Wednesday 22 August 2012

My Skin Journey

As long as I can remember, throughout my teenage years, I have suffered from bad skin problems.  I'm not saying my face was completely covered in acne, but it was certainly something that I thought was a big problem as it frustrated me and knocked my confidence.  I tried a few products and it felt like I had tried everything and nothing was working, but it wasn't until I got to the end of those teenage years and into my 20's that I really started looking into skincare.  I realised that there are much more products out there than I had previously thought, some more expensive than others, some stronger than others, and it can be quite overwhelming when you're not quite sure what to try.  Now at the age of 22 I feel like I have worked out how to look after my skin as it has cleared up tremendously and I have much more confidence now I don't have any problems.

What I am going to write about here works for me.  I know not everyone's skin type is the same, and what might work for me, might not work for someone else.  But I guess it's all about trial and error, trying different products and methods and seeing how well they work for you and if you are satisfied or not.  My skin type is quite oily but if I don't moisturise then I get dry skin on my nose and cheeks.  So I suppose you could say I have combination skin.  I used to get spots on my forehead, nose and chin.  These days if I get any it's usually on my chin and sometimes on my cheeks, but like I said, I rarely get any now.


Diet
I feel that diet plays a big part in how my skin looks.  I have experimented a lot and have finally worked out what foods I should avoid.  I make sure I eat plenty of salads, vegetables and fruit, and not just for my skin, for my health too but I think these help my skin as well.  Some of the foods I avoid include chocolate, cheese and McDonalds as well as other greasy and fast foods.  If I eat one of these 'bad foods' I am guaranteed to get a spot or few some days later.  I don't never, ever eat these foods as I like to treat myself once in a while, but very rarely.
Another factor of having good skin is the liquids you put into your body.  I drink about 5 glasses of water a day and although I know I should drink more, I used to drink much less and I think this extra fluid intake has paid off.  I also consume at least two cups of green tea each day.  There are many articles out there about whether green tea helps to reduce acne and spot problems or not, but personally I think it does.  I don't just drink it.  I put it directly onto my skin as well.  Once I have made the tea I put the tea bag to the side and place a piece of cotton wool on top, once the tea has soaked through and has cooled down a bit I wipe this all over my face.  It feels refreshing and feels like it does cleanse the face.  You could also miss out the cotton wool part and put the tea bag directly onto the skin once it has cooled down.




Make-Up and Removal
I have tried many different foundations from cheap to expensive and at last, back in January, I discovered my  favourite foundation so far.  It's from a brand called Lily Lolo.  Unlike all other previous foundations I have experimented with, this one does not cause me to break out and is not heavy.  I have very fair skin and Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation makes light shades to suit my skin colour which is perfect.
Make-up removal is also very important.  If you remove your make-up using just a face wipe, you may think you have removed all of your make-up.  But in fact, you have not.  I use three different products to remove my make-up.  First I use a make-up wipe, either Johnson's Face Care Fragrance Free Facial Cleansing Wipes or Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes.  I then use Dove Extra Sensitive Beauty Cream Bar to wash my face.  Once it is patted dry I use Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean which is a cleanser.  After this last step, I then feel my make-up has been completely removed.


Morning Facial Care
Before I apply my make-up each morning I have a routine to clean, cleanse and moisturise my face.  First I use the Dove Extra Sensitive Beauty Cream Bar to wash my face.  Once it is dry I then use T-Zone Shine Control Cleansing Wipes followed by Johnson's Baby Lotion to moisturise my skin.




I am still on the lookout for other products that suit my skin and do not cause me to break out because although I am loving my nice clear skin, it's not perfect.  But I will research the product a lot before buying, just because I don't want to undo the progress I have made with my skin so far.

Would anyone like me to do a review of any of the above products?  Does anyone else have any skincare secrets or tips they would like to share?

19 comments:

  1. ek, I find face wipes really scary as alot of them just dry the shit out of my skin- as my skin is very dry anyway that is something to avoid for me!!!! your skin routine is so good, I need to get my arse into gear & take better care of my face- most nights I don't even bother taking my makeup off!
    When I do bother, I use a garnier cream followed by neals yard rose water toner & lots of moisturiser. thats it. bad poppy. xxxxx

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    1. Ahh yes, if I didn't moisturise my skin would dry out from the wipes.
      At least you do something and don't just leave it :)

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  2. I'm lucky to genetically have good skin but if I don't cleanse, tone and moisturise I will definitely get a spot or two so "Make-Up and Removal" is a really good tip! x

    http://alexandrae94.blogspot.co.uk/

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  3. i've always suffered with my skin so I feel your pain! some pretty good advice here - thanks! :) I've replaced my usual tea with green tea and have found it makes a huge difference. Never though to use it to cleanse though xx

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  4. diet does help a lot! another trick my sister actually does is every time she is about to wash her hands in the bathroom, she rubs soap onto her face. as the day goes on, her skin becomes extremely oily, so it helps mediate it. cute blog

    www.sultanassanctuary.blogspot.com

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    1. I sometimes wash my face with water during the day. However I find that if I wash it too much, it can create more spots. Good tip though :)

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  5. Hi! I'm Deb, and I found your blog through BBU Blog Hop. I'm following, and would love if you checked out my blog and followed back. Beauty-ninja.blogspot.com. Thanks bunches! :)

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    1. Thanks for following. Just off to check your blog out now :)

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  6. I know what you mean. I just turned 25 and I'm now on a completely new skincare regimen. 2 weeks in and it seems to be working so far. Great post and blog. New follower!

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  7. Thank you for commenting and following my blog, I'm now a follower of your lovely blog. Skincare tips, not many, except drink lots of water and vary your diet to see which food aggravates it.

    Tia xxx

    www.bellezzababe.blogspot.com

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  8. I never thought about putting green tea straight on my skin, that's a really good idea!

    You should try white tea with elderflower too its a really good anti oxidant and good for digestion which will help your skin!

    I have the same skin type as you and its a right pain!

    Lucy xx

    Check out my blog? - afashionableaffair.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have to try that out :)

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  9. Drinking lots of water really helps with my skin. I used to drink very little water and feel my skin dry. I think cleansing is the most important part of good skin routine. I invested in the Clarisonic earlier this year and found big improvement on my skin.

    Found your blog through BBU blog hop and now following:)

    Hope you will pop by my blog some time too, http://mui28.blogspot.com

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  10. Great article, thanks for writing it.
    Makeup by Rachel

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  11. Good tips and products! I may need to try this out! Now following!

    http://fromragstotags.blogspot.com/

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  12. Amazing tips! Im definitely going to try the green tea directly on my skin :D You have defiantly don't lots of research which is soo helpful! I love your blog i just found it through the blog hop :)x
    Sofia x
    http://somethingaboutsophia.blogspot.ie/

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  13. This post was so helpful for me. Similar to yourself,I've had mild-moderate acne for five years and it's just started coming back. I definitely want to try some of your tips. I found you through BBU Blog Hop, I'm glad I discovered your blog :)

    Clara

    www.countessdublush.com x

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