The importance of having a skin care regime

Hello! 

So I thought I would share my skin care regime with you. I am eager to know what your regime consists of. What do you use? What do you recommend? 

What I do in the morning:

Once I have dragged myself out of bed and reached the bathroom I start by splashing my face with

warm water. It is important that the water is warm because it will allow your pores to open. I then use a gentle face wash working it into my face in little small circles. I use the Tea Tree Facial Wash from The Body Shop (£5). You only need a small amount and it nicely lathers leaving your skin feeling really fresh. It claims to "remove excess oil without over-drying your skin" and is "clinically proven to give clearer-looking skin". One thing that I have noticed about this face wash is that it is excellent if you are prone to sore and sensitive skin - it never stings! Using warm water again, I rinse my face ensuring to remove all of the face wash. I then finish by splashing my face with cold water which closes your pores. This is sure to wake you up! I then gently pat my face dry using a small face towel. Be sure not to rub your face with your towel as this will make it sore. 

(bodyshop.co.uk)

Next I cleanse and tone. I use the Simply Sensitive Cleansing Lotion from Boots (£2.79). I

apply this using a cotton wool pad. Some people may argue the need to cleanse after you have just washed your face but I think that if you cleanse then you are 100% sure that your skin contains no impurities. Following this I then tone using the Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Cleansing and Toning Lotion from Boots (£3.59). Again I wipe this all over my face using a cotton wool pad. I really like this toner as it leaves your skin feeling fresh and ready for the day. Top tip: if you use face wipes, throw them out right now. Yes now! Cleansers are the way forward for perfect skin. Wipes do not do enough. 

I then wait a few minutes just to allow the cleanser and toner to be absorbed into my skin. Once my skin feels dry my next step is to apply a moisturiser. I use the Simply Sensitive Hydrating Moisturiser from Boots (£2.79). Make sure you do not use too much and be sure to fully work it into your skin. 

From here you are then free to apply your make-up for the day. 

The above may seem like a lot of things to do to your face when you are trying to get ready in the morning but once you get into a routine, this only takes a few minutes I promise!  

And in the evening:

So it comes to the end of the day and you are feeling really tired and the last thing you want to do is get up and go to the bathroom to clean your face. BIG MISTAKE! Not washing your face or taking your make-up off at the end of the day is a disaster waiting to happen. During the day, changes in temperature mean that your pores will open and close continuously. Central heating is the worse. Although it is a beautiful thing of keeping you warm, it plays havoc at your skin. It opens the pores and allows dirt and bacteria to enter them. You then go outside in the bitterly cold weather and the pores will slam tightly shut trapping all that dirt in your pores. If you do not unclog these pores before you sleep then overnight the bacteria will multiply increasing the chance of developing spots. Therefore, it is important that you follow an evening skin care regime. 

I follow exactly the same steps as I do in the morning: wash, cleanse, tone and moisturise. You think that washing your face would remove all the dirt but no. As I wipe my face over with the cleanser, I catch a glimpse of the cotton wool pad and it frightens me. It has become greyish in colour - it has removed the hidden dirt on my face that I did not know even existed. I continue to wipe my face with the cleanser until the cotton wool stops turning a funny grey colour. I then tone and mositurise. I also ensure that all my eye make-up has been removed by using the Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel (£1.50). Then it is time to sleep! Yay!

One evening a week I use a facial scrub. This is great at removing any dead skin and encouraging the growth of new skin. However, I only do this once a week as otherwise I find it can make my face feel very sore. I have been using the Daily Essentials Gentle Exfoliating Wash by Johnson's (£3.29 from SuperDrug). This contains "rounded micro beads" that gently exfoliate your skin to the point where you have to resist the urge to stroke your skin and comment that it is a soft as a baby's bottom.

(superdrug.com)

When I was out shopping the other day I came across the Clearasil Ultra Blemish + Marks Scrub (£3.86 from Boots). I was drawn to this as I am finding it really hard to reduce the the little blemishes that I have left on my skin. The product claims to contain a "unique ingredient complex" that "fights the appearance of marks and enhances the skin renewal process" so I thought I would give it a try. Yesterday I used it for the first time and it is quite harsh so I would recommend again only using this once a week and with care if you have sensitive skin. I will keep you updated to whether this is any good at reducing my blemishes.

(boots.com)

So I hope that has given you an insight into the importance of having a skin care regime and what I use. Growing up I suffered from bad skin and I really think that by having a thorough skin care regime it really worked wonders. You wont see the effect over night as these things take time. But I really do think that this worked for me. 

Remember though that there are thousands of skin care products on the market that vary in quality and price and the most expensive ones are not necessarily the best. I would highly recommend the ones I have talked about however, it is important to try and find the best products to suit your skin type. :) 

Boots currently have 3 for 2 on selective tea tree and witch hazel skin care and save a third of the Clearasil scrub. I have included the prices I bought the products at but they may vary. 

Let me know your recommendations. 

L