Back 2 Basics

I recently found my skin having a major meltdown on me, it was breaking out whilst also being flaky and dry. I've been trying out a lot of different products in the past few weeks and I figured it would be best to take my skincare back to the basics. These are the few products I always go back to when my skin is acting up.


My first step in my basic skin care routine is a cleansing balm, the Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm to be precise. This is a thick balm that I use to breakdown and remove make up and dirt from my skin, this is super gentle but also effective and I find that a balm also replaces some of lost oils from my skin.

I have two face washes that I go to in these desperate skin times. The first face wash of choice for these times is The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Face Wash, this is so gentle that it doesn't irritate my skin but also makes sure my face is left clean but not stripped. This is a night creamy wash that smells lovely. The second skin saviour face wash is the Kaeso Beauty Rebalancing Mallow & Cucumber Cleanser, this is a super gentle and soft lotion cleanser that cleanses the skin without drying it out. I usually just go for whichever one of these is in reach as they're both perfect for sensitive irritated skin.

I never understood the hype with Bioderma so I never gave it a shot but when all these other brands brought out their own versions I tried a few out and fell in love with the Garnier Micellar Water. This is so gentle but removes all those last traces of make up from around my eyes after my usual cleanse, I've actually dispensed this into a strange nail varnish remover bottle I got off eBay after seeing Lily Melrose's post about it here. I find this bottle a lot easier to use as opposed to having to tip the solution onto a cotton pad you can just place the cotton pad over the dispenser top and push down to release the solution, genious!

After having thoroughly cleansed my skin I like to go in with the Lush Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water, I like to spray this onto a cotton pad and then wipe it all across my face and neck. I don't like to go to strong with the toner when my skin is aggrevaited so this is gentle enough to fill in that toner step without stripping my skin and drying it out. I've also tipped some of this into a smaller bottle with a finer mist so that I can carry it around in my bag for a little skin pick me up when I'm out and about.

I then go in with my Balance Active Formula Hyaluronic 554 Youth Serum, I use this nearly every day because it helps keep my skin soft and hydrated; I've also found this serum helps to heal blemishes a hell of a lot faster than usual. I've said this before but this serum is all I hoped Hydraluron would be but for a fraction of the price, I mentioned this in my Things I Couldn't Live Without post here.



Next I go in with Soap & Glory's Dr Spot, this is my go to over the counter spot treatment; it contains saliclyic acid and witch hazel. I only put this directly onto blemishes as I don't want to dry out the whole of my skin, I always make sure the rest of my skin is thoroughly moisturised because this treatment can be a bit drying.

To counteract the dryness in my skin I need a good moisturiser so I go for the Kaeso Beauty  Balm Mint & Cotton Hydrating Moisturiser which is seriously hydrating but light enough not to smother the skin, this little beauty is everything I could ask for in a moisturiser and it smells heavenly. Since finding the Kaeso Beauty in Blush in Loughborough I've come to realise they have a lot of amazing products in the range, they have multiple lines depending on your skin needs which can be mix and matched depending on what you're feeling.

I also think an important part of skincare is face masks, my favourite when my skin is acting up is the Dr Organic Manuka Honey Face Mask which is deep cleaning but also has manuka honey to aid healing. This is so gentle but also antibacterial at the same time, it's also not a mask that sets to a hard tight feel so it's easy to remove without pulling the skin.

The main thing that is important when you're having skin trouble is to fight the problem from the inside, I take a lot of vitamins anyway to help with my Fibromyalgia Syndrome but when my skin is being naughty I pull in the big guns. I up my intake of Evening Primrose Oil and Omega 3 Fish Oil to give my skin some extra nourishing oils and to stop my skin over producing oil to make the skin greasy. I already take Selinium and Folic Acid but these are something I'd suggest taking if you are having trouble with your skin as they can truely help.