I’ve slowed down my skincare regime and testing quite a bit recently and am much more wary about what I use on my face. I’ve found a combination that I’m really happy with in recent months and thought I’d share which products I’m using. As the pile turned out to less minimal than I imagined in my head, I’ve broken it down into morning and evening routines (evening to follow next week). There is some overlap, but I do switch things up and will explain why as I go along.
While six products may look like a lot to slap on your face of a morning, I spend so little time on it. I’m not a morning person and am generally rushing to get two small children to school, so each step is slotted into my existing routine, which goes something like this…
Cleanse (1 min): I’m so not into the whole shebang when I’m barely awake, so a quick face wash with Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser massaged into my damp face and rinsed off in the shower is as good as it gets. Kiwi, Manuka Honey, Grape and Apple all combine to give a refreshing fragrance and light gel texture whisk away any overnight oil or dead skin without leaving my skin tight. Job done.
Tone (30 secs): Pre teeth-brushing I’ll swipe a cotton pad with a few pumps of Pixi Glow Tonic over my face, neck and décolletage. This alcohol-free toner contains aloe vera, glycolic and ginseng and gently exfoliates the skin with continued use. Only available from Pixi Beauty in Carnaby Street, London, I ordered mine by phone (0207 287 7211) or you can email storemanager@pixibeauty.com.
Serum (1 min): By the time I’ve finished brushing, the toner has dried and I’ll massage in a few drops of Elemental Herbology Cell Food. Good Lord this stuff is gorgeous. The futuristic silver bottle, dropper and milky white texture are all a great start, but it feels beautiful, sinks in instantly and my skin adores it. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and actives, it’s designed to help the skin find equilibrium, which is exactly what it’s done for me. Soothing, glow-injecting and just…. I love it.
Eye Cream (30 secs): Shimmy into the bedroom and my eye cream goes on before my clothes. Remember my rave about HealGel Face (here)? You’ll be happy to hear that HealGel Eye is equally fabulous. Created to address dark circles, puffiness and fine lines, it ticks all the boxes for me. It gives my eyes a definite instant lift/smoother appearance… I won’t even attempt to explain how, but I love that it does. These products were created by a team of Britain’s best surgeons and derms. They know their stuff. I still use the Face product when my skin is feeling fragile and treat it like gold dust.
So that’s three mins so far and we’re almost done, woo hoo!
Moisturiser (1 min): From first use, I adored Functionalab Mature Skin Anti-Ageing Cream and 6 weeks on I feel the same. The gel-cream texture is beautiful and my skin loves it. I aim for 2-3 pumps for my face, neck and décolletage, allowing it to sink in while I dress. *This is what I mean about fitting skincare into my routine…. I don’t stand and do each step in succession - that would feel too much like hard work.* Although fairly new to me, Functionalab is an award-winning, science-based, global brand with a range of ‘Beauty Dose supplements’ designed to complement the skincare products. I haven’t tried them, but have been blown away by the skincare (more of that to come in my evening routine).
Primer (1 min): I wouldn’t normally consider primer a true skincare product, but I’ve been so impressed by Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer I wanted to include it. The first time I used this I was so pleased with the instant magic blurring effects, I considered not adding foundation (for about 10 seconds). This stuff is awesome. It does contain silicones, which may put some off, but it hasn’t bothered my skin at all. It’s very slightly tinted, has broad spectrum SPF 30, creates a dreamy velvety base for make-up application and helps it last longer. Created to improve the overall health of the skin, peptides stimulate collagen production alongside anti-ageing actives.
By the way, if it’s very hot or I’m planning to spend a lot of time outdoors, I’ll add a regular SPF before primer. I generally treat built in SPF as a bonus top up rather than a replacement.
So that’s it. Five mins in total. You could easily skip the toner and primer (as I do if I’m in a mega rush) and cut it down to 3 mins! How long does your skincare routine take? (I’ve linked to each step via the product names above)
