How to get rid of maskne

Hello hello! Its been a while. This year has thrown a lot of unwanted surprises our way, and while it may not be the worst plot twist of 2020, we could all have done without a new skin problem cropping up on top of everything else. Maskne. A weird word for an unexpected problem. One of my favourite jobs back when I worked in skincare was helping people get to the root of their skin concerns. It was incredibly satisfying to work with customers to demystify their skin, and to see them reap the rewards. So when this issue started cropping up on faces all over the world, I couldn’t help myself from researching what maskne is, what causes it, and how we can get rid of it. Like with most skin concerns, it’s hard to find information that doesn’t have a skincare company’s spin on it (“only our product/treatment/service will cure you!”) and some of the advice I came across was genuinely horrific, so I thought I would put together what I learned, and eliminate anything I felt was ‘brandspeak’, in search of the best advice possible. So, here’s what I’ve got!

What is maskne?

To make matters more confusing, maskne isn’t just one thing. There are several different ways your skin might be reacting to your mask, but luckily none of them are particularly ‘new’ – they’re all well understood skin issues, it’s just that we’re experiencing them different ways and unexpected areas now. Even though it might not seem like it, most cases of maskne boil down to simple spots – it’s just that the causes and presentation might differ from what you’re used to. So let’s have a deep dive into what spots actually are, to help you understand what might be going on with your individual case of maskne.

Spots are caused by a combination of four things – dead skin cells and grime, sebum (the oil our skin naturally produces for protection), bacteria, and inflammation. Dead skin cells and grime (for most of us this ‘grime’ will be leftover makeup) get trapped on the skin by your sebum, and this gunky mixture settles into your pores. This is totally normal, but if your skin is struggling to shed dead skin cells, or it has more sebum than necessary, it gets worse, and the pore gets blocked. Some of the bacteria that naturally lives on your skin eats sebum, which means these pores are full of lovely food for them, so they chow down, and start reproducing (aka, infecting your skin). Your body notices this infection and sends the cavalry – your immune system – which increases blood flow to the area to fight the bacteria. This causes discolouration*, swelling, and everyone’s favourite thing, pus. Et voila, you have a spot!

It’s pretty common for dead skin cells and oil to settle and solidify in pores without the bacterial infection and immune response – that’s what blackheads are. It’s also possible for bacteria and immune responses to cause havoc on their own, without blocked pores – although this will look and feel different to a normal breakout, such as with folliculitis, which is a bacterial infection that causes itchy, burning, tender skin and blisters (more on that later), or eczema, which is a purely immune response. Wearing a face covering doesn’t do anything other than trigger these processes, it’s not a new or particularly surprising eventuality. And there are lots of ways you can combat it, so keep reading!

How to treat maskne

Now that we know what spots are and why we get them, all we need to do is think about what’s happening under that face mask to cause a breakout of maskne. I’ve broken it down into the four different causes of spots, and shared pandemic-specific solutions for all of them.

Dead skin cells

A buildup of dead skin cells and grime means more gunk in the pores. When wearing a mask, it’s possible that the protection it offers is preventing your skin from shedding skin cells like it usually would – the lack of moving air and higher humidity levels are perfect conditions for preventing airborne viruses from flying around, but it also means that your skin’s usual ‘sloughing’ process could be interrupted too. Masks can also create friction, which rubs dead cells and makeup into the skin, physically creating extra blocked pores for bacteria to flock to, causing a type of breakout known as acne mechanica. This is something that most commonly occurs on our backs, and other sebum-rich areas which have clothes rubbing against the skin a lot, like the chest or thighs. It wasn’t often seen on the face, until now of course!

Solution: exfoliation. Gentle, daily chemical exfoliation like Pixi Glow Tonic or Aesop Parsley Seed Cleanser should help your skin to catch up on its shedding schedule. But be careful – if you’re getting irritated rashes or blotches, but aren’t noticing an increase in blocked pores or spots with definite ‘heads’, you might actually have the opposite problem. Your skin could be being over-exfoliated by your mask! This is more likely to happen around the edges of your mask, particularly if you’re wearing an N95 or similar style. If you think that might be what’s happening, scroll down a bit and have a read of the immune response section. If you wear makeup under your mask, it’s also a good idea to use a lighter layer so that there’s less stuff on your skin to get compacted into your pores. I’ve been skipping makeup below the mask entirely, l but if I was going to wear some I wouldn’t bother buying a BB cream (if you have one already though, go ahead!) I would just use an ultra thin layer of my normal foundation.

Excess sebum

Your skin is covered by a very delicate layer of oil and water called the hydrolipidic film. When this layer becomes disrupted, your skin tends to react by producing more oil. Unfortunately, your skin doesn’t quite know when to stop, so it tends to produce an excessive amount of extra oil, leading to spots. In the case of maskne, if your mask is absorbing too much of your sebum, you might experience excess oiliness as your skin tries to compensate, and if your mask is causing friction, your skin might be producing oil for extra protection.

It’s a total myth that humidity and heat makes your skin oily – something that skincare companies and lifestyle websites love to peddle in order to get people to buy mattifying products in the summertime, but actually, when your face gets shiny in the warm weather, its sweat, and if it gets spotty, it’s probably a reaction to your SPF, a heat rash, or your skin over-producing oil in response to those mattifying products. Anyway, that’s a pet hate of mine, sorry to rant! My point is, you don’t need to worry about the humid climate inside your mask contributing to oiliness.

Lastly, it’s important to take into account the fact that oil levels are affected by hormones and stress. This is why so many people get acne when they’re going through a tough time, and let’s face it, who isn’t going through a tough time right now? Hormonal and stressed out skin is a whooole other topic that I can’t really cover in this already very long blog post, but rest assured, there is a lot you can do if that’s the cause of your skin issues!


