A couple of months ago I woke up to the worst cocktail of skin problems I’ve ever had. A total skin freak out. Think of a skin issue and I probably had it on that morning. It was sensitive and irritated, dry and oily at the same time (what?!) and cystic under-the-skin blemishes had appeared which were red and sore. It was a mess. And I have no idea what happened whilst I slept blissfully unaware for those 8 hours but one thing was for sure – I needed to pull out the big guns.
While I like to think I know a good amount about skincare (I mean, I’m not a dermatologist or anything but I can reel of the best cleansers or how to tackle rosacea), I was completely stumped. Everything I put on my face made it worse – even natural beauty products. It would sting or dry up or become redder than before but over the space of three days, this collection of products calmed my skin freak out, balanced it out and made it (and me!) happy again.
DISCIPLE LONDON GOOD SKIN OIL
One thing I really noticed when I was looking for solutions is that there isn’t a do-it-all product that tackled everything my skin was going through. But when I took a meeting and was told about a brand that caters to hormonal skin, it was like all my beauty prayers had been answered. A new brand, Disciple’s Good Skin is an active botanical oil-serum that’s natural, nourishing and restores the balance of rogue hormones. Infused with grapeseed and turmeric, it speeds up the healing process and reduces redness similarly to retinol whilst the prebiotic burdock root gives the good bacteria on the skins surface a boost, soothing inflammation.
I put this on morning and evening for three days and it did everything I needed it to. It calmed rising spots whilst fading any dark marks from old blemishes that were starting to show under my make-up. After 2 hours alone redness had almost completely gone and my skin felt soft to the touch.
SKINCEUTICALS HA AND VITAMIN C
I’ve grouped these together because, although you don’t wear them together, they are a total powerhouse for morning and evening serums. Skinceuticals is a performance-driven brand that I go back to time and time again because it really works with my skin without being too harsh. Their hyaluronic acid is amazing for this time of year for a serious hit of moisture but for skin freak outs it’s even better to reset everything and even out skin texture. Of all the HA’s I’ve used over the years, this is the only one that I’ve seen an actual difference in fine lines and the look and feel of my skin.
There is a very good reason why Skinceutical’s CE Ferulic has gained award-winning cult status – high price point aside, it is amazing at reversing all that crap you’ve done to your skin over the years! A potent antioxidant, it’s the only vitamin C product I’ve used that hasn’t irritated my skin but delivered some serious glow to my complexion. I used this every morning during my skin freak out to protect it from aggressors like pollution and the weather to not make matters even worse!
HERBIVORE’S RETINOL SERUM
I am by far the most impatient person so when my skin is playing up, all I want is for every lump, bump and red mark to disappear as quickly as possibly. But there are times when my tough love approach does more harm than good like throwing a boat load of retinol on the problem and be left with one hell of a flaking face. Luckily, brand-of-the-moment, Herbivore have launched a natural alternative by using Bakuchiol and plyhydroxy acids to gently exfoliate and strengthen skin without the harsh side effects.
I started to use this in the evening alone to begin with and then underneath my face oil and finally just on the parts that needed a little helping hand. It doesn’t sting, itch or tingle, it’s super subtle and left my skin calm and fresh.
111 SKIN’s BLEMISH BOOSTER
With acne rates on the rise (up 200% last year alone), skincare brands are starting to take note and this Blemish Booster couldn’t have come at a better time. By regulating sebum production, it refines pores, targets blemish-causing bacteria, reduces inflammation and repairs broken skin. Exactly what I needed. I’m not the best at leaving my spots alone and instantly regret it when I’m left with a less than attractive scab on my face.
This was amazing at healing pigmentation, hydrating dry areas and significantly reduced the amount of blemishes that crop up around that time of the month. I added a few drops to my regular skincare and use it alone on any sore spots overnight and it worked like a treat.
REN’S NON-DRYING SPOT TREATMENT
I’ve always been mildly skeptical about spot “treatments”. More often than not they would suck the moisture out of my skin and leave me with the same untouched blemish. But Ren’s new formula does the exact opposite and it has saved me from a multitude of breakouts over the last few months.
Using ingredients such as willow bark, maritime pine and thyme, it reduces scarring and redness overnight whilst prebiotics rebalance your microbiome (good bacteria) in your skin. I pop a little on under my make-up when I feel an angry pimple coming on and by the end of the day it’s already halved in size.
SHOP THE POST
Leave a Reply