I’ve always been a stickler for my skincare routine. I think it was when I got the Revlon Book of beauty and a bottle of Clarins Face Cleanser and I was caught, hook, line and sinker.
A few key factors that have influenced my skin routine:
Time availability
Before I became a mother I used to spend a good amount of time on skincare each day, but with a small child, I found it hard to have that quiet time to remove makeup and apply my potions and lotions, so my regime became simple. Multi-purpose products were preferable, such as tinted moisturiser, night cream that didn’t need a serum, one moisturiser in place of day/night versions or tinted lip balm, as examples.
Now I am ageing more, and have more time, I can add back products to look after my skin, such as serums, masks, eye cream/gel, day and night cream.
My Daily Ritual:
Morning:
- Apply foaming cleanser in the shower (Jurlique Soothing Foaming Cleanser or Philosphy’s Renewed Hope In A Jar Foaming Cleanser)
2. Spritz face with Jurlique’s Lavender Hydrating Mist or apply to cotton pad like you would a toner.
3. Pat on generously, an SPF 30+ sunscreen. I use either the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Sunscreen or the other I like is is Ella Bache’s Great 50+ Facesaver Active.
4. Apply my eye cream. I like the Ella Bache Eternal Range Eye Creme for day as it is silky and doesn’t leave a film
During the day
I spray the Jurlique’s Lavender Hydrating Mist after applying touch up powder foundation, throughout the day, also using absorbant paper to remove shine.
Night
Brush lashes with the Too Faced Mascara Remover and then massage on the Purely Age-Defying Nourishing Cleansing Oil. Using a dark coloured face washer that is warm and damp and wipe it all off. Rinse and squeeze the face washer and wipe face again. Don’t scrub, be gentle.
Spray the Lavender Hydrating Mist over the face as a toner
2. Pat on a pre-moisturiser serum. I am currently enjoying the Laura Mercier Repair Serum, but I use a variety. One chemist brand was the Nude By Nature serum which has a very impressive list of ingredients. If you don’t want to spend a lot but want a pretty bottle with a great formulation.
3. Using your ring fingers, pat on several drops of eye cream/lotion or gel, to the under eye area. I love the L’Occitane Divine Eye Gel. Works a treat. I only use this at night as the formulate creates a film which, when rubbed, comes off.
4. Apply lip balm. Pawpaw Ointment is a great choice, as is Maybelline’s Baby Lips.
Stress
When we are stressed our body goes out of balance, and this can be reflected in our skin. You can get rashes, dark circles and breakouts just from stress. Learning to calm down is stressful situations is the key. We can’t control the world, we can only control how events affect us.
H2O
Are you hydrated? Dehydrated skin lacks radiance and fine lines and wrinkles become more noticeable. try to drink 6 – 8 glasses of water each day (I find it sooo boring, so I use a soda stream and infuse the water with the sugar-free Soda Stream “Zeros” Pink Grapefruit syrup to add it to make sure I drink enough). I also have a water bottle with me all the time to sip on. I also count herbal tea as a glass.
Products
Everyone says you don’t need expensive products to take care of your skin, and for the most part, this is true. I have always spent money on the best skincare I can afford and gone through the range of skincare from chemists (Garnier, L’Oreal, Avene, Nivea, Olay) through to high-end department stores, such as Myer (Lancome, Clarins, Clinique, Shiseido, Estee Lauder, L’Occitane) as well as speciality skincare concept stores such as Mecca and Sephora and online stores (Charlotte Tilbury, SkincareStore.com
It is important to do your own research on the best products to protect your skin and these days it is easy with so many online reviews. Be careful however and don’t believe everything you read, as many of these reviews are actually bogus or sponsored. Beauty Heaven is an invaluable source of information for example.
Being a graphic designer, I do love luxurious, inspiring packaging that shimmers, glimmers or glows on my dressing table, and it inspires me to use it, even when I am tired or running late, if it feels luxurious and smells divine. The routine becomes a ritual that sets the stage for bed, or the base for the day ahead. If the packaging and fragrance are lacklustre, something I have to do, not something I want to do. a cosmetic brand can’t even be bothered to make the packaging look great, then where else have they cut corners?
From the perspective of a marketing person, I don’t feel inspired to buy, let alone use the product religiously.I like being seduced by the product.
If a beauty brand hasn’t invested in quality branding or packaging with the end user in mind, did they cut corners with the formulation or will the packaging perhaps leak?
Suncare
A cosmetic chemist told me that the number one beautiful product to have in a routine is sunscreen, especially in Australia. Having worn it since I was 7, I have seen first hand what the sun can do, not just in terms of anti-ageing, but in terms of preventing cancer. Try to go for reputable companies with a good reputation, and avoid companies you haven’t heard of or that are really cheap. It pays to spend on sunscreen as the more expensive ones go a lot further, are better quality and, if made here in Australia, meet very high standards. Because my daughter has sensitive skin, we avoid The Cancer Council, Banana Boat, Coles, Woolworths and the budget end of the market, and opt for brands like Ella Bache (developed and manufactured here in Australia) or Neutrogena.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know a little about my skincare routine, if I’ve inspired anyone then it was worth writing. Don’t forget the last point: never, never, never sleep in your makeup!!!
