My recommended facial oils for dry, combination/normal & oily skin types

Facial oils can do wonders for your skin. However, knowing you skin type is really important when choosing a facial oil in order to keep your skin happy and perfectly balanced.

I get asked a lot of questions regarding facial oils for different skin types so here are some of my recommendations for those with dry, combination/normal and oily skin types!

Dry skin

The Body Shop - Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil (£15)

Pai – Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil (£22)

Clarins - Santal Face Treatment Oil (£33)

Decleor - Aromessence Marjolaine Oil Serum (£44)

Josie Maran -  100% Pure Argan Oil (£39.50)

 

Combination/normal skin

Kiehls -  Midnight Recovery Concentrate (£36)

Emma Hardie - Brilliance Facial Oil (£31)

REN - Vita Mineral Omega 3 Supreme Skin Face Oil (£25)

Aurelia - Cell Repair Night Oil (£45)

Clarins-  Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil (£33)

NUXE -Huile Prodigieuse Multi Usage Dry Oil (£17)

Oily skin

 

Sunday Riley - Artemis (£66) 

Manuka Doctor - Normalising facial oil (£19.99)

Clarins - Lotus Face Treatment Oil (£33)

Dr. Hauschka Normalizing Day Oil (£25.50)

AromaWorks - Balance Face Serum Oil (£45)

Acid exfoliators.. where have you been all my life?!

I have spent many years of my life thinking my skin would only be really clean by using an abrasive exfoliator. Until only quite recently, I have realised that it has actually been doing my skin more harm then good. Whenever I used an exfoliator with beads/particles, my skin was nearly always left red and irritated. I don’t have particularly sensitive skin so I never really knew why that happened. It was also the reason that I had little bumps just under my skin, I would continue to use the exfoliator to try to get rid of these… a never ending cycle really! On top of that all that, scrubbing my skin made any existing blemishes more tender which nearly always lead to scarring as a result… great(!)

 A little while ago I just stopped using abrasive exfoliators altogether. I finally realised that more gentle, but effective, cleansers would make my skin feel clean and refreshed but never left feeling stripped or tight. Balm and oil cleansers removed with a muslin/flannel in the evening and cream or gel cleansers (some foaming cleansers.. not all!) in the morning are now my skincare routine essentials. It took me a while to get used to not literally scrubbing my face, years of habit I guess! I have to admit, I did recently buy the ‘indeed labs powdered exfoliator’ and even though this is a very gentle exfoliator I have noticed my old skincare concerns starting to appear again.

 Nowadays I choose to exfoliate my skin by using liquid products which contain AHA’s (glycolic and lactic acids) and BHA’s (salicylic acid). If you have read my post on Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold (containing glycolic acid) you will know how much this has transformed my skin. I still continue to use it every other night and definitely notice a difference if I don’t use it for a while. Everyone who reads Caroline Hiron’s blog will know how much she raves about acid exfoliators.. and she is never wrong! They really are the most effective way of brightening and smoothing skin by sweeping away dead skin cells. As some acid exfoliators can be quite potent, your skin may feel quite tingly but should never feel burnt. Therefore, if you do have sensitive skin then I would suggest using mild versions of BHA’s to begin with.  It’s also really important to hydrate the skin after use as well as using an SPF on top during the day (this should be done anyway!). Below are some products that I have used and/or would recommend;

 

Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold (obviously!) - £31 for 100ml/£45 for 200ml

Clearasil daily clear superfruit refreshing pads (I like to press these pads on my skin as opposed to swipe it across my face.. they are a bit scratchy!) - £3

Clinique’s mild clarifying lotion (a very gentle but effective exfoliator, keeps the skin balanced) - £16.50

Biologique Recherché's Lotion P50 - £52 (the ultimate acid exfoliator! Quite hard to get hold of, but you can order it through BR’s UK website)

 Nip+Fab's glycolic fix night pads extreme - £15 (currently on offer ar Boots for half the price)

Pixi's glow tonic (an afforardble but highly rated product) - £18

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner  (to be used once or twice a week) - £25

First aid beauty's facial radiance pads (can be used daily) -  £22 for 60 pads 

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant - £18

I hope you found this post helpful! As always I would love to read your thoughts and comments! :) 

Xoxo 

Mini review: Clearasil Refreshing Superfruit Pads

I first heard about these pads from the skincare guru that is Caroline Hirons and soon started to see other skincare bloggers use them too. I haven’t used a Clearasil product in a few years, I always associated them with only catering for teenage/spotty/oily skin types so I thought it would just be too harsh and overly drying for my skin. However, I saw them on eBay for £2.50 (including delivery) and quickly snapped them up!