Solution: balance. Choose daytime products that will intensely hydrate your skin without being too oily – Jordan Samuel Serum and Caudalie Moisturising Sorbet are great examples of this kind of product. Whatever you choose to buy, when shopping for daytime skincare, look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin and squalene. A few nights a week, use a replenishing oil like The Ordinary Squalane, or Trilogy Rosehip Seed Oil, which should soothe, help healing, and encourage your skin to slow down its own oil production. If your skin is naturally oily or combination, don’t use a face oil too often, make it a Sunday night treat and use a lighter oil like Weleda Almond Facial Oil. You could also try a silk mask, because silk doesn’t absorb oil like cotton and paper, so it shouldn’t kick your skin into oil-overdrive.

Bacteria

Of all the spot-causing issues, when it comes to maskne, bacteria is probably the least of your worries (ironic considering that this is all happening because of another microscopic menace). The only thing you need to be aware of is that bacteria can be transferred to the fabric of your mask and then back to your face, causing bacterial overgrowth. Make sure you wear a clean mask every day, but there shouldn’t be any need to change it throughout the day, unless you have very oily skin or you haven’t washed your face that day. Although it might seem counter-intuitive, you don’t need to worry about humidity or heat causing bacterial overgrowth, because Cutibacterium acnes (the bacteria that causes acne) doesn’t care about external humidity levels or air flow – it lives in your pores, it’s always wet and warm in there!

Solution: gentle cleansing. Your skin’s microbial ecosystem is delicate, and essential for maintaining skin health. The best thing you can do is keep up a regular, gentle cleansing routine to keep your bacteria nicely under control. My favourite cleanser for this is Aesop Parsley Seed Cleanser, but if you prefer non-foaming cleansers, I also love Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Personally I don’t think it’s a good idea to use anti-bacterial agents daily (stuff like witch hazel or salicylic acid toners) because they can destroy the ecosystem on your skin, doing way more harm than good. If you want to use something with anti-bacterial properties on your face, make sure that a) it’s designed to be used on the face, and b) don’t use it daily. When my skin is acting up, I love to use Caudalie Vinopure Toner, which has salicylic acid, but it’s very astringent, so I only use it as an occasional treatment. Lastly, remember that severe acne can be treated with an antibiotic prescription, so keep that in mind if things are getting out of control.

Immune response

This one is a bit more complicated – I want to incorporate some stuff that I glossed over earlier, and mention types of maskne that are not necessarily ‘spots’, but may occur alongside them, and may be confused for them. All forms of skin irritation are immune responses – from swellings to rashes to cysts, the bit you notice is actually created by your body, not by whatever has irritated it. And there are a lot of different ways that wearing a face covering can trigger immune responses/skin reactions. It’s really important to look closely at your skin, and be aware of the symptoms of skin conditions. Although the environment under a mask isn’t particularly extreme, and is unlikely to cause anything serious, if you’re at all worried that it might be ‘more than maskne’, do try to see a doctor. Warning signs might include widespread discolouration* and soreness, itchiness, flaking, or painful rough patches. However, if you’re confident that it’s nothing serious, there are lots of things you can try.

Solution: calming, gentle products. I’m not above putting porridge on my face when it’s really irritated, as oats are fantastically calming, but it’s messy, and there are better recommendations. Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion is my holy grail skincare product – it’s the simplest moisturiser imaginable, and will hydrate and protect your skin without any potential irritants. If your skin is in need of extra protection, (if you’re suffering from over-exfoliation for example) then opt for Avene’s Skin Recovery Cream, which contains mineral oil to create an invisible protective layer over your skin. When it comes to calming the irritation of spots, simple is always best, so gently apply a warm compress on unbroken spots. I also sometimes use Caudalie Purifying Mask on unbroken spots, as I find it helps reduce swelling, but doesn’t dry out the swollen, irritated skin covering the spot (like every other mask or treatment that I’ve tried). While it’s usually best to leave open spots completely alone, I will sometimes apply a tiny amount of Germolene with a very clean fingertip, and I do find it really helps me.

I’ve seen some places recommend the use of barrier creams under masks – and while this may be a good idea for people wearing N95s, a barrier cream will present a whole new set of problems for the average mask-wearer, because non-prescription barrier products like nappy creams are extremely thick, pore clogging products. If your skin is getting very irritated and causing you discomfort, you could always ask a doctor for a medical grade barrier product, like Cavilon (which is used in incontinence care and for the prevention of pressure ulcers in bedbound patients).

Lastly, try a softer mask, like the silk masks as I suggested above. If you’re wearing paper masks a lot, perhaps you could put a thin, soft one underneath? Avoid masks with protruding seams, and while you should definitely make sure it’s secure along the edges, try to wear one that isn’t super tight all over your face (this is better for infection control too I believe, because it’s the layer of humidity inside the mask provides important protection from the virus).

To conclude…

I think one of the key things here is not to overdo anything in your quest to eliminate maskne. I’ve seen recommendations like “wash your face in the middle of the day!” and while I see the logic, overwashing your face can lead to an increase in oil production, as the skin barrier (that hydrolipidic film I mentioned) becomes compromised, and can also cause dermatitis and bacterial imbalance. Make slow, gradual changes to your skincare and focus on treating your skin gently – remember that just like you, it needs time to adapt to our new world, so treat it nicely.

*a note on discolouration – often in Western skincare we talk about ‘redness’ but the colour of a skin condition is completely dependent on melanin levels – for example, eczema resembles a kind of rough textured hyperpigmentation on some skin colours, and red blotches on other. The term ‘discolouration’ might not be perfect, but it’s better than just saying ‘red’.

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Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil Review

I feel like it’s been ages since I wrote a straightforward product review, I’ve been really enjoying writing skincare guides and talking more about self care lately. However Jurlique’s Skin Balancing Face Oil deserves a review all of its own, and I have been meaning to write one for about four years! Seriously, I’ve tried SO MANY face oils over the years (check out the face oil photo in this blog post) and this has come up top time and time again, nothing even comes close. Let me tell you more about it….

