I've been obsessing over my skincare for a hot minute, but with lockdown in full effect, I've had some serious excuses to start buying as many. skincare. products. as. possible. (and yes, I'm currently using a beauty fridge to store all my products, sue me.) Taking time out to really work on my skincare routine and find out what works for me has become my new hobby.
So, I thought why not just write about my night-time routine rather than sitting in bed, eating 4x the serving size of salty popcorn I should be eating and bingeing Disney Plus. For context, I have normal-sensitive skin and try not to use any products that have too harsh chemicals or alcohols.
Cleanser
When I'm wearing make-up, I always remove this with a gentle oil-based cleanser and reusable cotton rounds. I got some from Amazon for just under a tenner and they work great. I try to use oil in my make-up remover to act as a 'double cleanser' for my water-based facial wash. I got the Omorovicza foam cleanser in my monthly Glossybox subscription a while back and it works wonders for my blemishes and red-patchy spots, but is very high in the price and is retailing at £52. However, using the Nivea refreshing facial wash helps to tackle these blemishes too and is a good drug store alternative. If I'm using a sheet mask (my favourite's at the moment being the Garnier Lavender Moisture Bomb and the Beauty Pro CBD Oil Infused sheet mask) I'll do this after my cleanses and before my toner. I wish I had some pictures of these masks but I've used them all as I have NOTHING ELSE TO DO ALL DAY!
Toner
I am a HUGE fan of Lush and the Tea Tree Water toner was one of the first products I bought from there. I spray about 10 pumps of this onto a clean reusable cotton round and swipe this round my face, focusing on my problem areas like my hairline, sides of my nose and any spots/blemishes I might have from the day. This toner is really good for sensitive skin because of it's lack of alcohol and natural ingredients, including tea tree (obviously) and grapefruit water. It's a DEFINITE cult favourite in my beauty routine.
Exfoliator
I only started using this The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA exfoliator at the beginning of the week but I'm in love with it already. As someone who has really sensitive skin anyway, I have a huge fear of physical exfoliants causing micro-tears in my skin and causing more blemishes and breakouts, as this is something i struggle with anyway. However, with this lactic AHA acid formula, the chemical encourages the building up of collagen in the skin and is perfect for those who want a gentler exfoliant that will moisturise the skin. I bought the 5% Lactic Acid to try at first, but I think next time I'll get the 10% for a deeper exfoliation.
Eye Cream
I watch a HELL of a lot of skincare guru's on YouTube - and a ton of them say that eye cream is just a marketed, perfumed moisturiser and doesn't actually do anything. I got this Sebamed anti-aging eye cream in my beauty subscription box from Glossybox this month and I'm really liking it. I haven't experimented with an eye cream before but this one fits really nicely into my routine. Of course, I don't really have any noticeable wrinkles around my eyes yet but I definitely notice a difference with how much brighter my under eyes look since using this cream. I'm also hoping this will save me getting any harsh eye wrinkles in the near future ...
Serums
At the moment, I am still trying to find a face oil/serum that'll work best for keeping my skin plump and hydrated (and that I can apply with my Rose Quartz Roller coming soon) without making it greasy. However, this Figs and Rouge Charm Elixir works really well in bringing out a natural glow in my skin. I wouldn't use this product all over my face as it makes me come over WAY too glittery- but using it in the places you would normally highlight with your makeup creates a really nice inner glow that looks amazing if you are doing a no/minimal make-up look that day. I normally dab a drop above my cheek bones, on my brow bone and on the end of my nose.
Moisturiser
Moisturising used to be my least favourite step in my routine. My skin is so hyper-sensitive that even rubbing cream into my cheeks and forehead can cause my whole face to go red and peachy. However, with the introduction of the BYBI Strawberry Booster, it's turned into my favourite part. I tried to use the Strawberry Booster as a serum at first but it took a while to soak into my skin and caused me to go really greasy. However, in my daily moisturiser it helps to make my cheeks seem more full and plump and has definitely made my moisturiser extra hydrating. Because of how well this booster works, I've been buying a cheaper, drug store SPF moisturiser, like this Simple Protecting Light Moisturiser, as I feel I get most of the goodness from the booster. Once this has soaked into my skin, I'll spot treat any break-outs or blemishes with a dab of Sudocrem.
Lips
You know that one friend who constantly has 7 different lip balms on them at any given time? That's me. I can't cope having dry lips and am in constant rotation of these two balms. I love the Aloe Vera Vaseline for when my lips are cracked and sore from being in outside in the wind or sun all day, and is a perfect salve for just before I go to bed. The Burt's Bees Honey lip balm works amazing for a light and super moisturising coverage for when I want something less dense than Vaseline. My Burt's Bees lip balm is the one I keep in my skincare kit, whereas the Vaso I keep on my nightstand for lip emergencies.
And that's it! Along with this, I try to chug at least 2 litres of water a day so I'm not counteracting all the hard work I put in to my night routine - and of course sometimes when I get back home late, tired and pretty drunk, I do just grab my makeup remover, wipe it across my face and pass out on my bed with wine down my top and kebab meat in my hair. But those are just on a few occasions - I promise!