My Current Skincare Routine

I have to admit at the start of this post that I never started paying attention to any skincare routine until about 6 months before I got married back in 2013. Until that moment I basically only ever used makeup removing face wipes (*holds head in shame) and hot water with a flannel. 

To be fair this minimal skincare routine did serve me pretty well until a point where I decided one day to go to the Dermalogica stand and have my face examined. I knew that they would pick faults with my skin anyway as the sceptical side of me thought they just wanted me to buy their products. But with my wedding approaching I wanted to get into a new skincare routine so that I felt my best on my wedding day. So of course I spent nearly £200 on a range of Dermalogica products which I pretty much continued to buy and use up until about a year or so ago. 

Now I am more quizzed up on beauty products and i've experimented with a wide range of other brands, I know that I don't have to spend that kind of money to achieve a decent skincare routine anymore. I have also come to realise what works best for me and i've eliminated some products that I never felt to be very beneficial.

I by no means consider myself to be a beauty or skincare expert, but I have tried a lot of cruelty free and vegan skincare products over the past couple of years and I have found what I believe to be the best products for me, my skin and my purse. 

Some of you may gasp in horror by this post, or some of you may actually think about implementing more products into your current routine. I don't really believe there is a one size fits all rule to skincare but I do know what works for me and keeps me skin looking bright and healthy.

I start my day off by using my B. Exfoliating Cleanser in the shower and this is a cleanser which I have loved from day one of using. In my opinion it's the perfect dupe for the Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant and costs a fraction of the price. As it's an exfoliator I don't use it every day but probably every other day or every 3 days. I love the creamy consistency of it and how soft and smooth it leaves my skin feeling after use. This is a product that I have continued to buy over and over again as it's worked so well for me. 

On the days where I don't use this exfoliating cleanser I simply wash my face with a flannel and hot water. You may be wondering about my makeup removal but stick with me, that comes later on in the post...

After my morning shower I always use a moisturiser on my face before applying my makeup. At the moment I am using Superdrug's own brand Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser and Serum. I really love a lot of the products from this skincare range and I think it's amazing value for money. I can't say that this is my all time favourite day time moisturiser, but I do like the fact that its a 2 in 1 product. The consistency of this product isn't really totally to my preference and I would prefer a more cream based product like the B. Radiant Day Cream which I was using prior to this. So once I use this up I may well revert back to the B. day cream or try something completely new.

When it comes to removing my makeup in the evening I use one of my greatest finds of the last year, the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser. I genuinely can't rave about this product enough and I often wonder whether I should bulk buy it in case it ever disappears from Superdrug's shelves. This cleanser does an amazing job of removing all of my makeup and I absolutely love how it feels on my skin. I honesty think it doesn't get much better than this and many people claim this is the perfect dupe for the Liz Earle equivalent which, I can't personally comment on but, goes to show the quality of this cleanser.  

If on the rare occasion I happen to still have any makeup on my eyes after using my cleanser I simply apply some Superdrug baby oil to a cotton wool pad and wipe across my lids.

When I go to bed in the evening I apply some of my new favourite REN Revitalising Night Cream to my face and neck. This is the first time I have started to use this product as part of my regular routine but I am sure it's one that I shall continue to use for a long time coming as it's a beautiful cream which I can't get enough of! It smells amazing and it's perfect for a relaxing nights sleep. I don't tend to buy many high end brands anymore but this is one I can see myself not being able to live without.

So that's it! That is my current skincare routine from start to finish.

I think it would fair to say that i've come a long way from going to bed in my makeup or using a face wipe at the most! And I may not be doing the professionals recommended amount of facial cleansing and care, but my skin sure does feel good for what I am doing. 

Maybe there's something you think I should be using or introducing into my routine? Or it could be that you feel you're not doing enough after reading this? I'd love to hear your comments and your own recommendations! What's the main skincare product you can't live without?