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Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil is formulated for normal and combination skin types and the consistency is a light, almost dry oil. A dry oil is an oil that absorbs very quickly without a trace, but while Skin Balancing Face Oil absorbs fast, unlike most dry oils, it also leaves your skin feeling plump and soft. I love this because when I use something like almond oil, my skin still feels rough afterwards which makes it hard to know if it’s working!

This oil is formulated to protect against moisture loss, which makes it the perfect addition to a winter skincare routine, as it will help prevent central heating and bitingly cold weather from dehydrating your skin. Dehydration leads to unbalanced skin because by not having enough water, your skin produces more oil to compensate which leads to a huge mess (if you’ve ever thought “what the hell is going on with my skin?! Everything is wrong with it!!” then you probably have unbalanced skin). With this light, hydrating and protective oil the skin stays soft and supple, and the herbal extracts keep it calm and comfortable too.

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The oil base is amazing; avocado, rosehip, safflower, jojoba, macadamia and evening primrose oils, together with shea butter. These all have different qualities, for example avocado oil is rich in vitamin E, rosehip is rich in vitamin A and both are great for evening out the skin tone. Evening primrose oil is rich in brightening vitamin C, whilst jojoba oil is the closest oil to our skin’s natural sebum, so it’s the most effectively absorbed, and therefore helps the skin to absorb all the other goodness in the oil. Being so high in antioxidants, this is an amazing oil to help protect agains pollution as well as weather and central heating.

The herbal extracts are perfectly balanced too. With viola extracts to smooth roughness, chamomile to calm redness, calendula to support healing and comfrey to soothe, it leaves the skin feeling super comfortable and looking clear and balanced. Another amazing thing about this oil is the smell – imagine if honeysuckle and jasmine had a lovechild; sweet but not sickly, heady but not overpowering, fresh, floral, cheerful… every time I use this oil it puts a smile on my face.

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By hydrating, soothing, protecting and nourishing the skin, Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil is absolutely perfect for all skin types, but I think it’s particularly amazing for normal or combination skin that suffers in winter weather. I use it at night whenever my skin is looking dull or feeling tight and it leaves my skin soft, smooth and glowing by morning. A 50ml bottle is a generous size, and I find that it lasts for well over a year. Get it from Look Fantastic for £38 – click here

Trilogy Mineral Radiance Mask

There are so many  bad and important things going on in the world at the moment that I’ve been finding it really hard to think or talk about beauty recently. There have been a few stressful things going on in my life that my skin hasn’t taken to very well, and with the added stress of the absolutely dreadful events tearing through nearly every corner of the world, I was recently treated to a horrendous stress-breakout over my chin and right cheek. It was really painful, and impossible to cover. So I absolutely had to share with you my saviour, Trilogy Mineral Radiance Mask*

*PR Sample; all opinions given are my own

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Trilogy is a 100% natural, cruelty free and vegetarian brand. This product is also vegan, and Trilogy’s ingredients support ethical trading by having a traceable supply chain. They work with worker collectives, non-profits, the UN, and even directly employ their their own supplier for their bestselling rosehip oil. For a worldwide brand, this is very impressive if you ask me. You know when you’re reading the ‘ethical statement’ of a brand and you can tell (perhaps it’s just from working in the beauty industry for 5 years, I don’t know) that they’re manipulating words, trying to convince you that they are far more ethical than they actually are? Trilogy are the opposite.

They hold themselves to a genuinely high standard and it’s inspiring. Their prices are honest too; the mask that I’m about to (I promise, we’ll get there) tell you about is £20.50, which is a good, honest price for a brand with great ethical trading standards, top quality ingredients and lots of research behind it. Anyway, sorry. If I was a more business-minded person my dream would be to work as an Ethical Trading Manager so I tend to get carried away on brands that really do the work! On to the Mineral Radiance Mask

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The mask has a super thick, buttery smooth consistency that spreads gorgeously over the skin. It doesn’t really dry out so if your skin is delicate or dehydrated you don’t need to worry about it being uncomfortable, and it rinses off really easily. The main ingredient is kaolin clay which is a sticky, fine type of clay that attracts ‘surface debris’ like dead skin and excess oil (from inside the pores). This helps restore radiance to dull complexions but also helps to reduce breakouts by deep cleansing the pores. There’s also rosehip oil in there; Trilogy is famous for its Organic Rosehip Oil (I still haven’t tried it but I know so many people who love it!) which is a light oil that helps to regenerate, calm and soften all skin types. Pohutukawa extract (a native New Zealand plant) helps to tone the skin, whilst aloe vera gel, chamomile and sweet almond oil soothe and hydrate. Finally, detoxifying carrot and rosemary oils are great for microcirculation and skin repair.

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I find that after I use Mineral Radiance Mask, my skin feels incredibly fresh, looks far brighter and is really soft. And after using it regularly for a couple of weeks, my breakouts dried up and completely disappeared, with no new ones taking their place. My skin is quite sensitive but it absolutely loves this mask! However, it contains essential oils and salicylic acid so if you have allergic skin or eczema, I would avoid. Every other skin type though, I think would really benefit from it. It gets rid of dead skin cells, deep cleanses, soothes and hydrates whilst also being kind to the planet and its inhabitants. What’s not to love? Get it here for £20.50

 

22 Products I’ve Repurchased More Than Once

I think that one of the most glowing accolades a product can have is that someone would use an entire bottle/pot/tube of it and then go out to buy another one right away. Even more so, when someone has done that more than once… in a world of millions of beauty and cosmetic products to choose from, repurchasing is definitely the best measure of quality! So with that being said, here are some products that I have purchased, in full size, multiple times. I know, it’s A LOT. I won’t be offended if you just scroll through and skim read until you get to a product or product type you’re interested in 😉 The list includes cleansers, skincare, makeup, haircare and bodycare products. Enjoy! And share some of your ‘most bought products’ in the comments 😉

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Cleansers

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REN Evercalm Cleansing Gel, £15. This is my everyday cleanser for morning and evening. It’s very gentle and soothing, and the perfect cleanser for anyone with delicate or sensitive skin who wants a rinse-off product that won’t completely dry out or strip their skin of natural oils. I’ve used about two bottles of this, and it’s a great, basic cleanser.

Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser, £22.50. I’ve been using this stuff for EVER and I love it. It’s perfect for combination skin types that can get a little on the oily side – I love to use this three or four times a week to deeply cleanse, or in the evening when it’s been a hot or long day, as it really feels like it removes everything without leaving your skin tight or uncomfortable. I must have gone through about four bottles by now, no matter what else I’m using I always have to have a bottle of this on the go too!

Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub, £23. I’ve been using this for about three years and am on my third tube – this stuff lasts forever! It smells gorgeous and the thick gel texture, rich in aloe vera, protects and soothes the skin. There’s also ginger in there to refresh, coconut to moisturise and camellia to soothe. The scrub particles are gentle and rounded palm seed fragments – so they are biodegradable too. I find that this scrub is very gentle, but really effective. With most scrubs that perhaps might slough off a lot more, they can actually be really irritating for the skin, so it’s best to use a gentle one more frequently than a harsh one less often. I highly recommend this one as a great option!

Caudalie Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil, £18. This is such an amazingly fuss-free product – all you do is massage three pumps of the oil over your face (including eyes), emulsify it into a milk with a little water on your hands, and then when all your makeup is melted, rinse off with more water. It takes seconds! The only makeup remover that has ever come close to being as good is Trilogy’s Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm, but you have to use a flannel with that one so it’s not as practical (that being said though, you don’t need to double cleanse with the Trilogy product and you do with this, so I guess they’re about equal really). I must have gone through four bottles so far, and I have a travel size…

Skincare

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Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion, £13.50. I’ve been using this pretty much exclusively as my moisturiser since it launched two years ago, and I love it as much then as I do today! This moisturiser has only 7 ingredients and is completely free of preservatives and fragrance. Now, I love fragranced products but my skin can be picky, and ever since I introduced this into my routine I noticed that my skin has been much calmer, less sensitive and better hydrated than ever before. Which is a delightful finding. I would recommend this, not only to people with sensitive skin, but anyone who wants a light moisturiser that will protect and lock in hydration. I wrote a more in-depth review of what makes this moisturiser so special here.

Caudalie VineActiv Serum, £36. Oh GOD I love this serum. I’ve been using it since January and am on my second bottle. The idea of this serum is that it contains a really powerful complex of antioxidants that will help your skin to combat the free radicals that we encounter every day, which can cause dullness and premature ageing. And it really, ACTUALLY works. My skin had an inner glow after I started using this, and I was super stressed and working in London so that’s pretty impressive! I can’t attest to it’s anti-ageing powers because I deliberately started using it before my skin started to age, but I have no plans to stop using it so if my skin starts getting saggy and wrinkly, I’ll let you know. But judging by the way it made my skin so glowy, I doubt that will happen!

Hurraw Coconut Lipbalm, £4.99. This natural coconut scented lipbalm is the best I’ve ever tried. It melts onto the lips so doesn’t have that horrid thick feeling of many wax or mineral oil based lip products. With coconut, almond, cocoa, jojoba, olive and castor oils, it is super nourishing and leaves even very chapped lips feeling soothed and comfortable.

Lush Rosy Cheeks Face Mask, £7.25. This has been my favourite face mask for years! It does everything – deep cleanses with clay, soothes and nourishes with rose and reduces redness (from spots or sensitivity) with calamine. The scent is absolutely beautiful – pure rose to calm the senses, and the price is very reasonable.

Makeup

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NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation and Radiant Creamy Concealer, £34 and £23. These have been my absolute holy grail for a flawless, full coverage makeup look for about three years, I am obsessed with them both and have repurchased each three times. However…as I was writing this post the announcement came that NARS have started to sell in China. Now, my opinions on brands that sell in China aren’t black and white for several reasons, but a brand intentionally taking its business to China when they KNOW (because brands didn’t always know) what is going on, makes it clear that they are only out for money, and I don’t agree with that, so I won’t be buying these again when they run out.

Benefit Bathina ‘Take a Picture, it Lasts Longer’ Body Balm, £23.50. Ok I know, this is a really weird thing to have bought more than one of, but when you’re pale and have no intention of being anything else, it’s a great way to give your skin a summery sheen without using bronzer. I use it on my legs and arms when I’m going out in the summer, and it leaves my skin just looking a little more…alive. Ha. Plus is smells SUPER gorgeous. Here is a full review!

DHC Oil Blotting Papers, £4.50. I use these constantly; for preparing my eyes before I apply eye makeup, for just blotting on super hot and oily skin days, and for prepping my skin to receive more product if I’m going out in the evening and want to layer over my workday makeup. They come in a lovely little cardboard holder, and don’t disturb any makeup, including eyeshadow!

Serge Lutens Fleurs D’Oranger Eau de Parfum, £75. This is the most expensive cosmetic item I own and it’s SO worth it that I’ve bought it twice. This perfume is my perfect scent, I don’t have much more to say about it other than if you like your fragrances light, floral but not ‘pink’ (if that makes sense) then pop down to your nearest House of Fraser (or Liberty) and have a smell, because this is the most beautiful fragrance I have ever worn. Also, I get compliments constantly, so…

Bodycare

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Lush Elbow Grease, £5.95. This was SUCH a revelation when I first bought it. Originally it was one of the exclusives on offer in Lush’s Oxford Street store but it became so popular that they made it available anywhere. Not only is its greaseproof paper packaging one the most sustainable ways of storing a body oil/lotion, it is honestly one of the most beautiful products I own, and I think I’ve gone through three or four now. The scent is a rich, tropical, floral concoction and the product melts into a nourishing oil as soon as you massage it in. You can use it on your hair too! Read more here.

