As soon as I get in from work, first things first, I run a bath with skincare and PJ’s at the ready…
This is definitely one of my favourite times of day!
CLEANSE
Before jumping in the bath, I always cleanse my face with an oil cleanser. Not only is an oil cleanser the most deep cleansing (very much needed in London), it is also super quick as removes eye makeup along with all of your base makeup.
Oil cleanser works great on all skin types, I get asked a lot if an oily skin type can use an oil cleanser… ABSOLUTELY! They need it the most for its deep cleansing benefits.
With skin concerns however, if you suffer with rosacea, I would be sure to try a sample first of your chosen formula as with any oil based product.
Apply to a dry face, massage all over for a couple of minutes, then jump in the bath/shower and rinse off. You can use hands, but I opt for a muslim cloth to give my skin a light exfoliation whilst removing my cleanser.
Additional Extra: If I have been wearing a lot of makeup that day I will reach for a second cleanser to double cleanse. This can be a Micellar water before the oil cleanser, an oil cleansing double whammy, or a face wash (Love Origins Checks and Balances Face Wash).
Once my skin is squeaky clean, I refresh with a little face tonic on a cotton pad, and its time for the treatment products.
I like to keep it simple using 3 products –
TREAT
Now this is the one step in my routine I change a couple of times a week depending on how my skin is feeling. You should always have a few options to choose from when it comes to treatment products (think of it like a wardrobe for your face).
My go to is a Nourishing Milk treatment before my moisturiser. This is a hybrid product that gives you the nourishment of a face oil and the repair benefits of a serum. 2-3 drops before my moisturiser.
If my skin feels slightly congested (pores, blemishes, texture) I will use the Skin Clarifier Remedy instead. This has Salicylic acid as a key ingredient so works wonders overnight at controlling pores and blemishes.
If dehydrated (after one too many vino’s maybe), I reach for the Skin Moisture Solutions Remedy. This is like a glass of water for your skin! Rehydrates, plumps and brightens!
I only ever use 1 of the above at a time. You can layer, but I find my skin looks best when I keep it simple.
HYDRATE
Always apply your eye cream before face cream! Using your ring fingers warm up a grain of rice amount and massage around the eye area.
There are lots of fancy eye serums, creams, balms out there. I have tried various, but always come back to my classic Hydrating Eye Cream. It’s a lightweight formula packed with hydration so naturally plumps out those dehydration lines we can get around the eyes.
For face cream I use the Hydrating Face Cream! Another one I rarely change from.
OCCASIONAL CARE
I exfoliate twice a week using natural buffing grains (rather than any scrub with micro beads as they are a lot more gentle on the skin). Keep your eye out for natural exfoliants only! My jar of buffing grains lasts me over a year, so a great investment!!
Sprinkle some into your cleansing oil and buff in circular motions onto a damp skin for 2 minutes, your skin is silky smooth afterwards, and an exfoliated holds your makeup in place a lot longer.
How I prep my skin before makeup here
I also love to mask occasionally! Find the perfect mask for you on my previous post here
SHOP THE POST
Ashley x
My night time routine is not so different from yours (except for that wonderful bath you take, ohhhh, the dream), but, before the toning stage, I use an acid toner. Since I started using acids, my skin is much brighter and I hardly get any blemishes (I used to have some horrible ones in the jawline). Also, occasionally (once a week), I use lactic acid (the one from The Ordinaries) to do a more in depth exfoliation, because I prefer chemical exfoliation to the physical one.
As treatments, I always layer hyaluronic acid with Vitamin C or a Retinol (alternating), followed by moisturizer. 🙂