My Skin Care Routine

Hello Everyone,

As you can tell from the tittle this blog post is about my skin care routine. I'm no beauty blogger but I've seen a lot of posts about skin care and I like watching videos about othet people!s skin care routines. So I thought why not give it a go myself. An alternative title for this post should be "The Body Shop Vitamin E Range" because these are the products I use, but this isn't a review post. So if you want to know more about the Vitamin E range then keep reading. I talk about what I use, why I have this routine and how I learnt these products were right for me.

Finding Out My Skin Type: 

Before we begin I thought I'd tell you about how I figured out my skin type. It sounds simple enough right you can tell what your skin type is pretty easily right? Well.....for me it took a while. For one thing when I was a teenager all I needed was a good face wash and a moisterizer. I think I mainly used Simple as my facewash and Nivea soft cream. I pretty much used whatever my mum or sister used and it worked fine.

It wasn't until I hit 19-20 that things took a turn. I don't mean to sound so dramatic but having adult acne isn't fun for anyone. Suddenly, thr products I used to use no longer worked. So I tried out all the products other people recommended to deal with the acne. It ranged from Biore charcol face wash, Neutragina visibly clear pink grape fruit face wash, tea tree oil and even rubbing banana skin peels on my race. None of which worked by the way. It got to the point where my break out classified as "mild" adult acne. So I started taking antibiotics which helped. To add to that my moisterizer wasn't as effective as it once was, my mouth area including my chin was quite dry no matter what I used. Plus the breakouts I got there were just paindul. I mean I could feel them whenever I'd speak! I thought I had dry skin and needed products. But it turns out I had very very dry skin! In store they tested out my skin type with a special paper. But you can also have a skin diagnosis online. Here's what I was recommended:

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The Vitamin E products I was recommended on a blue and white sheet about the skin type test with black text. From left to right is the Vitamin E facial wash, hydrating toner and sleeping mask. Below the mask on the bottom right is the moisterizer and eye cream. All of which are in a light pink, with a white label with information about the product and name in black text on a background of a flower. The facial wash ans eye cream are in a tube rach and the mask and moisterizer are in tubs. Only the toner is in a dark pink translucent  bottle with a white label.

My Routine: 
Before I start going into my skin care routine, I thought I should let you know a few things. For one these products are what I use to look aafter my akin, not the acne. To deal with the acne I saw my GP and have been on antibiotics for it (Lymecuclyne to be exact) and at one point I also used a topical cream on the spots. I've been told that acne isn't something that will go away, there will be moments where it gets better and moments where iy gets worse. I can say from personal experience that's very true. I'm currently back on the antibiotics because I did go off them for a good while, then the acne came back in full force and I was prescribed the antibiotics again, along with a cream but now I just need the Lymecuclyne. So I'll probably be on and off medication for it until I'm 29 because adult acne can last between the ages 20 to 29, not just on your face but other areas of your body including your scalp. Just to add to that I know there are articles out there about signs of hormonal acne, but ALL acne is hormonal. 

Also I don't wear make up a lot so my everyday routine won't include any make up removers. To do that I usually use Simple wipes but have been trying out the body shop's Camomile Cleansing Butter and Waterproof Eye Make Up remover since I'm trying to be more environmentally friendly. By the way I will continue to use wipes if need be (like when removing smudged mascara) but I'll buy ones that are recyclable. Anyhow here's a step by step guide of my routin (spoiler alert it doesn't include a sleeping mask or eye cream):

1. Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash
A basic skin care routine consists of a cleanser, toner and moisturizer. Which is why the first step in mine is the Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash. According to the body shop website it's a "gentle, non-drying cleansing facial wash that leaves skin feeling clean, soft and refreshed. Formulated with protective vitamin E and moisturising wheatgerm oil" and  "suitable for all skin types" with a "light, lathering creamy texture" and "non-drying formila". 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The Vitamin E facial wash in a light pink packaging with a white label with The Body Shop logo, product name and details in black and dark pink text. It's on a white sink, beige tiles in the background and I have my palm out with some of the product (which is white) in my hand. 

To me that description is quite accurate. When I use the facial wash I find that you only need one drop for your whole face. I take one drop and  open and close my palm so the product spreads out. I then put small dabs around my face, spread it around and wash it off with warm water. When washing it off I like how it feels creamy on your face, and as I move my hands around my face I see some of the foamed up face wash. Once I'm done with that I love how my skin feels soft, yet hydrated and clean. In the past I've used face washes where my face felt soft, very dry and squeaky clean after using it. I used to think that was a good thing but it turns out it's not. This product doesn't do that, as an added bonus I think it helps with my breakouts by making them less red and not as painful. It's no acne cure but if you get acne because of dry skin it does help.