 

The product is described as ‘gentle exfoliating pads help prevent blemishes for radiant skin day after day.  Containing a blend of raspberry & cranberry extracts, known for their antioxidant properties and Vitamin B3.  These exfoliating pads are infused with a refreshing fragrance you will enjoy using every day’. The formula also has 1% salicylic acid included.

 

The pads come in a tub and are pre-soaked with an exfoliating ‘waffle’ like texture. There is a quite a strong fruity scent which some may be put off by but I personally don’t find it offensive. They are suitable to use morning and evening but I only really tend to use them in the morning after cleansing as they feel refreshing on the skin. They do a good job of gently treating any current blemishes (with the help of the salicylic acid) and keeps the skin in a nicely balanced and smooth too. I don’t find these pads to be drying, instead my skin feels quite soft and plump after use. There’s a slightly sticky feeling at first but this soon goes away and gives a really nice base for layering your moisturiser on top. My only gripe is that the texture of the pad is quite rough so it feels scratchy.  I therefore dab the pad on my skin on rather than swipe it across my face. I like to hold down the pad on any blemishes to let it really soak in.

 

Overall, I am impressed with this product by Clearasil, it’s great to see an effective formula at a budget price making it amazing value for money. If you are new to acid exfoliating/toning, I would really recommend them and they are gentle too so would suit most skin types.

As always, please feel free to leave any comments of questions!

XoXo

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

I was lucky enough to win the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm in a giveaway contest by Beauty By The Geeks (I love their blog and Instagram page too!)

I have used it roughly every night for 3 weeks now so I thought a review on this was much needed. This cleansing balm claims be ‘a balanced daily cleanser that thoroughly cleanse deep in the pores, moisturises and calms all skin types. Grape Seed Oil and sweet almond oil rich in essential fatty acids help to plump and soften. Moringa seed extract, wild sea fennel and vitamin E balance, purify and help to minimise the appearance of open pores. Essential oils of orange, neroli and mandarin rejuvenate and revitalise the skin whilst calming the senses. Jasmine and rose help to recondition dull, dry, dehydrated and mature skins'. 

 The product comes in a heavy glass jar which looks and feels luxurious. I quite like that you can see all of the product and you can scrape every bit out of it too! The texture is quite solid when cold but becomes much softer when its warmed up in the hands. The scent is quite heavy with the main ingredient, moringa. This along with other flower and plant ingredients makes it smell very exotic and reminds me of India strangely! To use the balm, I take a small amount and lightly warm it in my hand before applying it to my face. The consistency then turns to what is very similar to an oil and massages into the skin beautifully. As I use it in the evening, I like to take to take a bit of extra time to really work it into my skin. The product comes with a cleansing cloth which is dual sided, one side is muslin which is to exfoliate dry, thickened and congested areas and the other side is micro-fibre for more delicate areas. I really like this cloth and its great quality too and it is perfect for removal. That being said, on days where I put this cloth in the wash, I use other muslin clothes that I have accumulated and they seem to do a pretty decent job too.

As the product claims to lift and sculpt the face, it’s key to use the cloth certain way and this is in a upwards motion from your chin to your temple. You really want to swipe upwards in all areas of the face as well as the neck too, this goes with any cleansing balm really. I have noticed that my face does seem slightly more sculpted and toned but I wouldn’t say this is one of the balms main highlights. The things I love are...

