Best of 2017: Skincare

2017 was a great year for my skin, as I finally got the horrible, heavy breakouts under control, which allowed me to start branching out and trying skincare that didn’t solely focus on fighting spots.  Annoyingly, as the acne left, rosacea took it’s place, but to be honest, I find the rosacea a lot easier to handle than the spots, plus the skincare is much nicer! Therefore, my main focus in skincare is keeping things relatively gentle, soothing and hydrating, which is reflected in my skincare favourites of 2017.

The Jan Marini BioGlycolic Face Cleanser (£26 here – link) has been an absolute favourite of mine for years, and it’s still a strong feature in my skincare, although it’s pretty powerful, so I tend to use it less since the rosacea developed. Having said that, it’s pretty much unbeatable when it comes to a results-driven acid cleanser.  The ESPA Optimal Skin Cleanser (£32 here – link) is one of my big finds of 2017 as it’s just beautiful; gently exfoliating (and I mean really gentle!) thanks to the rounded beads housed within a nourishing balm – this gets used at least weekly and it’s particularly lovely when applied and left for a while whilst soaking in the bath. I’ve been raving about The Body Shop Aloe range and I was tempted to include the whole range in my list, but I’ll save that for another post! The first product in this feature is the Aloe Calming Toner (£7.50 here – link), which is exactly as it sounds: calming, gentle and lovely post-cleanse. The Cos Rx AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner (£17 here – link) is like the Goldilocks of acid toners, as it’s effective enough to provide a mild exfoliation, yet gentle enough to not upset my easily upset skin.  The Avon Anew Clinical Even Texture & Tone Advanced Resurfacing Peels (£15 here – link) were one of my most talked about skincare products in 2017, mainly because they’re phenomenal value for a truly great product. Annoyingly, they’re now a little too strong for me with my currently sensitive skin, but hopefully I’ll be able to add them back to my routine soon.

The treatment products have been mostly focused on hydrating and soothing, starting with the fantastic Skin79 AragoSpa Aqua Essence (£24.90 here – link), which is the perfect hydrating addition to any skincare routine as it provides just a touch more moisture, so if you have a routine that just needs a bit of tweaking, this is fab. When my skin is inflamed and nothing will help, the Alpha-H Vitamin E Serum (£29 here – link) comes to the rescue, providing light hydration in a wonderfully soothing formula.  The Gold Flash Firming Serum (£135 here – link) is another product that provides the perfect balance of hydrating and healing when skin is feeling a little upset.  The Paula’s Choice Resist Anti-Aging Multi-Correction Treatment (£37 here – link) really is the perfect product to address a multitude of issues, such as minor spots, pigmentation and dullness – if I had to pick one treatment product to use then this would be it.

Oh look! The Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly (£24.99 here – link)! I bet nobody expect that to be included in my list…This is another product I’ve mentioned so many times – I’ve replaced this amazingly light yet hydrating product more than any other product EVER – at the moment, my skin is struggling with the weather and needs a richer product, but I also keep a pot of this on the go and even now it still gets used weekly.  The Skin79 AragoSpa Aqua Gel Cream (£25.90 – link) is a lot like Moisture Jelly, in that it’s really light but still very hydrating – if you struggle to get the balance right between hydration and breakouts, pair this moisturiser with the aforementioned matching Essence for a big hit of moisture that won’t break you out.  I’ve just finished my second pot of the Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisturiser (£57 here – link) and I use it regularly, especially when I’ve using treatment products that I’m worried might dry out my skin a little, such as retinols.

FInally, a couple of masks, starting with my favourite night treatment that quickly reduces redness and inflammation – The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Rescue Cream Mask (£11 here – link) which totally calms skin, reducing breakouts and soothing sensitivity like nothing else.  The final product is the ESPA Essential Cleaning Mask (£32 here – link), which provides a deep cleanse whilst still leaving skin feeling hydrated and plump, so particularly great for skin types that can react to more traditional clay masks but still need a deep cleanse.