Korres Bergamot Pear Shower Gel, £8. I’ve bought this so many times that I have memorised at least 5 different stores near me that stock it. This is been my favourite shower gel for about three years now and nothing so far has beaten it! It leaves my skin soft and refreshed but it’s the SMELL, guys. Oh my GOD. It’s sweet and fruity from the pear but has a fresh citrus notes from the bergamot. It’s just the freaking BEST.

Avene XeraCalm Cream, £16.50. My partner and I are both prone to the occasional bout of eczema or contact dermatitis. This cream from Avene actually works on the itch receptors in your nerves to stop you from itching, whilst also protecting the skin and adding oil back into it – basically everthing you need to heal a plaque of eczema. I also use it as a hand cream in the winter time to prevent eczema from forming. It really works, and I would recommend it to anyone with super sensitive dry skin too.

Lush Silky Underwear Dusting Powder, £5.95. While I will be the first to admit that I own a lot of ‘princess products’, I do like to think that at least some of them are valid as products with practical applications, as well as being a little bit indulgent and pretty. This is definitely one of them. A jasmine scented ‘dusting powder’ certainly fits the description of a product you really don’t need but makes you feel all nice when you use it. And it really does! But over the years (yes years, I bought my first back in like..2013?) I’ve found it to be indispensable for preventing thigh chafe, for applying to the underarms at night to prevent them smelling in the morning, for freshening up your sheets when you’ve just had a bath but it’s not time to change them, for applying to your feet on hot days… it might be a silly sounding product, but it fits perfectly into my life and I will never be without it.

Pit Rok Salt Spray Deodorant, £4.05. I’ve been using this for about four years now and oh my GOD if you’re still using anti-perspirant just stop already. Ok, it’s not the same for everyone, I know that, and actually my boyfriend still uses anti-perspirant because his job is very active, but if you work in an office, you should really try using a salt deo instead, it’s just so much better for you, and Pit Rok’s works soooo well! I hardly ever have noticeable body odour, and even then it’s not like that smell where you walk past someone and recoil, it’s only if I actually smell my underarms. But even for that, there is a solution…

Weleda Sage Deodorant Spray, £9.50. I keep this at work (hence why it’s not in the photos) for those days when the tube journey in was hotter than hell, or when I’ve been to six meetings in a row and arrive back a sweaty, flustered mess. Just to make sure I don’t accost my colleague’s nostrils with any possible smell! It’s absolutely perfect for this, as it completely eliminates odour. I work in an office where you can reapply your deo while sitting at your desk, but if you’re in a more formal environment, Weleda actually make a mini size that you can bring to the loo with you. If you’re still not convinced, I have also written a post about how to go anti-perspirant free 🙂

Haircare

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I think of myself as someone who never experiments with haircare, but actually I was looking back through my blog the other day and saw the products I was using when I first started blogging, and not only do I not use any of them anymore, I can’t even remember why I thought they were good! The products I’m sharing here though? A M A Z I N G.

Lush RnB Hair Moisturiser, £11.95 per 100g. I have literally repurchased this 8 times, 6 of those times in it’s largest, 400g tub size. I am utterly addicted to it, it sinks into my hair faster than any other hair cream I’ve used before, it creates beautiful, soft, smooth and defined curls, and it smells divine. Read the full review and then go buy some if you have curly/dry/textured/thick or long hair!!!!

Shea Moisture Raw Shea & Cupuacu Conditioner, £10.99. I always used to think I HAD to use expensive hair masks instead of conditioner, because my hair is so thick, curly and porous. I mean, when I was still using measly European hair products I did, but since discovering Shea Moisture a few years ago (before they hit Boots I’ll have you know), I realised that was no longer the case. This conditioner detangles, smoothes and nourishes my hair better than anything from any other brand I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried at least 50 different conditioners in my life, aimed at pretty much every hair type there is, and this is my favourite.

Hei Poa Monoi Oil with 1000 Fleurs, approx £11. I first discovered this while browsing a Monoprix in Paris, and I’m SO annoyed that it hooked me the way it did – because you can’t get it over here! However, you can buy it from Cocoon Centre, which is an international website that uses distributors to ship worldwide. This oil is normal Tahitian Monoi oil, which is known for it’s beautiful fragrance and ultra-nourishing properties, but it’s infused with a concoction of other flowers too, giving it the ‘1000 fleurs’ name. This scent is almost indescribably beautiful; think of the most tropical thing you’ve ever smelled, then times it by 10 and imagine smelling it in 30 degree heat, surrounded by palm trees, watching the sun set over a calm sea. I apply it to my hair after conditioner and then wrap it up in cling film for an hour, for the softest hair ever. It solidifies at room temperature, which means that it doesn’t wash out as easily as a normal hair oil, which makes it perfect for this. I’m about to start my third bottle.

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I hope you enjoyed this! As a bonus I thought I’d share some more products that I definitely plan to repurchase but don’t need to just now, because I haven’t run out yet, or am getting rid of a few things in my stash first: Perricone MD No Lipgloss Lipgloss, Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm, Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist, Jurlique Rosewater Mist, Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Oil, Aveda Dry Remedy Shampoo, Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum.

Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser

Aesop is fast becoming one of my favourite brands, so when my boyfriend presented me with their Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser (pssst, if it’s out of stock on that link, click here instead!) on my birthday, I was so excited to try it! This is a cleanser unlike anything I’ve used before, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

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The idea behind Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser is that it helps to keep your skin immaculately clean in polluted environments. Something I recently learned is that microscopic pollution particles stick to your skin like you wouldn’t believe – even after cleansing. Unless you have a layer on your skin protecting you during the day (obviously many of us wear foundation, but this is a flaky layer which doesn’t actually stick to the skin consistently) then you will end up with this sticky pollution layer which is slowly absorbed by your skin, and is almost impossible to get off with conventional cleansing. Because of the way Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser works, it is uniquely able to combat this problem….

