Skin care haul and my skin care regime

One of the reasons that I'm on a makeup buying ban at the moment is because most of my skin care stuff is running out.  My skin isn't perfect, but I think the products I use really do help tame it.  I still get spots, but there's usually a reason (usually hormones or being lazy with my skin).  While I was in France, I left a couple of products at home, thinking that they weren't essentials, and my skin did not like me for that at all.  I thought I'd share with you the products that I keep buying over and over again, and that I believe are essentials when it comes to maintaining happier skin.

So this was my haul!

Bioderma Crealine H2O

 A couple of years ago I bought into the hype and picked up a bottle of this when I went to France, and I haven't been without it since.  I still pick up a bottle or two every time I visit my parents, but I think you can get it in the UK now too.  This gentle cleanser is great for those too lazy to be dealing with soap and water in the morning (guilty!), and for removing makeup at the end of the day.  I use this every morning and night that I don't shower, and it keeps my skin feeling nice and clean.

Vichy Purete Thermale Hydra Perfecting Toner (£11)

This toner is a total holy grail product for me.  Before I started using a toner I consistently had spots.  Where I live has very hard water, and after reading that the high mineral content in hard water makes it harder to remove all traces of soap, which then them blocks pores, I decided to try a toner again.  This removes any left over traces of cleanser, and my skin cleared up a treat!  I chose the Hydra Perfecting Toner, rather than the Purifying Astringent Toner, as it isn't so harsh on my skin.  I use this morning and night after cleansing.

Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Active Concentrate (£9)

I'm honestly not sure why I bought this to begin with.  But it's one of the items I left at home while I was in France, and judging by my skins reaction, it's one that I shouldn't be without.  This thin gel like product goes on after toning, but before moisturising, just like a serum.  It really mattifys  my super oily skin and helps keep spots at bay.

Boots Botanics Mattifying Day Cream (£3.49)

This moisturiser is proof that you don't always have to spend a lot of money to get great results.  I have the oiliest skin ever, and this is one of only two moisturisers I've found that actually keeps it matte for the best part of the day.  The other is  Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Moisturiser, which as well as being more expensive, was very harsh on my skin.  This Botanics moisuriser manages to mattify, whilst being gentle and not drying my skin out.  It's also got SPF15, which is something I always look for in a day cream.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil for Combination/Oily Skin (£30)

This was the second product I left at home over Christmas, and I really did miss it.  This oil not only smells great, but it works wonders on your skin!  Since using it, I found that my skin texture improved, and my pores weren't quite as noticeable.  As it's an oil and it doesn't sink in very fast this is one to be used at night, just after cleansing and toning.  I usually let this sink in for 30mins to an hour before applying my night cream on top.  This really does feel like you're giving your skin a treat every night, and my skin definetly thanks me for it!  This jar also last for ages, as you only use a few drops a night.

Olay Double Action Nourishing and Regenerating Night Cream for Sensitive Skin (£5.39) 

I've been using this night cream for as long as I can remember.  I've tried others a couple of times, but I always seem to come back to this one.  It feels soothing, and always leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed.  

Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm (£3.69)

I am super picky when it comes to lip balms, as I find that quite a lot of them actually dry my lips out over time.  You won't catch me going anywhere near Vaseline! Burt's Bees use beeswax, shea butter, almond oil, and cocoa butter in this lip balm.  It keeps lips moisturised without feeling greasy.  And it smells great too!

There's a few prouducts that I didn't need to replace, but as they're daily essentials I thought I'd share them anyway!

  
No7 Protect and Perfect Lip Care (£9.95)
This is my all time favourite lip care product, and I wouldn't be without it!  I usually use it before bed, but as it dries so quickly it's also great for prepping your lips before applying lipstick.  It fixes dry and sore lips in just one use.  Boots quite often to a £5 off No7 skin care voucher, and when I get one I always use it to buy this!

Boots Vitamin E Gentle Eye Cream (£2.54)

I don't really look for much in an eye cream at the moment.  Despite suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so feeling like I've not slept in weeks most of the time, the circles under my eyes aren't too dark, and I don't often suffer from puffy eyes.  I'm not quite at the stage where I need to be worrying about wrinkles yet either, so all I want is an eye cream that keeps the delicate eye area moisturised.  This does just that, without stinging my eyes like some creams do.  I do notice that my eyes seem brighter after I've used this too.  I use this morning and night after moisturising my face, and if I've done a makeup look that I remove during the day, I'll use it then too.  It absorbs quickly, and has SPF15, which makes it great for day time wear. 

Lush Coal Face (£4.75) and Dark Angels (£6.35)
I alternate between 2 cleansers when I shower.  
The first, Coal Face, I use 4-5 times a week.  This soap really is fantastic for oily skin.  It soaks up any oil and leaves your skin quite literally squeaky clean!  I don't find it makes my skin feel tight, but I wouldn't want to skip moisturiser after using it either.  Less oil = less spots.  And a bar lasts absolutely ages too!

I use Dark Angels a couple of times a week to exfoliate.  I get a really deep clean with this one.  As it's a paste that you add water too, you can adjust the consistency to your liking.  I like it quite thick, as I really like a good scrub!  This, like Coal Face, has charcoal in it, which really helps to absorb any excess oil.

So there you have it.  My essential skin care products.  It seems like such a long list, but it's totally worth it, and I wouldn't want to be without any of these products!