Seasonal Skin Care Finds…

A seasonal look back over my 2018 skincare favourites;

Spring – The Ordinary Retinol 1%. 2018 was the year I had my first foray into Retinols. As I sped towards the other side of 35 I decided to up the stakes in the skin care games and introduce some harder hitting ingredients to my routine. No longer confirmed to prescription products only, Retinols have really exploded onto the skin care scene in the past year and trickled down the market into more affordable high street priced products. The Ordinary has really cemented its place in the skincare world with its affordable, but high quality ingredients, with a paired down style to skin care, and it has covered all bases in terms of strength of Retinol products. I particularly like the fact that The Ordinary Retinol is placed in a carrier base of Squalene Oil, which is a really nourishing oil to help counteract any drying/peeling effects that Retinols can be know for, and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in skin texture and appearance after a year of using this product. This is no nonsense, no frills skincare and I’ve continued to love it throughout 2018. I think it’s fair to say Retinol products are going to feature highly in my skincare routine in 2019

Summer – Origins Tinted moisturiser. It’s not often I finish a skin care product and repurchase straight away but this is one product I can no longer be without and, whilst it is geared towards the summer months due to it SPF inclusion, my skin laps it up whatever the weather. It has a magical ability to perk up even the tiredest looking skin with its skin adapting pigments, and offers moisture without greasiness. I’ve said it before but I don’t think I’ve used a better tinted moisturiser and will never be without it. Coming in a close second is the Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow which is the same colour adapting concept, but with no SPF (if CT bring out an SPF version then I’d be hard pushed to choose between the two!)

Autumn – Dermalogica Pre Cleanse cleansing oil *. Teaming up with Dermalogical in 2018 was a bit of a skincare dream and something I couldn’t have imagined when I started out with my blog at the start of 2018. Dermalogica has offered amazing opportunities to try out new products and without this I would not have stumbled upon what is now my favourite cleansing oil of all time. This silky, non greasy oil obliterates even the most full face of make up with a couple of pumps, smells beautiful and rinses off to leave hydrated, glowy skin. If there is one skincare tip I would shout over and over again it would be to not steer away from oils if you have combination/oily skin. The rebalancing properties of oils is not an urban myth and I’m sure my years of using harsh, foaming cleansers contributed to my problematic skin in my teens and twenties. I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t use a product containing oils and my skin, touch wood, has been the most balanced and normal than it has in a long time. If you are in the market for a new cleanser this would be top of my list.

Winter – Pixi rose tonic. This was a surprise love for me and a discovery from the Marks and Spencers Beauty advent calender. I’m a bit blasé about using hard hitting products on my skin these days, years of acid toning and peels means that my skin is pretty hardy and rarely reacts adversely to products. However this backfired when I used an acid toner and then had a hot shower straight after – the combination of glycolic and heat really disagreed with my skin and I was redder than a squashed tomato for a good few hours. I’d disregarded this tonic from the Pixi line up as not having enough active (glycolic, retinol,) ingredients for me but it was beautifully soothing and calming on my inflamed skin and provided a dose of moisture and hydration just when it was needed. I’ve introduced this into my morning routine as a toning step, after cleansing, and am finding it has a plumping and glowing effect due to the glycerin and rose inclusion. A must have for anyone with sensitive skin, but also a lovely refreshing product in the morning for all skin types to prep the skin before moisturising.

Looking forward the next few months are all about getting my skin wedding ready – the perfect excuse to try out new products and treatments, watch this space!

Jess X

*Gifted as part of a collaboration with the lovely team at Dermalogica.