• One of the best products to use when you want to give yourself a good facial massage and is honestly a pleasure to use
• Does a great job of removing all make up and it is gentle enough to use around the eye and lip area too
• Cleanses and purifies the skin perfectly without being harsh or irritating the skin
• Provides just the right amount of moisture and plumpness to my skin
• Doesn’t leave an oily/tacky residue (if removed properly!)
• Rejuvenates the appearance my skin and leaves me with a beautifully clean glow
• After continued use, my skin is left smoother, more clarified and with an improvement in my skins texture
• For days when you really need it (or for extra dry skin types),  you can use it as a deep hydration treatment mask by just leaving it on the skin for 10 mins

I think there quite a lot to love really! However, I do have some slight niggles. There are some days where I just feel this is slightly too heavy for my skin. It is summer right now and I do have combination skin (more oiler then dry) and there a days where I want my skin to feel fresh and not so deeply nourished. I think that this will be fantastic the winter where this is much more needed! I have read some reviews that due to all the essential oils, it may cause you to have breakouts. I (touch wood!) haven’t had this problem as my skin wouldn’t be classed as ‘blemish prone’ and it’s not very sensitive either.  As everyone has different skin and it reacts differently to products, I can’t really guarantee that this won’t give you spots but it’s worth checking out to see if you may have any reactions or allergies to the ingredients before you decide to purchase it.  

For those with oilier skin types, I believe that you can still use this product but just more sparingly. I would never recommend anything that strips the skin of every single bit of oil, your skin will just produce more oil to compensate and your left with more oilier skin than you had in the first place. The aim with any cleanser is to balance the oils in the skin, whatever your skin type. The main reason why I use it in the evening is that it does require the extra effort to really get the benefits. I personally don’t have time in the morning for the application and removal processes involved! So if you are after a totally fuss-free cleanser then I’m not sure you will appreciate the time you will have to spend using this. 

As I mentioned, I didn’t have to pay for this product but if I did it would cost me £38 for 100ml. Obviously this is not cheap and if you are in the habit of buying cleansers for a couple of quid then this may seem very steep or just out of your budget. That being said, I do think the product will last you quite some time. In the time that I have used it, I have made just a little dent in it. I would guesstimate that if I used it once on a daily basis then it would last me between 4 to 6 months, which is pretty good in my books. You don’t have to use it every day like I do, even 2 or 3 times a week will really help to improve your skin, this way it will last you even longer too! If you really want to try this cleanser but aren’t quite ready to splurge £38 on this cleansing balm, it may be worth considering trying the ‘starter kit’ which contains a smaller size of the balm (50ml), the cloth and a 15ml age support treatment cream. I just had a look online and M&S are currently offering this starter kit for £18.40 (usually £23) on their website which is very good value for money!

To conclude this review, whilst I really do enjoy using this cleansing balm and works beautifully for my skin, I’m not 100% sure if I would immediately repurchase it after I run out. I love trying out new products and there are still many balms I would really like to try out (such as Eve Lom)… butif all else fails and I’m left feeling disappointed at least I know I can come back to this one!

Hope you found this helpful, if you have any questions, suggestion or comments I would love to read them below!

X0x0

Alpha-H Liquid Gold - Perfect skin in a bottle

I follow many skincare and beauty bloggers and I have seen the Alpha H Liquid Gold mentioned everywhere! I did my research on the benefits and also it's ingredients and having read so many reviews that raved about this product that I just had to try it.

 

The product is described as ‘A powerful overnight serum. An 'overnight facial', the pioneering formula is a phenomenal, leave on, 'sleep in' liquid peel, which swiftly (and dramatically) revitalises dulled, ageing skin that's lost its lustre, whilst gradually lessening the visibility of fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, blackheads, blemishes, pigmentation, scarring and redness. In fact, there's virtually nothing this skin care miracle can't accomplish.’ 

It's basically a chemical exfoliation which resurfaces the skin using acids so it's different to a scrub exfoliator which contains particles or beads. I much prefer using a chemical exfoliator as I find a scrub exfoliator too abrasive, it makes my blemishes more red and sore. I'm also more likely to get scarring as the skin gets damaged in the process. Alpha H state that it is intended for ‘mature, sun damaged, prematurely ageing and acne-scarred skin’ but I would say it is suitable for all skin types except those with sensitive skins.

