My Skincare Routine

Since I have a terrible skin BUT I try my best to get it better, many people have asked me for advice. I'm not an specialist, esthetician neither dermatologist, and I would always tell you to go first to a proper doctor to get a correct diagnostic, but here is what I found good for my skin and you may find interesting to give to some of the products a try or discuss with your doctor.

First of all, I have a specific routine for morning, at wake-up time, and a different one in the evening, a bed-time routine. In the morning I wash my face with "the normal soap" - it means a same type of soap you would use for showering - and usually is Dove.


Right now I'm using Dove Body Wash Triple Moisturising Beauty Care (what a long name!), and it's a creamy soap, with the well-known dove soap scent, which I enjoy very much. So far I didn't notice any problems for using this on my face, but if you just can't get along with an ordinary soap, I would recommend for those with oily-skin the awesome Ducray Keracnyl Foaming Cleaning Gel. It's a soap free formulation and it digs all dirt and oil out of pores, leaving a smooth and fresh feeling. Costing around 10 euros, it's an excellent product for a reasonable price.


Moving on from Cleansing to Tonifying: I use the Lancome Tonique Pure Focus line and it's a matifying purifying (all that good stuff) toner for oily skin, with a biphasic formula: the liquid phase purifies and tighten the pores, the powdery phase matifies and leaves an even complexion (according to the bottle label).



Next I'm using a new product, and so far I'm in love with it. It's the Bio-Oil and it claims it can help against scars, strecht marks, uneven skin tone, agying skin and dehydrated skin. I've been using for 2 weeks and I seriously can see some improvement already. I apply with a cotton pad all over my face and massage until it sinks in my skin. It feels very greasy when applying but within some minutes, the skin totally absorves it.


To finish my morning routine, and fight my acne prone side, I use Tea Tree Blemish Gel, from Thursday Plantation. It's a translucid gel that contains Tea Tree Oil, a natural antisepthic, and helps to prevent acne. I always wanted to try tea tree products because they are natural (means, almost no chemical synthetising) and I'm always concerned about the number of products I layer onto my face. And I'm happy that it helps indeed my skin, but I heard and read that it may no work for many people, being as useful as nothing.
Bedtime: time for cleansing and treating again! I start using baby wipes fragance free, and pretty much I don't have any specific brand to recommend, but I'm using the purple pack from Boots (UK drugstore). Fragance free is important for me as I noticed my skin gets dry and strange at touch when using fragranced wipes. Next is my makeup remover from Nivea, the Nivea Visage Gentle Waterproof Eye Make Up Remover, and it removes makeup very well :D. Apply with a cotton pad and I apply everywhere, not just the eye.


After the cleansing process, I use the Lancome Gel Pure Pocus. It's a deep purifying cleanser especially formulated for oily skin, with micro-beads that gently eliminates all impurities and (even!) removes make-up, so IT IS A MUST HAVE FOR ME. It leaves the sensation of professional cleansing and really takes everything away, as I use the toner next and I don't get any trace of anything on the cotton pad.

As I said, then I use the Lancome toner and apply the Bio-Oil again (they recommend twice daily for a minimum of 3 months, and that's what I'm doing!). while the Bio-Oil is being absorbed by my skin I apply my night cream, the RoC Retin-Ox Night Intensive Anti-Wrinkle cream, and it is fantastic product. With Retinol in the formula, it replenishes your skin during the night, giving it a better texture, smaller pores and attenuated wrinkles. If you don't have wrinkles yet, and are around 25, it can be a good option for prevention too, and it is designed for all skin types!

And finally the last step - the eternal acne fighting - I use my ultimate must have forever :D PANOXYL Aquagel 10. This is a gel in aqueous formula, with 10% of Benzoyl Peroxide and it helps to fight the acne bacteria, preventing the future spot to come to surface and get inflamated and/or flights the formed acne directly by applying and massaging on the affected area. PanOxyl has different strengths, so depends on your "acne-level" (usually diagnosed by a doctor) you would use either 2,5%, or 5%, or 10% (maximum) like me. I used to apply everyday, morning and night when I had uncontrolled acne, but now I only use on my eventual spots at night.



I can't really tell what is the key ingredient of my routine, and I can't say that "this" is the one that saved me, I think the (lucky) combination of all products brought me the happy result I have now. It is still far from being perfect, but comparing to pictures from past and observing my decreasing in full coverage make-up, I assume that I must me doing something good for my facial skin :D

Here is a quick video about this post


Hope you enjoyed this long post!
x x