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| My bare face |
I have been ready for summer for over a month now, but being that the weather in England does not seem to be on my wavelength, I have to accept that winter is not ending. Unfortunately for me, and most people I assume, cold weather is accompanied by dry skin.
It was not until last summer (July-August) when I traveled back home that I experienced excessively dry skin and hair, since it was winter there. I will address caring for natural hair in a separate post.
I thought it was perhaps the change in environment, but whatever it was, my skin was as dry as a bone. I tried all sorts of
lotions and face creams. I resorted to the loyal vaseline, petroleum jelly. The only problem is I don't like applying vaseline on my face because it makes me break out. So what followed was that I had a terrible breakout. I started using the La Roche Posay 3 step-system which actually cleared my skin, although i still get the occasional breakout. The downside was it made my skin dry but me being me, I preferred zero acne to moisturised skin so I continued using it and would add a few drops of argan oil to moisturise my skin, which actually worked!
Fast forward a few months later, I have found a skin care routine that works for me. I have combination skin, so I can either have dry skin when not taken care of, or somewhat oily skin when I over moisturise, if there is such a thing.
Note: A moisturiser does not add moisture to the skin but rather acts as a barrier that prevents moisture loss. Also drink water in conjunction to your skincare routine.
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| My daily skin care products |
You can use any type of coconut, olive or argan oil. I use this as a makeup remover, I do not purchase makeup removers anymore because I feel the preservatives can be a bit harsh on the skin and using oil and a cloth removes makeup faster. Also environmentally friendly and more cost effective.
This is my everyday cleanser, really good because it does not strip my skin of its moisture and I use this twice daily. I think an equivalent would be the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. If you have oily skin you may not like the feeling cause they have a greasy like feeling which I did not like at first but I realised that's the feeling of moisturised skin. To clear my acne I used La Roche Posay Effeclar Purifying gel.
I recently watched a video by a dermatologist who said toner is not a necessary step, which I found odd since most people emphasise its use. His argument was in the past toners had a substance that would remove any excess product that cleansers would remove but now they don't. It's debatable but I take it that mine works cause I won't let it go to waste.
I cannot express how moisturising this cream is. Yes, I use the night cream in the morning and at night because it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and does not make break me out. It works for ALL skin types so anyone can use it. I am now switching to the Vitamin E Day Cream, which is a bit more lightweight just because I got them at the same time but was only using the night cream, which finished sadly.
I use a few drops of this every other day if I feel my face needs more moisture. Not sure if I am the only one who always feels dry in winter but I would rather look like a grease ball than ashy. Argan oil is packed with Vitamin E so it helps protect your skin barrier from losing moisture.
My favourite thing on this list. This mask is amazing! I leave it on for about 10mins, once or twice a week and it leaves my skin feeling sooo soft. It contains charcoal which has the properties of removing impurities and absorb excess oils. Personally I found it a bit pricey but definitely worth it. I also think it helps with preventing breakouts worsening.
So that's that guys. My skincare routine that has gotten me through the cold months, it is important to take care of your skin and find what works for you. This not sponsored by the Body Shop, wish it was lol, but this is what works for me. I had to stop trying out everything and narrow it down to one cleanser, toner, moisturiser, and a mask.
If drinking water, using normal bath soap and vaseline work for your face, you my friend are blessed!
Share in the comments below what your skin care tips are during winter.
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