Skin.

One of my loves is skincare. I would ideally spend most of my paycheque on potions and lotions… but that obviously doesn’t actually happen! I have tried quite a few cheaper brands, and until recently, have fallen in love with oils.

Growing up, my skin was always okay. It wasn’t until I turned 17/18 that my skin started to break out. My skin changed a lot after I came off the pill, and ever since then it has never really calmed down.

About a year and a half ago, I started using a scary purple gel cleanser from Clean and clean. It would actually leave my skin feeling so dry, I would run for my moisturizer. Then I tried a system by Liz Earle, which is really popular in England. I remember really liking it back in the day. It’s nice and gentle, and you remove the cleanser with a muslin cloth. Although its smells lovely, it wasn't really clearing my skin.

I then switched to La Roche-Posay. Normally I wouldn't want to pay so much, but it was a birthday present. I think this line, which you can get at Shopper’s Drugmart, is much more effective at treating acne. I did stick with the routine; I cleansed, toned and moisturized twice a day, so I did notice a difference. Even if I did get a monthly breakout, the rest of my skin was in good condition.

I am now in the process of experimentation. I have begun using ‘oils’ to remove and clean my face. I mainly use sweet almond oil, or Jajoba oil. I put a quarter size amount in the palm of my hand, and then add one drop of tea tree oil or one drop of lavender oil. The tea tree oil kills bacteria, and the lavender reduces redness and inflammation. Rub it into your skin, sometimes this turns into a mini facial, and then steam it all off with a hot flannel 4 or 5 times.

I think doing this has made the biggest difference to my skin. I noticed the breakouts around my mouth had really started to clear up, and my face was so soft. I usually don’t feel the need to moisturize after, but sometimes I put on  a really small amount of coconut oil… like a tiny amount, or the leftover Roche Posay moisturizer.

BUT… and a big but at that… I started the Wild Rose Detox about 2 weeks ago, which has made my skin break out badly. And so the vicious cycle begins again. Big spot = lots of foundation and concealers. Lots of foundation and concealer = more spots. I think I am over the worst, and now my skin is just recovering.

I am also trying out an organic brand called Michael Todd, which is very popular with my YouTube ladies (I’ll talk about that later on).

The cleanser contains charcoal and the toner contains Blue Green algae. It is supposed to be a miracle worker, but because of my self-inflicted cleanse nightmare, I can’t tell if works or not. Update to come. 

I am very with happy with this routine; although, I think what you eat has more of an effect than what you put on your face. The massage therapist recommended me a probiotic to help with digestion, which could help my skin.