Skincare Diaries Entry 2: Cool it

Dear Reader,

Today I wanted to talk about my current skin situation, as unpleasant as it may be spots and general blemishes is something we all suffer from at some point in our lives, and I am in a consent battle with my skin to keep it happy and in result keep myself happy.

I have blemish prone skin and suffer mild acne, I do my best to manage it by following a daily skincare routine (if you're interested in what I do and what products I currently use you can read my blogpost about it here: http://moobeautys.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/skincare-diaries.html)


When a new spot appears or I can feel it coming it can be sore and sensitive, in the past I have used the old toothpaste tip and applied it over night which does help to stop the spot developing by drying it out, but it is too drying but me, yes it helps but does replace one problem with another as I am left with dry patches. This is where my new method comes into play, ICE! Totally inexpensive and soothing method for reducing the appearance
of spots.

Here's how I have been using ice on my skin

Step 1: Take some ice cubes (1 per spot)

Step 2: Wrap in a paper towel (Never apply directly on the skin-risk of ice burn)

Step 3: Place on affected area until ice melts and area goes numb (I have heard different things about how long to leave it own for, I personally just like to leave it on until it melts or until the affected area feels numb.

Step 4: Wash face and pat dry

Ice helps to reduce the inflammation of the spot and helps to soothe it. It is also good for helping the skin appear more plump and fresh.

This is by no means a cure, it simply aids in the healing process. 

Thanks for reading

Anndrea

Skincare Diaries

Dear Readers,

Today I have decided to start a skincare diary to record how I care for my skin on a daily basis, I will talk about my routine and what products like I use, some new products and some old favorites that I feel are a good staple to have.

I have acne/blemish prone skin, everyday feels like a battle with a skin as I try better to understand what it likes and dislikes. My skin has been breaking out a fair bit recently, I get spots, blackheads, whiteheads and pimples, these aren't pleasant and they do really affect my confidence sometimes.I don't like to wear makeup often as it isn't great for my skin so covering up with excessive amounts of concealer on a daily basis isn't something I want to do.

I have tried many products and methods for calming the affects of acne and some are more effective than others but there is no miracle cure and expensive products aren't always the most effective. I am a poor student on a budget and try to make a saving when I can.

Now, blemishes are caused by a build up of bacteria on the skin, the bacteria will hide in your pores and often get trapped resulting in nasty blackheads. I have learnt that anything that is anti-bacterial is your friend, and at the moment tea tree oil and lemon juice are my best friends. Tea tree oil is great for fighting bacteria and can be purchased in a variety of different ways, pure tea tree oil is great to use but it has to be diluted, I keep a mixture of water and tea tree oil in a dispensing pump bottle and use it as a cleanser every morning/night to wash my face. As for lemon juice, I like to slice a fresh lemon and with my water bottle infuser place two slices inside and fill with water, refiling throughout the day, lemon is another good anti-bacterial, the acidic acid helps break down bacteria and is great for the skins complexion.


Going back to the title of this post 'Skincare Diaries' I am going to journal my skincare routine, talk about what I do, what products I use, new breakouts and how my skin is generally feeling

Today I am using four products to wash, cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise my skin

1. Garnier Pure Active Micellar Cleansing Water 
2. Boots Botanics Purifying Face Scrub All Bright
3. Simple Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash
4. Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser

I feel like micellar water has been everywhere this year and has really grown in popularity encouraging many brands to start using it. This special water is targeted at removing makeup whilst cleansing and purifying the skin. For me it is a product I will use for just about everything, I fin it great for taking my makeup off, but I especially like to use it as a morning/night cleanser after washing my face I apply it using a cotton pad and tab around my face, I like it as you don't have to rinse it off so I feel like leaving it on my face I am constantly benefiting from it.

Once I've cleansed, I then exfoliate with the Boots Botanics Purifying Face Scrub All Bright, this smells and feels really nice on my face, it uses crushed apricot seeds to scrub away impurities, I make sure to massage into my skin, taking care around delicate areas and concentrating on areas I feel need more attention, which at the moment is my chin as that is where most of my breakouts occur.

I feel then wash this off using warm water, once all the product is gone off my face I will then wash my face with the Simple Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash, this is a new product I have introduce to my routine, after being a fan of the Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser for so long I decided to try it in combination with the face wash to see if this would enhance the benefits. I am a massive fan of Simple products, they are a brand I have used for many years, as my skin changes from being dry, oily and sensitive some products have chemicals that can be irritable, I have always from Simple great if I know my skin needs cleaning and moisurising but I just don't know how other products my affect it, the Simple range has been a staple in my skincare collection.

I liked using the face wash, it was easy to use, it felt a little like a gentle scrub as it felt like it had little beeds in it, which were great for targeting my pores, but having already used the face scrub I feel in future I would not use both at the same time. 

The moisturiser is great for my skin, I love! it doesn't irritate my skin and it is very absorbent, I like to use it on days I go to the gym. I don't notice results from day one but I interested to try use the face wash with the moisturiser over time to see results.

Once my skincare routine is done I will try find the energy to leave my cosy bed and face the day. If I am going to the gym I will make sure to wash my face afterwards, usually with a splash of water and micellar cleansing water and then reapply my moisturiser.

Thank you for reading, 

Anndrea