After sharing my daily skincare regime in last week's blog, this week’s is all about the things I love to do maybe once a week or so.
FACE MASKS A few months ago I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on Banish’s Instagram, (@banishacnescars) they specialise in products & tools that can help reduce acne scarring. I won a Pumpkin Enzyme Mask that literally feels like you’re smearing mushed up pumpkin on your face (which if you love natural skincare like me its weirdly great!) & once it’s been washed off my skin feels so clean it’s almost squeaking. I’ve not really properly kept an eye on whether it’s helped with my acne scars, but luckily mine aren’t that noticeable; even if I didn’t have scarring, I’d probably still use this mask as it makes my skin feel amazing!
Another mask I love is Neal’s Yard Remedies Reviving White Tea Facial Mask, this is quite often my Sunday wind down face mask.. 1, because a zen little Sunday routine makes me feel so much more ready for Monday & 2, because it smells amazing, like I’m really pampering myself. I’m a real fan of a lot of the White Tea products, because they smell so great, plus they really do help my skin. The White Tea range is perfect for sensitive skin, this mask in particular is recommended for ‘detoxing & cleansing’. This mask doesn’t give me the ‘squeaky clean’ feeling the Banish mask does, it's more of a nourishing mask, plus leaves my skin feeling really soft!
I tend to do both masks once a week, the Banish mask I usually just apply before I go into the shower, then I wash my hair etc. before rinsing the mask off after 10/15 minutes. It’s a quick way to squeeze in a face mask, even if it’s part of getting ready for work on a morning. My Neal’s Yard one is definitely more of an ‘apply whilst in PJs, enjoying a cup of tea & crap Sunday tv’ vibe!
The third & final mask I LOVE, I tend to use at random rather than every week. If ever my skin feels dehydrated or in need of a little extra TLC I use my Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm as an overnight mask. I tend to do this more often on holiday as I find being in the sun a lot leaves my skin feeling in need of bit more hydration than usual. This product is unreal, it has sooo many different uses – I'll have to do a whole separate post on those, but trust me when I say once you try it you will believe all the hype! After, cleansing, toning & applying my salicylic acid, I apply a generous layer of this balm all over my face just before I go to bed. I make sure to sleep with a towel over my pillow as this product is oil based, then look forward to waking up in the morning with super nourished, hydrated skin!
EXFOLIATING Exfoliating is one of my all-time fave things when it comes to skin & body care.. Anyone who’s been on holiday with me knows I can’t get enough of it; little tip – it is THE best way to ensure your tan lasts & to avoid peeling (in my opinion... obviously ensure you’re using decent sun protection as well). I try not to over exfoliate my face though; as with all things skincare, every face is different, but I find once or twice a week is enough for me. I use Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Facial Polish & it is just a dream, my skin always feels super soft after I’ve used it! What I love most is it’s not harsh at all like you find with some other facial scrubs, its super creamy AND has always been plastic micro bead free; instead this scrub uses wild rose seed powder. Neal’s Yard’s ethics are amazing, not only have they never used plastic micro beads, they also played a huge part in the successful campaign to get them banned in the UK not so long ago.
MAKE-UP REMOVAL
I maybe wear make-up once or twice a week, and when I do I like to use my usual facial wash to remove any make-up on my skin (NYR Rose Facial Wash). Recently I have tried to reduce my use of face wipes, I have biodegradable ones, but I know even those aren’t the best, they are just the easiest way I find to get rid of eye make-up! My eyes are super sensitive, so I have found coconut oil to be a fab natural & gentle eye make-up remover; the only thing is, this comes with the use of lots of cotton wool pads! I’m currently on the lookout for reusable cotton pads & a decent make-up removal face cloth that can make my skincare regime a little better for the environment. The fab thing about using coconut oil around the eye area is that it's also great for my eye lashes.. it helps to stimulate growth, leaving naturally thicker & longer lashes! Coconut oil is another wonder product that has never ending uses, which is another story for another blog post!
I'd love to hear any recommendations that can help me with my hunt for good quality reusable cotton pads & makeup removing face cloth :) Sally x
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