if you have sensitive skin because it may be too strong but if not then I would definitely suggest OXY for acne prone skin because of the acne killing medication. It also helps to rid your face of any other bacteria that might still be on your face after you wash it. As well, it minimizes your pores because of the medication in it.
If you can't handle or don't want to use a toner with Salicylic Acid in it, don't worry I don't always use it either. My other toner of choice is the Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, herbs, and rosewater. This is a wonderful pump mist that refreshes your skin while helping to close the pores because of the cooling effect it produces.
Next up is my eye cream. This is an Argan Oil eye cream with Dead Sea minerals in it, I bought it at Marshalls not too long ago. It's not my favorite but it's not the worst I have ever used either. It's nice and creamy and I do notice it hydrating my eyes quite nicely.
The Youthful Bloom cream is my choice for nighttime moisturization. It is creamy yet natural and handmade. There are Jojoba and Macadamia oils in it, which really help to hydrate the skin. If you would like to read more about it, you can check out my blog post
here and if you like the sound of the product be sure to check out the Botanicals By The Sea
website to see their amazing full range of products. Or just search here on my blog because I have reviewed quite a few of their products and will be doing more soon!
For daytime hydration, I go the double wamy route- a base moisturizer and then a BB Cream. I really like the Simple protecting lotion because it is very light on the skin but is great for those with sensitive skin and it has an SPF which is something I always look for in a lotion. The BB Cream I use is the Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream which also happens to have an SPF to it. This gives me hydration plus the added bonus of giving me a little bit of coverage.
Finally I figured I would throw in my favorite skin care, err, what would you call this? A tool? Let's go with that. This is my favorite skincare tool, the Clairsonic Mia 1. Nothing super fancy, one speed and all of that but it does it's job nicely of giving my skin a good clear out two to three times a week. I'm still nervous to use this every day because I did used to have sensitive skin but, as skin does, it changed. I love this product and definitely think that it is worth the investment, if you can manage it.
Well there are my favorite skincare bits, I would love to know what yours are! Be sure to let me know down in the comments below! XO Emma
