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While it would be easy to drop a list of skin care products into a blog post and tell you how amazingly well they worked for me and therefore you should maybe give them a try, the reality is we are all becoming more savvy spenders by the day.
From using up products we own before buying more, to no-spend goals and of course opting for skincare dupes to save a little hard-earned money; I think it's safe to say the days of makeup and skincare hauls are over.
So with this very much in mind, I wanted to share one of the hottest skincare tips with you that really is foolproof for all skincare type and doesn't cost a dime!
By the time you get into your 30s you may be seeing a very different set of 'issues' to the previous decade. From sunspots to fine lines and even a shift in skin texture and skin type. And without sounding too much like a Debbie Downer, the skin simply doesn't repair itself as quickly or as effectively past a certain age.
So if there was ever a time to care about what you put onto your skin it's now! The first step and something that can have a huge impact on how the skin feels, looks and ages is cleansing. Not simply removing makeup before bed but effectively cleansing to keep it clean, hydrated and youthful. Below I have cleanser recommendations for all different skin needs for both morning and evening cleansing ideal for anyone in their 30s and beyond.
This post contains PR samples and affiliate links.
The other day while doing my skincare routine I started wondering about how effective skincare products are. Does clear, smooth skin come from good cleansing and/or can skin care products really deliver that too?
So today I thought I'd ask the question of what is your most effective skin care product?
With the rise of the Instagram Skincare shelfies (yes, that's now a thing!) and influencers sharing what's in their obviously curated bathroom cabinets it's easy to think a good complexion comes only from more premium skincare products, shall we say.
But with drugstore brands constantly upping their game it literally couldn't be further from the truth. With the possible reason for a lack of cheaper skincare on social media being they just aren't as Instagram worthy! Budget skincare very much rivals more premium brands these days and while my own skincare routine consists of a mix of the both, I really believe you can achieve the complexion you want on any budget.
Below discover seven of the best budget skin care products for all skin types can enjoy! Let me know if you discover anything new or spot any old favourites.
If you have oily skin then you will know avoiding moisturiser is a no-no. Simply put, when the skin doesn't have adequate moisture levels sebum glands will produce more oil making your oily skin even oilier. But pick the wrong moisturiser and again you can be facing problems!
So as an oily girl myself I've taken the hard work out having tried and tested endless lightweight moisturisers suitable for oily skin to find the creme de la creme. From save to splurge I have all budgets covered so finding your possible ultimate face cream couldn't be easier!
Sunday Riley describes themselves as an advanced, high-performance skincare brand offering real and noticeable results - and I couldn't agree more. This is why I've been a fan of Sunday Riley since the first launch of Ceramic Slip Cleanser that recently got an upgrade both in formula and packaging.
That very cleanser made me realise that it was possible to balance out my oily skin, as I saw nearly instant results from it, and it without s doubt got me on a quest of changing up my skincare routine, introducing products that were effective at balancing serum production and keeping blemishes at bay long term.
For this reason along with lots of other skincare (obvs!) I've stuck with Sunday Riley ever since, enjoying their AHA treatments, cleansers and all-round approach to skincare. Below you will find the products that work best for oily and combination skin. All products mentioned along with the entire Sunday Riley range can be picked up throughout January with free worldwide shipping on Cult Beauty!
If you've heard of Alpha-H then it's more than likely you know about then due to Liquid Gold; their standout and bestselling Glycolic Acid-based treatment that's loved by many. But while I love the brand for that single product alone there are so many more products from Alpha-H worth trying.
So in collaboration with Cult Beauty as Alpha-H is CT's October Brand of the Month, meaning free worldwide delivery across the brand, I thought I would highlight the Alpha-H products that are ideal of anyone with a similar skin type to mine - oily, combination and blemish-prone.
SHOP ALPHA-H WITH FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING HERE
Even with a solid skincare routine in place, enlarged pores can be such a frustration. Although there is now a multitude of products to mask unsightly pores, from industrial strength primers to Korean pore balms there is nothing quite as satisfying as thoroughly removing the build-up of gunk from our pores.
And now thankfully there's a solution... without a single pore strip or extraction tool in sight!
If you've been here awhile then you will know that I'm quite the fan of The Ordinary skin care, which I prefer to call 'The (Extra) Ordinary'... because there's nothing ordinary about them! They sit within the DECIEM umbrella of brands, which includes my all time favourite skincare brand; NIOD. For me, The Ordinary is very much the little sister brand of NIOD and includes so many effective yet ultra affordable skincare products.
Other than products I know won't suit my dehydrated/oily skin type I'm pretty sure I've now tried most of what The Ordinary have to offer! So I decided it would be fun and handy for some if I put together a skincare routine that you could follow or loosely use dependent on your skin type i.e changing out the light moisturiser for something like The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 if you have a drier skin type for example. Or of course using in conjunction with from pre-existing skin care.
From morning to night plus an extra treatment meet an ultra affordable skin care routine that will have your skin glowing in no time!