2. Vitamin E Hydrating Toner
Step 2 of my routine is a toner. Toners  are a liquid that removes the the last bit of dirt or bacteria on the skin and makes sure the bacteria in your pimple doesn't spread. The Body Shop's Vitamin E Hydrating Toner is a alcohol-free toner with "protective vitamin E and moisturising wheatgerm oil" that removes traces od make up, your cleanser and helps maximise the absorption of the rest of your products.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The Vitamin E Hydrating Toner which is a pink translucent bottle with a black lid and white label with The Body Shop logo and product details in black text. Also "Vitamin E" is in bold pink text. The bottle is on a beige table with a white wall in the background and a white oval cotton pad is next to it on the table.

his is the first and only toner I've ever used, so I'm afraid I can't compare it to anything else. But I can tell you it definitely does the job. All I need to do is put a drop (sometimes two) on a cotton pad and rub it on my face. Once that's done I can see that the cotton pad is now a grayish white, which means it took off the last traces of dirt or facial wash on my face. It's also quite useful for cleaning off any of the blood that comes from spots that are about to pop.

3. Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence Lotion
The third step of my routine came about on a whim. The Vitamin E Aqua Boost Lotion is a non-greesy "lightweight gellified formula" with "biofermented Hyalyronic acid".  It's an in-between step, a product you use after cleansing but before moisturizing.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence Lotion which is in a pink translucent bottle with a white label with the Body Shop logo and product details in black text and "Vitamin E" in bold pink. The bottle is on a beige table with a white wall as the background and the black lid is next to it

To be honest I didn't have high hopes for this product at first. I only bought it because, The Body Shop was having one of their great offers and I needed some other products. But I still wanted that over £25 free delivery, so I put it in the cart and bought it. Plus the reviews were good, so to me it sounded like it would be a useful product but not something I really needed. When I first tried it I was very surprised by the results. All I had to do was take one drop of the lotion and put that on my face. I did this after using my toner and before moisturizing. Once it was on my face it sunk in, didn't feel greasy but if I did tap my face I could tell there was something on my face. I then put my moisturizer on and was amazed at how the lotion helped it spread out more and feel more hydrated without putting on more moisturizer. Before purchasing this product I was applying more moisturizer than usual because my skin still felt quite dry. I didn't want to buy a new moisterizer so I brought this instead. I bought it back in November and still have quite a lot left. I can see why it's described as an "essential" step.

4. Vitamin E Moisture Cream
Step 4 is a moisturizer. I know moisturizing is important and good for the skin, but different moisterizers work for different skin types. The Vitamin E Moisture Cream is a lightweight easily absorbed moisturizer with "Vitamin E plumping Hyalyronic acid and wheatgerm oil" that locks in moisture for "all-day hydration" and helps ward off dryness. It also makes your skin feel soft and silky smooth.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The Vitamin E Moisture Cream is in ny hand on a beige table with a white wall as the background. The light pink container which has a white labwl with the Body Shop logo and product details in black text and "Vitamin E" in bold pink. The black circle lid is on the right-hand side on the table. 

One thing I like about the moisture Cream is how it makes my skin feel soft and smooth, yet hydrated. I think my skin is already soft and smooth, the only problem is that it still feels dry. Thankfully this moisterizer helps, every time I use it, it absorbs into my skin and adds some hydration. By that I mean I don't need to keep applying it to keep my skin moisterized. When it comes to making your skin silky smooth and hydrated, a little goes a long way.  I use it every morning and every night before bed. 

5. Vitamin E Body Butter 
The final step in my routine is moisterizing my entire body. The Vitamin E Body Butter is a moisturizer that "nourishes and hydrates" the skin for "24 hours". Similarly to all the products mentioned it had Vitamin E and wheatgerm oil.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: the Vitamin E body butter on a beige table with a white wall in the background. The light pink container is open on the left with the white product inside and on the right is the black circle lid with a white label with the Body Shop logo and product information in black text and "Vitamin E" in bold pink and a pink flower under it

When you have acne you get breaks outs on your body. I definitely get spots on my body. To deal with that I use the body butter which leaves my skin reeling hydrated soft and smooth. I also love how it has such a soft and creamy texture that ainks into my skin, not like I've put something thick and greasy on my body. Idealy I should use it every night before bed, but I use it most nights and when I get straight out of the shower. So it's a product I use quite a bit, I just get lazy at times and don't use it every night. I think the body butter is helping manage my breakouts, stopping it from going from bad to worse.

That's all I've got to say about my skin care routine. It turns out I had a lot to say, but I hope you enjoyed it. It's different to what I usually write, but I wanted to give it a go. I'm no beauty blogger but I think I did a good job? Let me know what you think in the comments below. Also this isn't a paid post by The Body Shop, or products gifted to me. I purchase all these products myself and use them daily. If The Body Shop do want me to try out a product or gift me something, i will disclose it in my posts. Anyhow that's all I've got for this post. I hope you enjoyed this lifestyle post.

Nanjiba