Skin Care Routine | Dry & Sensitive Skin

I made a post called 'My Skin Saviours' back when I first started blogging, and I thought I would show you my whole skin care routine. From the age of about 13 to early 16 I suffered with really bad skin which used to affect my self-confidence. I set out to find the right products for my skin type (dry/ sensitive skin) and try and fight back! I've only just 'perfected' this routine within the last year or so and since then I have had reasonably clear skin. I also take Bassetts Soft & Chewy Early Health vitamin tablets, which are for children but they taste so good and have actually helped my skin, and a Cod Liver Oil tablet (any brand) everyday. I also drink as much water as I can which works out well because it's usually the only thing I drink.

Morning
Cleanser - Every morning I exfoliate my face, back and chest in the shower with the St Ives Sensitive Skin Gentle Apricot Scrub. This stuff is amazing, when I suffered with spots on my back and chest, (a real confidence knocker - and a bit gross) this exfoliator cleared them within a week at the most! I have used this everyday since. After this I then cleanse my face with the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash. This featured in My Skin Saviours post as one of the main products that really cleared my skin. I love this and it's great for dry skin as it's a cream so doesn't dry out your skin as much as other cleansers.

Toner - The Simple Soothing Facial Toner is a relatively new instalment to my routine. This is my second bottle and I'm really liking it. Before trying this I never saw a point of toner, but after using it my skin feels cleaner and as it dries my pores feel like they're getting smaller. I apply this with a cotton wool ball (the ones in the picture are from Boots, but any one will do) all over my face and neck. I then spray about 5 pumps of the Savlon First Aid Wash before my toner dries. This may seem like a weird product to use but it does say it can be used for spots and I like to think it kills all the bacteria off my face before I apply my makeup.

Moisturiser - As I have dry skin, moisturiser is a key step in my routine. I use the Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser as it is the richest moisturiser Simple make, so I'm getting more moisture into my skin in one go. I then use my eye cream and at the moment I'm mostly reaching for the balance Me. Wonder Eye Cream. I suffer with dry eyelids which can make my makeup look cakey. Using this has kept my eye lids soft and hydrated.

Night
Cleanser - If I wear makeup I will use a Johnson's Daily Essentials Face Cleansing Wipes for dry skin. These are great and remove all of your makeup, even waterproof mascara, and leave your skin feeling soft. For an extra clean I use the Neutrogena Cream Wash again.

Toner - Again, I use the Simple toner and 5 pumps of the Savlon spray in the same way as in the morning.

Moisturiser - Again, I use the Simple Replenishing moisturiser and the balance Me. eye cream.

Spot treatment - I only treat my spots at night as it can dry your skin out or look weird under makeup. The first treatment I do is my Freederm Spot Treating Gel. I've gone through loads of these and it helps fight and prevent spots. I place a light layer on any blemish and allow it to dry. Next I use the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Face Mask as a less-concentrated version of tea tree oil. As it's in mask form it'll be much more gentle, so I place a light layer over the oilier areas of my face (chin, nose and sometimes forehead) plus over any bad blemishes. This product is meant to be a weekly mask, but I find it works fine like this. Finally I use some Sudocrem, mainly on any dry areas of my skin plus on top of spots. This is a great product to have because it has so many uses! This may seem a lot on my skin, but it all works well for me.

I don't do anything weekly to my skin, unless I have a face mask or two laying around. So that's it! I hope that if you're suffering with bad skin you can take some tips or products out of this post. It's really the case of researching and trying out new products, and eventually something positive will happen.

What is your best tip/ product for healthy skin?

Amie ♥

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My Skin Saviours

Skin type: dry/ sensitive

I have always suffered with problematic skin that used to affect my self-confidence as a young teenager. I didn’t tend to think a lot about a skin care routine because I never knew there were products that could actually help. Now, I have found that in my current skin care routine there are certain products that benefit my skin a lot and I cannot live with out them!

♥St Ives Sensitive Skin Apricot Scrub LINK

This gentle apricot scrub can be used daily to fight dry skin and blemishes. This product is amazing and I found started to visibly benefit my skin within a week. It also makes my skin very soft afterwards and remains so throughout the day. I recommend using an exfoliator in the shower so that your pores are more open and the product can do its job fully.

♥Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash LINK

After a year of trying the skin care line Avène, I never actually noticed a massive improvement to my skin. My mum randomly purchased the Neutrogena cream wash and I thought, as I didn’t have anything to lose, I’d give it a try. Best decision. Ever. Within a few days I noticed my skin wasn’t as red and fewer spots were forming. I was amazed by this product but annoyed I hadn’t got my hands on it earlier! It has a lovely grapefruit scent which makes you face feel fresh. I would also recommend using your cleanser in the shower for the same reason as before!

♥Freederm Spot Treatment Gel LINK

A great spot treatment gel that doesn’t dry your skin out which is a bonus for my skin type! As you only need a thin layer, a small tube will last a good few months. I think it’s much better at preventing spots than actually treating them so you may have to wait a while to see a big improvement.

♥Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask LINK

I don’t use this product as a weekly face mask as it is intended, but nightly and directly on to any blemishes and oilier areas of skin. It has tea tree oil in it (a natural blemish healer) and I find that as a mask it is not as concentrated as the oil you can buy (which ruined my skin) so doesn’t dry out my skin.

If I am having a bad skin day I will use this as an all over the face mask. I find like this it tightens pores as well as fighting spots. I am on my second pot of this and have been using it daily for 2 years, so is great value for money.

Some things to remember if you’re suffering with problematic skin:

♥If you’re trying out a new face wash, for example, don’t expect miracles over night. A skin expert at Boots told me to wait 6 weeks and if you do not see a good enough improvement, move on to another product. However, if a product is damaging your skin further, don’t sit it out and think it’ll get better because it probably wont as your skin is telling you it doesn’t like the product.

♥Your diet will also affect your skin. I found drinking more bottles of water instead of fizzy drinks made my skin much healthier and glowy. Also increase the amount of fruit and veg as they have anti oxidants and vitamins in that can help improve your skin. I also take vitamin tablets daily so that I make sure I have them in my body.

I am by no means a dermatologist or am saying every product and tip will work for/ in the same way for your skin! This is what works for me and is my opinion that made my skin better! 

I know what it's like to have bad skin and trust me it will get better. I hope this helped some people who are looking for new ways to help their skin!

What is your best product/ tip for healthy and clear skin?

Amie ♥