When it comes to moisturising my face in the summer months I want something light, like, really light. But don't get me wrong, I still want it to do something. I want it to make my makeup apply smoothly, I want it to hydrate my skin well, especially after a day in the sun, and most importantly I want it to nourish my skin without clogging pores.
It's a big ask but oily/combination skin is high maintenance after all. But I think I may have found the One... and I managed to pick it up for a mere £6.00! Ticking all the boxes this is a dreamy day cream that my skin drinks up and feels all the better for it.
In the past few years The Body Shop have certainly upped their skin care game. Going from a brand known purely for their body care products to now being seen as one of the best skin care brands on the high street.
Although my personal favourite skincare product from The Body Shop is the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Face Mask, as it gives outstanding results, I know that their Drops of Youth range has been loved by many for the past few years and has received some glowing reviews both on and offline as a range to use before signs of ageing become visible. Wanting in on the action, I am 29 after all, I've been putting two new products from the Drops of Youth collection to the test and I can say they've slotted into my skincare routine rather nicely.
Drops of Youth Youth Liquid Peel
£18.00/145ml
Peeling Gels have been popular for many years in Asia as they exfoliate well but don't come with the abrasion of a physical exfoliating product such as a scrub, which can be a source of irritation on some skin or just leave the skin red and over scrubbed looking! Making peeling gels an ideal way of going about exfoliation, especially if you are looking for instant results!
This clever gel-to-peel formula gets to work in seconds by massaging a few drops over dry skin. Instantly the gel will start to ball up in little pieces extracting dead skin cells and the day's grime from your skin on a deeper level than cleansing will (you use this on makeup-free clean, dry skin). Not only is this highly satisfying as it's a very visual and texturable process but on washing off the small pieces of residue on the skin you can instantly feel a difference to your skin with it feeling much smoother. With continued use, as something I've seen, the skin starts to look more youthful and brighter. However, as it's removing dead skin build-up which does happen on a day-to-day basis if you defer from using the product 2-3 times a week your skin will pretty much instantly start to feel back to normal, losing that fresh/smooth feel!
On first application of the gel as it does start to ball up instantly I really couldn't believe it was working that well so to put it to the test I decided to use it on one foot only to be able to compare it to the other! Using the same amount as I would for my face, I massaged the gel over areas of dry skin and again it balled up removing dead skin, in fact even more so! This left me with much softer skin and my dry heel problem was nearly resolved... I'm now actually thinking this product could be used anywhere on the body you are wanting to remove the dry/dead skin from, especially the feet in summer!
As peel gels aren't really a 'thing' in the UK I'm so glad The Body Shop have launched this product and really think a lot of people will be thoroughly impressed with the results! The Liquid Peel is also available in the Vitamin C and Drops of Light ranges which I really can't see being too dissimilar from this product.
Drops of Youth Youth Fresh Emulsion SPF 20 PA+++
£22.00/50ml
To follow up from the liquid peel and to help complete a full skincare routine The Body Shop have released Drops of Youth Youth Fresh Emulsion SPF 20; a hydration light cream that helps to reduce signs of fine lines and tired skin, while helping to defend the skin from UVA & UVA rays. This light gel feeling cream can be used in place of your normal moisturiser or alongside it, depending on your skin type and skin needs. Personally, having an oily T-zone and combination skin I see this as a perfect day cream for me, apply just a single pump to my entire face every morning after cleansing.
Feeling fresh and with a typical natural The Body Shop-type scent the emulsion takes a minute or so to fully soak into to skin, leaving zero tacky or product feel to the skin, yet leaving it feeling slightly more plumped and hydrated. Although really oily skin types may want something even lighter that instantly soaks into the skin, this kind of cream works for me and I imagine will suit all other skin types, from sensitive to dehydrated and dry skin if used alongside another cream.
The main benefit for me has to be the addition of SPF 20, which although would probably require topping up on a sunny day (on hot days I would still use an SPF 50 facial sunscreen) means every day my skin has some protection from the sun without clogging my pores or feeling too heavy. This is a huge deal for me as I often skip daily sun protection yet know the anti-aging benefit it can bring! I also like that the emulsion hydrates the skin well, again adding that youthful skin appearance, especially when used in conjunction with the above liquid peel.... in fact I really think these two product work together well.
My only criticism of these products would be the price point, being somewhere between hight street prices and high end, however, once The Body Shop release more new products you can always use one of their generous voucher codes to receive a good discount! I'd also say it's worth trying products in-store first to feel textures etc, even asking for a sample to take home and try first before committing.
Although I have been enjoying both products I feel the star of the show here is the Liquid Peel as it's a pretty unique product and is such a clever way to exfoliate, especially if you still want to use something manual that gives instant results instead of going down the chemical exfoliator route.
Let me know if you've tried any products from the Drops of Youth range!
Fee xo.
Since my teenage years I've had to deal with oily skin; from often problematic blemish-prone skin to a now oily T-zone with a multitude of different skin types. This has resulted in trailing a lot of skincare!
