The Daily Grind; My skincare routine.

Hey ladies and gents!

I seriously need to work on sticking to a routine, because this month it seems to just not be happening. I do apologise though and I'll get back into hitting the keyboard every Monday. I can't guarantee which Monday but it'll happen!

My post from last week was a review of Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Serum and Eye Balm. To summarise; I adore both. If you want to know a little bit more about these products and find out more about my skin type you can check out that post here.

For those who don't know, my skin is oily but prone to dehydration. This lead to a lot of confusion as to what kind of treatment my skin needed and a lot of trial and error with products. Thanks be to Jaysus I've nailed down what seems to be a solid and dependable routine that keeps my skin in check. During these summer months I can't quite get the oiliness under wraps but sure look! It's better than what it was.

For today's post I'll be breaking down each step in my routine and letting you know what I use and why I like it. Fair warning, this routine is beefed up with a good bit of Clinique (you know what they say, if it ain't broke...) but you can totally find similar products from different brands. Have a nosy online on places like Paula's Choice for some alternative ideas for your own skin.

Anyway, on with the show!

Make Up Removers.

Removing your make up and cleaning your skin are two different steps. The first (naturally enough) will only remove the product and oil from the surface, but won't clean the skin itself. I like to use dual phase removers for my eyes as the oil breaks product down really well. I use a ton of slap in the eye area so I use No. 7's Beautiful Skin Eye Make Up Remover. Shake it up, whack a bit on a cotton pad and you're good to go. I think it's €11, so keep your eye out for 3 for 2 offers and the like. They're so handy to have!

Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil is amazing. It contains no actual oil (sounds weird but it works) so it emulsifies when introduced to water. This turns into a milk after it dissolves even the heaviest of foundation and rinses away. There is literally zero residue left behind after this cleanser. As it turns to a milk I never use this around my eyes. I made that mistake once. It got into them and my vision turned snow white. I thought I was Halle Berry in X-Men for a hot minute. I won't be doing it again.

Cleanser.

My weapon of choice for cleaning my skin is Clinique's Liquid Facial Soap in the Extra Mild formula. It's a soft gel that doesn't lather, so I generally apply it to dry skin. I use my hands to gently massage it into my skin and then rinse away with a warm flannel. It does the job of cleaning excess oil from my skin without foaming and drying it out. As someone who suffers from dehydration that part is kind of essential. 

I personally don't use a cleanser to treat any problems in the skin. That part comes in the next couple of stages. This section is literally removing the dirt and oil so that the products I put on top can get to work. 

"Toners" or Liquid Exfoliators.

Did you know that exfoliating in a liquid form was even a thing? I didn't. I'm glad I do now.

Liquid exfoliators contain low levels of skin friendly acids that break down dead skin and can work inside the pores to gently clear blemishes and refine pores. 

These products replace traditional toners. Seeing as I clean my cleanser off with water I don't need to use a product to take off any remaining product. What a product like this will do is help to remove any lingering dead skin and actively work to clean and repair the skin on a deeper level. Doing this will allow your moisturisers and serums to really get to work instead of being absorbed by useless skin cells. I use two liquid exfoliants from Clinique as pictured above.

The first is the Clarifying Lotion in Mild. This contains salicylic acid which is great for clearing blocked pores. As I'm a boy I shave quite regularly. I'm prone to ingrown hairs and small breakouts in the beard region so this helps to keep them in check. It also contains no alcohol so it doesn't do that drying thing that I don't like. 

Clarifying Lotion number 2 from Clinique is a bit stronger. This one does contain alcohol and also witch hazel. Both are brilliant for giving my skin a kick start if it's feeling sluggish or particularly spotty. I use this after I take off a lot of make up or if I've been to the gym and my face is looking swamped under sweat and sebum. I don't use this as often because of the alcohol content.

It's worth mentioning that Clinique do a range of Clarifying lotions so they're worth looking into as each one works differently. Introducing this step to my routine literally saved my skin. I can't promise, but I'm certain you will love it.

Serum.

This step is my favourite! I look for a lightweight serum that contains ingredients that will help to flood my skin with water and keep it nice and comfortable. I find that if I do this, I'm less likely to see heavy oil production in my skin. This is because it's not working so hard to combat a lack of water. 

Serums are designated products to treat any prominent skin concerns. Their ingredients tend to be more active and will work better for combating the designated issue. 

Aqualia Thermal contains glycerin and sodium hyaluronate. Both are ingredients to trap water in the skin so naturally I'm all about this baby. I won't go into too much detail as I have a post on this linked above, so if you like the sound of this be sure to check that one out! 

Moisturiser and Eye Cream.

Last but not least! After I've cleaned and clarified my skin and followed up with a serum I pop a moisturiser and eye cream on top. If you think about it; a serum will treat a skin condition while the moisturiser and eye cream will take care of the surface skin and keep it protected and nourished. 

I use Vichy Aqualia Thermal Awakening Eye Balm (ignore the name, I use it at night as well) around the eyes. Again, the post on this chap is linked above so more detail can be found there. Suffice it to say it's a lightweight gel product packed with the same ingredients as the serum. It stops my under eye area looking tired and dry, so I love it. 

My moisturiser of choice at the moment is Moisture Surge from Clinique. I adore this stuff. Given the name I thought I'd run a mile. It's actually a thick gel consistency, so it's not heavy with oil and emollients. What it does do is give the skin what actually feels like a drink of water. It's rich and luxurious enough for me to enjoy putting on, but full of all the right things so it doesn't break me out. I feel like Joan Collins at a vanity mirror even if I'm throwing it at myself at the end of the day and hanging onto the skin so I don't collapse where I stand. 

I've used the Dramatically Different gel from Clinique also. I like both, but I prefer Moisture Surge for the time being. 

After all of that lengthy procedure I either put on make up and head out or dive head first into bed. I know that some of you will be looking at the steps involved and think that I'm an absolute weirdo with more time than sense. You're actually right, but I can genuinely say that since I listened to my skin and started to take care of it properly the difference has been outstanding. 

I know I use a lot of products from one brand in particular. This is because I find that their products really work for me, but that might not be the case for everyone. Take a look at each step and have a look around for appropriate products to add to your routine. You can absolutely find more affordable versions of each step. I know I probably should, but I'm a greedy guts. 

Now that I've discussed how I clean my skin I better get back to make up babble. I'm planning on bringing you a foundation review next week so definitely stay tuned for that! It's one I've been coveting for ages so I'm very excited to put pen to paper.

As always, throw any questions or comments down below. We looove them! Our social media links are at the top of the blog so if you have a very pressing question to ask then those are your best bet!

Until next time,

J x