My skin care stash and current routine!

As I mentioned in my last post, I am still very much establishing my skin care regime. I also have a slight (huge) addiction to buying new items..which can be problematic when wanting to stick to a routine! I've come a long way though and the more I've explored, the more I've realised that actually it's sometimes better to be a little flexible and cater to your skin needs on the day with a range of products.
That being said, you certainly don't NEED a million things and a million steps. You may well have three staple products that work for you already, and that you've used for years! It all depends on what you like. For me the whole process is a therapeutic end to my day, a time for relaxing and turning off my work brain (or trying to at least!), and that's why I choose to spend a little more time and money.
I have quite a few staples myself that will most likely be in my collection for years to come. Others I am patiently waiting to finish but probably won't repurchase. 

I've built up quite the collection and luckily enough most of them I've loved, so at the moment it's a case of using what I feel like on the day. 
If you're new to it, try not to over think it. Explore, read up, go for items that are good for your skin type and see where it goes!
My skin is oily/combination and can be an absolute nightmare. 
The following is a breakdown of the things I've learnt (after reading many, many blogs and articles, as well as chatting to skin care buddies!), my current steps, and a list of some of the items that I love. I hope that it is of some help to those of you who are starting out, or interested in exploring new products. 

Step 1: CLEANSE
I use makeup wipes or Garnier micellar water with cotton pads as a first cleanse to take off make up and then go in with my "proper" cleanser. If it's an oil, I give my face a bit of a massage and then wipe off with a warm flannel. Other times I may wash my face in the shower and use a gel. Here are some of my current favourites:

*Vichy: Normaderm cleansing gel
*Una Brennan : Vitamin C cleansing oil, or her other liquid cleansers- all lovely!
*Eucerin: Dermo purifyer cleanser.
*Tata Harper: Nourishing oil cleanser

Really with cleanser, as long as you can find one that doesn't break you out/irritate you, that's perfect. All you want is something gentle that'll get your face super clean and ready for the next steps!

Step 2: TONE
This was a step that used to really confuse me. I had no idea what the point was, so didn't really bother. Now, I wouldn't go without it!
Toner helps to re-balance the skins PH, gets rid of any cleanser that is left over, and also (depending on which one you choose) may have ingredients that can help to resurface and get rid of dead cells/prevent blocked pores. 
If you have problematic skin like me - go for ones which contain salicylic acid and/or glycolic acid (read about them here: http://www.exfoliate.com/glycolic-acid-vs-salicylic-acid/)  
Acid toning can sound TERRIFYING at first. When I first heard about it, I was reluctant to say the least, but trust me it's life changing and not as scary as it sounds.
Avoid ones with high levels of alcohol as this can be drying. 

Here are some of my current favourites: 

*Nip and Fab glycolic fix cleansing pads/ extreme version (I have repurchased these over and over)
* Bravura calendula/ ginseng toners
*Alpha H - Liquid gold (INCREDIBLE STUFF)
*Clearasil 5 in 1 pads are amazing and affordable for those on a budget.

I also love a toner spritz, or a facial mist for some extra hydration. I currently use these from time to time:
*Clinique - Moisture surge
*Boots - Botanics rosewater toning spritz


Step 3: MOISTURISE
I remember thinking that if I didn't moisturise, I'd be less oily. From the research I've done this almost has the opposite effect. If you don't add moisture back in, your skin freaks out, produces more oil which then clogs your pores. Ahh! Often oiliness can be because of dehydration (not drinking enough water/dry weather etc.) so moisturising is key! I use this Bioderma one pretty much daily : http://www.escentual.com/bioderma/bioderma021/?gclid=CjwKEAjw-Oy_BRDg4Iqok57a4kcSJADsuDK1cU-zBymSMckJHPGw8QKGowx5R4Ly-rpzSrijhppjQRoC14Lw_wcB

Even if you're not oily, moisturising is still a key step to keeping skin supple and hydrated. 

Things to avoid if you have problematic skin:
Some have shea butter in which can sometimes cause spots for me. There are also some claims against mineral and castor oil, I don't know too much about this, but a lot of people say to avoid them.
Again these suggestions are based on what I've used, and I know work for me.

SO, you could just leave it there if you wanted a simple routine, or continue reading for some other skin treats that I really realllly enjoy. 

4. OILS
I use a facial oil in my evening routine, every.. single.. day. There are so many different kinds, that do so many different things. I tend to go for ones that claim to calm redness, hydrate, refine, soften and soothe. Oils aren't usually cheap, and generally the ones I've found to work are £30 or over so maybe not for everyone/ a saving up job (I saved for a while to create my current collection! If you know any good, affordable ones let me know in the comments!).
I complete my normal routine, but use the oil instead of/before my moisturiser in the evening depending on how I feel.
Some good ones (my faves) for spot prone skin are:
*Clarins lotus oil (this is amazing, hydrates and calms redness overnight, recommended by my lovely friend Pippa)
*Ren Vita Mineral Omega 3 optimum skin serum Oil (I sometimes use this in the day too as it's a little lighter)
*Oskia - Restoration oil
*Sarah Chapman overnight facial

Try some and see, you may well find another that works for you! I think the body shop have some cheaper ones too.
5. TREATMENTS/MASKS:

If my skin is aggravated, or in need of an extra boost of hydration - I tend to add in a serum or treatment between the tone and moisturiser/oil stage. This way it gets locked in by the moisturiser afterwards (Again - refer to the queen of skin care: http://www.carolinehirons.com/2013/06/routines-cheat-sheet.html)Something that is absolutely amazing and changed my skin a lot is the Vichy normaderm night detox. I use it fairly regularly under my moisturiser at night.

Kypris antioxidant dew is my new favourite serum - SO hydrating and calming - and I have The Anna Edit to blame for my addiction!

Sunday Riley - Good Genes is just amazing but not the cheapest. It's so good that I am going to have to splurge again soon. Have a read here: http://www.spacenk.com/uk/en_GB/brands/s/sunday-riley/good-genes-treatment-US300023215.html?cm_mmc=Google+UK-_-F3D+-+UK|EN|DSN|N|Google+Shopping+-+Brands-_-Sunday+Riley-_-{productgroup}&gclid=Cj0KEQjw4fy_BRCX7b6rq_WZgI0BEiQAl78ndxbzMltQx5lZDU-zWpGtv-zkLSAFHIxA2djnfgmcjPQaAsTU8P8HAQ (try not to pass out at the price)

I recently purchased the Bravura Glycolic Acid night treatment too. It's still early days but so far I'm finding this really helps when my skin is misbehaving. I like to use it every few days to make sure my sensitive skin doesn't panic. Have a look on the Bravura website here for more information: https://www.bravuralondon.com/
I'm starting to find that a lot of their products work for me and are generally very reasonable. They also offer skin care advice if needed.

Finally - I like to do a hydrating or clearing mask every now and again! The Garnier moisture bomb one is so nice and so cheap too. The Peter Thomas Roth pumpkin enzyme mask is my go to for when my skin is playing up, and I also love the Glam Glow thirsty mud.
I hope this is helpful, let me know what your favourites are in the comments! As in my previous post, lifestyle is a key factor, skin care is just the added "care" on top. Get a good balance and you'll be well away!

xox