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What looks like a pretty normal gel cleanser is actually an acid exfoliator as well. With lactic acid in the formula, it very gently eats away at the upper parts of the stratum corneum (layers of dead skin) – not just to leave your face smooth, soft and radiant, but also to completely remove that pollution! To use this cleanser, you gently dampen your face, then gently apply it all over, without massaging. Then, leave it on for a couple of minutes. After that, you wet your hands and massage it into a lather, then rinse it off. My favourite way to use it is just before a shower, because I can wipe the excess gel onto my neck and chest without worrying that I’ll create a huge mess when I wash it off.

I was really expecting my skin to be at least a little bit red, flaky or irritated after using this, but it’s been completely calm. This is an incredibly gentle cleanser, and the exfoliating effect is just absolutely perfect! My skin is left feather-soft just after leaving it on for a couple of minutes. It’s been radiant and bright, and much softer than it usually would in winter.

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Along with the lactic acid, this cleanser contains a mixture of antioxidants – parsley seed extract, liquorice root and blackcurrant seed oil to help the skin to process the free-radicals it has already absorbed. There’s also soothing, anti-bacterial lavender, and two types of chamomile to calm the skin. The cleansing base is SLES, the more skin-friendly version of SLS, along with olive oil cleansing compounds. This means that it effectively washes away dirt, without upsetting the balance of the skin. The bottle has an open mouth, which I expected to make it difficult to dispense the right amount, but the gel is very thick so you have good control over it. The scent it a light herbal/floral concoction that is absolutely wonderful – soothing and refreshing all at once.

Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser is absolutely perfect for people in their 20s and 30s, looking to prevent ageing but also to give the skin what it needs right now – oil balancing, soothing, radiance and redness prevention. Yes, it’s a bit expensive for a cleanser, but you only need to use it in the evening, and you can use it 3-4 times a week to make it go even further. I’m confident that it will make a huge difference to my skin in the long run, as it’s made such an amazing difference already. Get the 100ml bottle on Look Fantastic, or if you really want to go for it, here’s a link to the 200ml bottle.

Five of my favourite face masks

I’ll be straight with you. These are not my 5 all time favourite masks. But I am obsessed with face masks, and I want to talk more about them! Think of this as part one of an introduction to my mask collection. These masks are all very different, and funnily enough I realised I’ve managed to pick five from different countries and different skin concerns! Let’s get stuck in!

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Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask – A New Zealand skincare brand, Antipodes have some of the nicest smelling products in the world, the Manuka honey reviews are really good – their hand creams are divine, and I’ve been dreaming of their Juliet Brightening Cleanser for years (soon, my love…). I was very cautious about trying this mask because a lot of people with sensitive skin do react to honey in cosmetics. But I’ve found it to be unbeatable on problem areas! I don’t usually put it all over my face, but when I get hormone-chin it is The Best. It hydrates, soothe redness and inflammation, and purifies with the honey’s antibacterial properties. I will also often dot it on spots when I get in from work and leave it there until I go to bed.

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Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask – Origins are well known as The Mask Brand, and rightly so, their masks are out of this world. But I especially love this active charcoal mask both for myself when my skin is super congested, and for my boyfriend, who has oily skin and open pores. Because I trial a lot of skincare products, some of them don’t work for me and I do occasionally have a skin meltdown where a cleanser hasn’t been working well enough, or a face oil has been way too thick for me. This is my go-to rescue mask for when that happens – over the course of a couple of week’s use it clears my pores and prevents them from turning into spots. Love it.

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Tony Moly Aloe Sheet Mask – This is probably the simplest sheet mask of all time from one of the most famous South Korean skincare brands. With aloe vera to soothe and bamboo water to hydrate, this is a seriously cheap and cheerful mask that anyone can try. It leaves your skin plump, soft and calm. I’ve tried more complicated sheet masks, and they are great, but for me I like to be careful about what I leave on my skin (remember with these other masks they get washed off) so this has become my go-to for when my skin needs a moisture boost.

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Lush Rosy Cheeks Mask – Ok so I may have about 20 favourite masks but if I could only choose one as my all time favourite, it would be this. A pink clay mask with a beautiful rose scent, this mask has everything. Kaolin to draw out impurities and deeply cleanse, glycerin to hydrate, calamine powder to calm redness or irritation and rose extracts to soothe and balance. Honestly, it does everything, and it leaves your skin feeling absolutely wonderful. This is one of my top five all time skincare products. It is absolutely incredible.

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Caudalie Moisturising Mask – Everyone needs a moisturising mask in their collection, and this is one of the best. With hyaluronic acid to hydrate, grape water to soothe (also hydrate) and reduce sensitivity, and Vinolevure®, a hydrophilic active ingredient that draws water into the skin as it’s absorbed, this is a powerhouse of a moisturising mask. It also contains grape-seed oil, a nourishing but light oil packed full of anti-oxidants that will both nourish and protect your skin. This mask can be used on the eye area, which most masks can’t, so if you’re into multi-masking you can always put this around your eyes to give them a treat too.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this mini world tour of my mask collection! If you have any questions about any of these, let me know in the comments.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask Review: Does it live up to the hype?

A while ago, my skin was in a bad, bad way. One or two new spots would crop up every day, with older ones taking forever to heal and fade away. My skin was so dull, but even with all these spots, it wasn’t oily enough for me to use traditional spot-fighting skincare. I was at a total loss. After reading multiple glowing reviews of Eve Lom’s celebrated products, I decided to invest in a tub of Rescue Mask.

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At £55 this was a pretty bold move for me I must admit, but my skin was the worst it had ever been. I wanted to invest in something that had to work. So I started using it twice a week, applying a thin-to-medium layer over my entire face. The mask has a smell that you might not be familiar with – it contains camphor, a herbal ingredient known for its blemish-healing qualities. I don’t see it in many products and I get the impression it can be an irritant if used incorrectly, so it shows the quality of this mask that I’m able to use it on my sensitive skin. Along with camphor, the mask contains kaolin clay to absorb impurities, and honey to purify and soothe.

