I go through phases with skincare. Sometimes I cannot think of a worst way to spend my time than faffing about with make-up removal and serum application, and I can just about muster the energy to use a couple of wet wipes (I DO NOT RECOMMEND) but then I go through the complete opposite where I find love in skincare and take true pleasure in the indulgent smugness that comes with feeling as if you’re taking great care of your skin. I’m enjoying the latter at the moment, so long may it last! I think it’s due to the fact that I’m using some seriously good products at the moment, some of which I’ve already told you about, others I’ll share with you soon and today I’ll tell you about the products that make up the majority of my morning skincare routine, courtesy of Skinceuticals.
Before I share with you the products from the brand that I’m using and loving, I want to quickly cover what I feel is a really good point that has been raised a few times in my skincare research: Good skin needs more than just good skincare. By this I mean, to really ensure skin is performing at it’s optimum peak, you need to not only follow a good skincare routine, you also need to have regular treatments that compliment your routine. This is an approach that the Americans and the French have had for years (if you consider how common a personal dermatologist is in America) yet for some reason in the UK it hasn’t taken off in the same way. By treatments I mean anything from power facials for skin in need of a boost, to laser treatments for Acneic skins, most reputable skin diagnosticians (such as the bods at Sk:n) are no longer comfortable recommending a course of treatment independent of a solid skincare routine, or vice versa. This was really drummed home during a visit to Sk:n a few weeks ago where we had a talk on the future of skincare, and whilst this is in no way a review of Sk:n clinics, I have visited them quite a few times and do rate them highly for their advanced knowledge and skilled employees, so they’re worth getting in touch with if you’re interesting in finding out more about a dual approach to skin maintenance.
Now on to the products! Being a Beauty Blogger I am horrendously fickle, which often means I find a very good product/s rant and rave about how great it is, then move on…this happened with the Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense range which I wrote about way back in the day when I’d only been blogging for a few months. The range is awesome and if you’re spot-prone, do check it out; here’s my original review. Because my skin is a bit crazy at the moment due to pregnancy, I was looking for products that would settle my skin without being too aggressive, so I was recommend the Serum 10, Retexturing Activator and Mineral Radiance UV Defense as well as the Clarifying Clay Masque for maintenance. I will be reviewing a couple of the products individually soon, but to give you a quick idea, the Serum 10 is an antioxidant that really brings home the ‘smug-factor’ as it’s a preventative product, meaning that by using this you’re planning ahead and helping your skin fight the good fight against all sorts of nasties such as carcinogens. Retexturing Activator is absolutely gorgeous and a fabulous way to add a bit of gentle exfoliation to your morning routine. Results are seriously speedy and this very quickly moved to near the top of my favourite skincare products list. The Mineral Radiance UV Defense didn’t blow my mind, but then why would it? Does any really rave about SPFs? I can say that it sinks in very well, doesn’t give me spots and the tint helps conceal redness, so it isn’t a product I get overly excited about, but it does contain an SPF of 50 whilst appearing to do an effective job at sun protection. The mask is just a pot of dreamy, creamy goodness; it’s how clay masks should feel! I’ll be reviewing it fairly soon so I won’t say anymore, but gosh is it lovely to use.
The products above make up the bulk of my morning routine; I use the Konjac Sponge to cleanse with and I’m still using Clinique’s improved Dramatically Different Plus, as I’m still struggling to beat it, and in between that I use the Serum 10 (2 drops), Retexturing Activator (barely 2 drops; the directions recommend up to five drops but you definitely don’t need that many!), Clinique moisturiser and lastly the UV Defense. Add to this my pretty hardcore nighttime routine and I’m actually doing a lot of skincare at the moment, but I’m really enjoying it and I look forward to it, so hopefully these good feelings will continue as even though I’m still spotty, you can definitely see huge improvements in my skin and I’m a lot happier with it’s texture and clarity; pictures soon! For more information on Skinceuticals visit their website here – link – or pop in to a Sk:n clinic for recommendations; find your nearest here – link.
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Great review – sounds like a very interesting product range! Xx
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