Sorry for only just getting back to you - it’s been on my mind but kept getting distracted. Ok I’ll share
AM:
Cleanse with La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
Spray my face with Elemis Ginseng Rehydrating toner (sometimes if I want to save money i’ll use a rose water from ebay - can link if you want but was recommended this by a derm)
Whilst my skin is DAMP !!!! I put eye cream on - I use the Inkey List caffeine eye cream which I like but would like to try something else maybe and then Hado Labo super hydrating lotion on my skin whilst still damp as this really helps the moisture (i really love this!)
Then on alternate days I’ll do one of the following next - If i’ve used retinol the night before I’ll use a vitamin C as this is meant to be beneficial - currently just got a superdrug one but also really like the inkey list vitamin C but I’d like to try the Summer Fridays one eventually but spenny. Or I’ll use a little bit of niacinamide by superdrug again
or some Paula’s choice BHA just in the palm of my hands and patted in (the niacinamide or BHA depends on what i’m upto or how my skin is at the time)
Then I follow with Weleda skin food which is definitely not designed for my skin type (combo) but it’s made a huge difference, I love it. Ive been prone to replacing my moisturizer with an oil some mornings as I just love it hahaha i use either Pai rosehip oil or elemis superfood oil
Then always, always, always SPF 50 - I’m using la roche posay anthelios one at the moment but I loooooooove the Elizabeth Arden city smart prevage one as it has a lovely tint and glow - tend to use that more in the summer/spring months but it is expensive too.
Night time my routine as follows:
Cleanse - Majority of the time I’ll use the elemis rose cleansing balm as a first cleanse
Double cleanse - la roche posay effaclar duo, I double cleanse every night as you should if you wear SPF too. I never stray from these two cleansers, so a balm and a gel into foam cleanser.
Then on nights where I use a retinol I’ll do the following -
Spray with the mists mentioned in my AM routine and then whilst damp i use Retinol eye cream by inkey list and then retinal - I use the medik 8 crystal retinal i’m on number 6 i think? I love this, you don’t need loads and just pat into the skin. I do this every 2-3 nights, I just read my skin really. I let this sit for 20 mins before I apply anything else. Then I’ll apply niacinamide and then the hado labo super hydrating lotion and follow with the weleda skin food again.
On the nights where I don’t use retinol, I will spray my mist and do eye cream and the hado labo and then following with moisturiser and then one of the oils I mentioned and i’ll roller that into my face or instead of spraying i’ll sometimes 1-2 times a week use some Paula’s choice BHA lotion on a cotton pad over my face then the hado labo then moisturiser.
That’s generally it, it works really well for me and took me ages to find something that I love and has benefitted me. As I say, I really just read my skin to see what I feel like it needs! But it makes me feel really good
I used to never use oils thinking they’d make my skin more oily but they don’t - my skin type has changed so much over the last year I’m more dry-combo rather than combo-oily now. I get a lot of compliments about my skin now which is lovely after struggling
If you’ve got dehydrated skin I reallt recommend the spray & hado labo onto skin whilst damp. I sleep on a silk pillow case too!
Another thread on here as got me considering buying a LED at home mask from Current Body
Retinol only use at night, in the day use something different as retinol increases your sensitivity to light hence the recommended for SPF too
