Skincare Saviours

Ever since I hit puberty I've suffered from acne and I have found that it has gotten progressively worse as I have gotten older. Most people are under the assumption that if you have acne it is because you are dirty, you wear too much makeup and you don't wash your face. While this may be true for some people, there are actually so many more underlying factors that lead to the majority of people suffering from acne. After six or seven years, I feel that I am finally starting to see my skin clear up. I have tried everything from tablets to ointments and creams prescribed by my doctor, which have all helped to give me a short-term solution but have never been fully beneficial to my skin. I don't want to blab on too much about my skincare journey as that is not the point of this post, but please do let me know if you would like me to write a post all about it in the future! I suffer from a hormonal imbalance, which is the cause of most of my acne, with the worst of it being around my jawline. I am currently making a lot of changes to my lifestyle in order to battle hormonal acne without having to go on birth control or Accutane (this is also another blog post that I am planning to write, so again, let me know if you would like to hear about it!) As well as the lifestyle changes, I have decided to switch up the products that I use on my face and I am happy to say that I have finally got a good skincare routine down. This post is dedicated to all of the 'skincare saviours' I have discovered over the past few months. It's going to be a long one, so grab a cuppa, put your feet up and enjoy...

The first two products are part of the 'Clear Skin Oil Balancing' range from Simple. I have really oily skin so any products that can help to conquer it are a must for me! I am very careful with the products that I put on my face as I don't want to load too many chemicals that will flare up a breakout, therefore I stick to Simple who are a great brand for sensitive skin. I use both of these products as part of my morning skincare routine as the face wash is great to exfoliate my skin and refresh it ready for the day ahead. I love using this moisturiser as it gives my face enough moisture without activating any unwanted oils.

Many people overlook this step within their skincare routines, but I think that looking after your lips is a hugely important factor. I love using these two Mary Kay products as a quick way to exfoliate and add moisture to my lips. I apply the lip mask and try to scrub off any excess skin, and leave it on my lips for 1-2 minutes. I then rinse it off and apply the lip balm which makes my lips feel really silky, hence the name 'Satin Lips'.

This next product is pretty well-known within the blogger community, so I won't blab on too much about it, but I love using the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to remove my makeup. I feel like it really does wonders for my skin and is an extremely efficient way of getting my makeup off of my face, eyes and lips. As I mentioned earlier, I don't like putting too many chemicals on my face so I like the fact that it is a gentle solution that soothes my skin, whilst using effective cleansing agents at the same time.

I have always been a big fan of The Body Shop products and I was recently recommended their Tea Tree range by a friend. I had used a sample of the Tea Tree toner previously and was really impressed by it, so I looked into purchasing a bigger bottle, as well as some other products from the collection. I bought four items and I am so pleased with the results of all of them! The first product was the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser, which I use every night to cleanse my face after using the Micellar Water. I know that a lot of people don't like to use foaming cleansers, but I like to incorporate this into my evening routine as it leaves my face feeling squeaky clean and removes any excess oil that my skin has acquired throughout the day. Tea Tree oil is a natural astringent, meaning that it tends to shrink/constrict body tissues, and make the skin less oily. It is also an antibacterial so it is great for banishing germs and dirt that may be on my face by the end of the day.

This Tea Tree Face Mask is a miracle-worker and is definitely the best mask that I have used yet! I use it 1-2 times a week and the formula leaves my face feeling really smooth. It really helps to restore a balance within my skin and makes a big difference to the texture, tone and tightness of my face.

As I mentioned earlier, I had already tried a sample of the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner, and I had become so fond of it that I knew I had to upgrade to a 250ml bottle. Before, using this toner I had no idea as to what the product was actually supposed to do, and I just thought it was an unnecessary step sold to me by the media. However, I have come to realise that toners are great for oily and acne-prone skin as they come along with a lot of benefits, such as shrinking pores, moisturising, adding extra protection from impurities, and restoring the pH balance quickly. I would highly recommend incorporating a toner into your skincare routine if you feel that your skin needs help within these areas.

The last product among my 'Skincare Saviours' is this Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion. I was very intrigued to what this product was when I first saw it on the website but after researching it and reading reviews from customers, I knew that it was something I needed to purchase! As I have struggled with acne for over six years and put my skin through endless ways to remove my blemishes, I have been left with a lot of scarring and damaged skin. I apply this lotion every night before I get into bed, targeting the areas that are in need of repair, and I can honestly say that I have noticed a rapid improvement within my skin in the short period of time that I have been using this product. A lot of my scars are beginning to fade, and it also helps to reduce any inflammation that I get from my acne. I like the fact that it is a night lotion because I like to apply more products to my face before I go to sleep as I know that this is when my skin naturally repairs itself.

So there are my holy grail skincare products that have been doing absolute wonders for my skin. It feels great to finally have a good routine down with products that I know will not do so much harm to my face and cause a breakout. Thank you for reading, and if you managed to get all the way down to the end then you are a trooper because this post took me forever to write, so I can only imagine how long it took you to read! I will be writing a lot more posts about my skin in the future, such as my skincare journey, and the ways in which I am battling hormonal acne by switching up my lifestyle habits.

Please let me know what you would like to see me post about next, as I always appreciate feedback and suggestions in the comments or via my social media platforms!

Jemma x

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