Once you apply the mask, leave it to dry, and then when it’s dry, you slowly rub your fingers all over your face, creating exfoliating beads that slough off dead skin and pore build up (do this over the sink!!!). It’s a really gentle process, but you won’t believe how effective it is until you touch your face afterwards. It leaves your skin so silky smooth and radiant – I’ve never used a mask that has such an immediate effect.

One thing to note it that this mask contains straight up alcohol – so if you have very red, irritated skin it may sting. However I believe that the alcohol is there to make the formula dry out when it’s applied (the alcohol is liquid in the pot, thus allowing it to keep the mask spreadable, but evaporates once it’s spread onto the skin). One of the things that makes this mask so incredible is that it exfoliates your skin SO well, but it can’t do that unless the mask is dry. Anyway, my point is, don’t let that put you off. As long as you apply a serum and moisturiser after the mask, you’ll be fine.

So how did Eve Lom’s Rescue Mask work on my out-of-control skin? Well…it’s one of three products I credit with saving it. After a couple of weeks I started to see a dramatic improvement in my overall skin condition, and I know that it helped my skin to become healthier, as well as fading scars and reducing the redness of current blemishes. Nowadays I save it for hormonal/stress related skin crises. It really does rescue your skin, so if you’re in a similar situation to me, give it a go if you possibly can. Get it here.

If you want to read more about my skin transformation, click here

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Blemish Targeting Skincare

It’s a sad but irrefutable fact that every single adult human is going to get a spot at some point in their lives. While it might not be as frustrating and horrible full-blown adult acne, breaking out is still bloody annoying. I’m certainly no stranger to the odd facial eruption (and true to cliched form, stress and important events break me out every time). I’ve come up with a really effective emergency treatment routine though, so thought I’d share.

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First up is Caudalie’s Purifying Mask. Unlike most clay masks, this one doesn’t dry, and therefore doesn’t suck the moisture out of easily dehydrated adult skin. Instead, ingredients like sage, zinc and clay work to draw out impurities and purify the skin, while grape seed oil stops it from getting dry. While drying out a spot might seem like a great idea on paper, it can lead to further irritations and imbalances, so you should avoid it. The great thing about this mask is that you can use it as a targeted treatment on your blemishes (and because it isn’t drying you can even leave it overnight!) as well as using as a ten-minute mask all over your face. I like to use it as a preventative when I can feel that my face is starting to get out of balance, as well as use it as an overnight treatment on anything that does pop up unexpectedly.

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Another great ‘on the spot’ treatment is Antipodes Manuka Honey Mask. This is also non-drying and is supposed to hydrate the skin, while the manuka provides an anti-bacterial, healing effect. I love this mask because it smells and feels wonderful, and I can really see that the redness and inflammation of an angry spot is visibly reduced after I’ve used it. However, I can’t use it all over my face as it stings my more sensitive areas. What I like to do is leave gaps around spots when I do a regular mask, and apply this to the spots afterwards (see above photo). It really is amazing for inflammation, which is why I still recommend it despite not being able to use it properly. If you don’t have sensitive skin, I’m sure it would make a fantastic all-over mask too.

The next recommendation is product I wasn’t quite sure how to use when I bought it but am now a firm fan of – Elizabeth Arden’s Fragrance Free 8 Hour Cream. My boyfriend and I have both found this to be an amazing product for healing popped spots over the course of a couple of nights. It really is amazing. I also use it as a lip treatment whenever I do a face mask – I apply a thick layer and it leaves my lips healthy and soft. If you want to get the fragranced version instead of the fragrance free – here’s a link to that too.

Oh and before I go I have to recommend another amazing product that I actually wrote a whole blog post on a while back – Weleda Aknedoron Purifying Lotion – although it smells of sulphur, it’s another great option in the hunt for effective blemish elimination!

What are your favourite blemish hacks?

 

Pixi Glow Tonic Review

Let’s get this out of the way first: my skin is sensitive. Like, really sensitive. Most moisturisers, toners, SPFs and anything with salicylic acid in it are totally off limits for me. So when I first started hearing of the hype around Pixi’s world famous exfoliating toner, Glow Tonic with 5% glycolic acid, my first thoughts were ‘definitely not for me’. That was until a friend (who has far more severe skin problems than me) and I wandered into Pixi’s Covent Garden shop, and she told me that her dermatologist has got her on a glycolic acid serum to treat her sensitivity. 

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It makes sense if you think about it – by gently exfoliating your skin with an acid toner you make the skin healthier – less dead skin to block it up, more chance for it to successfully regulate itself. As we spoke, I started to think it might be worth a go. After all, I have a boyfriend who loves to receive my skincare cast offs when a product doesn’t work out, so it wouldn’t be wasted! I picked up a bottle of Glow Tonic, and tried it out that night.

Ok…I didn’t try it out that night. It took me about three days to pluck up the courage to sweep a cotton pad sprinkled with the tonic over my skin! I was so convinced that I’d have the same experience as I do with salicylic acid. Yet when I woke up the morning after, my skin was totally fine and calm. And it was fine the next time I used it too. So I carried on – slowly at first, only twice a week. Over the course of a couple of months I built it up to about five or six times a week, which is how often I use it now.

I have to say that Pixi Glow Tonic lives up to every hype ever created around it. My skin is radiant, soft, smooth, clear, scars and redness are reduced, plus I swear my skin is less sensitive now! I went through a bit of a purging period to begin with where some blocked pores came to the surface, but now practically every pore on my face is empty and invisible. Honestly I cannot believe what a transformation my skin went through! I’ve been working hard on my complexion for a long time, but this is without question the thing I was missing. Just look at my face now!

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This is how my skin looks 90% of the time now. I used to always have at least one spot hanging around, or a blotch of redness or a dry patch. Now my skin’s default position is this, which is amazing! For someone with such sensitive skin, it’s an absolute revelation to be able to use a product like this. I suspect there must be witchcraft in the formula – that or Petra Strand is a skincare genius.

