*Updated* Skincare Routine + Skincare Tips

Hello my loves,

I did a skincare routine blog post previously, however since then a lot has changed in my regime. I'll link the post here so you can read that one too because it's not that I still don't love the products I mentioned in that post, it's just that I have just found some new ones that make my skin the best it can possibly be.  My previous post was very budget friendly, so if that's what you are aiming for with your skincare products that post might be more of an interest to you.

I believe in investing in your skin because lets face it, how you look after your skin when you're younger DOES have an impact on how your skin will look in the future (obviously some of it is totally down to genetics and out of our control, so you can blame your parents!) This being said, that is one of the reasons why I do use slightly more expensive products, with proven results in my skincare routine at the moment.

Another outlook that I have is that I believe that your makeup can only look as good as the base you provide for it. I like to look at in the sense if you're painting walls, you always need a clean, good conditioned base or else no matter what you do, the paint job will not turn out the best it could of if you'd taken the time to prepare the walls.

 Does this make sense? It makes sense in my head haha!

Before I fly into my routine, I want to list some skincare tips that I have picked up over years:

1. Drink water. I know you're going to be like okay as if we don't know that, but I want to stress this. Not only is water good for keeping your skin blemish free, it also combats dehydrated skin. Dehydrated skin is often mistaken for dry skin however it is treated very differently. Dehydrated skin lacks water not oils as dry skin does - this means your skin will look dull, feel tight and will show signs of aging i.e intensified fine lines on the face. Dehydrated skin also produces more oil to make up for the lack of water therefore leading to breakouts. Do you notice your concealer creasing and caking under your eyes but you don't have dry, flakey skin? You're probably dehydrated. Now do you see how important water actually is?! Drink at least 8 glasses a day. 
2. Sleep. Again, another basic point, but tiredness shows on your skin - be it temperamental breakouts, dark circles, dry patches - this can all be results of lack of sleep. Recommended sleep for adults is 7 - 9 hours.
3. Taking off your make-up. I die inside when I hear people telling me they just use makeup wipes daily, because they are absolutely not sufficient for taking makeup off, they also drag the skin causing aging and upset the balance of the skins natural oils. They are fine for a once off night out or staying somewhere that's not your own house but they shouldn't be a habit. In order to remove your makeup fully and treat your skin you need to cleanse your face with a cleanser (cream, foam, oil, up to you) TWICE. once to remove the makeup, second time to double make sure it's all gone and to care for your skin needs (e.g. acne etc.) Also, this goes without saying I hope, PLEASE, DO NOT SLEEP with makeup on, it's a skincare sin.
4. Dermaplaning. This is controversial  so I debated adding this in because you absolutely DO NOT have to do this. This totally preference, but it does make a difference to how makeup applies if you notice that the hairs on your face catch in your makeup. Dermaplaning is basically using a single blade razor to remove the light peach fuzz hair off your face. It originates from Japan and is very popular in american facials as a procedure for exfoliating the skin. Contrary to popular belief NO it does not make the hair grow back thicker/blacker/stubblier, If you would like a blog post dedicated to this topic let me know below and I can talk you through the pros and cons and how-to's if this is something you would safely like to try.
5. Facials. The above leads on to this point I suppose. I am a huge fan of facials & microdermabrasion - if you have the funds you can get these done as much as you like; I try to get them minimum twice a year as I feel they really renew the skin and give you a good basis to take care of at home. Facials aren't as expensive as people presume; sign up to beauty parlor's newsletters and keep an eye on Groupon for deals. My favourites are Microdermbrasion, Vitamin C peel and Image O2 lift facials.
6. Facial oils. I call facial oils miracle products and I like to use them during the night mainly. Facial oils help to add hydration and nutrition to the skin; they also help topically with concerns like acne scars and signs of aging like fine lines. I also find the definitely help enhance your glow. Look out for facial oils that include vitamin E, rose-hip, Argan oil, almond oil or coconut oil. You apply a drop of facial oil AFTER your moisturiser. If you have oily skin, facial oils are something you may not require but you can use a very little amount if you do want added benefits. 
7. Eye cream. Totally over looked product, even by me. I tend to forget this step for some reason. If you notice your makeup isn't holding well under your eyes - that it's cakey etc - an eye-cream can help with this (but as I said above under dehydration, dry under eyes can be sign of that too.) Eye  creams are basically your tailor fit moisturiser for your eye area because the skin is thinner and more delicate, they help to combat aging and fine lines around the eye area.
8. Wear sun protection every single day, even when it's not sunny. If I could ever preach something, it would be this. Wear a minimum of factor 30 every single day - even if your makeup contains some. The sun has two types of UV radiation, UVA & UVB. UVA is what causes skin aging and wrinkles whilst UVB is the skin cancer developer. I know it's great to have a natural tan in the moment, but the damage that you are doing to skin by going without sun cream in the long run is just not worth it, especially with the education you are given on it now-a-days. I'm not even going to touch on sunbeds, as that is a totally other post that I could write pages on!

I hope that everyone can take take at least a few things from my tips above. I am asked a lot how I keep my skin good ( I am only 23 so I don't have to worry majorly - but i believe in prevention over correction!) and these are tips I religiously follow.

Now, on to some of the products that I currently use and swear by:

Products:

Pixi Glow Tonic, Lancome Visionnaire cream, Dr.Dennis Gross Alpha beta extra strength daily peel, Lush cosmetics Love Lettuce fresh face mask, Clarisonic Mia 2, Clarisonic Refreshing Gel cleanser, The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence lotion.

Step 1: I use my Clarisonic Mia 2 every night & every second morning. This is the product I attribute my good skin texture to. It is worth every penny in my eyes. I use it combined with Clarisonic Refreshing Gel cleanser after I have taken off the bulk of my makeup off with a makeup remover. I have no preference for a makeup remover, I just try to avoid one that is too oily as it hurts my eyes.

Step 2: I use my Pixi Glow tonic as a toner after I have removed my makeup fully. I use this morning and night. It has 5% Glycolic so it helps your skin to literally glow!

Step 3: As my serum to put hydration back into my skin I use my Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua boost Essence lotion every morning and night.

Step 4: I know it is expensive, but I swear by my Lancome Visionnaire cream; once I stop using it I can see a difference and that's how I know it works. It is a gel like consistency, which I love because it works well under makeup. I then apply eye cream, I haven't it pictured here, but I use the No 7 protect & prefect eye cream. I use both these products day and night.

Extra steps: 

- Twice a week I will use a mask. I love Lush face masks as they are fresh and I like that I know exactly what is in them - I love things with natural ingredients.

- I am also a massive fan of at home peels which are amazing for reducing pores & fine lines and fading scars and pigmentation - I use a month supply of  Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta extra strength daily peel every three months or so and it keeps my skin perfect. 

- As mentioned above, I use facial oils and I'll use them 3 - 4 times a week roughly before I go to sleep.

So there we have it, that rounds up my skincare tips and routine! 

I hope I've helped you all in some way. I know the products I use are expensive, but they are very much worth it. My skin is not perfect & I have my bad skin days; we are all only human - but if I can make my skin good 90% of the time I'm happy!

With Love from,

Rebekah x♡