 

With a description like that, needless to say, I had very high expectations. I decided to go for the 200ml size (priced  at £44.95) and I purchased it online from Beauty Bay, and yes I know, it’s not cheap! Firstly, I love the packaging. The bottle has smooth matte finish and feels premium. The product dispenses via a pour cap which lets to control how much you want to use, you wouldn’t want any to go to waste believe me! It is a clear liquid with quite a strong acidic smell which is to be expected as it contains glycolic acid as well as liquorice extract. To use the product, you simply pour onto a cotton ball/pad and sweep across the face and neck area too. I like to press down my cotton pad for a few seconds longer on my problem areas. To get the maximum benefits, it’s best not to follow with any product such as a serum or moisturiser on top. It is recommended by Alpha H that you use the product in the evening for 3 to 4 times a week, or every other night. I must admit it is addictive and you may be tempted to use it more regularly but as it’s so potent it best to follow this recommendation. I would also like to highlight the importance of protecting your skin with SPF products, you should be doing this any way but it’s even more essential if you are using this product. I recently had a microdermabrasion facial so I stopped using the liquid gold for a while beforehand as it’s probably not a good idea to put my skin through a chemical peel and then blast it with an abrasive treatment on top! 

Now let’s talk about my experience of using the product for nearly a month now. On the nights which I use the liquid gold, I like to use a really mild cleanser before applying the product. The first time I used it I definitely felt it tingling away on my face! That same feeling occurs every time I use it and must admit sometimes it does get quite intense but it soon goes away. On the morning of the first night using the product, I was very impressed. I honestly don’t think I have come across a product that had worked so well and so quickly too! My skin appeared much more brighter and radiant and if did an amazing job of smoothing and refining my skin. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to use it again.

 

Just before I started using the product, I had lumps on my forehead, I mean actual lumps! They were unlike any blemishes I had before, they were so stubborn and refused to either come up or go down and this went on for a couple of weeks (I blame it on having a recent diet of an excessively indulgent food !). However, it all changed after I used the liquid gold. It took a few applications but it totally got rid of these lumps and left no dark spots whatsoever. I really wasn't expecting this to happen and I realised that was worth every penney I spent on it! I also noticed what a wonderful job it has done on a few dark spots on my skin. I had a mark from a blemish near my cheek area which has been around for months but just a few weeks of using this product it's almost invisible now. It's really great to know that when I get a blemish, I have a product which will work its magic on making it disappear! The overall texture of my skin is now soft, smooth and looks as though it's been polished! My skin is looking the best it has been for a long time and I still notice a glow every morning when I use it. 

Have I raved about it enough yet?? In amongst all the love I have for this product, I have just one thing which makes me every so slightly disappointed. I have noticed that it does make my skin more oilier then usual. I think others have experienced this too. I'm not sure why this happens and how to stop it but luckily I don't have very oily skin so I can get away with using a mattifying primer or powder on top. However, I have also read that it's works really well for oily skin types so I really think it depends how your skin behaves when using it. 

As you can probably tell, I can't recommend the liquid gold enough! I think everyone should have a bottle and have the pleasure of using it just like I do. 

I hope that this product review has been helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions, I would love to read your comments and experiences too!

Xoxo 

Disappointing products – Soap & Glory Face Soap and Clarity, Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and DermaE Overnight Peel

In amongst my many face washes, I have Soap & Glory’s Face Soap and Clarity face wash. I bought this product as a last-minute purchase at the airport to use during a short break to Athens.  The product is described as being a ‘3-in-1 daily face wash with ultra-soft, jojoba scrub-beads, plus super-tasking vitamins, minerals, amino acids and Soap & Glory’s exclusive YUZU complex. It cleans and purifies skin, effortlessly removes make-up, and gently exfoliates.’ It also claims to include pigmentation-preventing antioxidants and is strategically formulated for oily/combination skin. I don’t particularly have oily skin but thought it would be good for my husband to use.  

The product has quite a strong scent, it’s minty and quite chemically in my opinion. Whilst it does contain jojoba beads intended to exfoliate the skin, there doesn’t seem to be many of them and are much too soft to be effective. Whenever I use this product I just feel like it is very superficial in that it doesn’t do anything to benefit my skin and it leaves it dry, tight and dull looking (the same can be aid for my husband’s experience of using it too). At the time I had a couple of blemishes, I thought the product would help to clear these up slightly but it really didn’t do anything at all. It also does a bad job of removing my make-up as my towel has traces of make-up on it after washing my face…don’t even think about getting it near your eyes it won’t do anything except really sting! As for the pigmentation preventing antioxidants, I can’t say that I have found this to be true either.  I honestly can’t think of one positive point about this product, unfortunately I think it will just sit on my shelf and maybe used in an extreme skincare emergency.  

