Skin Diaries

 Hello and Happy Sunday!

I thought for this week's post I'd do an updated 'Skin Diaries' entry, and hopefully I'll try to do these more frequently this year.

Looking back over the photos that I took of my skin back in February last year I am SHOOCK. I cannot believe how sore my skin was and the progress that I've made. I still get the occasional hormonal spot (as I write this my chin is NOT enjoying wearing masks right now). But it's so much clearer than it has been in the past. still suffer with the occasional eczema flair up, but I know how to avoid these getting out of control.

I think a lot of what has helped me is getting into a good skincare routine with the right products. You don't want to overwhelm your skin and making sure you've got the right product for your skin type is important too. I'm no expert and I've only learnt through reading and watching content online, so what has worked for me may not work for you!

I thought I'd do a run down of a few products which I think have really helped my skin and ones that I just buy again and again. I'll also share some general tips which continue to help my skin too. Perhaps in another post I'll share my morning and evening skincare routines.

T I P S   A N D   T R I C K S

Firstly, and I mentioned this in my 2021 goals, I honestly find that drinking more water has huge benefits in looking after my skin. But I'm SO bad at it. Everyday I know I need to drink more water so I'm trying to stick at that a little more in this new year. It especially hydrates my dry eczema prone skin. I find it hardest through the winter months as I guess I don't find myself as thirsty, so don't find myself remembering to get a drink as often as I do through summer. I'm working on it.

I also change my pillow cases regularly as I know they can get a build up of germs and dirt the longer we sleep on them. Such a nice feeling having fresh bedding.

Ok how do I wash my face and keep it clean? A lot of my pals know I swear by the Bodyshop Cammomile cleansing butter because honestly I just love it. I use it as a second cleanse both morning and evening, by spreading it with my hands all over my face. It get's rid of eye make up too so if I'm feeling lazy in an evening I'll only do one cleanse to get the day's dirt gone. After massaging it all over I then use a clean flannel and wipe it away. It feels so kind on my skin and it's easy to massage and remove. My skin wouldn't thank me for a harsh exfoliating cleanser!

Another product which I love is the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which contains salicylic acid. I realise that if you're new to the skincare world, putting acid on your skin might sound horrendous. But no. This is a Liquid exfoliant which means it helps to gently shed dead skill cells from the top layer of your skin and takes down any reddening from inflamed acne. It has definitely shrunk pores around my nose and on my cheeks and has helped to even my skin tone after suffering with more severe acne last year. What I love about this product is that you can get a smaller bottle for £8 to see how you get on before purchasing the more pricey full size bottle. For me it has 100% been worth it.

Next up I have my moisturiser which I have used for YEARS. Throughout my teens I'd just use the cream recommended by the doctor on my face and honestly never found something that I truly loved for my face. My mother in law used to work at a doctors and she was given lots of testers of Aveeno cream and I tried it for a few days and found that it was so gentle and didn't sting, like a lot of the moisturisers I've tried in the past. I use it every morning and evening and sometimes through the day if I need it. Its so good for sensitive and dry skin.

Now this next point might seem a tad ridiculous because of the lack of sunshine we're experiencing in the UK right now, but I always follow my moisturiser with sun cream, factor 50. Use of acids can cause your skin to be more susceptible to the sun so it's all the more important to keep protected. I'm currently using one from the Bodyshop but honestly I think any suncream will do, as long as it's a high factor. Although the sun is great it can be so dangerous. Look after your face.

I do find that occasionally my eczema feels sore on my forehead and I use a stronger ointment from the doctors to keep any further infection and dryness away. At the moment I'm also struggling with patches of eczema on the rest of my body, and just using Aveeno on these problem areas. As I've mentioned I know that I need to keep drinking which will help both of these issues!

I really hope this has been helpful, I'd love to hear about products that you are loving right now or things that have helped you with your skin in the past.

Thankyou for reading!

Emily xx