My Skincare Routine: An Update

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Colder weather is here! It’s my least favourite time of the year! Nevertheless, it’s a great excuse to update my skincare routine, and share it with you as we go into winter.

I tend to be quite seasonal when it comes to investing in skincare. Give me light serums and oils for Spring/Summer, or heavier creams and masks for Autumn/Winter. There’s not much change across the rest of the year, it has to be said.

And, with lockdown in effect, skincare tends to be the only daily beauty ritual I have. Sure, I’ll wear makeup for video calls, but even then it’s light. (And did you know Zoom has a ‘touch up appearance’ feature?!)

For this break in makeup, my skin is thankful. It’s had a lot more time to breathe, and a lot more attention paid to it too. So, here’s an update on my skincare routine, focusing on essentials, and a few new heavy-duty products I’ve added in to help combat the cold outdoors and stuffy indoors…

Skincare Routine Essentials vs. Niceties

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In my earlier post detailing my usual routine, I broke down my skincare products based on what I use in the morning and then again in the evening. This time, I’m going to simply break the list out into essentials vs niceties!

Essential products that all skincare routines should include are:

• Cleanser
• Exfoliant
• Serum
• Moisturiser
• SPF

Some of these can be rolled together, such as cleanser with an exfoliant, or moisturiser with SPF. Whatever you prefer, it’s good to have all these bases covered. Right now, I’m using:

• Cleanser: Pai Skincare Rosehip Cleansing Oil*
• Exfoliant: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant* (I only use this a few times per week, and it’s lasted me over six months now with half the bottle left!)
• Serum: Nue Co. The Pill*
• Moisturiser: Pai Skincare The Anthemist*
• SPF: Madara City CC Cream SPF15*

All of the skincare products I use, including these, are cruelty-free, and are free from the 25 nasty beauty ingredients I set out to avoid long ago.

One of the most exciting recent additions has been Nue Co.’s The Pill serum, which goes further than the average skin serum, as it’s a topical supplement, with a single daily dose of every key nutrient for the skin! I was kindly gifted mine to try, and if you’d like to, you can get 30% off with the code: BFBESMA30

And for the record, while I recommend this base skincare routine to anyone who asks, it comes with the caveat of knowing your skin first. And that includes knowing your skin as it adapts to winter conditions too!

Just like I know I’ll get a few blemishes around the time of my period, it’s worth keeping an eye on how your skin acts, especially when adding in new products.

New Skincare Products For Winter

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So now, onto the niceties! These are the skincare products that I’ve recently added into my routine which go beyond a standard set. Products that I like to add into my skincare routine include:

• Anti-redness treatment
• Spot treatment
• Eye cream
• Night cream
• Face mask

These products are more prescriptive, fitting with my skin. I have redness across my cheeks, the occasional blemish, so I like to pamper my skin when I can! This year I also added in eye cream into my routine because it’s great for reducing general puffiness and preserving my favourite facial feature (well, hopefully!)

The nice, extra products I’m using at the moment add are:

• Anti-redness treatment: Pai Skincare Instant Kalmer*
• Spot treatment: Disciple What Spot? (Gifted)
• Eye cream: Ecooking Eye Cream (Gifted)
• Night cream: Ecooking Night Cream (Gifted)
• Face mask: Ede Born Again Treat Mask*

Now, if you’re something of a sustainable skincare addict like me, you’re going to especially love Pai Skincare, whose product line I re-discovered earlier this year. They’ve had a huge brand overhaul, and their products continue to be made with certified organic and vegan ingredients, with all-new recycled and recyclable packaging. And I love having these bottles, alongside my Nue Co. serum and Ede face mask out on my beauty counter! They’re as pretty to look at as they are to wear.

Budget Skincare (That Does The Job Just As Well)

To round things off, I wanted to also give a few budget options for anyone out there looking to get into susty skincare. I’ll admit that my skincare routine is a little pricey: I like to invest in high quality products and support small brands taking steps to clean up the beauty industry. However, it doesn’t always have to be expensive!

Alongside my recommendations of sussing out your skincare routine, and adding in prescriptive items here and there, why not try building out your skincare routine with cheaper sustainable beauty brands, such as:

• Avril
• Beauty Kitchen*
• Bybi Beauty*
• Ethique*
• Green People*
• Laidbare
• Sukin*

And if you wish to start adding in a few investment products here or there, go for it!

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