My next disappointing product is Mario Badescu’s drying lotion. I gave into the hype about how great this product was and decided to give it a go. It is made up of calamine, sulphur and salicylic acid so it’s potent stuff.  It’s a strange formula with a watery substance and a pink sediment-like texture at the bottom of a small glass bottle. You have to dip a cotton bud into the pink stuff at the bottom and apply it directly to your spot. It’s supposed to working by shrinking the blemish by drawing out impurities from the skin. I have used it a few times now and I’m not really impressed by it. It does slightly dry the skin which helps the healing process but it hardly did anything to reduce the size of the blemish. Another thing is that it seems to come off quite quickly, it forms a bit of a crusty layer but I have found that it’s pretty much all gone after I wake up the next day so I’m not sure it stays on long enough to really be effective. As it is so potent, if you don’t like strong smells I think it will put you off wanting to use this. I honestly think the Freederm’s fast track treatment gel and Neutrogena’s visibly clear rapid clear treatment do a better job at reducing the redness and size of my blemishes, plus they have a transparent gel consistency so I can use them during the day unlike this product (I don’t really go for the ‘pink splodges on my face’ look!).  I will probably use it up but I doubt very much I would purchase it again. 

Lastly, it is Derma E Overnight Peel. Paula’s Choice has given this product 4 stars and calls it a ‘well-formulated AHA lotion with 5% glycolic acid plus lower amounts of the lesser-known AHA ingredients lactic and malic acids, all formulated at an effective pH of 3.’  It claims to reveal dramatically fresher, newer skin. With every use, skin tone becomes more radiant, pigmentation is evened and age spots are visibly diminished. I saw this product on Amazon for about £12 so I thought, given the great review, I would purchase it. It is a gel formula which is to be applied as your last step in your evening skincare routine. I definitely felt it tingling on my skin and so I thought that it must be doing something, I had high hopes and used it on a regular basis as recommend. Every time I used it, I woke up in the morning hoping to see some improvements to my skin, even though I really tried to be positive about it, I really couldn’t tell a difference in my skin even after regular use. It did nothing to renew my skin or help with pigmentation in the slightest and I just couldn’t understand what benefits came from using it. As a result, I hardly ever use this peel now (sometimes I use it to give it another chance) and I have come across far superior overnight peel products which are more expensive but they actually work.  Note to self… Paula isn’t always right! 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? 

Xoxo

Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser

Due to the enormous popularity of Liz Earle’s hot cloth cleanser, many have followed suit including Superdrug with their Vitamin E version. I really like the Vitamin E range in Superdrug as it is so affordable compared with other similar products.  I tried looking on the Superdrug website for this cleanser but I only found the ‘Naturally Radiant’ hot cloth cleanser which differs from this one. I bought mine store for £4.99 and its comes in a 200ml tube.

 

This cleanser has a very thick and creamy consistency which feels lovely when massaging into the skin. I believe it is most effective when used on a dry to damp face and it is gentle enough to use around the eyes and lip area too. After applying to the cleanser, you remove it with the muslin cloth (this comes with the product), I like to soak mine in very hot water and just leave it on my face for a little while before gently removing the cleanser with it. Some people have commented on the smell but I don’t find it particularly offensive (it’s like sunscreen and coconuts apparently?), I use some potent stuff on my face so this doesn’t bother me in the slightest!

 

Whenever I use hot cloth cleansing balms, not just this one, what I find really annoying is the fact that need to wash the cloth very often. Personally, I really don’t like to using the cleanser on a full face of make up as the cloth gets so dirty that I hate using the cloth again with it going in the washing machine first! To ensure that my cloth doesn’t get so gross, I like to remove the majority of makeup beforehand with either a makeup remover or wipes (the only time when I use wipes!!) and then follow it with the cleanser. Whilst this is an extra process, this way my skin is super clean and the cloth can be used for longer as it isn’t full of makeup.

 

I think it does I good job of making my skin feel refreshed, smooth and nourished, it has helped to improve the overall texture of my skin too. It contains some really great ingredients in addition to the Vitamin E which makes it suitable for all skin types. I like to use it in the evening because it so gentle and it’s very much needed before I apply my AHA Liquid Gold (review on this coming soon!).

 

The amount of product you get is amazing for the price and I would definitely recommend this product if you are new to hot cloth cleansers and are interesting in seeing how they work for your skin.

 

Which hot cloth cleansers are your favs? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

 

Xoxo