I recommend that literally everyone gives Pixi Glow Tonic a try – pick it up for £18 – link

The products that transformed my skin

I’m so excited to share this post about my skincare journey. It was a long time coming, but I wanted to wait until my skin wasn’t just going through a temporary good patch. It took a lot of product, a lot of experimenting and a lot of perseverance, but I finally have GOOD SKIN. Read on to see how I got there!

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Since I hit puberty I’ve pretty much always had spots, but I never acne. Genetically, my skin is great, it was just these constant painful spots that I couldn’t shift. This carried on until my early twenties, when I started working in the skincare industry, and learned that my skin is actually sensitive. It took me two years to get my skin looking like this and I used a lot of products along the way! I want to share with you all the products that really helped make a visible difference to my complexion. Obviously I didn’t use them at the same time – this is a long journey we’re talking about!

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After I realised that my skin was sensitive, I thought the most important place to start would be my moisturiser, considering that it was the only thing I was leaving on my skin at that point. I switched to pure rosehip oil and everything was looking up. My favourite was Fushi Organic Rosehip Oil, which is great quality, super cheap, and lasts foreverHowever, after a while my skin started to get congested. I had blackheads and blocked pores which began to turn into spots. So I switched to the only moisturiser I could think of – preservative free, super calming Avene Skin Recovery Cream
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Again, this was great for a long time (over a year!) and my skin was clear, calm and comfortable. I added in REN’s Omega Skin Oil for added hydration and a bit of nourishment, which really helped me to smooth my skin out. But then my skin started to look dull and a bit rough. I thought it might be the mineral oil in the Skin Recovery Cream – while mineral oil is great for protecting irritated skin, it’s too heavy to be a long term option. So when Avene launched their 99% natural, super light, preservative free Tolerance Extreme Emulsion I switched straight away. My skin went from ‘ok’ to RADIANT. Seriously, I’ll do a blog post on this one soon, as it’s probably one of the best products I’ve ever used on my face.

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As for cleansers – I hated cleansers. I find them SO easy to get wrong as most either don’t clean properly, or totally strip my skin, and I don’t realise until my skin is either spotty or dried out. There are only two cleansers I’ve ever loved, and those are Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser (update – this has been discontinued, sorry!) for spring/summer and REN Gentle Cleansing Milk for autumn/winter. I had tried so many others, but these worked for me so incredibly well. A lot of people favour no-rinse products when they have sensitive skin, but personally tap water has never been an issue for me. If you’re struggling with your skin though, make sure you keep this in mind. I’m picky about make-up removers too – when I was first using the Avene Skin Recovery Cream I really needed to clear my skin out somehow (after using rosehip oil for ages!) so I used their Cleanance Micellar Water. This was great – it’s a very effective make-up remover and it really cleared my skin out. But it wasn’t something I could use in the winter, or for an extended period of time. I didn’t find another make-up remover I liked until I tried Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Balm, which changed everything. It’s so gentle and soothing, but more importantly, so effective.

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Next up; toners and exfoliators! The Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub might not be for everyone – I know loads of people with sensitive skin who shudder at the thought of using a physical exfoliator, but I love it. Its gel consistency soothes the skin, while the small, gentle particles lift dead skin off without being too abrasive. It smells divine, and a tube will last you 6 months at least. I’ve tried millions of scrubs and this is the only one that leaves my skin soft but not traumatised. Around the same time as I started using the scrub, I added soothing Avene Water into my routine. After I finished cleansing I would spray this on and pat dry to remove the mineral compounds in London tap water. When my skin was raw and recovering, this was an essential. I still use it after I do intense face masks, but I’m happy to report that my skin is strong enough now to be able to skip this step for everyday! And finally…everyone’s favourite Pixi Glow Tonic. I have a friend with astonishingly sensitive skin, who’s dermatologist got her on a different glycolic acid product a few months ago. So when we wandered into the Pixi shop in Covent Garden, she convinced me to try it. I took it very slowly, once every three days at first, until now, I’m using it almost once a day. After the normal adjustment period, my skin looked incredible. And I even feel that it’s become less sensitive?! I really recommend giving this stuff a try, literally whatever your skin type.

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Last but certainly not least, face masks! I use a lot of face masks, but these are the ones that really helped me achieve blemish-free skin. The first one I bought, two years ago, was the Eve Lom Rescue Mask – thinking that the expense would make it a good choice. I have to say, it really did help when my skin was very spotty and I even repurchased it because I loved it so much – but I had to stop using it after everything calmed down. Now my boyfriend uses it instead. It’s a great option for blemishes, but it’s not the gentlest product in the world. Instead, a few months ago I opted for Origins Original Skin Mask, which is a gentler, cheaper version. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for deep cleansing and radiance. However, the mask that really, really made all the difference was Lush’s Rosy Cheeks fresh mask. With calamine and rose to calm and soothe redness, as well as kaolin clay to draw out impurities, this is everything that sensitive, red and spotty skin needs. I’ve been using it for over a year and I love it so much!

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I know that not everyone has skin that responds to conventional cosmetics, and have a much harder time with blemishes and sensitivity than I do. It’s also true that diet and lifestyle play a huge part in the condition of your skin – at the moment I’m happy and healthy, but I haven’t always been. My skin won’t always look like this, it’s completely unrealistic to expect to have perfect skin forever, and you should never feel bad if your skin isn’t completely flawless. That being said, I hope reading about my approach, and the things I did to improve my skin might inspire you to try a different method, or at least give you a few ideas about what to do next!

Here are links to all the products I mentioned:

Fuschi Organic Rosehip Oil – £14.50

Avene Skin Recovery Cream – £16.50

Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion – £13.50

REN Omega 3 Skin Oil – £25

Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser – £28 (discontinued, sorry all!)

REN Gentle Cleansing Milk – £16

Cleanance Micellar Water – £17

Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm – £20.50

Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub – £22

Avene Water Spray – £7

Pixi Glow Tonic – £18

Eve Lom Rescue Mask – £55

Origins Original Skin Mask – £23

Lush Rosy Cheeks Mask – £6.95

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