The skincare routine

Now this has been in development for such a long time since my skin seems to have ADHD and decides to change needs faster than I can do anything about it. I used to always have trouble figuring out what products I really need to use and when to use them. Believe it or not it took for me to do my nvq in beauty therapy to learn what the point of it all was. As they say knowledge is power so my explanation of what each product is for should help those who are as lost and confused as I was.

Step 1 - Eye makeup remover

Does what it says on the tin, removes eyemakeup my fave at the mo is the L'Oréal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Water. It's the cheaper version of the Bioderma Sensibio micellar water which is really talked up but is just more money than I can part with for an eye makeup remover. I really like the micellar waters for removing makeup since they are so gentle compared to lotions which have previously made my eyes swell up really unattractively. Literally just put onto a cotton pad hold over ghe eyes vor a few seconds and wipe away the makeup. Only waterproof makeup can stop this bad boy but its worth it. 

Step Two - Cleanser

It removes the residual makeup and helps get rid of the grime that can build up during the day. This routine is meant to be done twice a day but doing it nightly is the most important to get rid of all that grime. If you choose well it can also be an enjoyable step as I tend to massage my cream in with my hands and try to enjoy the process too. For this I use Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm it works well and gets stubborn eye makeup off if the micellar water has missed anything. I usually do this twice once to get surface dirt off and then again to do a really deep clean. 

Step Three - Toner

I never understood toner but once I got to grips with it I have come to love it, and become a teeny bit obsessed with it. Toner is intended to finish off the cleansing process by closing the pores, they can range from being very gentle to very severe and are known as astringents. My skin is oily to combination so a toner that closes pores firmly and hopefully has some mattifying properties is just up my street. Hence my current choice is Avene Cleanance Toner, it is intended to mattify and is for oily skin which can tend towards the sensitive. I think this must be what makes it so good since you don't feel like your skin has been stripped too much, something which I have experienced with other toners pre my understanding and then love of them.

Step Four - Moisturiser

Does what it says on the tin but depending on your skin type you can get different ones to target any different issues which you may have with your skin. Dehydration is my big problem so I use Avene Hydrance Oprimale legere. Its a light version so you get the moisture you need and targets the dehydration. As much as I like this I feel there is a better moisturiser in my future so watch this space on this one! 

So this is the basics, you can put in exfoliators, masks, serums and eyecreams as and when needed but this is the starting block. Just do as I did and use the one week rule, if you aren't feeling any benefit from whatever it is your using then change up the routine, introduce something new and see if that fixes it. Chances are you will have most of the right combination its just tweaking it to suit!