I now feel confident enough to recommend the products you should be incorporating into your skin care routine and what you should be avoiding!
Below you will find the 5 essentials of a skin care routine for oily skin. This includes the important step of hydrating the skin with the right moisturiser and exfoliating with chemical exfoliating products instead of with traditional scrub-type products. This will hopefully start off a series for oily skin as I want to share my favourite moisturisers for oily skin, the best clay-based face masks and making the tricky task of finding a good non-pore clogging SPF for the face easier with my top sunscreens picks for oily skin!
1. Cleanse
Keeping skin thoroughly cleansed is one of the most important steps in looking after oily skin. You definitely don't want to strip the skin of its essentials oils as that will only increase oil production and cause the skin to become dried out and irritated. For your morning cleanse a light none foaming cleanser works best. I would personally suggest avoiding face washes which contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (find out more about SLS-free products) and alcohol. You basically want to gently cleanse the skin to remove excess oil and sweat from the night before, so the cleanser doesn't need to be harsh and definitely not astringent feeling. Anything containing clay tends to work well for very oily skin types but on the whole I would look at light gel/liquid cleansers aimed at sensitive skin types, many affordable french skincare brands are ideal for this.
As for night time cleansing this is where you want to be thorough and remove all makeup and clean the skin properly. If you've been wearing makeup then I'd highly recommend double cleansing, especially if you are prone to spots. First removing makeup with a solid balm cleanser and a warm damp flannel, as oil based cleansers remove makeup amazingly well and work on all skin types. Followed by a cream or liquid cleanser to ensure all makeup and grime is removed. Your skin should feel perfectly clean without feeling tight or dry.
2. Exfoliate
This is your toning step, but instead of a toner that doesn't do much, you actually want to go for an exfoliating acid toner that will magically remove dead skin cells - unblocking pores and improve skin texture. If you a new to this kind of product start with a light exfoliating acid in pad form (pre-soaked pads in a pot) sweeping a single pad over the skin after cleansing at night - Pixi, First Aid Beauty and Nip + Fab offer some amazing ones. If you aren't new to using liquid exfoliants then there are a whole host of products available to you, my favourite include Pixi Glow Tonic and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Exfoliant Lotion. Whatever you go for ensure you don't over do it (although you can build up your usage gradually) and wear sun protection as your skin will be more susceptible to sun damage. If you have bumpy/uneven skin texture, scarring from past blemishes or a dull complexion, you need a good exfoliating acid toner in your life!
3. Moisturise
With an oily complexion it can be tempting to skip moisturiser entirely. But it's important to understand that your skin oil levels and your skin's need for hydration are two very different issues. My own skin type is oily however I couldn't be without a daily moisturiser as my skin would quickly become dehydrated, feeling rubbish and looking lack lustre, not to mention more oily! So the aim is to find a light moisturiser. If it doesn't soak into the skin quickly but feels heavy and greasy on the skin then it's not for you. Whether you think your skin is dehydrated or not, hydrating moisturisers are often light and gel-like in texture, working well for oily skin types. For oily sensitive skin types La Roche-Posay Hyreane Light Moisturizing Cream in a nice option, but my current favourite has to be Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser which very much reminds me of Clarins Hydra-Essential range.
4. Targeted Treatment
Oily skin and spots often come hand in hand and although double-cleaning, weekly face masks and the use of an acid exfoliant can go a long way there will be times spots simply appear! For red/under skin spots a targeted spot treatment containing salicylic acid is a must! I've tried many over the past ten years and the one I've found to really work is Origins Super Spot Remover, it may seem a very small product for £15.00 but as so little is required per application it lasts over a year. For blemish-prone or congested areas, a good topical treatment that will prevent blemishes without drying out the skin is ideal. Again products can be hit and miss, however, Kiehl's Breakout Control Blemish Treatment Facial Lotion does deliver on its claims and I often apply it to my chin area to prevent breakouts once a spot has appeared.
As for a targeted treatment for blackheads, there really isn't one! The best method to minimise the appearance of blackheads and the size of pores is to maintain a good cleansing routine and invest in an effective deep cleansing face mask, such as the ones below. Extracting blackheads or using pore strips are very much temporary measures and can dry out or damage the skin.
5. Extras
To minimise shine and temporary oil secretion a good clay-based or charcoal face mask can work wonders! Perfect for an upcoming special event where you want your makeup to last, as a general pamper or around the time of the month if you find your skin becomes more oily/blemish-prone. Drugstore face masks for oily skin are becoming increasingly better, my favourites being L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox Face Mask and The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask.
As for face masks that are blackhead clearing they are few and far between and tend to be slightly pricey (but worth it if you want a super deep cleanse!). My favourite face masks that give results are GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment and NIOD Flavanone MUD. I also find these two masks cut down oil production without drying out the skin for much longer than other face masks I've tried.
Keeping a consistent skin care routine with the right products is crucial for oily skin! I hope this can be a good guide on how to put that together.
Looking forward to sharing my favourite skincare products for oily skin over the next few months!
Fee xo.
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