Getting the balance between ageing prevention and acne fighting
A few days ago I started talking about how tough it is to tackle blemishes and anti-ageing -basically how I balance a skin that decides to be a teenager and an old woman at the same time – and the skincare challenges I face trying to address both issues.
Think double trouble – when you are a little bit older (cough cough) and still suffer from breakouts, ageing is a concern but most acne effective treatments will drain your skin from hydration, promoting a dry, irritated and dull complexion. Which is wrinkle prone. Great.
Frankly, I don’t have time for that, on top of all the aggro acne has brought me, I now have a new set of issues to deal with, and they are the entire opposite end of the spectrum.
With make up not sitting well and not lasting, if your confidence is already knocked by the problematic skin itself, not being able to conceal it a little bit can be even worse.
So what to do Dani? Well, I have, through all these years, tried many combinations. I’m not going to lie: it is trial and error, and sometimes it just stops working, but hopefully my tips will be useful.
In short, I keep acne specific products for the night, adding a shot of deeper hydration, and favour shielding, protecting and moisturising products for the day. And I rotate a lot, depending on how my skin is feeling.
Because this post ended up huge (trust me not to shut up), I am splitting in two parts (read Part 1) and here, in Part 2, I talk about the rest of the routine – my beloved oils, night moisturisers, serums, masks, scrubs and some extras: eye creams and lip balms.
Oils
I know many people, just like me a few years back, would never consider oils for acne skin. In fact, I was terrified of them.
Truth is when you give it oil, your skin doesn’t feel the need to produce as much. And because the oil you are giving it is good, it won’t clog and cause inflamation the pores, starting the acne process.
At the moment, I am loving (really loving) the Votary Blemish Oil, which contains tamanu oil and salicylic acid. Other sweethearts of mine are Dr Jackson 03 Everyday Face oil and Caudalie VineActiv Overnight Detox Oil.
I have also recently started dabbling with the Samaya Ayurvedic Skincare Anti-Ageing Therapy oil in Kapha, which in the summer was a bit too heavy for my skin but in the winter worked out a treat – an individual review is coming soon!
Oils will go better at night, and I will wear them when at home during the day with no makeup on.
Night moisturisers
Admittedly, a mix of moisturisers and a serum. Blame my lack or coordination when photographing!
Night moisturisers are very tricky for me as my skin will complain about anything heavy and those are often quite rich; after a few days of use it will feel congested.
For that reason I usually reach out for very light products or mix with serums and oils to obtain extra hydration and nutrition, without the “weight” on my skin.
Again, this works features heavily. The no wrinkles midnight moisture moisturisers is a bliss. Potent but not super heavy, it’s great for my skin. With the no wrinkles night repair, it’s a winning night combo.
Vitamin C has featured heavily in my skin regime, and I love the Nivea Q10 Plus Skin Sleep Cream. It is light, absorbs quickly and skin wakes up refreshed.
Finally, the Botanics All Bright Night Cream; also super light, easily absorbed, affordable and effective, really promoting brighter, rested skin.
Scrubs
TLC said I don’t want no scrub, and that type I will also pass, thank you very much. However, when it comes to facial scrubs, I am a little bit obsessed.
They are really important in my routine, and even though overscrubbing is aggravating to acne, a gentle exfoliation is great for renewal. I usually scrub once or twice a week.
My go to scrub is the Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish and Alpha H glycolic scrub comes very close!
I have also been using the Previse Marine Granules Skin Brightening Botanical Scrub. It is super light and suitable for super sensitive skin, vegan, naturally unscented, paraben, mineral oil, petroleum, PEGs free and counts with blend of fossilised algae, jojoba and botanical extracts. It is is also great to add to any cleanser for a deeper cleansing boost!
Face masks
Now, I love a bit of pampering and face masks just scream that. Here, I am not even touching on some fab sheet masks – hopefully I’ll have a few on the blog soon!
If my skin is feeling more sensitive, I opt for a hydrating mask such as Caudalie Moisturising Mask or dermalogica Multi-Vitamin mask. Even the Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure, which has clay but is mild enough, for some purifying.
Otherwise, charcoal. I love the dermalogica charcoal masque or the BLAQ Mask which is a black peel off one (see those black heads popping off).
Also in heavy use is the Amie Spring Clean Deep Cleansing Mask, which I have recently discovered and is a total joy to use – it has French white clay, zinc, lime butter and tingly peppermint so it is a super cleansing, antibacterial and detoxifying mask I am a little it in love with!
All the other bits
Not blemish related but I always wear an eye cream – day or night – and my favourites at the moment are the DHC Beauty Lift Essence roll on, the Nivea Q10plus C eye cream and this works light time open eyes, dermalogica age reversal eye complex.
Also relatively new is the Marula 3-in-1 Rejuvenating Eye treatment with Marula oil, vitamin E, marula bright complex, and peptides and an amazing ceramic applicator which soothes, massages and freshens up the eye area on application.
On my lips, Elizabeth Arden 8-hour Cream before bed or Nivea Lip Butter 1000 times a day. Always.
Very important: this mini series talks about a maintenance routine. If you are suffering from (especially) moderate to severe active acne, I urge you to talk to your doctor to discuss treatment.
Once you start treatment, you will most likely stick to a prescribed skincare routine, but depending on what your main medical treatment for acne is, some products will be off the table.
Since I photographed this post, new skincare came into play, like the new Nivea City Skin range, which has gone straight into my skincare drawer… But you know what they say (do they?): the work of a beauty blogger is never done – they will soon be featuring.
You know the drill, but I’ll say again: this post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.
I double cleanse most days. First either with an oil pre-cleanse – my go-to are 
Usually during the day I apply the gorgeous 
I am a bit promiscuous when it comes to moisturising. At the moment, I have, on rotation, for the day: 
My skin has always been a constant issue for me. Being far from perfect, more often than not it has caused me more pain than joy.
My favourite has to be the fantastic Antioxidant Power Serum (£85, 30ml) with L ascorbic acid, niacinamide, vitamin e, ferulic acid and panthotenic acid. Full of antioxidants, it’s like a vitamin shot for the skin, it supports collagen production and has anti-ageing and pigmentation repair properties.
The Micronutrient Night Repair Cream (£75, 50ml) is another delight. For a night Cream, is rich but very light thus being perfect for my skin, which just drinks it. I must point out that the dispenser is great, a push downso your product in the pot never gets in touch with air thus not oxidising!
With an SPF 50, the mighty Moisturising Sun Protection (£50, 100ml) has quickly became a favourite of mine. Vitamins B5 and aloe vera add hydration to the broad spectrum sun protection.
Finally, tying the regime together is the Antioxidant Q10 Toner (£35, 120ml). Very mild but potent, it has coenzyme Q10, hyaluronic acid, aloe Vera and botânica extracts, this toner adds to the moisturisation and skin support as well as refreshing and improving radiance.
So Many Lovely Things 